99 replies to this topic

[giz]

is it me or does that rover prototype MINI in the video look better than the bini?

Edited by nataliegizfish, 28 June 2007 - 09:23 PM.

[mab01uk]

Taffy - yes i can see it being here in 40 years time due to the fact there are enthusiasts for the bini, strangely just like the mini.

if you are going to carry on this is going to be yet another thread consigned to the junk yard.

I think people should get the facts straight. BMW did buy rover for the mini, but they bought it 1994, therefore THEY kept the mini alive until 2001. Not rover. the same lovely wonderful rover that wanted to kill the mini off on several occasions. The same company who were to lazy to redesign the car so it could compete with the modern cars. the same company that wanted us to drive the metro or god forbid the rover city car.

We have alot to be thank full to the germans for, its about time some of you so called mini enthusiasts, accepted the bini.
Do you give the fingers to any other type of car that waves or flashes at you? NO!

So just accept they are admiring your car, smile and wave back and go about your day and stop posturing and complaining all the time its boring.

Rant over.

Well said Dev.
I have a BINI and 2 classic Minis. I have had one of my classic Minis for 20 years. I have owned classic Minis continuously for 35 years since I passed my test. To preserve my classics I now use a Bini as a daily driver as it is the nearest driving experience to the go-kart handling of a classic Mini and has a loyal similar enthusiast following. I do not want a bland boring hatchback like a Fiesta or a Peugeot! Next time you put 2 fingers up at a Bini it may be someone like me, many especially older Mini enthusiasts also own a Bini and are proud of it.
Rover played a major part in its design, its a shame they failed to reap the benefits but it was not BWWs fault they became a moneypit, if anything BMW should have been quicker to clamp down on Rovers problems.
Here is a video of the Bini prototype launch by Rover in 1997, complete with an interview with the late John Cooper himself.

Yes and I'd say what I'm told too if someone paid me enough.

But I wonder if Alec Issigonis would have too?

"Here you go Mr Issigonis, here's a nice blank cheque so you can go and buy lots more model steam engines for you're garden layout. Now will you do us a little favour in return and say lots of nice things about our car, like how it's just the kind of car that you would have designed today and how it's everything you're original was and much more, blah, blah, blah, roobarb, roobarb..........!"

Very sad that as a Mini enthusiast you have such a low opinion of John Cooper just because he stated an opinion which doesn't fit yours and some others rather narrow minded views. I met John Cooper on several occasions over the years at the Beaulieu Mini Cooper days, L to Brighton and at his Garage in Ferring and found him approachable, straight forward, honest and always willing to chat and answer questions he must have been asked many times before. I don't think he was just a money grabber as you have suggested or that he was bought off by Rover/BMW (or Nazis). He had a genuine interest in the new MINI Coopers heritage, success and development which also came over in his regular Miniworld magazine column at the time. Shame he didn't live to see the success it now is with 1 million built in Oxford and sold worldwide, it may not be a future Icon but is as worthy a successor as we could have hoped to get for the classic Mini in the modern car world of today.

[Badger McLetcher]

Right, well as far as I am concerned, the bini is quite a good car. Nothing special from what I've seen (not pretending I know it all- never driven one so it's based on knowledge rather than experience). However, the thing is- it's not a mini. It's a completely different car with the same name. I don't really see it lasting as long as the old one, but maybe that's something to do with the car market nowadays. I personally think they should have just modernised the old one

[abboz3]

At the end of the day they areonly being friendly, so dont be rude back.


Long and short of it is by being rude in return you are only letting yourselves and the whole mini community down.

Its about time some people grew up and accepted the bini as an exceellant piece of engineering. All things considered they are larger immiatations of our great little cars and what you should remember is immitation is the most sincerest form of flattery.

The bini is here to stay live with it.

Binis can be cocky too! Driving along to bingly hall in a nice convoy, untill thi Bini decides to shoot past us andover take us all. Over it. Any way the best bit is, a few miles down the line low and behold the bini hadpulled over hazzards on, it had run out of petrol and wanted one of us to help!!! The cheek of it!!

Theyren otgood pieces of engineering, are nothing like the mini, didnt you see the top gear episode , Bini has nothing on the mini! dont handle aswell and theres endless problems, surely such a new car shouldnt have problems. Ill admit its a good car butshouldnt have been called a mini

[abboz3]

I personally think they should have just modernised the old one

That is the modernised version, theycouldnt make it any smalelr becuase of al the safety tests etc.

[Bungle]

a friendly BMW driver

[che]

Is this yet another debate about Minis and binis - can we get back to the original question please? Or perhaps this topic should go in Room 101

[taffy1967]

I personally think they should have just modernised the old one

That is the modernised version, theycouldnt make it any smalelr becuase of al the safety tests etc.

But there are lots of other smaller cars on the market, like the Ford Ka and Fiat's new 500 etc?

It's just BMW wanted their own Golf.

[t@z]

all this chit chat. i just wave at everyone

[M44K TS]

theres endless problems, surely such a new car shouldnt have problems.

you say this like the Classic Mini is faultless. I have never known such an unreliable car overall (i'm kind of lucky because mine's always been ok, but the ammount of times you hear about peoples mini's breaking down at the slightest sign of wet weather etc.)

Also, loads of new cars are riddled with faults, you just need to talk to ANY Alfa owner to work that one out lol

Granted with the ammount of computer controlled techy gubbins and what not on new cars, there shouldn't be faults.

[taffy1967]

Well we can forgive the original Mini for it's problems considering it's age and the fact we're enthusiasts.

But I've heard all kinds of horror stories about the BINI and considering the amount of time they had to get it right, there were still teething problems and issues.

Watchdog BINI Report

[M44K TS]

i remember watching that on Watchdog frightening stuff

[Silicon Skum]

A little background on my use of my cars:

I drive a Bini as an every day car, I treat it just like I did with my Rover Mini Cooper - that is I USE it and ABUSE it with heavy loads, ladders, carrying bags of rubbish, tools etc.
To me a car is just a car, I don't care how expensive or cheap it was to start with, Porsche or Skoda - it will be used as transport as I see fit. I come from a long line of builders, in fact that was the family buisness untill recently, started in 1880 by my great-great grandfatather (even the house I live in today was built by him, as was a number of the streets and buildings around here. My grandad, when he still ran the buisness had a Merc 200 from new, and this was used as part of the buisness - he even used it for carrying his tools, equiptment and building suplies to jobs! To this day it is STILL used as tool storage (one day I might restore it.....and use it in just the same way).

My old Rover Mini was 2nd hand, three years old, when I got it. I learned to drive in it, passed my test in it and used it daily between 6th form, then college, then work and later landlord duties on our properties. I've used it on clear-out jobs on houses (some of which were in an unbelivable filthy state!) as part of the building buisness, I've used it - just before it was restored - to carry the reminants and brickwork of a coal fire place and chimney breast, from one of my properties that was being renovated and modernised (I was COVERED in black soot and lime mortar / plaster - as was the interior of my car, and it took some considerable cleaning during the restoration of the car!). I used it to transport building materials and waste......this car was by no means a polished prize hidden in a garage for "special" events - it got USED!

I spent over £10,000 on a 2nd hand low milage (11,000) BMW MINI Cooper, it was an ex-company car from somewhere in Essex. This car now suffers just the same level of "abuse" as any other vehicle I owned or used (including the 2 ton pickup) - the second day I owned the car, it was used to transport bags of sand, lime and cement. The next day was plasterboards and plaster. It has the scratches to prove it.
I recently spent around £10,000 on the restoration of my Rover Mini Cooper, and belive me - I have no fear of using this car for lumping around building waste or anything else I need it for. I would do the same if it were a £150,000 Ferrari - not that I would fit that much in one of those....

I see no point in a car being anything other than transport, Yeah I've spent a lot of money on my cars - but I will still use them as transport. My ONLY change to the roles my cars play in life, is that the mainstream Cooper spends the winter in the garage - but this is from a practical standpoint, no winter salt = less rust.


And so, I may be a fan of the original Mini and it's history, and I may own both a Mini and aBini - but in no way do I get so wound up about either, or any type of car, that I have to publicly state my hatred / distaste / disaproval of said car, it's drivers / owners or manufacturer, to all and sundery at every given opportunity! What's the point??

It's a CAR..... A....C . A . R............just a CAR!

Deal with it!

There is NOTHING to compare between these two cars that have the same name "mini" - even the names are different, the BMW version, "MINI" is allways in capital letters! The Mini that we have this forum for, is no longer in production - and never will be again.
The BMW car called the MINI is being made now, and it's made to modern safety, environmental and engineering standards - something the Rover Mini could NOT ever do in it's original form. This is a totally DIFFERENT vehicle from the Mini, it just happens to use the same "style" as the Mini, because they CAN'T make the mini anymore - and people still like and want the style of the mini.

There are PLENTY of worse cars being made these days, for all it's faults - the Bini is still a good car and will continue to sell. So get used to that fact!


If a Bini flashed / waved when I was in my Mini I would wave back - at least they acknowledged your car and made the effort!

SS

[Dev]

To be honest BMW maybe didn't value the fact the mini owners would want things paying for. to be honest i dont care. i'm not that interested.

Then just give up and stop talking nonsense.

So i guess we should bow to your all knowing all patronising knowledge?? Grow up.

If you're feeling patronised, then that can only mean that you're also inferior too?

But I grew up a long time ago and I now do strongly believe in live and let live, even if you can't handle the fact that not everyone agrees with you.

remember opinions are like ARSEholes, everyones got one, just yours stinks.

And yours stink even more and are very disturbing, so go back to playing with you're Nazi dolls.

The only person who appears to have an inferioirty complex here is you.

I can handle the fact that not eveyone agrees with me you on the other hand appear not to.

My whole point at the begining of this and is the same now that there is no excuse for mini owners to be rude to bini owners just because of the car they drive, its a disgusting attitude to have and that this sort of behaviour is letting the mini community down.

I suggest we delete this thread now as its gone beyond the original topic which was do you reply in a polite fashion to bini owners?

[che]

I suggest we delete this thread now as its gone beyond the original topic which was do you reply in a polite fashion to bini owners?

well said Dev, I agree this should be deleted as it has obviously turned into a debate with some very nasty personal opinions thrown in

peace everyone!

Edited by che, 29 June 2007 - 04:40 PM.