New Minis its time we Stop The Hatred Toward Them

[Admin/Founder 2]

Ive Been thinking Lately its high Time the Mini Community in General Put This Hatred of the New BMW Mini to Bed Once and For All!

Im not that naive to realise why there was and still is soo much hatred toward them today but i think its high time everybody did some soul searching and think things out logically

When BMW took over the Mini brand they unfortunately pulled on their Size 10,s and stomped all over the little people who had kept the Mini alive for over 4 Decades !!!

They started Issuing Lawsuits to small companies that were using the Mini name and even caused some to go bust

Im not for One minute Condoning this but it was BMW that carried out these actions not the little car itself

Every One of You who have a problem with the New Mini should see this picture

Image Release Date September 1997

At which point it was still a Rover Mini

And was planned to be built at Longbridge Under the Rover Name


OK BMW owned Rover at the time but they didn't when that design was first drawn up

Just Consider this:
If BMW hadn't of bought Rover that car would most probably still gone into production as a Rover Mini

But the Decline Rover was in would Rover Still Be Going now?
Rover Designed it,BMW Saved it

You have to give them that


And Deep down i think everybody who hates the New Mini with a Passion Wouldn't if it was still a Rover Product

Am i Right?

Consider this:
Its Still a MINI but
Its not The Mini

There will only ever be One Original Mini but hey lets live in Harmony Old and New and put this to bed once and for all

All this bickering went on when the Clubman launched in 69,Metro launched in 80 it was daft then and its still daft now!

Lets just be thankful the Mini Name is still alive and who knows we may yet celebrate Mini 100

Huggz
Jodie

[bnicho]

Oh oh, the debate begins again.

I'm far from a fan of the new MINI and Rover or BMW has nothing directly to do with it. BMW were not heavy-handed about their brand down here.

Whether it was Rover or BMW that came up with the MINI is pretty much irrelevant to me. In my opinion the "soul" of the original was lost when it became so big and heavy with so little space inside, at such an expensive price. When it came out I WANTED to like it, I really did. But I was disappointed. Essentially, it's just another capable hot hatch like many others. It just happens to have a few "MINI" badges tacked on and a passing resemblance to the car we love.

The real problem I have with new Minis is the many owners who take offence because you don't like their car or hve no desire to own the "newer model". They seem to think you should be forced to like it or something. For example I know a guy who has a classic Mk1 Cooper S and a late MINI Cooper S. He's always rabbiting on about how much faster and more comfortable the MINI is than the Mk1. I wonder why he keeps the Mk1, he just doesn't understand the heritage at all.

I have plenty of mates with other cars I don't like, and they can accept that. Why can't so many MINI drivers?

Personally I don't believe the MINI name will still be applied to new cars in 50 years. But classic Minis will always remain as long as man walks this earth, even if it's only a handful on display in museums. This would be the case whether the MINI had come along or not.

Cheers,

[Admin/Founder 2]

I do get where your coming from Brett i guess all im saying is if somebody has a New Mini they should be treated with the same respect as anybody else

Original Minis are in my blood but i know theres at least one member here who has both

And they Come to Classic Mini Ownership through the new Mini

Im not preaching the Gospel according to New Mini i just don't want anybody who joins who may have both to be felt like their not welcome

We Love all our Members the Same

So i guess all I'm trying to do is create a bit of harmony everybody likes different things I'm not saying we should all like the New Mini but If You Like the New one like it because you do,and if you don't like it let it be because you don't like it not just because its now in the hands of BMW or because everybody else has hatred towards it

You have made a fair point though and i too believe that the Original Mini will still be around as long as there are people who love it and keep rebuilding them

Huggz
Jodie

[notamini]

Our British Car meet every year has a ratio of about 3:1 classic to new. They park sort of apart but not really by the time everyone gets there. ;D If any of us from the 1100 club show, we share the Mini space because we have yet to meet the 6 car minimum for our own class.
My biggest beef is the fact that people like me are even more confused about the new Clubman. I thought it was supposed to be a Traveller or Countryman or even an Estate. At any rate, I love it. Hope to own one as soon as they become 3-4 years old. Pricing is sick. $40,000 CAD base price I believe.
I agree with disliking the folks at BMW for robbing the engineers from Rover of their new found fame. In my opinion, it took a long time for folks to find out that the real brains came from the Works boys.
I'm not too sure if BMW was their saviour or just ruthless thieves. Who can say.

[julian0987]

one thing that really annoys me is when the new BMW MINI owners turn at shows and keep preaching how fantastic they are because they are keeping a tradition alive when they are not they are just invading our 5 minutes of glory with their souped up hatchback that doesn't even have many of the features of the classic mini that we all love!
point made there lol!

[rose4765]

i agree with Brett and Julian. to me the new MINI is just another modern characterless car the same as most modern cars and i'm not really a fan of any of them. yes they may be faster more comfy blah blah blah but i prefer older cars with a bit of character. when i see a new MINI going down the road i don't even give it a bit of notice same as any other modern car but if i see a classic mini or any other classic car i almost break my neck trying to look at it. i do also agree that a lot of MINI owners try to ram it down your throat that theirs are better than classic mini's and i do find that very annoying, each to there own but personally i don't like them or many modern cars to be honest just my two pence worth

[rose4765]

lol ! i do like a good rant whatever the reason

[Admin/Founder 2]

Jan 1, 2010 21:13:25 GMT @julian0987 said:

Agreed! one thing i do hope never happens is that a new MINI owner waves at me in my classic Mini

Dont think thatll ever happen
Never Happened to me,though i was stuck at a junction a few weeks ago and nobody would let me out

Eventually a girl in a New Mini Let me out,i was grateful whatever car she was Driving

And i thanked her

[bnicho]

I used to drive my Mini Van to work every day and most days I would see this lady in a New Beetle who lived nearby and drove like a complete moron, cutting in and out of traffic, changing lanes without indicating etc.

She completely ignored my Mini and cut me off like everyone else until she traded the Beetle on a new Mini. Suddenly she flashed, honked and waved madly every time she saw me. But her driving didn't get any better!

[ovie]

I'm a member of the North East Mini Club, and there are many in our club who own BOTH, and we welcome both classic and new minis. OK, the new one isn't the character-filled marvel that the classic mini is, but then if you're rebuilding your MKI or MKII you need something to drive every day, and if you can get something that's more comfortable (in the front, anyway) and reliable that's still got some of the Mini cachet, then that's fine with me. I've got an MG ZT to drive every day as I'm 6'3" and the weekly shopping and the four of us won't fit in Primmi.

Does that make me some kind of traitor? I don't think so. Am I to be scorned for this? Nope. I'm keeping a classic for the future, the same way that new Mini are. In 20 years time, may be people will be thrilled over barn finds of the new Mini the way some are over Mini Metros! And yes, I had a 998 Metro for 4 years and 70,000 miles. It was written off in an accident, and I still have fond memories of how it could fit 4 people and 4 peoples luggage for a weekend away in that car.

Still haven't been able to do that with Primmi without a roofbox....

[mowogdave]

I admit it.... I used to really have a big beef about the new "Mini" and more so towards BMW.

The thing is though, as time passes I have mellowed. It doesn't mean that I have any interest in the thing. Its just that I've realised theres not much in common between either the car or the owners (in general) and "The" Mini and its owners. I see the new mini much in the same light as any other Golf, Focus, etc. Just not my cup of tea.

And BMW - well they had a go at turning around the company. But Rover was too difficult to save maybe? Its never been strong for a long while by any stretch...

So I don't have anger any longer. But then again the new mini is not a car that has anything in common with our scene as far as I see it. I say leave them to it and we'll get along with our thing no probs.

[julian0987]

Message Moved To Bin

[ovie]

And there's the well considered argument against the new Mini completely ignoring the original post. Or may be not. New Mini: most models built in Britain, same as the original. Initially designed in Britain, same as the original. More expensive than the competition, same as the original.... Oh, and I'd rather the future of the Mini was in the hands of BMW than the Phoenix four as they did wonders didn't they. BMW know how to build quality cars with a proven track record. Original mini built down to the quality of "that'll do, it's not the best, it rattles, leaks, rusts and we're not going to make any money selling them".

Oh, and if you're going to be such a pedant, I assume that you run a 850 Mk I from 1959? Anything other than that is a development, and so not the original classic design....

[sam09]

Julian0987, I thought the title was stop the hatred, Everyone is entitled to there opinion, but why do you feel the need to shout your hatred?? I run a classic mini and have nothing against the new mini. It's a development wether you like it or not and was designed initially by rover.

[Admin/Founder 2]

I Originally Posted this thread because though i believe there will only ever be one Mini there is now a New MINI and nothing we say or do will change that.

I accept that some like it some don't but one the whole everybody here has posted their views in a polite and respectful manner

We do have at least one member who has both the New MINI and a Classic Mini there may be more of you?

The New MINI is still made in the UK as already stated
It was Originally Designed by Rover prior to BMW being involved

We wouldn't dream of Flaming toward others because they drive a Ford for instance and thats One of the reasons i posted this originally was to stop this hatred

Good Debate apart from the odd comments that breaks our rules and guidelines

Jodie

[miniac91]

Wow, of all the Mini/MINI forums I look into, I can't say that I have ever seen a "message deleted for content" like that before. That is new to me.

Anyway, I've said it before and will continue to say it as long as I own both and enjoy them equally. I, being a Yank, never had the privilege to just go down to a local car lot and purchase a Classic Mini. They simply were no longer allowed in the US for just being unsafe automobiles.

If it's 25+ years old, you can purchase one as a classic car and have it for some very limited driving in most states. That being said, the new MINI is the only alternative for the other 95% of Americans who would like to have the MINI brand.

If it wasn't for my interest in the New MINI, I may have never known the classics. Either way, I now happily own both. I will probably be buried in my classic ;D. As for the MINI, my wife will never part with it.

That said, my vote is to have all in the Mini/MINI community come together, enjoy there cars, and just have a great time.

Keep in mind, I don't know about others in classic Minis in the UK, but believe me when I say, theres a whole bunch of new MINI owners here who have no clue about the heritage of this fine automobile. They don't belong to any MINI forums, don't attend any events, don't raise a hand when another MINI goes by....it's sad.

[julian0987]

message deleted is pathetic i'm not wasting my time on this site if they hardly reply to posts and delete a normal post which i see no other complaining about!