Anyone understand the anti new Mini feeling?
Anyone understand the anti new Mini feeling?
Author
Discussion

artov60

Original Poster:

413 posts

206 months

Sunday 22nd March 2009
quotequote all
Just been reading the following thread

PistonHeads > Gassing Station > General Gassing > Cars that you have an irrational hatred for....

Surprised at the level of venom directed towards the new Mini.

Anyone experienced any negative vibes with their mini?

Personally after driving a 4 wheel drive BMW for a couple of years I found it a breath of fresh air driving the mini with a very different attitude from other road users.

JCW

905 posts

223 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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PH has been invaded by weirdos in the last eighteen months, so you have to put those comments into perspective especially given some of the opinions formed are based on how others perceive them in their cars. Which is more important - what you think of your car, or others opinions?

There's even a bloke that posts on PH with an irrational hatred of Surrey and anyone/thing in it. Take it with a pinch of salt and let them get on with their strange lives.

antihero3000

213 posts

198 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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To be honest I was expecting much more abuse since I got my mcs.

The only people I know who had a problem hadn't driven one and were very attached to the classic mini.

All of them changed their minds after a drive though driving

patmahe

5,886 posts

220 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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I think in a lot of cases its an envy thing. The new Mini is seen as a symbol that says 'I'm doing ok', in these financially crippling times not everyone is. They see the car as something they want but cannot have and they begrudge those that do.

On a bigger scale its like when people think wker when they see someone in a Ferrari, subconciously we all know we'd love to be the lucky bd driving around in that. The Mini thing is just a scaled down version of this, sad but true.

SLacKer

2,622 posts

223 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
quotequote all
I use those sorts of threads to shortlist cars to own for the future.

What some keyboard jockey thinks about my cars is irrelevant to me and they should get a life. Car choices are a personal thing and what is right for one person is so wrong for another. I saw a 5 series BMW yesterday on the Motorway in a nice colour very tidy until he goes past and has a drainpipe for an exhaust. Now the owner probably thinks it is great I happen to think it spoils the car. Now he paid for the mod and the car so it is up to him what he does with it and my opinion is just that an opinion.

So ignore em and have the car you want not what others think you should have.

john p

199 posts

233 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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I think the fact that BMW pulled the plug on Rover may have a lot to do with it.I think most people love MINIs,nearly everybody as owned or at least driven a classic Mini,and always have a tale to tell as a result.There still seems to be some ill feelings from the classic Mini owners to,I dont see why as BMW have only done what Rover group should have done years ago,but they didn't have the vision or the insight to see what an important brand the Mini was.If they had their way the Mini would have been dead and buried in the mid 80's.I think BMW have done a fantastic job on the new MINI,in everyway but most importantly in the driving spirit.

DanGT

753 posts

242 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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The anti new mini feeling comes from two areas, old mini fans how dont like the idea of BMW making a large car and calling it a mini and BMW having a go at anyone useing the mini name (some mini supply companys had to change there names etc).

I like new and old, they are very diffrent and realy only have the name to link them.

john p

199 posts

233 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
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Personally,i think it is more than the name that links them,the individuality,driving spirit,handling,lack of bootspace!....when i test drove my first r53 Cooper S,the sound of the supercharger took me straight back to my early Mini days,sounded just like the old whining gearbox,got me hooked on Minis again.I now have a 1967 mk2 that i'm doing up and a 2006 Cooper S JCW,and love both of them.So near,yet so far away.

JCW

905 posts

223 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
quotequote all
john p said:
Personally,i think it is more than the name that links them,the individuality,driving spirit,handling,lack of bootspace!....when i test drove my first r53 Cooper S,the sound of the supercharger took me straight back to my early Mini days,sounded just like the old whining gearbox,got me hooked on Minis again.I now have a 1967 mk2 that i'm doing up and a 2006 Cooper S JCW,and love both of them.So near,yet so far away.
Except the original Mini suffered from appalling ride quality that those with rose tinted spectacles probably won't remember.

okgo

40,571 posts

214 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
quotequote all
Popular car that is driven by all sorts, and its actually very good despite appealing to women, children, and men.

It is easily better than the competition in every department, you just have to pay a bit for the privilege. I don't think they are a token of being financially sound, they are only 10k, but they just work. I think its a great car, and the fact you can't buy one (on the whole) for under £5k yet 9 years after launch says all you need to know, you get a pretty new Pug,Renault for 5k.

Edited by okgo on Monday 23 March 20:11

john p

199 posts

233 months

Monday 23rd March 2009
quotequote all
JCW said:
john p said:
Personally,i think it is more than the name that links them,the individuality,driving spirit,handling,lack of bootspace!....when i test drove my first r53 Cooper S,the sound of the supercharger took me straight back to my early Mini days,sounded just like the old whining gearbox,got me hooked on Minis again.I now have a 1967 mk2 that i'm doing up and a 2006 Cooper S JCW,and love both of them.So near,yet so far away.
Except the original Mini suffered from appalling ride quality that those with rose tinted spectacles probably won't remember.
The Minis with hydralastic suspention had superb ride quality,one of the early features that BL done away with on the grounds of cost and higher maintenance probably.

artov60

Original Poster:

413 posts

206 months

Tuesday 24th March 2009
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Nice to read some well balanced and considered views. An antidote to some of the venomous outpourings on some of the general threads.

Thanks.

Mr POD

5,153 posts

208 months

Tuesday 24th March 2009
quotequote all
artov60 said:
Ju

PistonHeads > Gassing Station > General Gassing > Cars that you have an irrational hatred for....

Surprised at the level of venom directed towards the new Mini.

.
Look at what you've written.

They are admitting that their hatred is irrational.

It's a stylised car, which usually means Style over substance. the type of people that bought them initially based on style never really found the true substance. I've never driven one, but a friend of my wife who is a modern day Mrs Bucket and thrives on having the 'right' clothes and handbag. Well she has a copper S, which I thought a real waste. However Her down to earth Husband informs me that he's driven it fairly rapidly around our local country lanes and it's the best thing since recreational drugs (I'm not sure he'd know but those were his words) and is st HOT.

Therefore I'd say the hatred is irrational, because it's not the car but the type of people.

okgo

40,571 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th March 2009
quotequote all
Above is right. Its 90% of the time a car that goes to waste on its drivers, as they don't realise they are driving something that can really handle a thrashing. You can tell this is the case because something like 1/10 cooper-s cars out there have LSD. That is because most people who buy them don't have a clue, they buy them because they have two exhausts and nice bumpers.

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 24th March 17:15

JCW

905 posts

223 months

Friday 27th March 2009
quotequote all
okgo said:
Above is right. Its 90% of the time a car that goes to waste on its drivers, as they don't realise they are driving something that can really handle a thrashing. You can tell this is the case because something like 1/10 cooper-s cars out there have LSD. That is because most people who buy them don't have a clue, they buy them because they have two exhausts and nice bumpers.

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 24th March 17:15
The same applies to many modern cars, including Porsche,BMW,TVR and many others where the car isn't driven to its full potential, nor are the latest handling/performance options included so I think it does come down to the fact that the forum has been invaded by oddballs who have nothing better to do than slate other cars - certainly, since I joined the forum a plethora of internet geeks seem to have taken over contributing nothing else, but their lists of dislikes. I mean, in the real world who has time to sit around slagging off other people and their cars?

artov60

Original Poster:

413 posts

206 months

Friday 27th March 2009
quotequote all
JCW said:
okgo said:
Above is right. Its 90% of the time a car that goes to waste on its drivers, as they don't realise they are driving something that can really handle a thrashing. You can tell this is the case because something like 1/10 cooper-s cars out there have LSD. That is because most people who buy them don't have a clue, they buy them because they have two exhausts and nice bumpers.

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 24th March 17:15
The same applies to many modern cars, including Porsche,BMW,TVR and many others where the car isn't driven to its full potential, nor are the latest handling/performance options included so I think it does come down to the fact that the forum has been invaded by oddballs who have nothing better to do than slate other cars - certainly, since I joined the forum a plethora of internet geeks seem to have taken over contributing nothing else, but their lists of dislikes. I mean, in the real world who has time to sit around slagging off other people and their cars?
Fewer and fewer people seem to live in the real world! When they have to return it will come as a real shock, probably one they will not be able to cope with.

ilikecars

3,154 posts

197 months

Monday 6th April 2009
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I always had a soft spot for the classic minis and didn't like the new minis when they first came out.
As soon as you go for a drive in one, it all changes.

I love new minis more than any other now.

nottyash

4,671 posts

211 months

Monday 6th April 2009
quotequote all
I drove a new cooper S and thought it was quite good, certainly better quality build than the older cooper S, but just not worth the price tag.
However stood side by side I dont like the look of the newer one, its not as good looking.
Its very bloated and lacks the bonnet shapes too.
Needless to say we went for a 54 plate JCW.