I would think that gap will be adjustable. I was surprised to see the variance of the bonnet to front bumper gap on so many of the current MINIs that I observed at MOT. Mine was among the worst. MoP adjusted the gap on my MCS and it's probably 60% less than how it came from the factory .

As to the bonnet lines, or lack thereof - sounds like there will be a good demand for after-market 'sexy' bonnets.

 

Nope...that's what we call "overslam" gap...look carefully at the gap in the picture...it's even...that means if they were to close it down, the gaps would be uneven front to back...it's designed that way

 

I was talking to a mate the other day, he and I are concerned with the quality of the fittings given that the bonnet now has to also go over the headlights as well.

I do however think the new one would look much better in all black... the colour would mask some of the floors in the new design.

-Dan

 

IMO the current MINI's design is better than the some of its parts and the 2007's design is less than the sum of its parts. Therefore, minor changes = big overall difference.

 

Baby got pre-production gap!

 

In the dark with the lights off

 

I believe there is going to be some driving impressions from Jim Kenzie in the Toronto Star 'Wheels' section this Saturday, Aug. 5th. If I can get a paper I'll scan in the article. There was a little blurb in last Saturdays paper and he gave favourable reviews so far. For those who don't know, Jim Kenzie won the Targa Newfoundland in a modified Cooper S last year.

Here's the link on Kenzie:
http://www.mini.ca/en/More_MINI/Targ...s/default.aspx

 

First of all, thanks to COOPERation for putting together the excellent comparison photos and vector drawings.

I agree with most of the comments voiced here that the current design has the edge over the '07 design. However, I have to sympathize with the designers who were presented with the unenviable task of updating, cost-reducing, and enlarging a car that has gotten so much acclaim for its design. Most of the redesigned features of the new car's bonnet were done in order to reduce the visual mass that had to be added for the European pedestrian crash standards, IMDO (thanks for the new acronym, MSFITOY ). The larger fender flares, headlights, black cowl area, and the plan view curvature of the front end all work together to disguise (more or less) the added bulk of the front end. That being said, I'm keeping my '04. At least until a lightweight JCW CSL AWD GP club racer is offered...

I'm much less forgiving of the fake scoop on the S. I had a hard time believing Ford put a fake rear-mounted gas cap on an otherwise nicely redesigned Mustang, and now MINI is going to make an even more prominent statement with fakery. It just doesn't seem like the MINI way... I'd guess that marketing forced the designers to keep the scoop, but then again, I may be a bit biased.

John

 

Now the gap in this pic seems perfectly acceptable....no problem here.

 

You're right on John...marketing is running the asylum:impatient Vast majority of none Mini owners are not aware that the current intake is for an intercooler...wait till the next generation's owner try and explain what their hole is for...

 

Whew! Glad I got an '06 while the gettin' was still good. The new hood and wheel arches make the '07 look like it's sorely in need of an anti-inflammatory.

 

Awwww Crap! That's a fake too? My faith in humanity is severly shaken.

 

I so rarely do a negative post but it seems the new version has lost much of the MINI's character - too smoothed out. Great comparison by the way - I'm sure we all appreciate the effort!

 

I must agree that, for me, this new turbo MINI is not improved and has lost some uniqueness and character in favor of higher manufacturer and dealer margins. That is a pity. But I also agree that it will likely sell well and become more ubiquitous. It will likely still be a great little motor, but I prefer my 2003 MCS and am not sure I would purchase this new turbo if I wanted a new vehicle. When you look around there are now a lot more interesting small sportscar concepts than there were in 2001-2006. A Chinese company has announced it will start producing MG's for the world market by next year. The Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice makes a nice package. The hybrids seem to point the way for the next 5 years or so with Honda in the lead. The S2000 is still a very nice vehicle. The new Subarus, Audis and Mitsubishis also give the new MINI a run for the money, especially since the new styling is so much more cookie cutter (reminds me of a flattened Suzuki ).

The best news from all of this is the 2001-2006 vehicles, as long as MINI continues to support the model, will likely become a new classic or, should I say, a 2nd Generation Classic. Maybe we should add that to our signatures when the new ones go on sale and the owners come on-board? "2nd Gen. Class."

 

OK... Now I know that NAM has grown away from its roots...

Back in '04, one of the first questions that would have been asked about any new change (like a turbo engine):
If it's possible, maybe we could get all of the benefits of the '07 with all the style of my '06!

 

This is a great thread, lots of great info and opinions... Personally, I like my 06 a lot. But, we're already thinking about our next MINI, and I'd rather get a 2nd generation than get a used one at this point in time. I'm sure that is where most of the decisions are going to be made about 1st versus 2nd generation MINI choices.

Perhaps this would be more appropriate in another thread, but there are a number of weak points with the 1st generation MINIs that we all have discussed. I have to wonder if some -- or any -- were addressed in the 2nd generation. MINI never asked me about them, did they ask you?

To me, the big question about the 2nd generation is if these problems have been addressed, and whether they have been addressed without compromising the fun of owning a MINI. I may not like the little style differences, but I can get used to them; however some of the weak points in the 1st generation are pretty important.

Here are a few 1st generation weak points that I can think of off the top of my head from personal experience and from current or recent threads here in NAM (in no special order so far):

Windshield gets pitted and cracked too easily.
Engine mounts leak and go bad.
Front suspension strut mounts and towers are weak.
Rear suspension stabilizer arms are weak.
Random ECU/BC1 electronic control glitches occur.
Clutches are relatively weak and short lived.
Breaks leak ugly black powder all over the wheels.
Front seats don't stay where they are set.
Body trim panels come off.
Hatch back gets dirty too fast.
Convertable top gets worn areas very early.
Plastic seat backs and body trim panels get scuffed too easily.
Clear plastic over the instruments gets scratched too easily.
There are not enough MINI dealerships.

As you can see I'm starting to grasp for more...

What other weaknesses have I missed here?

Best,

-- Don

 

I currently have an 06 MCS and absolutely love it. I decided to get an 06 because I did not want to deal w/ 1st year issues but I always knew that I would eventually get into the new generation MINI's by 08-09. My ultimate plan was to garage my 06 and treat it as the "new classic" then get into the newer version. Looking at the pictures I am really dissapointed with the lines of the bonnet, doesnt look miniesque IMO. Im not one to bash but that alone is making me reconsider my wait until possibly 2012 for my next MINI.

 

when i replaced my 02 with an 05, i did not like the changes either: specifically the exterior, front bumper treatment especially. but the technical changes, interior cascade lighting, and rear fog, made it a "wash," and i was satisfied. not the case with the r56. it surprises me when some posters here claim they can't see much difference! the car has lost a great deal of its mini "face" and i am disappointed. the "s" is not "more aggressive" looking, as bwm claimed it would-- just bloated and more ordinary. i dislike the light position, the lack of chrome, and integration of the running/signal lights into the healight cluster, (a disaster, and NOT as safe), which now give the car the same headlight look as a dodge neon. a fake scoop? i thought we were beyond that-- a complete embarrassment that any owner will now have to explain away. more plastic? ugh. --why go on? this car is not so much a victim of new british regulations, as it is an effort to cut costs and it shows. remember how mr. stephensen was determined to have toggle switches, and came up with a solution that would satisfy modern safety requirements, (the metal loops on the dash). that was genius. the new design team has utterly failed to find a creative solution to the need to shield the base of the wiper arms-- taken the same route as any other manufacturer and eliminated the venting (a wonderful throwback)-- and created a huge gap between the bonnet and the windscreen. its truly awful. i bought a mini because of the quality it offered, unique british character-- but mostly, because of its uniqueness. the r56 seems to move away from that in so many ways, toward a much more conventional ride. what a bitter disappointment to have such a wonderful "recreation" of the original mini, evaporate in such a short period of time under bmw. this is very sad.

 

Hello Everybody,

Here is my take on the new design.

The whole front end looks more bulbous, aerodynamic and seems like it is looking upward. The old front looked like metal poured over the grill and lights and the R56 front looks like the grill and headlights are now faired in.

The new front grill. It looks to be about half as high as the current one. While I never liked how the lower part of the front grill looked on the R53 from certain angles (tacked on to the bumper), 90% of the time it looked great especially with the split in it. The new one looks too wide and low making the whole car look wider.

I also don't like the tacked on look of the fake hood scoop. It draws too much attention to itself. The creases behind it are also too sharp and don't match the rest of the design very well.

I don't see a problem with the integrated turn signals as they hark back to the original design (remember the blanked off parts in the original headlamps. I will miss the line of three lights on each side the R53 has however.

While I don't mind how the chrome beltline now separates the pollen vent and the hood, I think that from the side view it will look kind of strange looping so far in front of the windshield. I really don't like loosing the pollen vents either.

One thing that is a real turn off is the panel gap around the fender arches. It would have been nice if MINI would have put an indentation around the rest of the arch to sort of blend this in. Overall it will not be too bad on dark cars but seems to show up a great deal on light colored cars. It will also probably spell the end of color coding the arches as this will just amplify the gap to the Nth degree.

One final note -- What is with this new European pedestrian impact law. Are pedestrians now going to be forced to wear clothing without zippers or catches so they won't get cut by them in an accident! I hope that the new MINI has even quicker steering and response time so that pedestrians can get hit head on because while the top is smoother in the car the sides now sport even larger mirrors and side vents that appear to stand proud of the bodywork.

Overall these are just nitpicks and the R56 in the flesh will probably not look as different to the R53 as in the pictures. I think it will look more modern while the current generation looks more stately.

 

IMO the back side of the new mini looks much better.

Darn it I am still debating on 07 or 06. I want a car that gets a little better gas mileage. The 07 should do that. It should also have a little more pep. Still with the 06 you know what your getting.

 

although this can hardly be considered "scientific," its interesting to note that at least half of the posters here (and elsewhere on this site) seem to dislike the new design. not a good sign for bmw. i suppose, the principal effort has been made to make the mini more "conventional," which, while it offends me personally, would probably make the car more acceptable to a wider audience, which is bmw's goal. but i feel badly for myself and all those who were able to experience the introduction of a wonderful re-invention, those of us who (pretty much no longer) "flashed" whenever we passed each other on the road for so long, our own "club"... i feel that a fair percentage of those people will quietly fade away as the mini becomes so much more "common"...

 

Well, the 07 will definately get better gas mileage - one article mentioned at least 47mpg!! The MC will have 120hp and the MCS i think is 170hp. I am still glad I got an 06... The styling just doesn't do it for me... The thing is, if you get an 06, you can always trade it if the 07 or 08 ultimately pulls you in... If you get an 07, and you decide you liked the 2nd gen better, you will have to get used...

You should decide quick though! Allocations and orders are about to end for 06's (depending on your dealer)!

 

I've read through the posts and it looks like for the most part you're all really disappointed with the styling. I'm for one not. I think the car looks good, and actually has a good evolutionary look to it. I remember going through the same thing when the Z4 came out. (I used to own an M Coupe) Many of the guys on the old Z3 message board hated the styling. Some of the same comments I've seen here, but the car now has been pretty much embraced by many people. I think the new Z4M Coupe especially looks cool.

Anyway, I am also concerned with the headlights. It does seem that could be a potential problem.

If the hood scoop is actually open and routes air into the engine bay it is not going to be 'non-functional' it will help with the cooling of the engine. I know it won't feeding an intercooler, but I think it will still be 'functional'

I like the new front and the new back. I think this car will probably sell even more than the last. I also don't think it looks cheap like most posters. So I guess everyone has their own opinion. As for me I'm going to wait for this car to come out and get one. They are supposedly going to be available Feb '07 I can't wait.

The improved gas mileage also is a must since we'll all have to be buying premium fuel.

From the pics the seats also look more comfy. So I think it's going to be a great car.

 

I sure hope enough people likes it...or MINI will go out of business...

Very unlikely that they'll make a fake intake open to suck in water...take a look at the Neon SRT-4's scoop...El Fako...

Gas milage? Mine gets unlimited milage when its idling...don't think anyone will be getting 47mpg while doing what the Mini was designed for..."GET THE LEAD OUT!!!"

 

Looks to me like much of the length difference is in the front overhang...