BMW Minis with spot lamps. Why?
BMW Minis with spot lamps. Why?
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Discussion

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

8,996 posts

174 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Rant on:

Big fat stupid lardy Minis with itsy-witsy puny bolt-on Halfords-style spot lamps.

What's the point? Are the regular headlamps so rubbish? Or do the owners really believe that this turns them into a 1960's rally maestro like Paddy Hopkirk?

Rant off.

marcosgt

11,413 posts

197 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
You complain about the lights? At least THEY project light - What's with the stupid flags on the roof? biggrin

The Mini's a fashion item, like a handbag, shoes or a made to measure suit - the fact it's a semi-decent car is almost incidental!

M

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

8,996 posts

174 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
marcosgt said:
What's with the stupid flags on the roof? biggrin

M
I'd get the roof on mine painted with the German flag if I had one!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

211 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
Rant on:

Big fat stupid lardy Minis with itsy-witsy puny bolt-on Halfords-style spot lamps.

What's the point? Are the regular headlamps so rubbish? Or do the owners really believe that this turns them into a 1960's rally maestro like Paddy Hopkirk?

Rant off.
erm, spot lights can improve "mainbeam" night driving easily on any car, no matter how good or bad the headlights are.

And why not?

If you don't like them, don't buy them. Seems simple enough to me.

smile

Garlick

40,601 posts

261 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Well they are a MINI option, so people spec them?

I don't mean to appear argumentative, but why let it bother you? Live and let live man hippy

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

8,996 posts

174 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
erm, spot lights can improve "mainbeam" night driving easily on any car, no matter how good or bad the headlights are.

And why not?

If you don't like them, don't buy them. Seems simple enough to me.

smile
So how come no other cars have them these days? Sure they were all the rage in the days of rally-wannabe RWD Escorts and the like, but I've just spotted an old biddy in a BMW Mini with 4 of the idiotic things bolted on to the front.

Mastodon2

14,138 posts

186 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
A friend of mine has a Cooper S with the two spotlights on the front. I think they are supposed to be a nod to the rallying past of the original mini, not that 99.99% of BMW Mini drivers would consider that. However, despite being OEM and only 5 years old they are badly corroded and the fittings for them, which seem to be made of mild steel, are quite rusted and unsightly, the material quality on them is pretty suspect!

Zad

12,930 posts

257 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Why? Because this:







It is part of the Mini's identity. Just like those huge wheeled 4x4s that never go near a blade of grass, 500mph low sports cars that never go more than 80mph and Georgian porches on modern estate houses. They don't have to do anything.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

211 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
300bhp/ton said:
erm, spot lights can improve "mainbeam" night driving easily on any car, no matter how good or bad the headlights are.

And why not?

If you don't like them, don't buy them. Seems simple enough to me.

smile
So how come no other cars have them these days? Sure they were all the rage in the days of rally-wannabe RWD Escorts and the like, but I've just spotted an old biddy in a BMW Mini with 4 of the idiotic things bolted on to the front.
How are they now idiotic? confused

And to answer your question with a question. How many other cars over the past 4 decades or so did you see with spot lamps on? It's not as if they were standard issue on every 1970's Ford, Vauxhall or Peugeot. So why not moan about the classic Mini's having spots too.

Dr Interceptor

8,182 posts

217 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Trust me... if you have driven an early new MINI with standard halogen (non-Xenon) lights, you will know why you need the spots!

Dark nights on unlit roads suddenly become much safer.

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

8,996 posts

174 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
How are they now idiotic? confused

And to answer your question with a question. How many other cars over the past 4 decades or so did you see with spot lamps on? It's not as if they were standard issue on every 1970's Ford, Vauxhall or Peugeot. So why not moan about the classic Mini's having spots too.
And to answer your question with another question: don't you find it odd that other manufacturers don't add spot lamps to their options list? All 3 of the above you mention have rich rallying heritages, but don't see the need to pop gawky spot lamps on their aerodynamically honed designs.

B3njamin

1,129 posts

208 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Why... Not?

In answer to your question, the Minis in the Italian Job had them which likely plays a big part in said lights being nailed to the front of the current Mini incarnation.

Personally I think they look a lot better on the original Minis but I can see the appeal of having them on the new ones since the 2003 remake of the Italian Job also had spotlights fitted to the front of the cars.

Garlick

40,601 posts

261 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
I can see this going around in circles until we all agree with the OP smile

Marf

22,907 posts

262 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
I can see this going around in circles until we all agree with the OP smile
Give over, that never happens on PH!

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

8,996 posts

174 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
I can see this going around in circles until we all agree with the OP smile
Ah yes the Brian Clough school of management!

Meoricin

2,880 posts

190 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
They look cool, so why not? MINIs are pretty plain without them. I fitted a set to my old Metro for night driving on country roads - they make a massive difference on older cars, at least.

EDLT

15,421 posts

227 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
Well they are a MINI option, so people spec them?

I don't mean to appear argumentative, but why let it bother you? Live and let live man hippy
Because it's a MINI thread, all MINI threads degenerate into an I-hate-them-more-than-you pissing contest.

J4CKO

45,469 posts

221 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
The Mini options list is a wonderous thing, you can get a 10 grand Mini one and then ladle 20 grands worth of stuff on it, I think Mini owners either have a Magpie gene or are made to feel like they arent part of the "club" unless they have the Tumneric and Tarragon packs with added sprinkles, it is a bit like the Apple thing, a triumph of branding and merchandising over a sound product.

The British flag, proudly displayed on the roof or bonnet always rankled a bit with me, seems a bit ironic really, I suppose they let us build them over here, well they let a factory full of Polish guys build them over here biggrin

Hartge210

960 posts

218 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
Rant on:...Big fat stupid lardy Minis..Rant off.
Oh..this old chestnut again....rolleyes

Defcon5

6,459 posts

212 months

Friday 18th November 2011
quotequote all
I think that looks good, especially on a dark grey car with black mirrors and details