Mini? You have a right to laugh

The Mini. It's so famous, it's arguably part of what you'd think of should someone say 'Great Britain'. Launched in 1959, it was a car tuned for the times - back then fuel prices were sky-high as a result from strikes, so it made complete sense to go small. Really small. Mini.

Cute and successful. Most importantly, it was MINI

It was to no ones surprise that the Mini was a huge success. Scared that changing the formula will disrupt sales and attraction, the Mk I was unchanged for forty-one years. That is a stupid amount of time. When the new millennium came, manufactures were making safe, quiet, economical superminis. The Mini was none of those. Because of this, sales declined. It didn't help the Mini was ridiculously expensive too; over £10,000 in 1998 for the basic model.
Fair to say, the Mini was in need of help. And in 2001, BMW gave a slice of their pie - 21st century style. Everyone was nervous that the Mini would become too German and too boring, but the New Mini, like the old one, was an instant success. Both the styling and interior were fresh and exceptionally modern for its time. Not to mention, it came with top-quality BMW engines.

Bit of a porker here. Still a well-deserved success.

But there was an elephant in the room. The Mini wasn't exactly, er, mini anymore. It was bigger than some rivals, yet managed obscene boot space and rear legroom. The car had lost its USP; it was just another car, not a Mini.
But that never stopped it selling well, especially the supercharged Cooper S models. It received a refresh in 2006, with engines yet again blowing away the competition thanks to BMW, but now with diesel engines. Oh dear. Oil burners in a Mini is not right at all. But let's hold on and think here. The diesels have clearly been added to keep in tune with the times; exactly what made the success in the 1959 classic.

Bloody hell, what is this thing?!?

So, the latest Mini has changed hugely, but unless you're stuck in the past, it has changed for the better. But, oh dear, what is this gaping gargoyle we have now? Just look at what we have now. Such a gaping, gasping gaper! It looks like it has just seen itself in the mirror. The new, 3rd gen New Mini has fully confirmed the Mini is not mini at all by any stretch of the imagination. Depressing. And look at that bumper on the Cooper S, is it me, or does that look completely out of place? It fits the car like Gran Turismo 6 fits the Xbox. It doesn't. It is larger yes, and to some that is unfortunate. It is however, still doing what a Mini does best, funky. It's not supposed to be the most practical car ever after all. What I like most though is how most manufacturers make their car look exactly the same on the inside through every model. The Mini and its interior looks like nothing I have ever seen before, that's good news. Funky car, definitely.

Still though, it's bloody massive.