422 replies to this topic

[WRLondon]

read my other posts mate lol

Edited by WRLondon, 26 December 2010 - 04:37 PM.

[Scallywag630]

can i just ask, how exactly does it benefit the mini to work with the MINI??

Dont get me wrong, i have nothing against the new MINIs but i dont see how having a relationship with them benefits the mini?
BMW arent exactly making the parts to keep minis going, in fact the actually tried to stop anything with the mini name being produced...... but either way, the cars are nothing alike!

Well said.

Its amazing how many "real mini" fans are blinkered by the facts or cant give a answer to any question asked about MINI etc and can only reply with comments that are done to death.

It is not surprising that "real mini" owners can't give answers to questions asked about MINI, after all it is nothing like the cars they own. Would you answer questions about my Chrysler Sebring?

What has MINI done for the classic. Well at the start BMW went around the wrong way with the mini to start with.

Wow...we agree on something!

After selling Rover to BMW took the mini a brand that they saw could be great and started to improve it, they kept it in production after 1994 when the Rover were finally about to kill it off! Now they didnt have to do this as sales were falling quicker than a stone in water being as other companies were bringing out smaller cars hell of a lot cheaper than the mini. My mates cooper sport cost £11k new even thou a new Ford Ka was around £7k. It was then that a new version like any other brand was given the go ahead.

We agree again....BMW saw how popular the mini was and wanted to cash in on the name. They kept the mini in production simply because they did not want a break until the MINI was ready and they could cash in on the name. The MPI, only made under BMW quality control, is the worst rusting model.

After Rover was sold due to the fact that BMW had pumped in millions in to it even thou Rover was bleeding cash left right and centre kept mini and made it a brand of its own.
Now like any company they were protective of the brand only like any other company ie Mcdonalds etc even Harrrods are suing someone for using it shop signage design.
Ok they were heavy handed at first and have now seen that even saying sorry at the IMM 2009.
Any company that wants to produce any bits can with permission from mini companies like BHM can make and sell genuine parts for the classic that are of high quaility and worth the money than a company sell cheaper parts that are rubbish and would not last as long. As more and more companies can do this and parts are still there.

Yes...companies can make parts with permission and a hefty payment!!

Like SAIC who now produce the MG they are just as protective of thr MG brand.
What else are doing? well most of the big shows are being sponsered by MINI ie IMM and many UK are now having cash from MINI dealers to help run more and more shows. You look around at shows and see how much empty space there would be if MINI owners didnt turn up! plus you would moan if entry prices went up to cover the costs.

And why would a company as astute as BMW pay for such events....for recognition and sales of their product.

Also if every one is anti new MINI well stop using parts from them on the classic ie seats lights turbos or other bits also "classic only" clubs that are using the MINI wings logo on their club banners web sites etc use the classic wings logo then! not the new one.
It seems that many people will use MINI when its suites them but at the same time use abuse them hello pot kettle black!
10 years now its time to drop it the bad feeling and comments it so old hat! we started a group called mini/MINI united not divided its gone mad with over a 1000 people joining from the uk and world wide with more people every day sick of the attiude of the few people are just blind to the fact its time to move forward.

I would expect that most of the mini/MINI united owners were MINI owners like yourself who does not own a classic mini!

Its up to you to use MINI to your advantage but you dont then moan and whinge about it!

We do not whinge and moan about MINI, we object to MINI trying to pass itself off as a real mini and cashing in on it's heritage. There are plenty of MINI forums, so why is it so important to be part of a classic forum?

[minimalal]

The bini isnt going away, there will be a nonstop stream of bini owners joining this forum unaware that theyll just get rejected
a bini section would be good, the people who dont like it could just ignore it

[Bungle]

this is just like being in VW land with the air/water cooled divide

VW's seem to do quite well out of the 2 different scenes with classic and water cooled shows

and not having a air cooled engine made in the last 25 years doesn't seem to heart the numbers at air cooled shows

both cars will be bought by different people

1 lot don't mind getting their hand dirty and like to keep something old alive

the other just want cheap motoring with out buying a boring euro box

[crazycoleman118]

The bini isnt going away, there will be a nonstop stream of bini owners joining this forum unaware that theyll just get rejected
a bini section would be good, the people who dont like it could just ignore it

+1 to be honest

the new mini whether or not you like it is here to stay, no its not the same, but it cant be due to H&S laws and EU legislations,

nobody is forcing you to like the car, but freedom of speech and all that jazz, this is a mini forum, split sections would be fine, if you dont like the new mini dont post, you dont have to go out of your way to slate it like certain people do, its a good car, i would have one if i could afford it.. (well a works cooper s anyway )

[dave585]

Also the classic mini wont die out as they are a qwerky little car thats cheap to insure, looks cool, cheap and easy to modify
and attracts people that want something a little different

and out perform other similar cars
thats why i bought one!

Sorry there are only about 33 thousand minis left on the road in the uk with the details from the dvla. As more youngsters past there driving test they are more likely to buy a more modern car which is cheap to insure and run also a lot safer than a mini. Why would a youth buy a mini that's going to cost them money every time it goes wrong when a more modern car would be cheaper.
As it's been said before and as you seem to be the type of person unwilling to listen to people that have been in the mini family longer than you've been alive minis are getting older and like other classic cars the numbers will fall as people get older and need space for families and more reliable cars for work then you will find that the number of minis will get less and less just like morris minor etc this is not what people want and unless things change you will see the new minis getting more popular and have a growing fan base were as the classics will dwindle. It may take a number of years but it will happen.

[Bungle]

but how will giving BMW owners a section of their own save whats left of the 33 thousand classic minis out there ?

[Tanya]

can i just ask, how exactly does it benefit the mini to work with the MINI??

Dont get me wrong, i have nothing against the new MINIs but i dont see how having a relationship with them benefits the mini?
BMW arent exactly making the parts to keep minis going, in fact the actually tried to stop anything with the mini name being produced...... but either way, the cars are nothing alike!

Well said.

Its up to you to use MINI to your advantage but you dont then moan and whinge about it!

We do not whinge and moan about MINI, we object to MINI trying to pass itself off as a real mini and cashing in on it's heritage. There are plenty of MINI forums, so why is it so important to be part of a classic forum?

As a mini enthusiast, I firmly believe for the reasons that I have previously stated in this thread, it is in mini's best interests to have a close association with MINI. From my observations in the mini scene, there are a growing number of people who already either see the benefits, or who are beginning to realise that whatever their feelings towards MINI, the mini scene is better off with MINI than without MINI. I believe that ultimately the majority of the mini scene will accept MINI as time moves on, but of course there will a small majority who don't, leaving them with what will be a smaller, less interesting, less sustainable mini scene. Is that best for mini?

I am able to put my at times, less than positive feelings towards MINI aside to recognise that mini's long term survival, not amongst a small group of enthusiasts but amongst everyone is more important, it fact, the only thing that matters for me.

Back to the topic, how best should TMF include MINI to give maximum benefit to mini and the mini scene? I feel that would be the sensible way for TMF to approach this, beginning predominately about mini. I want to do what is best for mini's long term survival and I see engaging more people (MINI people are a good place to start) and making them as enthusiastic as we are about mini, as the way forward.

[dave585]

Does anyone read the posts or do you just pick out bits just to start a row? Seems like it?
And scallywagger just to let you know I've owned classic minis and I am about to buy another!
Plus mini/MINI united was set up buy classic mini owners along with new mini owners who are fed up with the out of daters!
Also if people have bothered to read instead of picking out bits it has been said that a new mini section would be helpful to those would have classics and new save them having to keep moving from one forum to another it's not like you have to read or ever go on it!
It has been noted from other forums that people are not happy with TMF due to unfriendly people on here and the nasty comments given to others, this spreads and as more people read facebook or look at other forums and is beginning to give it a bad wrap!
Im sure that's not what people want but it's going that way!
Like it or not both need each other.

[xBR4DLEY]

Exactly , MINI owners might want some advice on their daily MINI and if we scare them away wouldnt come back. They might want to buy a classic mini in the future but because we scared them off wouldnt want to post here. Its kinda 2 faced.

[Tanya]

but how will giving BMW owners a section of their own save whats left of the 33 thousand classic minis out there ?

Because we need more people to become interested in mini, that is in mini's best interests. I would say that given that the majority of MINI owners will know about mini, that is a good place to start. Obviously out of the million odd (sorry, I'm not up on MINI production figures) MINIs sold, only a minority will have some level of interest in mini, and a very small minority become interested enough in mini to become more involved and look to own one. However, this will be a good start and if we are a warm, friendly and welcoming forum, we stand the best chance of capturing MINI folk and helping them become mini enthusiasts

[Scallywag630]

OK...if you really beleive that MINI can be of benefit to mini, put your money where your mouth is...contact admin/mods and ask for a vote.

[Bungle]

at this stage i don't think the TMF team are in a position to know what they can offer BMW members

if we did would we need more band width etc

would we end up turning classic owners away if the forum was taken over by BMW owners

do we have enough technical knowledge on the forum to support a BMW technical section and who could we ask for help, these cars aren't very DIY friendly

do we want to fall out with mini2 and take their members

is having more members on this forum a good thing, everyone says TMF is not as good as it was with fewer members

all these points and more will have to be addressed in the staff room before we even thing about having a vote

[Tanya]

OK...if you really beleive that MINI can be of benefit to mini, put your money where your mouth is...contact admin/mods and ask for a vote.

I am unsure as to why you feel that voting rather than debating is the way forward here, particularly when I cannot see a question that could be answered with a straight yes or no. It would seem that there could be different ways for formally including MINI and as I have said before, there is plenty of evidence to show that MINI is already included on here informally to some degree anyway.

Surely, the question needs to be along the lines of how best should TMF include MINI to give maximum benefit to mini and the mini scene? We could continue as we are, or more formally recognise MINI and its links to mini. Also, we need to be aware that membership and views change overtime and need to be sensitive and responsive to this.

[minidream94]

If there is going to be one, then how about maybe doing what say minisport do on there shop, and have a whole seperate section? so its linked to tmf but the MINI posts dont come up in the mini section and only come up in the MINI section. Like a seperate forum but linked. That way you dont have to read the posts if u dont want to and solves the problem with the MINI threads clogging up the mini section