The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33537
on the apex by Peter D. DuPre, Editor Is The Maxi-MINI Really A MINI? lmost since the day that MINI showed the first concept of their new Countryman, there has been a lots of discussion about whether or not it qualifies as a MINI in essence. To be sure the new big rig dwarfs the current Cooper hatchback and it absolutely towers over the original [now called Classic]. In fact, you can darn near park a vintage Mini in the back of a new Countryman! Certainly, there is no doubt that if Sir Alec Issigonis was still with us, we would hear howls of protest about the fact that the vehicle is an abomination and completely disregards the intent of its original purpose: Namely, to be a compact family sedan that could carries four adults and their luggage for a weekend getaway. Issigonis would almost never admit that he was wrong, and I would like to think that upon reflection, the much-vaunted engineer, would admit that for these times, the Countryman makes sense. Let’s face it; the automotive needs of the family have changed a lot since 1959. For one thing, we are considerably taller and wider than the average Englishman was back in the 1950s. Also, we carry more stuff. Now we don’t necessarily carry more, or larger, amounts of luggage, but Americans, at least, tend to do their shopping at big box stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco and that means they pack their vehicles full nearly every shopping trip. An while the size of the average family is somewhat smaller than it was in the late 1950s, we make up for it by taking our pets along with us on trips – something that was virtually unheard of back then. Yes, the Countryman is a product of its times and it is the largest MINI ever built – almost 13 feet long, in fact. But is it a MINI? Has it kept enough MINIness to qualify as a cool and fun-to-drive small crossover sport utility vehicle with real MINI DNA? I guess the answer to that question depends upon your point of view. When I first saw the early photos of the Countryman, my first reaction was, “Oh my God, what have they done? Don’t they get it?” Well, as it turns out, MINI does get it. Sure the Countryman is big, it needs to be big to compete in the crossover SUV segment, where the competi- tion is stiff and the choices are myriad. But it is not THAT big. Park it next to a RAV 4 or Honda Pilot and you see just how small the big MINI is. Furthermore, this new Maxi-MINI has all the right stuff to compete in a new niche: the availability of optional all-wheel drive, improved useability, get good fuel economy, has plenty 8 www.mc2magazine.com of power, is feature-loaded with the items that younger buyers want such as connectivity to Facebook, Twitter and satellite radio, and best of all it has handling similar to that of the MINI hatchback and Clubman wagon. [Let me say right here, that the need to be on Facebook and Twitter while behind the wheel of any vehicle escapes me, especially since you can easily do that from your laptop, pc, or cell phone at any time EXCEPT when you are driving.] The connectivity thing is the clue as to where MINI wants to take this vehicle. Unlike in Europe, where the average age of the MINI buyer is hovering around 35, in the US, it is almost on the nose of 50. The reasons for this are interesting. In Europe, the MINI costs a little less than it does here and it is sold in a de-contented version called the MINI ONE. It is also sold with both diesel- and gasoline-powered engines, and it really isn’t considered to be the premium vehicle that MINI tells US buyers it is. Consequently, the MINI appeals to older, more affluent buyers who don’t need a lot of passenger or luggage room because their kids are mainly grown and gone. In order to stay healthy and viable, MINI needs to broaden their offerings and bring down the average age of the US buyer. They think that the Country- man is the vehicle with which they can do it because it better appeals to young families, especially when the no-cost optional bench seat for the rear is figured in. So, when you look at the Countryman’s features and consider the fact that the vehicle was designed specifically with the US market in mind, I think you have to agree with MINI’s mindset. We close out the year with the Holiday Season and our annual Holiday Gift Guide, and start the New Year off with a bang, such as our article on the above mentioned 2011 Countryman. For Is- sue #30 (February-March), we will be focusing on racers, racing and racing safety equipment. Then, for Issue #31 (April-May) the focus will be on the MINI Cabriolet. After all, it will be spring and heading into summer, both of which are prime times for open motoring. I hope that you all have a wonderful Holiday Season and that you will stay with us as we start our sixth year. photo: KL DuPre A sure love to hear from you. on C tact me at: edi tor @mc2magaz ie.com. I’d n