Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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Mini Roadster
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Pkh72
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That looks so much better than the run of the mill open top.
Is it just a concept at this stage?
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Boxer6
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Sorry, no.
Too many hints of Columbo's Peugeot there for me to take it seriously. There appears to be little cohesion between the different areas of the car, and stripes are the final nail as far as I'm concerned.
Next...
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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I think it looks brilliant - loses the ungainly "pram" of the current cabrio, and the rather odd roof of the concept. And it looks so wieldy and compact.
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woof woof
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Looks ok, considering the constraints of its size and shape but whenever I see something like this I think "why not have an MX5 instead" and usually I can't think of any reason why I'd have one instead of an MX5. Same here I'm afraid, why would anyone buy one of these rather than an MX5?
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Twelfth Monkey
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Tidy-looking.
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Big TC
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Top-down, it looks lovely. Top-up makes it look like a pantomime dame with a fat arse stuck on.
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Eff One
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Looks okay for a Mini derivative. But seems to offer little or nothing over an MX-5 in terms of added practicality, so will have to be an amazing drive to get the enthusiast vote.
But that's not who it's for, of course. It's a fashion accessory, not a driving tool.
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"him"
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| Eff One wrote: | | But that's not who it's for, of course. It's a fashion accessory, not a driving tool. |
So many are these days?
Fiat 500, MiTo, MINI,
...M3 
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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| Eff One wrote: | | But that's not who it's for, of course. It's a fashion accessory, not a driving tool. |
But is it? I'm sure the Mini owners on this forum aren't all fashion victims. I take your (and Alan's) point about the MX5, but it's still good to have the choice. And there isn't any current MX5 that will match the JCW's performance.
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"him"
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| Dr. Hfuhruhurr wrote: | | But is it? I'm sure the Mini owners on this forum aren't all fashion victims. I take your (and Alan's) point about the MX5, but it's still good to have the choice. And there isn't any current MX5 that will match the JCW's performance. |
Primarily it is aimed at "aspirational types", who buy into the brand image and all that bollocks.
In the MINI's case, it will drive well too, but for every person that buys one for that reason, there will be twice as many that will buy it because it has the right image/wheels/seat fabric etc. etc.
...and since when is performance the only criteria? 
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Guitar Zero
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Is it me, or does that look remarkably like a street Ka with the roof up ?.
How much for the V8 ?
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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| "him" wrote: | Primarily it is aimed at "aspirational types", who buy into the brand image and all that bollocks. In the MINI's case, it will drive well too, but for every person that buys one for that reason, there will be twice as many that will buy it because it has the right image/wheels/seat fabric etc. etc.
...and since when is performance the only criteria? |
I think with almost any car there's baggage associated with the type of owner who's perceived to be the target customer - the MX5 is hardly immune from this either! The question is - do you let that influence your decision, or do you buy a car because you like it and sod what anyone else might think of you as a result?
Performance isn't the only criterion, but it's nice to have. Which is another way of saying "Oi, Mazda, give the MX5 a decent engine FFS!"
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"him"
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| Dr. Hfuhruhurr wrote: | I think with almost any car there's baggage associated with the type of owner who's perceived to be the target customer
- the MX5 is hardly immune from this either! |
<---- I would never buy a car with a crap image...
| Dr. Hfuhruhurr wrote: | | The question is - do you let that influence your decision, or do you buy a car because you like it and sod what anyone else might think of you as a result? |
Sod them, though when I bought mine there was no "image problem", but it hasn't made me sell it either!
| Dr. Hfuhruhurr wrote: | | Performance isn't the only criterion, but it's nice to have. Which is another way of saying "Oi, Mazda, give the MX5 a decent engine FFS!" |
AMEN to that...
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Clunes
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Roof down I really like that (stripes aside)
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PG
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Roof down that's really good. A spiritual successor to the MG Midget at last maybe?
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"him"
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| PG wrote: | | Roof down that's really good. A spiritual successor to the MG Midget at last maybe? |
Maybe there will be a optional "oil depositor" for that authentic British roadster driveway look?
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BeN
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I actually like that.
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woof woof
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We've heard "spiritual successor to the MGx" before but it's rarely even remotely true and will mean less and less as kids today wont know what an MG was.
Besides minor quivels over driven wheels and image I suppose that another thing that'll diferentiate this Mini from the Midget is price.
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Skyhook
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| Guitar Zero wrote: | Is it me, or does that look remarkably like a street Ka with the roof up ?.
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Not just you, that was my first thought too.
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Martin
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That looks great,
Do you still get labeled as a fashion victim when you buy a MINI estate? Surely not!!
We didn't buy one for any reason other than we really liked it and it was cracking to drive.
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"him"
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| Martin wrote: | | Do you still get labeled as a fashion victim when you buy a MINI estate? Surely not!! |
Of course not, they are far too ugly for that...
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Martin
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That's what I thought most people would think!!!
I think it looks better than the hatch now, more substantial and the longer wheelbase helps the stance.
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DetmoldDick
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| Skyhook wrote: | | Guitar Zero wrote: | Is it me, or does that look remarkably like a street Ka with the roof up ?.
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Not just you, that was my first thought too. |
My very first thoughts too.
I really like that, so too does the wife (whos favourite car to now is the streetKa)
ps she doesn't like the MX5 
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Giant
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The lowered windscreen and roof just makes the car look incredibly heavy and block like below the waist line. Looks rubbish to my eyes.
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Blarno
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Another week, another Mini.
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Parm
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Looks better than the existing convertible, but as I've never seen one driven by a bloke I assume this will be loved by girlies and shunned by 'most' men.
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Grampa
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That looks so much better than the MINI Coupe (roof down or up) - but it'd be better without the stripes.
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canadian bacon
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could slap a smiley faced grill on it and call it a Sprite.....
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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Presumably they wouldn't be allowed to call it Midget now, it would have to be "differently-sized person" or something?
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Skyhook
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The MINI Skyhook?
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