306 replies to this topic

[minidream94]

well its funny in my household because my stepdad acctually works at the factory in cowley. even he doesnt like them

[Tanya]

My husband works there too and he likes MINIs. He drives one of our minis to work, but as he has to travel between BMW sites, he drives a variety of their MINIs. He seems to borrow most sorts and quite often some sporty looking ones. Sorry, I don't know what they are called, as I'm not into cars other than minis! He is a fan of both and tells me, along with other folk, that MINIs handle well and feel surprisingly like minis to drive. In fact, he only really drive minis and MINIs, just ocasionally borrowing my Zafira, which he is not a fan of!

[leaky]

The way I stand with the new MINI is I'm not against it. I was at one point but I guess I'v grown up abit since then. At the end of the day its only a car. My mate has one and she loves it to bits. Its modern, reliable and quite good looking. I'v also had a drive of it. Only round a car park though. Too drive its nothing like an old mini although I wounded expect that and I dont think I would ever own one.

I'm not against new MINI owners coming to the shows infact the new mini owners I do know that go to the shows are genially nice people. At MITP some new MINI had someone jump on their bonnet and put a massive dent it it. I'm guessing this was done by a classic mini owner and in fact their was a thing on here not so long ago about a classic mini owner kicking the front of a new MINI. Now this is just the sort of thing that gets on my nervous. If everyone liked the same thing the world would be pretty dam boring. So some people are gonna like the new MINI. I go to college with a girl who hates my car. She really doesn't see why I drive round in a car thats not far off twice my age, Rusts quicker then it goes and brakes down every month. O yes and she says its too bouncy and it makes her boobs ache. Weird I know but their you go. But would she ever jump on the bonnet of my car. Balls would she. She knows how much I like that car even if she doesn't. Just think if some saxo loving mini hating person came along and jumped up and down on the roof of your mini. I'm pretty sure most of you infact as this is a mini forum I would say all of you would be pretty up set. Would you not?


Anyway thats all I really have to say about it. What do these stickers look like anyway? Got any pics. I would think about getting one.

[mab01uk]

Mab01uk The thing I find funny and abit weird at the same time , I was looking at MINI2 one time , no idea why , just was and I remember there was a thread that you posted about the WRC , probably the same as you posted on here and NOT ONE person had replied , it had been on there for quite a while aswell and this show how uninterested they are. We buy classic minis because we like them , are enthusiastic about them , want to fix them etc and people just buy MINIs for the same reason they would buy a normal car , I mean I like it as car , I'd love to have a go in a JCW but there just nothing like the original and BMW probably know that , they only bought the name for an easy selling point and an already wide fanbase.

MINI2 was once a very successful forum run by true enthusiasts in the UK. For various reasons it got bought out and taken over by a large Canadian based autoforums company and became a shadow of its former self alienating many of its members, so all the grassroots MINI enthusiasts moved over to the new TotalMINI.com formed by original core founder members of MINI2 including myself. Some of us still post news, links and info on MINI2 as it is the first port of call of many new owners and we try to help them eventually find other more enthusiast based forums like TotalMINI or MINI Torque that they may not know exist.
So if you take a look at TotalMINI or MINI Torque (which specialises in Tuning/Performance minded MINI owners) or the many local clubs like Notts MINI Club, South Coast New MINI and you will find many people as enthusiastic and friendly as any classic owners and quite a number who also own classics or have done in the past.

Edited by mab01uk, 07 September 2010 - 10:35 PM.

[Thompson]

Mab01uk The thing I find funny and abit weird at the same time , I was looking at MINI2 one time , no idea why , just was and I remember there was a thread that you posted about the WRC , probably the same as you posted on here and NOT ONE person had replied , it had been on there for quite a while aswell and this show how uninterested they are. We buy classic minis because we like them , are enthusiastic about them , want to fix them etc and people just buy MINIs for the same reason they would buy a normal car , I mean I like it as car , I'd love to have a go in a JCW but there just nothing like the original and BMW probably know that , they only bought the name for an easy selling point and an already wide fanbase.

Well said mate (Y) x

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Anti BMW is constantly brought up as an excuse. Would it be different if Rover launched the New MINI? How many actually know that Rover engineers and John and Mike Cooper were deeply involved in the design or that Rover had little interest in prolonging or promoting the classic Mini until BMW came along and told them how valuable and iconic it was to just let die. All those classic Mini's from 1996-2000 only exist due to BMW at the end of the day...........

Is-9aI7utFQ

And, this is tottally true. I think anybody that respects the Mini's history will have read up on this at some point. Without the MINI, Bmw, call it what you like, the Mini brand would not exist anymore. There would no longer be a Mini in production. BMW have brought an interest in the Mini to countrys that would probably have never even heard of the classic mini until the new MINI came about! I've heard lots of storys of people from all over the world that become interested in the MINI, and then discover the classic Mini, and in lots of cases end up with both!

The car was never designed by BMW originally, it was British engineers and designers that took most of the leading roles in the new release model. The fact that BMW is a german company is irrelevant in this instance.

Re Bradleys above comment, MINI2 is no MINI or Mini forum now, its a complete and utter mess. The thing spiraled out of control years ago. I've been a member for a good few years and 6 or so years ago it was a nice place to be, just like TMF. After a while it got to a point where there was so many members that it wasnt a personal experience anymore, it was more like Youtube or Yahoo.

TotalMINI is the place to be now.

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 07 September 2010 - 10:46 PM.

[mab01uk]

This is also why some BMW dealers used the classic mini to promote the scrappage scheme?? They really must want to save such an iconic car....

The thing with Golf's is that they are still made by the same company and they haven't been stretched, blown up and deformed to be the complete opposite of what they were supposed to be when they first came out. I couldn't call the MINI small and imho it isn't a pretty thing to look at. It isn't a classic car and therefore shouldn't be at classic car shows.

As said the scrappage dealer was acting without BMW's approval and was stopped as soon as they were informed, you can't expect every MINI Dealer to be an enthusiast for the classic anymore than most Rover Dealers were. In fact all the Rover Dealers I ever visited in the past to buy a Mini seemed to want to sell me any car in the Rover range EXCEPT a classic Mini!!
Note also the classic Mini involved was traded into the MINI Dealer by its owner for scrap as were hundreds and possibly thousands of other taxed and MOT'd Minis last year..........so not such an iconic car to those owners then!!

VAG is a very different merged car company group to VW which made the original Golf as are all of todays big merged or taken over car brands and companies. Todays Mk6 VW Golf has been 'stretched, blown up and deformed' into a much bigger and heavier car and is the basis of many other badge engineered Audis, Skodas & Seats. The VW Polo is infact now the size of the original MK1 Golf.........

Edited by mab01uk, 07 September 2010 - 11:01 PM.

[miniman44]

As I said earlier,if the MINIs that were at Uttoxeter hadn't been there it would have looked a bit empty,so maybe we should think more about show layout.I think thats something show organisers should look into before 2011 anyway,along with cutting down the number of shows in a year and policing the trade and autojumble side.One thing that I feel should really be looked into is concourse competitions.How do we feel about splitting them into show"n"go,it could give the daily drive owner a chance to get their hands on some pots.
I seem to have drifted away from the original point,MINI/Mini,but if MINI owners feel as strongly about their cars as we do about ours,and we can reach a meeting of minds on just one thing.Who knows where it may end.
I'm a grey haired(whats left of it)old bugger who stopped flashing a hello to MINIs years ago,but I can remember how to.And I can put a Honda,Vauxhall,even a bike engine in JB and it'll be accepted,so who knows.

[Wright&Wright]

All in all, Mini owners and MINI owners will never completely accept each other's scene. What annoys me about the original post is that people are now insisting that we MUST be united with each other. Look I have no interest in the new MINI what so ever and I wouldn't be annoyed to see a few at the show, the Mini pedigree living on is something I've promoted. HOWEVER, MINI owners feeling like they should be included entirely in CLASSIC Mini shows is something completely different. We come to the classic shows to see classic Mini's. I don't mind looking at a new MINI, that's fine, but I don't see why they feel they need to be a larger part of a show that's not to do with their scene.
I mean hell, if I wanted to go and see a MINI show, I'd be a bit disappointed to see a load of classic Minis there because that's not what I came to see.

They have their shows, we have our shows. What's wrong with that?
I know I'm exaggerating here but it's the only analogy I could think of, It's like suggesting Jews, Muslims and Catholics should all pray in the same holy place.
Sure they have their different religions (scenes), doesn't mean they have to combine into one place.

[miniman44]

All in all, Mini owners and MINI owners will never completely accept each other's scene. What annoys me about the original post is that people are now insisting that we MUST be united with each other. Look I have no interest in the new MINI what so ever and I wouldn't be annoyed to see a few at the show, the Mini pedigree living on is something I've promoted. HOWEVER, MINI owners feeling like they should be included entirely in CLASSIC Mini shows is something completely different. We come to the classic shows to see classic Mini's. I don't mind looking at a new MINI, that's fine, but I don't see why they feel they need to be a larger part of a show that's not to do with their scene.
I mean hell, if I wanted to go and see a MINI show, I'd be a bit disappointed to see a load of classic Minis there because that's not what I came to see.

They have their shows, we have our shows. What's wrong with that?
I know I'm exaggerating here but it's the only analogy I could think of, It's like suggesting Jews, Muslims and Catholics should all pray in the same holy place.
Sure they have their different religions (scenes), doesn't mean they have to combine into one place.

Might not be a bad idea though.

[Wright&Wright]

All in all, Mini owners and MINI owners will never completely accept each other's scene. What annoys me about the original post is that people are now insisting that we MUST be united with each other. Look I have no interest in the new MINI what so ever and I wouldn't be annoyed to see a few at the show, the Mini pedigree living on is something I've promoted. HOWEVER, MINI owners feeling like they should be included entirely in CLASSIC Mini shows is something completely different. We come to the classic shows to see classic Mini's. I don't mind looking at a new MINI, that's fine, but I don't see why they feel they need to be a larger part of a show that's not to do with their scene.
I mean hell, if I wanted to go and see a MINI show, I'd be a bit disappointed to see a load of classic Minis there because that's not what I came to see.

They have their shows, we have our shows. What's wrong with that?
I know I'm exaggerating here but it's the only analogy I could think of, It's like suggesting Jews, Muslims and Catholics should all pray in the same holy place.
Sure they have their different religions (scenes), doesn't mean they have to combine into one place.

Might not be a bad idea though.

Which bit? Aha

[mab01uk]

Might not be a bad idea though.

Yes, not a bad idea (the same Holy place) maybe then world peace would break out.

Edited by mab01uk, 07 September 2010 - 11:16 PM.

[Wright&Wright]

Might not be a bad idea though.

Yes, not a bad idea (the same Holy place) maybe then world peace would break out.

Guess I'll leave it down to you two to Police it then?

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Ohh come on, thats extreme. This is a car, we're talking religions here... way out of scale, surely? Cant we all just get on? We're all passionate about one thing, and thats a car known as the Mini, in new form or old, cant we just celebrate that and stop being rediculous?

[M44K TS]

'zacly Craig, I really don't get the animosity some people have towards the MINI.

Edited by M44K TS, 07 September 2010 - 11:21 PM.