RE: 'Rolls-Royce' Minis On The Way

[elster]

So Mini are trying to make posh cars.

So they go to Rolls-Royce, sign a works deal Expecting to be able to bob the Rolls Royce name on as the special edition.

Reality is Mini will be paying a fair old chunk to have some work done on a few cars, and Rolls don't even have to lose their brand image.

[Alfanatic]

Hellbound said:

So you like the idea of a luxurious mini, just not one by RR. I see....

Edited by Hellbound on Friday 20th November 15:38

Just read that bit. You are incorrect, I don't care that it's from Rolls Royce, I care that I think it looks ugly, whereas some other tarted up Mini I saw 20 years ago looked really nice.

[Tangent Police]

Can't wait for the twini mini. (since they seem to be doing lots of different versions)

Original

Edited by Tangent Police on Friday 20th November 18:09

[900T-R]

gumsie said:

You are joking? (done 60,000 miles over 18 months in one-hope that qualifies me to reply), Tap the dash with your knuckles or the cheap crappy thin velouresque roof lining. I can see how the Mini would have a following but quality being one of the reasons for that following? I think not. The A3 is expensive and not a car I'd buy but it's leagues ahead of the Mini on the niceness front.

If you like the atmosphere of a coal mine inside, maybe. Quality yes. Appeal, hmmmm... not in a basic 1.9 TDI Attraction as far as I'm concerned. If understeer, over-servoed, over-damped everything, a stodgy chassis and a tractor engine were my thing I'd as well save a few thousand quid and order a Skoda Octavia.

Anyay, even my hard-used, 106,xxx mile pre-facelift R50 One had no rattles or sqeaks and looked as good as new inside except for a small patch on the driver door panel where I rest my elbow in traffic jams, when I left it at the dealer and drove away in my current '08 Cooper, which incidentally has a nice soft touch dash top pad if that's what you get off on.

Edited by 900T-R on Friday 20th November 18:32

[gumsie]

Chr1sch said:

gumsie said:

900T-R said:

blindswelledrat said:

Perfect example of how you can't polish a st

Ever driven one? If 5% of all the new cars I'm testing would come close to this overall level of dynamic competence coupled with decent refinement and quality, I'd be well chuffed. If only five of out of them were as much fun to punt around I'd be elated.

Stupidly, it's only Brits that continue to make disparaging comments about BMW Minis while gobbling up platform-shared, antiseptic, vastly overpriced Audi A3 diesels in alarming numbers at the same time. No wonder you folks have very little industry left.

Edited by 900T-R on Friday 20th November 10:13

You are joking? (done 60,000 miles over 18 months in one-hope that qualifies me to reply), Tap the dash with your knuckles or the cheap crappy thin velouresque roof lining. I can see how the Mini would have a following but quality being one of the reasons for that following? I think not. The A3 is expensive and not a car I'd buy but it's leagues ahead of the Mini on the niceness front.

Can I ask which Mini you have done this in?!

We have had 2 - A 1st Gen BMW Mini One Convertible - yes the dash was a tad plasticky but it was funky and fun for the people its aimed at.

We now have a 2nd Gen Cooper S - and the interior is lovely - still funky, yet classy in Piano Black and very well put together, soft touch etc etc. (Quite a step up from the Gen 1 imo)

As to say an A3 is leagues nicer, sorry dont agree, maybe an S3, but then we looked at one, and the equivalent spec to our car is ...........£34,000!!!!!!!!

They are dynamically awful, dull to look at and have no character, the mini on the other hand is a riot to drive, sounds great, and IMO is far nicer than any A3 south of 27k OTR

I have an 08 Cooper D Clubman. Won't deny the car being a fun drive- that doesn't make it nice though. Can't say I'd call my Mini classy either, (or anyone elses for that matter).
As for the A3 being nicer. Gotta say I think it is. I mean you mention soft touch.......Now I'm talking fit and finish here and tactility, tap the plastic on your A, B and C pillars-not too hard mind or your knuckles will break, it feels like it's harder than diamonds.
Wait until night and open the glove box, look at how the light from it then bleeds through the trim on the dash.
Get in the front and look back at the tailgate doors. See the metal work at the edges of the trim? Now, I don't like to see any of the body work from the inside of my cars. I want to see trim and only trim.
The Mini sounds great? Wow....I must have been spoilt by cheap old v8s over the years. I can't think of anything with four or less cylinders that sounds great except a Scooby.
There's more, and plenty, but I don't want to seem like a hater.
The car just screams cheap crap at me. Except that it isn't. Cheap that is....But I will concede, it does do what I bought it primarily for and that is to get great mileage while retaining a good wedge of its value.

Edited by gumsie on Friday 20th November 20:28

[Belfast Boy]

900T-R said:

gumsie said:

You are joking? (done 60,000 miles over 18 months in one-hope that qualifies me to reply), Tap the dash with your knuckles or the cheap crappy thin velouresque roof lining. I can see how the Mini would have a following but quality being one of the reasons for that following? I think not. The A3 is expensive and not a car I'd buy but it's leagues ahead of the Mini on the niceness front.

If you like the atmosphere of a coal mine inside, maybe. Quality yes. Appeal, hmmmm... not in a basic 1.9 TDI Attraction as far as I'm concerned. If understeer, over-servoed, over-damped everything, a stodgy chassis and a tractor engine were my thing I'd as well save a few thousand quid and order a Skoda Octavia.

Anyay, even my hard-used, 106,xxx mile pre-facelift R50 One had no rattles or sqeaks and looked as good as new inside except for a small patch on the driver door panel where I rest my elbow in traffic jams, when I left it at the dealer and drove away in my current '08 Cooper, which incidentally has a nice soft touch dash top pad if that's what you get off on.

Edited by 900T-R on Friday 20th November 18:32

I did, but I didn't go for the Tractor Engine I got the Audi TT engine, 116K Miles later and its still here like mans best friend. I guess some people get off on Branding, I have 2 Minis on either side of me and apart from leaky roofs continuous visits to the dealer because of leaking power steering fluid (both), Dash lights not working and central locking issues and a Nappa Leather issue they have been fine.
But then thats comparing a Mini cab to a "warm hatch"
In the same period my mate has had his Mini I have replaced front window reg (inherant VW issue) and greased the front wiper mech as it had grown an annoying squeek. He did have his mini 4-5 months longer than I 've had the Octy.
Pointless comparison really as I need a boot for work and space for pushchair and child seat...oh wait theres' the Clubman...hmmm?

[Alfanatic]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

[Innocenti13]

Interesting topic as whilst I was at Wood & Pickett we had a deal set up with Jack Barclay (London's foremost Rolls Royce Dealer) to offer exactly that....additionally I was working on this with BMW on the new Mini and Harold Radford

[Political Pain]

My brother had a Mini de Ville as his first car, just like this one on the website below.

http://www.radfordmini.free-online.co.uk/mk3.htm