Another Car Show, Another Mini

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

It’s a new tradition at the storied Mini brand: Each car show gets its own dedicated Mini. Swatch tried it with the Swatch car, but could not pull it off. Now, BMW’s Mini is doing it with great success: At the inside, the same movement. At the outside, ever changing designs. Collect all colors!. Of course, Mini won’t break tradition at the Detroit Auto Show, and it will bring you: The John Cooper Works Paceman.


BMW says that “the three-door model is the latest offering from the John Cooper Works sub-brand and, with its race-bred powertrain and chassis technology, brings the promise of a high-octane race feeling to the streets of the urban jungle: extreme driving fun meets the extrovert looks of the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé in the compact segment.” With greater economy of verbiage, the Wall Street Journal claims that it is, “essentialy a two-door version of the Countryman SUV.”

But that’s not all. To really limit the cars to one per auto show, there will be a John Cooper Works GP, a limited edition with only 2,000 copies.

While looking at the pictures of the Paceman, abundantly supplied by BMW’s press department, one has to wonder: What will they do for SEMA?

In case you want to know more about the car, and only if you are mentally steeled for press releases written by admirers of Leo Tolstoy, here is the official communique. Careful, even the “short version” covers two pages.

P.S.: The pictures however are ready for Web 3.0 They come with plenty white space, preventing TTAC’s in-picture ads from doing visual harm.




Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Caboose Caboose on Dec 19, 2012

    Agreed, re: MK III "standard" MINI. The one platform is due for an update. Some domestic B- and C-segment cars have interiors at least as nice. Many domestic and foreign B and C cars are quicker and/or better packaged these days. It's time for an update; not platform growth, but an update. A new engine that is both more powerful and more frugal wouldn't be that hard, given the rest of the field (unnatural aspiration as standard FTW!). Agreed also as to variant bloat. Can anyone over six feet tall actually fit in variants other than the Countryman?

  • GeneralMalaise GeneralMalaise on Dec 19, 2012

    Good Lord, is that tired. Glad I bought a 2012 Abarth...

  • FreedMike Off topic, but folks, this site is not working well for me from a technical standpoint, and it doesn't matter if I'm using my phone, or my computer (on two different browsers). It locks up and makes it impossible to type anything in after a certain point. Anyone else having these issues?
  • Syke Kinda liked the '57, hated the '58. Then again, I hated the entire '58 GM line except for the Chevrolet. Which I liked better than the '57's. Still remember dad's '58 Impala hardtop, in the silver blue that was used as the main advertising color.
  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
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