16 May 2003
New Models
BMW has confirmed that it will build a cabriolet version of the MINI. Speaking at this year's annual shareholders' meeting, Director Dr. Helmut Panke said that "the MINI brand is an important pillar of our premium brand strategy and we are continuing with our investments. I can hereby confirm that we will be expanding the MINI product range by a four-seater cabrio with the aim of gaining new customers in the open top small car segment."
The MINI cabriolet will take on other popular and style-conscious soft-tops such as the Ford StreetKa, VW Beetle Cabriolet, Peugeot 206 CC and the new Citroen Pluriel, all important cars for attracting new buyers to their respective brands. No date has been given yet for the MINI cabrio's introduction; this year, BMW is concentrating on the launch of the MINI One D diesel model.
Excuse me BMW, but when did the CC get a soft top?? - just looked at my car and it definitely has a retractable HARD roof - or maybe I'm just seeing things....(or being pedantic!)
If I'm not here I'm in Symi.....where the sun is always shining.....
Looking for a new car with my partner and found a second hand mini. I have never been a great lover of the new mini. Possibly because everywhere you look it gets shoved down your throat as the best thing on four wheels. I was pleasantly surprised when she got inside it and started slating the OTT styling "Looks like someone has been let loose with a spray can and sprayed all the plastic stuff silver" She hated it " A total wanabie IT car with no substance or practicalityâ€
You talk about a family convertible? I thought the pluriel also is a 2+2?
But it's a funny car i must say! Wouldn't buy it though. I like the way you can convert it to a small pick up... But i thought you have to buy extra options for each convertion not?
<IMG SRC="http://members.home.nl/mvjgwouters/2smile.gif">...overtaking is an art...
[url=http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/newowners?id=446]Owner446[/url]
My partner needs a four seater, as we can not have another 2-seater car. I sat in the back of the Pluriel with the roof up and was very comfortable. I am a large (FAT) six-footer and was pleasantly surprised. The convertible bit is in several phases, but all the bits are included in the price. Basically you have a rag top sunroof that opens at various positions. I think you can open this with the car moving, It will fold back to the rear window and then you have to open the boot to swing the roof and back window in to the base of the boot. You can drive around like this or if you really want to pose you can then remove the two sidebars. However these need to be stored at home. I think the dealer mentioned that you could buy a cover that goes over the total car if you park somewhere. It’s not like the CC in that you press a button and you have total open-air motoring. You have open air motoring at the touch of a button to a point and the rest must be done manually. But even without swinging the back window out and/ or taking the side bars off it still very open. Its just so, well thought out and engineered if you’re a practical kind of person. Don’t get me wrong I love flashy fast motors, but I like qute cars also. My first car was a 1300S beetle and her first car was a Panda and driving these cars about is so much more relaxing and I kinda think the Pluriel is going to be the same. Other road users seem far friendlier to those types of car. I guess I think it’s a good contrast to the CC.
Mind you I have just been talking to her about it and she is not sure. She thinks the Mini is out of the question, but likes the Fiat Stilio styling. Now she wants to wait and see what the C2 is going to be like. I just think Popularity wise the Pluriel is going to be a bit of a grower like the CC was/ is and it would be nice to have one of the first cars. We should be test-driving one Sunday, but I think she has now gone off the idea of paddle shifters. Oh well I will wait and see.
