More Official R56 Photos Released

Dave Sep 28th, 2006 Link

That new red sand leather looks good (although I never would have paired it with Electric Blue).

Chris Jupin Sep 28th, 2006 Link

Wow, those red leather seats rock the casbah! Not so sure the blue interior lighting adds to the whole experience or takes away from it…sort of reminds me of the tuner kids that use neon lighting around an amp in their trunk…Nonetheless, great photos!

ChrisW Sep 28th, 2006 Link

Sorry to kick a dead horse, but: meh. Try as I might, I just can’t get into the groove of the new MINI (and I really am trying, honest). Interior looks like a concept car that shouldn’t have made production. Exterior doesn’t really light my buttons either. Tell me those hideous red reflectors in the rear skirt aren’t coming to the U.S.! The S front grille gives the car two mouths instead of one - it just doesn’t look “right.” Don’t get me started on the ridiculous center stack and Mother of All Speedos (with (ack!) integrated stereo!). And the neon interior illumination for the “Fast and the Furious” set.

Not revolutionary, not evolutionary…but devolutionary.

At least BMW is consistent. Consistently coming out with redesigns that leave me yearning for the old models, that is.

Looks like I’ll be driving my ‘05 cabrio S until the wheels fall off. I can feel at ease knowing I got one of the “good ones.” And just as well - more money for new Macs and guitars! :)

shooler Sep 28th, 2006 Link

Would someone please take the “S” off its stilts? It looks really high off the ground. IMO, the new Mini looks to “happy”. It should blend in well with all the other small hatches out there. My 05 S has so much more style and character (again, IMO)

Ginger Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Have to agree with Chris W, try as I might I cannot get enthusiastic about MINI3.

I would have walked across hot coals or sold everything I owned to by my first MINI - I can’t see myself doing the same for the new model.

Firstly, I’m not sure about the exterior. I know there were reasons for the changes, but I don’t think the new model is as attractive and emotive as the current car.

The inside is too OTT in my opinion too, and is likely to be harder to upgrade. Is there any reason for the speedo to be so big? Whilst I like the centre console, how would you upgrade the stereo?

I will reserve final judgement until November, when the Cooper and Cooper S go on sale in the UK. But, sadly I feel the replacement for my 2004 Cooper will not be a MINI.

Fahed Sep 29th, 2006 Link

hi all

Wow on image 33

what kind of seats are they or what are they called ??
cause i’m gonna make an order very soon on my new mini cooper s and i would love to order those seats in that color

Fritz Chili Sep 29th, 2006 Link

It’s Leather Lounge in Redwood Red

JCWGrover Sep 29th, 2006 Link

In a word,, YUK! The new design certainly gives credence to the phrase “A camel is a horse designed by committee” It is totally lacking the style/balance of the current design.

No more supercharger, but a turbo, fake hood scoop, blue interior lighting. Cool , now I can be just like a ricer!!

“One thing that I learnt the hard way , when you’re designing a new car for production, never, never copy the opposition”—Alec Issigonis

Count me as one more of the disappointed, and it looks as though my present MINI will be my last. It appears as though the fears of the Mini enthusiasts when BMW purchased the Mini have now been realized, they truly have managed to lose the spirit of the car.

Pete Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Notice that the enormous speedo has an integrated fuel gauge that is an array of LEDs, but no water temp gauge, so we are going a bit backwards as far as instrumentation IMHO.

I prefer the S front end without the chrome surround on the fog lights, but I understand that is not a universal opinion.

I still think this looks too much like “change for change’s sake” and I agree with the earlier post in that this is the current mode for BMW, I like hte previous generation 3 and 5 series better than the current generation. Too bad.

Humourl3ss Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Looks superb to me, especially the Alfa-esque red leather seats. Now please, please, please make sure it handles as well as the outgoing models .

Jack Sep 29th, 2006 Link

At this point I agree that the car on the inside at least looks a little to boutiqe I reminds me of hardwares stores that are no longer hardware stores but a bit of everything. with the current models it feels like I could make a cool car more of a muscle car if you know what I mean now it seems they have really softened the interior I am afraid to much. I used to ride Harleys I have had a few of them over the years but even they seemed to give in to other markets as well and lost some of the appeal they once had.

I hope MINI does not lose that but it seems to be sliding that way

I am glad I pick up my MCS 06 next weekend

Mark Smith Sep 29th, 2006 Link

You all are being sooo hard on something that you haven’t even seen yet. I like what I see so far and I can’t wait to see the new 2007 in person. I drive an ‘06 MCS SB/S and am not planning to give “Quicksilver” up just yet. Regardless of what you all say I know that this new generation is going to be a HIT! There may be a thing here or there that current MINI owners and people who have been researching for a long time may not like. Overall though it’s still a MINI. The side by side comparison will be the best view of New Vs. Old. You all can thank the newer European Crash standards for the new front end though and not MINI.

Bob Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Well I’m a owner of a 06MCS and I’m glad that I got the 1st gen. To give credit, I think the 07 Cooper looks better than the 07 S. I just wished that Mini could have come up with at creative way to make the hood scoop functional

tony T Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Now that i’ve seen it with an Aero kit installed, its really growing on me….

the car has more potential than i first gave it credit….

FrankInMiami Sep 29th, 2006 Link

I agree TonyT. I have decided that my next MCS will definetely be a JCW equipped car with the aerokit. The aerokit really transforms the look of the car.

I have some “visual” issues with the stock R56 MCS. First, the front and rear bumpers with their excess of black plastic trim (And HUGE rear fog lights) make the car look way “high” up the ground. The Cooper bumpers are much better integrated but I am not liking the stock MCS bumpers.

Second, the MCS seems to be riding high in stock form and much higher than the stock R53 MCS. The wimpy bumpers only help increase this visual effect.

The aerokit goes a long way in fixing these visual discrepancies, at least to my eyes.

Hopefully, by the time I am ready to go for a new R56 MCS (Around 2009-2010), MINI by then has already conducted a “Mid-life cycle” refreshing of the car (Like it was done back in 2005 with the R53 generation) and some of these “quirks” and other yet to be known quality glitches will all have been taken care of by then. I also hope MINI does away with the plasticky center console in a couple of years, too.

Here I am hoping for a ‘09 R56 JCW MCS equipped with AWD and a DSG transmission.

GZ Sep 29th, 2006 Link

One thing I loved about 02-06 was the interior chrome for the speedo/tach. Made the car look classy and more expensive than it actually was. I can’t imagine chrome around that frisbee sized speedo. Seats look great but interior is a great disapointment. I’m not crazy about exterior but will withhold judgement until I see it. I made the mistake of selling my 05′ JCW to buy a Cayman S. I miss my Cooper and when the new MCS/JCW convertible is available I’m coming back. Anybody out there want to buy a Porsche with 3k miles on it?

FrankInMiami Sep 29th, 2006 Link

GZ, you sound unhappy with your Cayman S….. Care to elaborate?

gokartride Sep 29th, 2006 Link

Cooper looks fantastic…that’s all I care about. Changes are tastefully done (and even improved) for a car w/ vastly different mechanicals. Yeah, it’s gonna be a winner…brace yourselves!

Nathaniel Salzman Sep 29th, 2006 Link

I know there were reasons for the changes, but I don’t think the new model is as attractive and emotive as the current car.

There are cost-saving, safety, and efficiency factors in some of the mechanical, chassis, and proportion changes, but I have yet to hear a compelling reason why the individual aesthetics shifted as much as they have. As a designer, I take philosophical issue with change for change’s sake and so much of what I see in this car is that kind of thinking. Form follows function and though there are a lot of design choices that actually accomplish something, there are dozens of adjustments to the design language that serve little purpose that I can see outside of sheer change. Moving the cup holders aft and making them bigger, bulging the hood for pedestrian crash standards, bringing the motor engineering in-house — these are all things that serve some sort of practical purpose. But otherwise every element of the car has been touched and altered, and not all for the better. Unfortunately, the reality of the resulting car is much more derivative than it is evolutionary.

But that said, I actually really like the new car - especially the Cooper - with the STRONG exception of the interior center stack. Despite some of its derivative elements, the overall character of the car remains intact and that’s what’s important. I’m very interested in the upcoming JCW car. But I won’t be trading in my ‘06 MCS any time soon.

Regardless of what we think of the car, the reveal has been awesome!

Aurel Sep 29th, 2006 Link

I am no pretty sure my next car will not be an 07 MCS … it really looks disjointed. They claim everyhting was made more seamless, but it feels the opposite. Like they were just adding things on for no reason.

Is there an aerokit available for the dash? ;)

Bob Sep 30th, 2006 Link

I still think the 07 Cooper looks a little better than the 07 Cooper S. I still wonder why the Mini engineers did not come up with a creative way to use the faux hood scoop…. I’m still not sold on the intergrated radio and playschool looking climate controls. Otherwise the car is not that bad. I’m thinking I’ll drive my 06MCS for a while.

lTZMTOR Sep 30th, 2006 Link

Since the ’60’s cars have had non functional and functional hood and side scoops………… get over it! GGGGGGEEEEZZZ!!!

Gabe Sep 30th, 2006 Link

Since the ’60’s cars have had non functional and functional hood and side scoops………… get over it! GGGGGGEEEEZZZ!!!

True - and the MINI’s aero kit has had non-functional scoops for four years now.

Bob Hewston Sep 30th, 2006 Link

Since the ’60’s cars have had non functional and functional hood and side scoops………… get over it! GGGGGGEEEEZZZ!!!

Well it may be true that some cars have had faux hoodscoops but your performance cars such as the Ford Mustang Mach V, Chevrolet Camaro, etc had functioning sccops back then. Wouldn’t the new Cooper S be classified as a “performance car” I’m not saying that the fake hood sccop is bad, It’s hard to get used to it when you have a car that has “functioning one”. One other point have you looked at the 90’s Ford Mustang with the fake hood scoop, it doesn’t look that great with the black plug. By the way I actually like the 07 car just not the climate and radio controls. Just my thoughts.

Bob Sep 30th, 2006 Link

Sorry I meant to say the Ford Boss and Cobra Jet Mustangs, and the 1969 Camaro SS.

GZ Sep 30th, 2006 Link

Hi Frank. The Cayman S is great and FAST but simply not as fun as the MCS/JCW. I felt more connected to the Mini when I drove it. The handling and feel couldn’t be matched. Plus I personalized it to the tune of $40,000 and it was truely unique. The Porsche looks like anybody elses. Mini rallys are a blast because everyone’s is unique. A Porsche rally? ZZZZZZZZ. Not a fun crowd. Come ‘08 I’ll be back in a JCW convertible done MY way!

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