Thanks to healthy demand for its small, sprightly coupes and convertibles, as well as plans for its upcoming Crossman off-roader, Mini says that it expects to see an increase in sales next year, despite a generally dismal outlook expected by most industry analysts. Mini is aiming for a 1 percent increase in sales this year.
“We will continue to raise sales in 2009 regardless of the global sales crisis,” Mini marketing director Wolfgang Armbrecht told German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
Mini’s sales tanked 20.8 percent in November – still a smaller drop than many automakers. The company’s sales remain up 7.6 percent over last year’s figures, however, due in part to the extended-length Clubman model introduced for 2008.
Mini had sold 217,400 vehicles worldwide at the end of November, meaning that it’s not far from reaching the total sum of 222,900 vehicles sold worldwide in all of 2007.
12/30, 12:40 PM
posted by:
Borat
That’’s what I am talking ’bout!
12/30, 1:07 PM
posted by:
hummah
I hate the mini. For the same $ as a Cooper S I would rather have a Cobalt SS, WRX, or a GTI – all of which would completely dust the mini (maybe not the GTI). It’s fine as a chick car I guess… but I was really hoping the mini would just be a short-lived fad. Apparently not.
12/30, 1:15 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Dose anyone know of any engine swaps out there for the Mini, maybe a Chevy 350 small block or some thing?… Anyone?…
12/30, 1:16 PM
posted by:
Borat
I doubt that all 3 of above mentioned cars combined sell as well as Mini. I absolutely love the way Mini drives and nothing in US compares to it, especially if you take price into consideration.
12/30, 1:36 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Too expensive for what’s offered, not that I would ever buy one even at a good price. Cute, though. Clubman however is evil.
12/30, 1:46 PM
posted by:
Borat
yarddog82abn, If you look under the hood of Mini you’ll know that any engine swap is impossible. you probably could make RWD with mid-engine layout but you would loose all the qualities that make Mini hot seller. I don’t own Mini, but from limited exposure I had with it, I was under impression that you could drive it all day long without getting tired and enjoying the ride. TomF drives one, he is better authority. The Cooper version has over 200 HP for 2800 lbs car this is more then enough and you don’t have to get hands dirty and it will keep 4yr/50K warranty and free maintenance provided by dealer.
12/30, 3:20 PM
posted by:
gugy
I like the Mini.
Don’t understand the comments of a chick car. Sure lot’s of women drive it, but men too.
Specially if you go to Europe. Long gone are the days a macho man needs to drive a large pick up to prove something…. Talk about being insecure. hahaha
Nice car, nice design, super fan to drive and the price is not so bad.
I hope the Mini stays successful and improve their quality too.
12/30, 3:36 PM
posted by:
cdsmith
gugy do you mean men with vaginas? JK
12/30, 3:43 PM
posted by:
gugy
Exactly cdsmith,
men just like you. hahaha
12/30, 4:38 PM
posted by:
TomF
The MINI is a great package. It singlehandedly created the super-premium minicar market in the US, which is now being eyed by everyone from Fiat to Audi. In terms of road sophistication, standard features and build quality it is yards ahead of the Cobalt SS, etc. It is expensive but it holds its value extremely well.
12/30, 5:59 PM
posted by:
cdsmith
gugy. we actually have an 05 Mini S. It is my wife’s though. I wasn’t a fan until she got one. They’re a blast. Not a dragster, but add some turns and you got a racer.
12/30, 9:57 PM
posted by:
PW
We have one from 2003., my sister’s car. Not one I would personally buy, but everyone likes something different. I just consider the Mini high on character/image and low on substance. Way overpriced, lots of problems, cheap interior materials, bumpy starts, noisy, sluggish, cramped, small cupholders, bad ergonomics…I could go on. For the same amount of money, I could get the much more powerful top of the line Mazda3.
I see so many of those new Mini Hearses around too (the Clubman). That’s probably helping their sales…people who want to be taken to their funeral in their Mini.
12/31, 3:09 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
Yes PW, but then you’d have a two-box Mazda, not a designer MINI.
Its not something that a lot of the US is going to understand, but then neither is marrying outside the family or foreign travel.