ok bout time i annouced...

Nope. The MINI is still - just about - cool. People who are now able to afford one, who wanted an original, like that it ticks the "safe" boxes and buy 'em in droves.

Besides, what do you hire when you go on holiday..?

The new Mini has never been and will never be 'cool'.

It's a pathetic rip-off of the original idea, although it's better than the VW take on the same idea.

For some reason, the 500 just about pulls it off, though. Probably because it's closer to the original in shape than any of the other retro small cars.

Whatever is the cheapest to hire CC, usually.

What I always find surprising is that there's loads of Minis on the road everywhere - I used to see like a million everytime I drove anywhere (maybe not quite a million... but you get the idea :-) ), and they all seem to be Cooper S'. Hell, there was 4 or 5 just on my street and the cul de sac behind until not long ago. Now there is at least one less (I haven't seen my street for a while heh) because one appeared to be swapped with the most awesomely awesome pearl black BMW Z4M Coupe.

Just as the iPod and iPhone are not "cool."

I think what you mean is that they're not cool to you or I. Fortunately for BMW, you and I are a nonexistent part of the new car buying public so it doesn't matter to them.

Instead, as I've said, it's the 40 to 60 somethings who remembered the original Mini being cool, here's one modern interpretation of it. With the right badge.

And yet it also sells well because unlike the Beetle, it's great fun to drive.

No, not really.

Show most people the newer retro cars and they'll recognise the new version if they recognise the original. The 500 is no different in this respect.

Correct - the CC. Hardly a cool mans' car, is it..?

That's erm, well, bold :-) What you mean is "I don't think they're cool" - but as a whole, most people think the Mini is cool. I know you don't like those people, or the Mini, but if it wasn't cool, it wouldn't have had nearly as many sales.

Well, I'd have to agree I'd definately rather a Mini over a New Beetle.

It's made by Fiat and you like them?

*ding*

No, but no-one hires out proper rag-tops for a reasonable price.

Who says that? The equivalent 500 is like, a 1.4 sport or a 1.3 Diesel of something price wise. You can't buy the Abarth till 'the early months of

2009' and the price is speculated to be about £14k (the general consensus was £13.8k - £14k plus option bits) - a full £2.5k more than the list price of the Twingo... Both are 4 star cars in Evo - I don't have any other magazines to look in though. This is the only one that doesn't include mpg in it's reviews hehe :-)

Also, you could buy a 197 Cup new for that which would completely beat down on both of them :-) When the stickers on the R27 became out of date, they were dropped to £13,995 brand new officially by Renault.

Oh you know we all wanted to say it hehe :-)

I said it the other week - I said 'If the Abarth had a Ford KA RS badge on its arse, you'd not give it a second glance'... I just didn't happen to say it in here. ;-)

i do give ford some credit for the KA there cheap as chips and second hand even cheaper! insurance is low and they seem to take the miles. we've had a few at work and even the rough ones that sell for 800 quid or so still seem to have enough life in them for a couple more years. build quality on early ones is s**te, luxury spec ones aint bad although i always found the word 'luxury' when used after ka a little funny and leather seats in a small car is a bit dumb too i think. just don't look right.

Define 's**te'.

I'm beginning to think the R plate one I had last year must have been unique given it was leggy, yet drove spot on and was still like new inside.

My Aunt has a 54 plate one - loves it.

you love your renault's don't you, hate to say it but if i was buying on looks i'd get the 500 cos the twingo looks a bit...... shit

to be honest i aint bothered at all, i filled it up yesterday for 38 quid 10 quid cheaper than my BMW and the range said 450, even if it was 400 that is still a lot more than i get with the BMW. it handles really well and is a bit of a giggle, i also don't feel the need to go fast, i can sit dead on 70mph and feel happy enough letting the bigger boys race past so it's keeping me out of trouble. all to easy to let the speed creep up in the 328, although i will miss the BMW, it's a totally different car. i'll miss the grunt and the ability to overtake. but i'm happy enough and steveh seems to have a problem with them like he did with my MR2's and the E36 so i must have made the right choice again :)

LOL

But you know that would never happen.

Ford don't really have an iconic small car on which they can base a retro design and, as they appear to have sold Cosworth, don't even have a tuning house badge to stick on the back of it....

Forget the fact it's been styled to look like an old Fiat for one minute.

That car, with all the Abarth touches, but with a Ford badge on its arse, wouldn't get a second glance off of you.

Which kind of illustrates yet again how people can be swayed by the image of something rather than what it could or would do for them if they bought one.

ok so the guy that lives in wales who enjoys ugly alfa's and talks about STD dashboards knows what's cool and i'm going to listen? plus i always thought the younger generation knew more bout cool than you old timers so the only guy that can comment on cool is dan i guess as hes the youngest i think, i'm getting closer to the "out of cool" age bracket

and the BMW is a rip off yet the fiat's 500 isn't? the fact the 500 doesn't have 500cc and is a lot bigger doesn't seem to matter? oh wait the mini is a lot bigger and doesn't have a 1.3? sound similar to me. stop being a gonad

new beetle is s**te! driven one and hated it! least BMW kept the 'fun' bit in there mini

oh steveh has been pulling at fiat/alfa love handle since forever so nothing he says ever matters! how many fiat/alfa dealers are near any of us compared to ford, BMW and vauxhall for example? company i worked for dropped fiat and alfa cos they never sold a lot, although servicing always made a few quid from the people that did get them.