It will start with with 999 units
" Mini has now gone ahead and committed to a production run of 999 Mini Cooper SE Convertibles. The catch? They're for the European market only."
Is anyone holding out for the new version?
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" Mini has now gone ahead and committed to a production run of 999 Mini Cooper SE Convertibles. The catch? They're for the European market only."
GetOffYourGas
Well-Known Member
It will start with with 999 units
" Mini has now gone ahead and committed to a production run of 999 Mini Cooper SE Convertibles. The catch? They're for the European market only."
I saw this too. Very exciting (to me at least). My friend tried to convince me to import one to the US. I sure for the right price it could be done. I think I’ll just wait for Mini to bring it here themselves. Congrats to the (eventual) lucky 999 owners though. I hope at least one of them finds their way to this forum.
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Brewer Fan
Member
My opinion looks cool however here in South Carolina and when we lived in Florida, much too hot most of the year for convertibles…..I’ll stick to my 2023 Mini SE hardtop with sunroof.It will start with with 999 units
" Mini has now gone ahead and committed to a production run of 999 Mini Cooper SE Convertibles. The catch? They're for the European market only."
Stillk
Member
I may receive alot of blow back on this one but this is my take on moving the manufacture of Mini from Oxford to China. China is good at manufacturing things to a price -pumping out tons of iphones etc etc. at the lowest possible price while keeping the price of the item at a premium - look at the price of iphones for example. Moving manufacturing to China is first and foremost an economic issue to fatten the bottom line of BMW. That while treating and paying their workers poorly. I don't see them maintaining the character of a Mini - it will be a homogenized product again built to a price. I am glad that I bought my SE when I did and would not purchase a Mini with the "Made in China" sticker on it and all it represents.
I expect you'll hear more crickets than blowback.
I hope not. I'm selective about what I purchase that's been made in China. If the item does what I want at a price I think is right, fine. But it depends on the item, not the made-in-China label. And I agree, BMW appears to be looking for the lowest cost. But, to me, Mini is not just a thing. I've been a Mini fan since the late '50s, and a Mini was on my "cars to own before I go". However, until BMW started making them, they were pretty much unobtainable. I jumped at the chance in 2003, and again when the electric became available. One of the keys was "made in Oxford".
Apple's suffering from their decision to move iPhone production from China to India.
BMW and Great Wall Motor are likely to manufacture high-quality vehicles that surpass the performance of the current SE. It's an expensive gamble for BMW. One thing the move to China makes clear: BMW's honchos no longer consider the US market essential to MINI's success. The 27% US tariff on Chinese vehicles isn't new.
I owned an original Mini (Moke) and I marvel at BMW's transformation of the car for today's world. I'm very grateful MINI retrofitted the Oxford F56 with an electric drivetrain rather than wait to build their first electric car in China. I'm grateful to BMW for spending oodles of money designing the i3 so the SE could inherit its best parts. I'm also grateful to Honda for not selling the Honda e in the US. I was a Honda-only boy for decades and would have chosen that car first.
The Zhangjiagang MINI Cooper S and SE will be breaking with many Mini traditions BMW carried forward to the F56. I guess it had to happen. I'm so glad I got my SE before it did.
Matt007b
Active Member
I feel the exact same way.
I travelled to Hong Kong shortly after the handover....I feel bad for those people over there slowly losing their democracy, and now Taiwan is under threat daily... and also I've travelled into China and saw some real bad poverty.. and yeah.. when I heard they were moving the production to China and basically calling the Ora cat a mini by just slapping mini looking panels on it; I told the salesperson at my dealership - that was the main reason why I was purchasing now instead of later. It's hard to avoid buying Chinese products and they make good products but.. I don't support what they're doing over there. No way I'm driving a car with a VIN that starts with "L".
Stillk
Member
I could have worded things a little better.
BMW is not alone as we all know in taking advantage of the cost of manufacturing in China. My main objections are - how the workers are treated and what they are paid and China's relationship with the world - support of Russia - Taiwan - their treatment of ethic minorities in China - on and on and on..... Moving jobs to China does provide jobs but I am not sure how much they benefit the average Chinese worker. The companies that choose to manufacture in China benefit the most and do not pass the savings on to the customer - tell me that the Chinese manufactured Mini's will be cheaper than the Oxford made cars!
The whole scope of this subject is beyond this forum. I try and make the conscious decision whenever possible not to purchase items made in China given the current situation in the country. Just my choice.
BMW is not alone as we all know in taking advantage of the cost of manufacturing in China. My main objections are - how the workers are treated and what they are paid and China's relationship with the world - support of Russia - Taiwan - their treatment of ethic minorities in China - on and on and on..... Moving jobs to China does provide jobs but I am not sure how much they benefit the average Chinese worker. The companies that choose to manufacture in China benefit the most and do not pass the savings on to the customer - tell me that the Chinese manufactured Mini's will be cheaper than the Oxford made cars!
The whole scope of this subject is beyond this forum. I try and make the conscious decision whenever possible not to purchase items made in China given the current situation in the country. Just my choice.
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Price may have an effect on that decision.
teslarati97
Well-Known Member
It's a mixed bag and a rabbit hole of epic proportions!!
Tommm
Well-Known Member
Yeah, this made in China thing has some good points. The engineering in a Porsche that is designed in Germany and made in Finland doesn't come through to the car. Same for the Porsches made in an Audi plant.
I dont know how the engineering from England will come through the driving experience to a car made in China.
Cmon, think about it. If you don't want something because of the label that's one fine. But do you really think it will affect the driving experience?
I dont know how the engineering from England will come through the driving experience to a car made in China.
Cmon, think about it. If you don't want something because of the label that's one fine. But do you really think it will affect the driving experience?
If it's all-BMW engineering, built in China, it could be OK. But maybe not OK if it's BMW engineering just adding a few MINI touches to Great Wall Motor's Ora Funky Cat.Yeah, this made in China thing has some good points. The engineering in a Porsche that is designed in Germany and made in Finland doesn't come through to the car. Same for the Porsches made in an Audi plant.
I dont know how the engineering from England will come through the driving experience to a car made in China.
Cmon, think about it. If you don't want something because of the label that's one fine. But do you really think it will affect the driving experience?
It's still unclear if BMW's going to find a way to sell the Zhangjiagang SE in the US for less than the cost of a Tesla Model 3, a quicker and longer-range EV with a big tax credit and without a 27% import tariff. How good would the new SE have to be to get people to pay, say, $45K for one?
CoachCookie
Active Member
Definitely a tall order competing with the Model 3 like that. It would seem though that if the range of the Mini were increased to something more like 220-250 I think it would compete well at that price point. As we all know range seems to be the biggest deterrent for the price of the SE, especially upper trim levels. If you up the range you're left with a quality built niche EV that isn't like all of the others on the road. Just my .02.
Tommm
Well-Known Member
Well, if you want to get picky about who is engineering it
, we can go to Korea. Hyundai nabbed at least one of BMWs top designers, so you have BMW engineering built in Korea. Plus the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis doesn't have the hideous BMW snout that scrams Oink Oink.
teslarati97
Well-Known Member
You mean Nissan/Infiniti shot themselves in the foot and the fallout went to Korea. They did get Albert Biermann from ///M division, but was primarily to Rule 60 (who has retired from head of R&D in Hyundai in 2021..though remains on the executive board for Hyundai-Aptiv AD).Well, if you want to get picky about who is engineering it