Is a Mini a "Little BMW"?

[paddyhasneeds]

Whilst browsing I've seen various threads where people (usually owners) refer to their Mini's as "Little BMW's".

Are they?

Have to admit I don't really see how as a BMW isn't a "Little Rolls Royce" and a VW isn't a "Little Bugatti". Are these people (usually owners) working on the premise that BMW have had such an input in the design and manufacturing, or is there a little bit of image/status snobbery coming through?

[hyperblue]

Nope, it's a BMW MINI. HTH.

[r11co]

paddyhasneeds said:

or is there a little bit of image/status snobbery coming through?

This!

[thinfourth2]

I refer to Audis as posh Skodas

Mainly to annoy Audi owners

[insanojackson]

no.

[useyourdellusion]

It's as cringeworthy as those 'Mumsnet' users who refer to their husbands and children as DH and DC (darling hubby and darling child). Not a very good comparison but sick inducing all the same.

[Deluded]

I may be wrong but did read once (on here) that the mini and 1 series are based on the car that rover developed to replace the 25/zr. Bmw inherited the design when they bought rover.

So mini drivers are just driving an overpriced rover in a posh frock

Edited by Deluded on Sunday 23 January 11:02

[Hitch78]

I think that it is a fair comment; the product was developed, built and sold by BMW and shows no less commitment to quality.

[Mr2Mike]

It's a BINI.

Hitch78 said:

I think that it is a fair comment; the product was developed, built and sold by BMW and shows no less commitment to quality.

Do all BMWs suffer from the same number of issues as the MINI then?

Edited by Mr2Mike on Sunday 23 January 11:07

[10 Pence Short]

Hitch78 said:

I think that it is a fair comment; the product was developed, built and sold by BMW and shows no less commitment to quality.

A MINI will be brainstormed, specified, developed, built and marketed within the same principle framework as a BMW. It is a BMW product. The only difference is a bit of marketing.

[mercfunder]

Hitch78 said:

I think that it is a fair comment;

, seriously? its just the badge snobs bigging themselves up.

[hyperblue]

Hitch78 said:

I think that it is a fair comment; the product was developed, built and sold by BMW and shows no less commitment to quality.

I hope not! And I say that as a MINI owner looking to move into a BMW!

[alfa daley]

useyourdellusion said:

It's as cringeworthy as those 'Mumsnet' users who refer to their husbands and children as DH and DC (darling hubby and darling child). Not a very good comparison but sick inducing all the same.

Somewhere on mumsnet there's probably a thread laughing at us for referring to our cars as P&J and refering to SWMBO for the other half

[m444ttb]

I took a Cooper S for a test drive about 5 years ago (at the time a friend owned a Cooper too) and I didn't think the interior felt as good as my e36. It was really nice to drive though.

[DrTre]

Badge snobs? BMW/MINI are on a par in my eyes, the ubiquity of the 3 series has seen to that (not a bad thing before anyone gets defensive).

MINI was just a way for BMW to get into FWD territory without "sullying" the BMW image. Everything else is BMW <-

I admit to not mentally equating MINI=BMW when I see them but it's not so wide of the mark.

ETA I take the "everything else is BMW" bit back in hindsight.

Edited by DrTre on Sunday 23 January 11:14

[Bodo]

With front wheel drive, a Mini is not a BMW.

[useyourdellusion]

alfa daley said:

useyourdellusion said:

It's as cringeworthy as those 'Mumsnet' users who refer to their husbands and children as DH and DC (darling hubby and darling child). Not a very good comparison but sick inducing all the same.

Somewhere on mumsnet there's probably a thread laughing at us for referring to our cars as P&J and refering to SWMBO for the other half

I don't recall seeing anyone on here referring to their car as their P&J though, apart from in the classifieds, where the seller is being a bit too keen.

Thanks for clearing up the SWMBO thing for me. I've never fully understood what that meant.

[hyperblue]

Bodo said:

With front wheel drive, a Mini is not a BMW.

What happens when BMW launch a FWD 1-series then?

[DrTre]

Bodo said:

With front wheel drive, a Mini is not a BMW.

Out of interest, what do you think about the 4WD BMWs? And the X1, X3, X5 and X6? Am not being provocative...

[aeropilot]

Deluded said:

I may be wrong but did read once (on here) that the mini and 1 series are based on the car that rover developed to replace the 25/zr. Bmw inherited the design when they bought rover.

IIRC, BMW bought the Rover Group the year BEFORE the design of the new Mini was started, and the project was always a joint Rover-BMW design, with BMW taking full control of the design prior to them selling off Rover and retaining the MINI branding.

Pretty sure the 1 series is a pure BMW design and nothing to do with Rover...especially as it's really just a narrowed and shortened 3 series..... and given the time scale of when Rover were part of the BMW group and the 1 Series coming out...?????