Classics dwarfed by moderns
Discussion
300bhp/ton said:
Well not really, as that pic shows a 4 door MINI, MINI being the "brand" not the model.
The R53/R56 and current MINI 2 door hatch are still pretty compact cars in their class. And you certainly couldn't retain the the Mini profile and get the interior space in a modern car much smaller. i.e. other modern cars which are smaller outside, have literally no boot, no interior room or really frumpy styling.
Really, compact compared to what? They are huge. Zero boot or rear space, no more than the original i would say.The R53/R56 and current MINI 2 door hatch are still pretty compact cars in their class. And you certainly couldn't retain the the Mini profile and get the interior space in a modern car much smaller. i.e. other modern cars which are smaller outside, have literally no boot, no interior room or really frumpy styling.
And yes i have been in one, had one as a pool car for 3 years. Cooper D, brilliant fun to drive and quick enough most the time.
The modern Mini title should go to the Toyota Aygo, genuinely not huge and can seat 4.
Fact of the day: The modern 'MINI' has the same wheelbase as an S1 Range Rover.
The_Burg said:
Really, compact compared to what?
Other 21st Century compact hatchbacks.The_Burg said:
They are huge.
ok, "huge compared to what?"The_Burg said:
Zero boot or rear space, no more than the original i would say.
I think a major mistake people make is thinking the new MINI was pitched at the exact same market segment as the old one. It simply wasn't. Well it was pitched at the market the classic Mini evolved into, which was a trendy compact street icon. Few Mini's in the 1990's where really sold as budget ultra compact car, most where bought for the statement they made. With all the urban trim and styling.The boot of the MINI is fine when you compare to other cars in the same segment.
Citroen C2 for example:
The MINI also has lots of front passenger room - by design. To make this room on the inside, you have to make the outside bigger.
The_Burg said:
And yes i have been in one, had one as a pool car for 3 years. Cooper D, brilliant fun to drive and quick enough most the time.
The modern Mini title should go to the Toyota Aygo, genuinely not huge and can seat 4.
I quite like the Aygo, but look at the styling! No, seriously, look at it. It's slab sided, now look at the classic Mini and the waste line below the windows, see how it is wider below the glass. And check the rake of the windscreen and importantly the ratio to the bonnet length.The modern Mini title should go to the Toyota Aygo, genuinely not huge and can seat 4.
If you took an Aygo and made it "look" like a Mini, it's probably end up quite a bit larger than the MINI.
The MINI is there for it's visuals more so than it's size. It is not and never was aimed as an ultra compact, budget city car. That's what makes them somewhat classless and have appeal with the rich and famous, equally with those who earn minimum wage. The MINI was intentionally aimed at a size class higher and several market segments higher.
And out of interest...
| Car | Wheelbase | Length | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Mini | 80-84.2" | 120.2-129.9" | 55" | 53" |
| 2005 Aygo | 92.1" | 134.1" | 63.6" | 57.7" |
| R50 MINI | 97.1" | 142.8" | 66.5" | 55.9" |
| Mk5 Polo | 97" | 155.6" | 66.2" | 57.2" |
And BTW, while you moan about the MINI's boot, yet praise the Aygo, is it's boot really any better?
The_Burg said:
Fact of the day: The modern 'MINI' has the same wheelbase as an S1 Range Rover.
You still seem to be struggling with the concept that MINI is not a model, but a marque, aka a brand. Today there is no singular "MINI", but a range of them, all tailored at different sectors. In any sector against peers the MINI variant is not big.As for you claim, well no. A Range Rover was a 100" wheelbase, with large overhangs. An RX-8 has a 106.4" wheelbase!!!
The MINI hatches have wheelbases comparable to models in the same sector, and generally short overhangs.
If it makes you feel better, the Aygo you cited has a wheelbase the same as a Defender 90 pretty much.
Yet again ....... this thread is not one for dissecting the stats, figures and boring rubbish that goes with modern boring cars. It's about pictures of classics looking small next to a modern (regardless of market position) and the odd huge classic still looking huge next to anything and everything (mainly Galaxies)
a sprite based on the sliding window side screen
its a lenham sprite...
http://www.classic-chrome.net/cars/lenham-sprite-g...
its a lenham sprite...
http://www.classic-chrome.net/cars/lenham-sprite-g...
Edited by wibble cb on Sunday 23 August 06:20
dinkel said:
From experience I can say a D-type totally suits one needs in terms of 'big enough'.
Have you tried sitting in the passenger seat of a real D? I seem to remember you're taller than me so it must be a real squeeze, not that I'd have missed it for the world. I'm sure I'd have managed to scrunch more ever further if I'd had to, the first time I tried was on the track and I had open helmet and not even a pair of sun glass for protection. The Lynx I hitched a ride in seemed much roomier.
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