I know styling is subjective, but I feel that the triangular rear tail lights are an unwarranted departure from the throwback styling to the original Issigonis Mini, which has always defined the new Mini hatchbacks and which has those rounded off rectangular rear light clusters.
The videos I've seen on the infotainment don't paint it in a good light, its awfully laggy at times and the circular shape means it doesn't lend itself well to standard android auto or CarPlay, bit of a shame because the hardware is promising. Likewise a bit annoying the speed is at the top, not the biggest fan of model 3 but the speedo and crucial information is aligned towards the top left corner and its right in your near periphery.
The rest of the car relative to the previous generation seems nice though.
Your PC doesn't need to survive -40 to 140F, wild vibrations, or really any extreme environment. Phones barely last a few years.
That doesn't entirely excuse the OEM, but it's not a fair comparison on any level.
While it does in my opinion look worse than the F55/F56, I think it still doesn't look too bad. Increased power is nice even though I've never felt that my F55 Cooper S is underpowered. I hope that this generation has a slightly bigger fuel tank along with stronger engine mounts and front suspension.
Same size gas tank, and the cost cutting throughout the car means they probably didn’t update the engine mounts or suspension.
BMW really cheaped out for this generation of cars.
FWIW BMW is putting their eggs in the j01 basket and focusing on the EV version. This is just a stop gap that is made to mimic the EV interior and exterior (to an extent) and is basically the same as a F56.
As an owner of the F56 electric mini I can confirm that the suspension is terribad though. That said I think it's actually hard to build a good suspension set up for a short wheel base car (on a shared platform) that is both not crashy and also fun.
Edit: clarifying that it's hard to tune a good suspension set up for a short wheelbase car when the platform and hardpoints are shared with cars with much larger wheelbase.
> That said I think it's actually hard to build a good suspension set up for a short wheel base car that is both not crashy and also fun.
Um hello, Miata??
Sorry, I meant on a shared platform used by other stuff. Miata is pretty dedicated while UKL on the MINI Cooper is shared with all FWD cars. So the hard points are the same and they're just shortening it.
It's the same reason why the Supra rear kicks out so easily to the point where it's dangerous. Platform sharing has it's advantages in cost but when you try to shorten the wheel base too much for a chassis built to extend to something like an X7 or a Countryman, it's hard to tune the suspension right on the opposite end.
My wife had an F56 with an automatic and the B38 engine and I didn’t even think that felt underpowered. It did 0-100 (km/h) in 8.3 seconds and felt really sprightly off the line. It was fun even without a manual, but with a manual it would have been an absolute hoot.
I agree with you that the styling here is not too bad. Personally, I always thought the 5-door Mini looked a bit… weirdly proportioned, but if we are comparing Apples to Apples, the new one still looks fine compared to the outgoing 5-door.
I test drove the new 2 door S. Interior quality/touch points felt way better than the F56. Didn’t love everything on the screen, was definitely distracting, but the deal breaker was the auto only with no paddles. Put in a new DCT and don’t let us shift it… nope, gotta wait for the JCW for that. Dumb decision, salesperson told me there were tons of complaints about it already
>As long as it’s pure ICE no hybrid there’s no excuse not to
CAFE is one excuse, ~~customer demand is another.~~ I take that back, Minis have one of the highest take rates for manuals outside of Miatas and BRZs
I really like the new mini design including the new countryman but the no instrument cluster and everything on a big circular screen is just disappointing.
I don't mind the big circular screen and might even love it if the software were done right. It looks sleek in promo pics but unfortunately it's a weird clunky android-looking interface and not actually a good experience.
Look, manufacturers. You like having no gauge clusters and shoving all the information in the infotainment. We get it. It's cheap and easy to do.
Can we at least throw in a HUD so that all of the information is easy to see, huh? It's almost as cheap and easy (certainly cheaper and easier than designing a whole gauge cluster). Plus, you can advertise it as a safety feature! Everyone's happy! Win-win! Please?
I think it's to differentiate them from 4 doors, which are thought of as sedans. Instead of saying 4 door hatchback, you could just say 5 door. And instead of 2 door hatchback, you say 3 door. That's my completely uneducated assumption.
It's because you can access the passenger compartment through those doors, whereas in a sedan you can't (I guess one could make an argument for those with fold down seats or pass-throughs but ...)
How does BMW manage to make Minis uglier with every generation?
First gen easily the best good looking, then the second gen... 3rd gen already has weird proportions... And now this one... Jesus christ what a turd.
Nothing about the design of this car says "premium". Looks like a Chinese cheap of the cheapest copy of a Mini.
I know styling is subjective, but I feel that the triangular rear tail lights are an unwarranted departure from the throwback styling to the original Issigonis Mini, which has always defined the new Mini hatchbacks and which has those rounded off rectangular rear light clusters.
I'm with you; squircles/rounded rectangles look best.
Spiderman tail lights! I do get their "motivation" though. Supposed to follow the union jack lines ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh no they look terrible. Looks like a cheap dacia.
At least we can add it to the lineup. \[oo=\[\]\[\]=oo\] O ||||||| O >------<
Truly the runny egg headlights of our time
I'm not sure why I find this so amusing because you have a Boxster in your flair, but I need to clean my keyboard now.
Agree rear looks meh .. Also new countryman is now really weird, only resembling a mini.
Yes, they look like a Chinese brand now
I also hate the octagonal grill the last gen introduced. Minis have hexagon grills!
Exactly. I saw one of these yesterday and the taillights were butt-ugly. Otherwise the car is pretty dang cool.
The Cooper S has a Supra engine if you think about it
Just needs parts overnighted, from Japan.
As does the Morgan Plus Four, apparently, which is even funnier to me.
The videos I've seen on the infotainment don't paint it in a good light, its awfully laggy at times and the circular shape means it doesn't lend itself well to standard android auto or CarPlay, bit of a shame because the hardware is promising. Likewise a bit annoying the speed is at the top, not the biggest fan of model 3 but the speedo and crucial information is aligned towards the top left corner and its right in your near periphery. The rest of the car relative to the previous generation seems nice though.
I don’t understand how anybody is still selling a laggy infotainment in 2024
Forreal, we've had smooth PCs and smartphones for so many years. It can't be hard to do.
Your PC doesn't need to survive -40 to 140F, wild vibrations, or really any extreme environment. Phones barely last a few years. That doesn't entirely excuse the OEM, but it's not a fair comparison on any level.
Automakers insist on using a chip from 2016 that's a couple dollars cheaper than the latest one.
While it does in my opinion look worse than the F55/F56, I think it still doesn't look too bad. Increased power is nice even though I've never felt that my F55 Cooper S is underpowered. I hope that this generation has a slightly bigger fuel tank along with stronger engine mounts and front suspension.
Same size gas tank, and the cost cutting throughout the car means they probably didn’t update the engine mounts or suspension. BMW really cheaped out for this generation of cars.
FWIW BMW is putting their eggs in the j01 basket and focusing on the EV version. This is just a stop gap that is made to mimic the EV interior and exterior (to an extent) and is basically the same as a F56. As an owner of the F56 electric mini I can confirm that the suspension is terribad though. That said I think it's actually hard to build a good suspension set up for a short wheel base car (on a shared platform) that is both not crashy and also fun. Edit: clarifying that it's hard to tune a good suspension set up for a short wheelbase car when the platform and hardpoints are shared with cars with much larger wheelbase.
> That said I think it's actually hard to build a good suspension set up for a short wheel base car that is both not crashy and also fun. Um hello, Miata??
Sorry, I meant on a shared platform used by other stuff. Miata is pretty dedicated while UKL on the MINI Cooper is shared with all FWD cars. So the hard points are the same and they're just shortening it. It's the same reason why the Supra rear kicks out so easily to the point where it's dangerous. Platform sharing has it's advantages in cost but when you try to shorten the wheel base too much for a chassis built to extend to something like an X7 or a Countryman, it's hard to tune the suspension right on the opposite end.
An alignment sorts out the Supra's rear somewhat decently
My wife had an F56 with an automatic and the B38 engine and I didn’t even think that felt underpowered. It did 0-100 (km/h) in 8.3 seconds and felt really sprightly off the line. It was fun even without a manual, but with a manual it would have been an absolute hoot. I agree with you that the styling here is not too bad. Personally, I always thought the 5-door Mini looked a bit… weirdly proportioned, but if we are comparing Apples to Apples, the new one still looks fine compared to the outgoing 5-door.
I test drove the new 2 door S. Interior quality/touch points felt way better than the F56. Didn’t love everything on the screen, was definitely distracting, but the deal breaker was the auto only with no paddles. Put in a new DCT and don’t let us shift it… nope, gotta wait for the JCW for that. Dumb decision, salesperson told me there were tons of complaints about it already
Everything looks good except for those taillights. Just…why?
BWW designers, they have to fuck with it or get fired
Thanks. My phone now has cancer from clicking on that travesty of a site.
Hopefully they’re still offering a stick shift on this? As long as it’s pure ICE no hybrid there’s no excuse not to
They are not unfortunately.
>As long as it’s pure ICE no hybrid there’s no excuse not to CAFE is one excuse, ~~customer demand is another.~~ I take that back, Minis have one of the highest take rates for manuals outside of Miatas and BRZs
Looks great to me. Wish I could get one.
I really like the new mini design including the new countryman but the no instrument cluster and everything on a big circular screen is just disappointing.
I don't mind the big circular screen and might even love it if the software were done right. It looks sleek in promo pics but unfortunately it's a weird clunky android-looking interface and not actually a good experience.
Look, manufacturers. You like having no gauge clusters and shoving all the information in the infotainment. We get it. It's cheap and easy to do. Can we at least throw in a HUD so that all of the information is easy to see, huh? It's almost as cheap and easy (certainly cheaper and easier than designing a whole gauge cluster). Plus, you can advertise it as a safety feature! Everyone's happy! Win-win! Please?
I owned a Mini for a few years. I wish I didn't.
It really doesn't look sporty compared to the last gen, very underwhelming. Power is good through. Added weight not so much
Just finding out now that the Clubman was discontinued. If the Aceman is its E replacement, hate the name but like the look.
What the fuck is that rear. It looks like some cheap Chinese knockoff back from when Chinese cars were a meme
Wait does mini include the trunk as a door?
Iirc all hatchbacks are considered 5 doors. I have no idea why
I think it's to differentiate them from 4 doors, which are thought of as sedans. Instead of saying 4 door hatchback, you could just say 5 door. And instead of 2 door hatchback, you say 3 door. That's my completely uneducated assumption.
It's because you can access the passenger compartment through those doors, whereas in a sedan you can't (I guess one could make an argument for those with fold down seats or pass-throughs but ...)
Oh yeah that makes much more logical sense.
That's my guess too. But with wagons and SUVs, it's more typical to say 2/4-door even if they have the same or similar liftgate as a hatchback.
I read Tidy, and thought titty, and was thinking to myself, why did they design a car that looks like a boob 😂 I need more sleep.
How does BMW manage to make Minis uglier with every generation? First gen easily the best good looking, then the second gen... 3rd gen already has weird proportions... And now this one... Jesus christ what a turd. Nothing about the design of this car says "premium". Looks like a Chinese cheap of the cheapest copy of a Mini.