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2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman: First Official Photos

8K views 68 replies 40 participants last post by  rpvitiello  
#1 ·
#8 ·
Needs different tires badly.

But I'd rock it.

That being said, I'm sure that added ride height has affected the "planted" feel you get with most normal Mini's.
 
#9 ·
UGH, I love how BMW has taken the MINI and completely made it a failure. WTF? The MINI is a MINI, not a damn SUV/crossover/wagon, or anything else.

I love BMW, but holy crap, I've lost faith for MINI...

-Cody
 
#18 ·
Mini can't be a Porsche forever, subsisting on just one car model. And, at least one can (hopefully) take comfort in knowing that the Mini brand can't ever spawn big luxocruisers, because that would eat into the mother BMW brand.

Aside from the roof, which won't likely take to being painted in contrasting white (or Union Jack) as well as the Mini Cooper, the styling works surprisingly well as a SUV. The size looks to be about that of the original Kia Sportage or a 4-door Geo Tracker, but without a Mini Cooper parked next to it, it's hard to say.

What remains to be seen are the official specs and pricing, as well as how it drives. If BMW can keep weight down to about 3200lbs (a tall order given the hardware), that will go a long way towards preserving the nimble driving experience expected of a Mini. BMW can't afford to have this turn into a heavyweight like, say, a Chevy Equinox.
 
#30 ·
Also, there's a very strong rumor that this platform will be the basis of MINI's highest performance model ever.

Tuned by JCW it will be lowered with more power and a more aggressive body kit. The concept will be shown later this year.

It is said to be a GTI/Golf R Killer.
And the thread just got really interesting. :evilgrin: Lets see something that can perform like a GTI without all the problems Please keep us informed. :thumbup: