Min Paceman Concept

[Neil - TXJ]

Announcement re new concept model

http://www.facebook.com/MINI.uk

[KenL]

also here: http://www.motoringfile.com/2010/12/...fficial-video/

Looks a lot better than the Countryman IMO.

[weefossy]

Looks much better than the Clubman, but not a mini imho. Tend to agree with the "Nissan" comments.

[Sheilz]

Looks much better than the Clubman.

Hurmph! No its nae

but just as ugly as the countryman

[illegalhunter]

I like this alot , the colour is a stinker tho

[craigib76]

think this will grow on people over time and will probably become quite popular i bet the colour looks a million times better in the sunlight rather than in studio light

[zimbo]

You do know why this car is being made dont you? It's because MINI is trying to get back into World Rally Championship and rally cars are and mostly always been three door vehicles... and almost all of them have had to be based on production road vehicles

But I must admit it does look loads better than the Countryman does, apart from that awful leather crap they have got wrapped around the door handles, wing repeaters and the fuel flap!!

[ELFMAN]

Well here we are, a huge bloated 3-door NON-MINI-MINI hatch.
The result of a ten year programme of Focus-Group Marketing, Bistro-Chic, Steroids and Botox, complete with 'it'll never make it to production Bondage Gear exterior leather trim' - can't wait for the full-on 'JCW Carbon-Effect Gimp Mask'. The Paceman doesn't look bad, it looks a whole lot better than the Countryman (having said that, from certain angles, so do I...), but I ask you, WHAT'S THE POINT of this up-market Nissan Juke?

The Countryman was (I thought) introduced to address the lack of space and practicality in the rest of the range, so the trade-off was losing some the MINIs legendary dynamic appeal in the name of 'Family Friendliness'. So now they're losing some of that practicality for the sake of looks, but without regaining any of the traditional MINI Hatch's size, manoeverability and overall performance. It's a 'Lifestyle' model, a great big fat trinket, perfect for those who are interested in neither performance nor practicality, but it looks 'Cool' and 'Now' and that's enough these days. The fact that it'll cost a whole lot more than it delivers won't actually matter, because those who buy it won't worry about value for money and won't miss or even understand why we all bought into the MINI phenomenon in the first place. BMW just can't seem to resist filling every single Market Gap it can see... with yet another 'MINI'.

If you start off with a racehorse, but genetically modify it for years till it's huge and grey, then it's a Hippo - even if you still call it 'Trigger'.

ps Zimbo, I'd be surprised if the Paceman was in any way connected with MINI's WRC ambitions - as far as I know, Prodrive have already done the WRC development work on the Countryman, which is currently running in the Dakar Rally, so I don't see MINI developing another new model specifically for this purpose... unless they're holding WRC events at the Polo Club and the driver's Oliver, co-driven by Penelope...

[Bazthemod]

Paceman is next model due for wrc purposes after countryman due to door issues as Ali says.

Expect styling cues from this to form the new mini clubman.

Beachcomber concept scrapped and won't go into production.

[KenL]

Manufacturers usually enter rally cars to promote their products. They don't sell cars to the public as a by-product of a rally car project.

If that was the case, it would be a lot cheaper to put 4wd into a standard MINI for racing.

The Countryman is being built for people who think the MINI is a cool car but too wee for them. It uses the same platform as the Countryman but is a lot better looking so will sell well I imagine.