New MINI Cooper Beachcomber does away with doors. Photo courtesy MINI
Those fun folks at MINI Cooper have done it again. Just when the dust settled from the controversy over the new MINI Coupe's "toupee top" styling, the company launches another sure-to-be-controversial design.
MINI says, “MINI crosses borders, enters new dimensions of driving pleasure, and wins over additional target groups” Apparently they're going after that group of people who hate having doors on their cars. Bothersome things, doors. There's all that opening. And shutting! Why don't we get rid of the things and just climb in? After all, MINI says that doors, "“limit the intensity of the occupants’ encounter with their surrounding world." I suspected there was something in the way.
“Access to the front and rear seats is nevertheless exceptionally convenient and easy thanks to the omission of doors and the entry cutouts extending all the way down to the seat bottoms, allowing the driver and passengers to get in and out in one smooth and flowing process.” Again, MINI has seen something as a problem that most of us have completely ignored. Those doors are not only keeping us from encountering our surrounding world, they're making entry and exit difficult too. Brilliant.
Oh yeah, MINI has also eliminated the roof--silly thing that also interferes with our encountering the natural world. Jolly good show!
The first generation Mini offered a jeep-like version called the Mini-Moke.
Like the original Mini compared to the new MINI Cooper, the Mini Moke was a way more utilitarian, spartan ride than the MINI Beachcomber.
I can't help wondering what the geniuses at MINI will eliminate next--the windshield? Nothing interferes more with encountering the natural world than a sheet of shatterproof glass. And the seats? All that adjusting, all those coins falling down in their cracks, all that vaccuming and cleaning? Gone with a simple elimation of the seats.
Laugh at the new MINI Beachcomber if you like, but I'm waiting to see what their design studio comes up with next.
For more info check out the slide show below and:
Controversy rages over new MINI Cooper Coupe: Styling disaster or instant classic?
Happy 50th birthday to the MINI
Comments
There are several levels of humour in this review, but I'm not sure which were intended. The Beachcomber is a great take on the Moke, the side panelling is scalloped like the original, but this one has too much fussy roll cage, making it look more like a doorless car. The angles are softer and Mini rather than Moke, and finally, the windshield does not fold. We asked for a new Moke, and now we have one.
Alex,
Thanks for your comment, I had intended to include a mention of the Mini Moke but neglected to do so until your reminder. I've corrected that oversight as you see above.
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