What's Wrong With This Picture: Pacemaker Edition

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: December 19th, 2010

what s wrong with this picture pacemaker edition

When BMW relaunched the Mini brand in 2001 with a modern interpretation of Alex Issigonis’s classic, it made a big splash by proving that high-end customers would pay top dollar for a well-branded subcompact car. The only problem was that not everyone could live with the Cooper’s size limitations, so BMW extended its wheelbase and added an third suicide door, creating the Clubman. The Clubman did not make the kind of impact that BMW hoped, as it turned out that four doors were as important as the Clubman’s extra space. Accordingly, BMW developed a four-door “SUV” for the MINI brand, giving it a potential brand boost in the size-obsessed US market. Now, for reasons that are difficult to fathom, MINI is previewing a two-door concept version of the Countryman known as the “Paceman.” Because customers have been clamoring for the (relative) inefficiency of the Countryman paired with the (relative) impracticality of the Clubman? Or because Land Rover just debuted its own “Sports Activity Coupe” and MINI can’t help but chase the pointless niche with its own me-too offering? No prizes for guessing…

#3WTP #Design #Marketing

Edward Niedermeyer

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2 of 18 comments

Jerseydevil on Dec 20, 2010

I am wondering the size in person. It does look cool tho.

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Mcs on Dec 20, 2010

I've got an idea. They could paint it yellow and add a red bow and red grill. Then you'd have the Ms. Paceman.

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