That looks like a truck where someone has nicked the proper wheels and they’ve had to use little ones off a normal car.

And you were saying other people have no sense of aesthetics? 😆

But I’m keeping the Countryman and allowing the breadknife the privilege of driving it

Nothing more to be said is there? I rest my case.

Er actually no, it’s not at all ‘cute’

It is.

Don’t start with me sunshine. 😉

Jeez, ain’t it funny that people like different cars an dat.

Even Effin’s getting a sandy fanny about it now… 🙄

I’m not, I just happen to be right about automobile aesthetics, is all. 🙂

You know I am too though really. Deep down.

There are several well known facts in this world. One of these us that only 2 nations on earth can reliably produce stylish, iconic cars.

The British
The Italians

Sure, everyone else gets a look in now and again (Ford GT40, Citroën DS, Mk 1 Golf)
But nobody else gets even close. Alec Issigonis must be turning in his grave.

No mahoosive generalisations in PP’s contribution.

G.R.F., what an asset to the forum you are, what sparkling insights you provide; its such a shame you’re married already.

now lay down and say it with me..

Hear me now kiss me teef bogle bogle when I say rice you say ‘an pea’…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIkgcjD_MCw&NR=1[/video]

Come on now an sing it wit me, Rice:

Fiat is for girl people and I’m not a girl, even though secretly I want to be one, I’m not, I’m actually a man person…

We can see that you’re a man because you are waiting for the epitome of manliness-on-the-road that is that VW.

When women started using 4x4s for the school run, the manly men had to go and find something even more manly and came up with the double cab pick up.

Useless for anything other than looking manly! You can put bags of cement in the back, but for actually carrying bikes, surfboards, anything worth carrying, you may as well drive Elfin’s Fiat.

Having worked at MINI for three years, I can say that the average MINI buyer doesn’t really inhabit the STW world where;

1.You are some kind of idiot if you spend any more than £3000 on a car.
2. Even that’s a rip off unless you got at least 50% off by using your superior haggling skills.
3. It’s absolutely imperative to keep a car until it’s done at least 150000 miles.

One man’s gopping is another’s ‘actually, I quite like that’ and thank god there’s the choice. Before the likes of the New Beetle and MINI the nineties were awash with acres of dull, miserable monobox lumps authorised by accountants. The reason that the Countryman exists is that it fills a hole in the range that BMW believes they can sell to. It’s kind of ironic that something so niche is getting a pasting on here of all places.

Now, if someone could help me down from this high horse…..

They are gopping though, that’s simply fact. No defending the Mini’s design; it’s a bit rubbish really.

And the Countryman is even worse.

Me and PeterPoddy are right and you are wrong. Eh, Peter?

It’s kind of ironic that something so niche is getting a pasting on here of all places.

Really?

The one thing that you can say about almost all bikes is that they are very functional, especially MTBs. Almost always function before looks.

Pretty much the exact opposite of a lot of new cars which are designed entirely to look different at the expense of functionality.

Wunundred!

Proper Mini:

Now that’s a truck.

No, it’s a large car. And an ugly one at that. With something nasty stuck to the side of it…

Okay, so the niche thing was a bit tongue in cheek 🙂
What is it precisely about the Countryman’s aesthetic that makes it less functional? Two different issues, shirley?

No mahoosive generalisations in PP’s contribution.

I’m right and you know it.

New question:

How many cars in current or very recent production will ever achieve the status of cars like the Mini?

Answer – Maybe one. But I can’t for the life of me specify which…..

I’m right and you know it.

😆

He is you know. And so am I!

The one thing that you can say about almost all bikes is that they are very functional, especially MTBs. Almost always function before looks.

You can say that about road bikes. The opposite is true of mountainbikes. They’re poitnless toys for people with more money than sense and have very, very dull jobs. 🙂

A marketing man’s dream.

One man’s gopping is another’s ‘actually, I quite like that’ and thank god there’s the choice. Before the likes of the New Beetle and MINI the nineties were awash with acres of dull, miserable monobox lumps authorised by accountants.

Open your eyes: Take a look in any car park, but work car parks especially. 90% of the cars there will be just as you describe, the only difference being that these days the main distinguishing feature will be a slightly different shade af grey (Or silver. Silver is shiny grey) Grey. The colour of people who have no imagination and have given up

At least the 80s had colourful cars, in more than one sense of the word

Open your eyes: Take a look in any car park, but work car parks especially

To be fair, when I look in my works car park, all I can see is MINI’s and BMW’s. 😀

To be fair, when I look in my works car park, all I can see is MINI’s and BMW’s.

Yup. Grey ones.

I’m gonna post a pic from outside my work in the morning I think.

Those Foxtons ones are proper gopping. Horrible things. Makes me want to damage them when I see them Natural reaction though.

Here’s a happy pic of one what’s bin nicked then rallyed and rolled:

Ah, I almost feel sorry for it…

No I don’t! Burn it!!!! 😈

YOu need one of these

My first GF had a mini.

*takes a moment*

Right, I am back. Looked like this un:

And new ones are wrong.

Nice colour! 🙂

That looks cool, like the red one at the top as well.

Minis are driven by women who think that animal print is actually acceptable off the catwalk. LOL

If you want to take a decent little car & turn it into a phallic symbol, then this takes some beating…

😉

What you are PP is someone who’s giving far too much of a shit about cars dear chap. Maybe a bit of envy in there somewhere…I dunno…issues anyway.

EDIT: And your original statement is still as bollocks now as it was an hour ago. Now you and Effin stand back for a second and think about what bollocks (hypocritical in the case of Effin, of all the self-righteous eejits around here) you’re spouting and come back to me when you’ve decided you want to take it back.

(Stands back for a second, tries to do as DD asks, fails)

Sorry DD; drawn a blank there. Mustuv bin cos we aren’t talking bollocks, but in fact the truth. Sorry if that hurts.

That Toyota/Aston iQ is really cute. Will be nice to see more little cars like that about in the future.

What you are PP is someone who’s giving far too much of a shit about cars dear chap. Maybe a bit of envy in there somewhere…I dunno…issues anyway.

Yep. I do care. And them fat Minis are a hideous, cynical marketing exercise that’s failed. Failed badly. Utter CACK.

EDIT: And your original statement is still as bollocks now as it was an hour ago. Now you and Effin stand back for a second and think about what bollocks (hypocritical in the case of Effin, of all the self-righteous eejits around here) you’re spouting and come back to me when you’ve decided you want to take it back.

Hypocrit:
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

Err no. Not at all

I’ll never EVER take it back because it’s the TRUTH. And you can’t handle the truth, sonny boy.

And them fat Minis are a hideous, cynical marketing exercise that’s failed. Failed badly

Aye?

The 7 month wait I had until I got mine would suggest otherwise…

You waited 7 MONTHS for one??? 😮

No seriously, you din’t really, did you? 😯

I’ll never EVER take it back because it’s the TRUTH. And you can’t handle the truth, sonny boy.

Oooh, get you two and all your posturing…sure sign of issues again. And the fact that you’re talking bollocks and getting all wound up about cars that you’ll probably never (be able to afford to) drive. Tell me, what issues have you two got with cute little cars all of a sudden? Is it really that important? Surely it’s not. There are other things t worry about aren’t there? Or is it that there isn’t? Life that mundane for you at the moment?

You’ll see one day that I can handle the truth…not that I’m likely to see it from you or Effin this evening…not on this thread anyway.

Btw, I wasn’t calling you a hypocrite PP, just a bollocks spouter that’s all. Effin’s the hypocrite around here. He does know it, but he’s struggling to deal with being called out for it.

And lastly…

failed. Failed badly

By what criteria? (Ask Effin if you’re not sure what that means, he’ll explain it to you)

Nah, it isn’t a failure in sales terms, but that doesn’t stop it looking nasty. And it does look really nasty.

I had one of the first BMW minis, and it was really cute and stupidly (in my hands dangerously) fast. They’ve got progressively less stylish as time has gone on though, and I would be interested to know if the owner profile has changed over time too. To start with they were a bit of fun; now they’re an aspirational neuveu status symbol for people with no sense of aesthetics.

I think the 500 works much better visually now, but it is pretty kitch. I’m happy driving our Panda, but would feel a bit self conscious in a 500 (and here speaks a man who used to drive a Smart cabrio!).

Oh, and I’m intrigued by the bizarre trouser contents of anyone who thinks that Aston Cignet is phalic. Mr Bobbet I presume?

OOh look somebody’s not happy bunny cos we slagged their favourite car off! 😀

Look, DD; you chose a Mini. Your judgement is crap. We know this.

It does make you less of a mayn, true, but we won’t hold it against you. Much.

We will laugh at you and point in a cruel, unkind and mocking way, but hey ho, that’s life. You’ve just got to accept it really.

Ah well.

How did the people that brought you this

And this

Manage to bring you the “Cu*tryman”
And this

Cars that look like they were designed by Ray Charles.

Effin, have you been on the beer this evening; you’re struggling to keep up with me…and look, I’m being kind…I’m keeping everything nice and simple, no complicated words or anything to trip you up.

I couldn’t give a stuff if you like Mini’s or not matey – I’m just surprised that you, of all people, are getting such a sandy fanny about cute little cars. It’s fairly obvious from your input so far (and not just on this thread) that you know stuff-all about cars in general, yet, you’re so desperate for a scrap, you’ve taken giant leaps in the unknown and shown yourself up as a bullshitter. You’re usually a bit more careful than that…like I said, maybe you’ve had a beer or something…maybe even two.

It does make you less of a mayn, true, but we won’t hold it against you. Much.

More hypocrisy – this is really not you at all. Any other day, the page would be full of your verbal diarrhoea at the mere suggestion that one’s choice of car makes one more or less of a man. This is a new side of you – the driving thread earlier…are you the new hora?

We will laugh at you and point in a cruel, unkind and mocking way

I know matey, that’s the type of person you seem to be turning into these days…laughing at someone because they chose a car and couldn’t give a swinging shit what YOU think. Are you still the same Effin? I mean, you’ve never been the deepest, but this is a new shallow for you.

Do what? What on Earth are you wibbling on about? You post that pic of yourself and that hideous big American car thing, and you expect us to believe you know owt about ‘style’?

And you think you can help me? On issues of aesthetics??? 😆

Someone ‘ave a word with him please. Thanks.

I couldn’t give a stuff if you like Mini’s or not matey – I’m just surprised that you, of all people, are getting such a sandy fanny about cute little cars. It’s fairly obvious from your input so far (and not just on this thread) that you know stuff-all about cars in general, yet, you’re so desperate for a scrap, you’ve taken giant leaps in the unknown and shown yourself up as a bullshitter. You’re usually a bit more careful than that…like I said, maybe you’ve had a beer or something…maybe even two.

And what’s bitten you, DD? Maybe you should have a beer or two mate. Cheeze….

Chill. Relax. Take a step back. Have a think about things. Don’t get yer knickers in such a twist you Silly Billy! 😀

Lordy Lordy Lordy. Talk about anything else, no problem. Have a bit of a joke about someone’s taste in motors- all hell breaks loose. 🙄

BMW Minis are still crap though…. 😉