Skip advert
Advertisement
Opinion

"Whether you like BMW owning MINI or not, the German company has done brilliant things"

Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler says that modern MINIs are a natural evolution from the classic 1950s design

MINI opinion

While testing the new 5-door MINI around the wonderful roads of Oxfordshire, I came across a guy with an obvious interest in the brand – or at least what it used to be...

“It’s not a proper MINI, is it?” he asked me. I wanted to suggest we take a trip down the road to the MINI factory in Oxford and he could ask the same question to one of the brilliant workers who built the five-door car I was with. Their answer would be the same as mine was – of course it is.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Think of it this way: if the original Mini was built by a company that had the wherewithal and finances to continually develop it, 911-style, as it should’ve been, I suspect it would be a very similar car – and model range – to what it is today. Whether you like BMW owning MINI or not, the German company has done brilliant things with the brand, and will continue to do so.

As well as driving the new five-door and giving it a tough workout against a bigger, more powerful and more expensive VW Golf GTI, this week we also reported the news that a mini MINI – previewed by the 2011 Rocketman concept – is back on the agenda. I must admit, MINI’s decision not to push on with development always seemed strange to me, but now the car could be about to be reinvented using more traditional (cheaper) materials, but with the same amount of style, quality, fun and technology as the rest of the range.

Closely related to the MINI is the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, using the same platform and engines as the Brit. Again, some BMW fans will moan about the company making a front-wheel-drive MPV, but it’s BMW’s knowledge of what customers want – across all its brands – that makes it so successful.

 

What do you think of the modern MINI range? Let us know in the comments below, on Twitter or on Facebook. 

 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-in-chief

Steve Fowler has been editor-in-chief of Auto Express since 2011 and is responsible for all editorial content across the website and magazine. He has previously edited What Car?, Autocar and What Hi-Fi? and has been writing about cars for the best part of 30 years. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New MINI Aceman EV leaked online: honey they shrunk the Countryman!
MINI Aceman - front
News

New MINI Aceman EV leaked online: honey they shrunk the Countryman!

The first images of the all-electric MINI Aceman have surfaced online, ahead of the official reveal on 24 April
13 Mar 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2024

There are some big new models from the likes of BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, MINI, Skoda and more on the way in 2024
12 Mar 2024
Best-selling cars 2024: the UK’s top 10 most popular models
Best-selling cars 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best-selling cars 2024: the UK’s top 10 most popular models

These are the country’s most popular cars of the year so far, but which is in pole position?
5 Mar 2024
New MINI Cooper testing takes next step as full reveal approaches
2024 MINI Cooper - front
News

New MINI Cooper testing takes next step as full reveal approaches

All-electric MINI will soon be joined by UK-built petrol version
23 Nov 2023

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024