Is The New MINI Not That Mini Anymore?

I was just parsing through the latest Mini photos that were released today and this series of the MINI Cooper by generation caught my eye.

While most of our readers classify the Cooper as pretty compact little car the reality is that MINI has not been immune to increases in size over the last decade or so. Every generation is just a bit bigger than the preceding one.

With that being said is the MINI not really that Mini any more?

skytop - 11/18/2013 1:29:06 PM

-4 Boost

Isn't the odumbo administration the most transparent ever, as he promised?

We know obamma's word is absolutely worthless and the mini therefore is not mini either. There is little credibility in the world anymore.

skytop - 11/18/2013 1:30:33 PM

-6 Boost

As the dishonest and unethical Hillary Clinton said, "It doesn't matter, any more!"

All cars get longer, wider and more expensive. That is a fact. So why shouldn't the mini?

Terry989 - 11/18/2013 4:14:55 PM

+5 Boost

-Skytop
You must have mistakenly posted this on the wrong site. This is a car site where we come to read the latest news and comments on cars. I sure you meant to post in one of these support groups for like minded individuals:

http://www.teaparty.org/
http://www.cruz.senate.gov/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/

CarCrazedinCali - 11/18/2013 4:47:26 PM

+1 Boost

It's too bad that Americans keep getting bigger, and that cars safety regulations determine design, but that is life as we know it... The car is still small enough to be easy to park and fun to drive, after all that is what MINI is still about

dumpsty - 11/19/2013 10:10:22 AM

+1 Boost

But there are new cars (vehicle categories) today that are smaller than the MINI Cooper. The MINI isn't all that "mini" anymore.

With the Countryman and upcoming Traveller. Those models are definitely not mini. I like them, but they're not tiny...more like smallish.

vdiv - 11/19/2013 10:34:30 AM

+1 Boost

It's time for a new class, the Micro ;)

And if you have a bad case of claustrophilia there are always the Japanese Kei cars.

CarCrazedinCali - 11/25/2013 3:00:16 PM

+1 Boost

agreed, if they keep making the smallest MINI bigger, a new smaller model is surely being seriously considered, safety regulations be damned!

mini22 - 11/19/2013 7:04:42 PM

+2 Boost

The new Mini is now just 4 inches shorter than the current Mini Clubman.It's still a small car.The front grill is too busy looking and there is too much overhang in my opinion. If you took away the central circular console on the dash and offered coventional speedo and tach under a hooded necel this interior would be very similar to a BMW interior.In reality this is no longer a Mini. It is a small FWD BMW that is sharing a platform with the upcoming one series.It is sharing engines with the 1 series. The exterior says Mini but mechanically and interior wize this is a BMW.I'm not saying it's a bad thing. However the mark 1 version of the new Mini still looked and felt like a British car.I am very sceptical that this car will not feel any different to a BMW.

vdiv - 11/20/2013 9:42:11 AM

+1 Boost

In my view a FWD BMW is an oxymoron, a contradiction, a clash of philosophies, a matter and antimatter annihilation, the end of the world. I agree that BMW has effectively and progressively reduced the Mini to a 0 series car.

CarCrazedinCali - 11/25/2013 3:07:12 PM

+1 Boost

The overhang had to do with pedestrian safety regulations as you likely know. I will check it out in person in LA this week and weigh in if it is truly as big of a deal as many like to make it.

The euro only 1 series BMW shares MINIs platform, not the other way around. The platform was developed for MINI and BMW gets to use it according to the MINI execs.

BMWs influence was and is always welcomed. It will still feel solid like a BMW, tossable like a MINI, and maneuverable like a MINI. So what's the beef? Center speedo wasn't all that great anyway, make way for modern screens, it's inevitable. Change is good.