Mini Coupe - Is This the Ugliest Mini Ever?

[Staghound]

The obese Mini (countryman) is just taking the P... out of people who buy them,they are hideous,they are for the shallowest of people,who,if told this car is trendy and has prestige, will part with thousands,I do feel sorry for these types to some extent!!!!Rant over.

[martin]

The obese Mini (countryman) is just taking the P... out of people who buy them,they are hideous,they are for the shallowest of people,who,if told this car is trendy and has prestige, will part with thousands,I do feel sorry for these types to some extent!!!!Rant over.

Nah ! - that's not a rant ! Has anyone noticed the depreciation on the bini ? That would break my heart if I'd bought one. Drove a so called Cooper once, a goodly distance, and it was bloody aweful ! A tip gearchange that gives you time for a snooze, and, as for power, it wouldn't pull a sailor off your sister ! Martin.

[ChasR]

Now that's a bit harsh :P.

The Cooper Manual I drove was not too bad. As for depreciation they put many cars in their class (and above) to shame. An auto in most small cars however is a recipe for disaster IMO.

As you may be able to tell, I almost bought a mid 2000 one apart from their secondhand value and issues (PAS pumps dying and short lived brakes). So I bought an Alfa instead (whoops!).

[Westfaling]

The other car was a Toyota will Cypha.

you can buy it if you want. Shipping might be pricy.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/auction-439437645.htm

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[jleyton]

Always did love the Avantime, that drivers door is something else altogether ! They pinched the rear window for the earlier Megane and it looked 'orrible - shame. Martin.

Good on you Martin Mind you, have you ever opened one ? It ain't easy. My car parking area was on a slight slope and so the heavy door wouldn't stay open - nearly broke my leg twice, but I still love it They reckon that the design time they had to spend on the double hinge door arrangement delayed the launch by about a year

Bollocks to convention.

Cheers

Julian

Ps Gratuitous pic attached - but it definitely looked even wackier in the metal .... errr... plastic

renaultavantime4.jpg

[jleyton]

The obese Mini (countryman) is just taking the P... out of people who buy them,they are hideous,they are for the shallowest of people,who,if told this car is trendy and has prestige, will part with thousands,I do feel sorry for these types to some extent!!!!Rant over.

Totally agree but would add they are for the shallowest of people,who,if told this car is trendy and has prestige and is made by the 'all mighty BMW', will part with thousands

I know. My niece, I am ashamed to say, has got one and is like that. She looked very deflated when I told her that her (petrol) engine is made by Peugeot/Citroen (not many people know that !)

Cheers

Julian

[dasadrew]

.....they are for the shallowest of people,who,if told this car is trendy and has prestige and is made by the 'all mighty BMW', will part with thousands....

Julian

You mean 95% of the population then? Scandalous! Next thing there will be people owning up to having bought an iPad, iPhone, iPod because they are trendy, have prestige and are made by the Almighty... (capital "A" here!)

Best sell my shares then, as those will be two companies going to the wall for having pandered to the needs of the many

[jleyton]

You mean 95% of the population then? Scandalous! Next thing there will be people owning up to having bought an iPad, iPhone, iPod because they are trendy, have prestige and are made by the Almighty... (capital "A" here!)

Bet sell my shares then, as those will be two companies going to the wall for having pandered to the needs of the many

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Cheers

Julian

[dasadrew]

PS: Love the Avantime too. There's a pristine one in this colour which parks on our management car park every so often. Always have to stop and have a look.

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Apart from the Avantime, Matra also produced the Bagheera and the Murena (3-Seater). Again, cars I always have to stop and look at and see if they're for sale!!

Mr. Matra also produces exceedingly good missiles!

MatraSimcaBagheera.jpg







Talbot_Matra_Murena_Front.jpg

[martin]

Good on you Martin Mind you, have you ever opened one ? It ain't easy. My car parking area was on a slight slope and so the heavy door wouldn't stay open - nearly broke my leg twice, but I still love it They reckon that the design time they had to spend on the double hinge door arrangement delayed the launch by about a year

Bollocks to convention.

Cheers

Julian

Ps Gratuitous pic attached - but it definitely looked even wackier in the metal .... errr... plastic

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Hi Julian, I've had a bit of a play with one but not had your experience, I love that door, always loved toys and that's one of the motoring world's best. A great shame when they abandoned it. Martin. P.S. love your "population" pic !

[jleyton]

Hi Martin,

Methinks you and I may be rather frighteningly similar

Cheers

Julian


Ps I'd love to own an Avantime but I remember a conversation with a senior bod at Renault who confided to me that, amongst everything else, problems with the windscreen cracking are not uncommon and I rather suspect that Autoglass won't have too many of them in stock and, if you can find one, they ain't gonna come cheap

[wilf]

Another secret Avantime fan here.

What was the other one that came out about the same time from Renault and had similar wacky looks?

[dasadrew]

Renault made the Espace at about the same time as the Matra Avantime but, since Renault took over Matra cars, they weren't too keen on the in-house competition so let the Matra Avantime die its death.

Maybe you mean the Vel Satis? An abomination! My French boss had one as - can you believe it - a status symbol!!

[jleyton]

Another secret Avantime fan here.

What was the other one that came out about the same time from Renault and had similar wacky looks?

Are you thinking of the Vel Satis ? It lasted longer than the Avantime, but I wasn't a fan of that one.

Cheers

Julian

renault-vel-satis-1.jpg

[jleyton]

Renault made the Espace at about the same time as the Matra Avantime but, since Renault took over Matra cars, they weren't too keen on the in-house competition so let the Matra Avantime die its death.

Drew,

You beat me to it with Vel Satis !

I think the whole story behind Renault, Matra and Avantime was far more involved that that !

Cheers

Julian