looks like a baby porsche cayenne to me. do not want.

No, the Mini Cooper S is the "power up" version.

The Clubman is indeed a bigger Mini (we call it the "Maxi"), with more room and barn doors out back. Seriously cute, IMO.

And that NEW Mini is flippin CUUUUUUUUTEEEE... not $40K worth of cute,but cute nonetheless!

I thought you could get a basic Mini in the low 20's, and an S model in the high 20's.

At the time when it originally came out, it had the smallest wheelbase around, for good handling and tossability. And the interior was very unique. And then you've got the whole nostalgia thing going on with middle-aged people who remember the original Mini.........So, the high price was understandable at the time.

And they ARE fun to drive. I love them. The S can be flung around like nobody's business... I remember going for test drive with a friend who wanted one, and the salesman took us offroad into some dirt and was doing itty bitty donuts with it... :lol I know Zoomie loves hers.

And they ARE a BMW, so the quality is very nice; I just can't see spending $40K for that Mini CUV.

You are correct on the prices.
Its the works package that takes it in the mid to high 40's.

What middle aged person in this country cares about the Mini?
Mini was never a big thing in American automotive landscape.

I very rarely see anyone under 35 in one.

It's basically the same types of people I see in Miatas.........Age 40-55 White people.

People younger than that usually want a more "macho" vehicle, because they're still in that whole "being hard/badass/gotta protect my masculinity" stage of their life.

They hae missed the mark with this new line. I just had a loaner Clubman from the dealer for a week... it is HORRIBLE. The handling is tragic - it "swims" as you drive it straight, I called it drunk driving trials. It seriously feels like the car is swimming down the freeway.

The transmission. Ugh, yikes. I had the step-tronic automatic with paddles. It was explained to me that it was the same transmission used in the BMWs. I don't believe it. No way. Not smooth, I could feel every up shift and down shift. If I locked it into use for the paddles it would revert to drive on it's own. It made OK power for a MiniS, but ick.

Not a fan.

And, what are they thinking, using the same motor for a larger vehicle? Power to weight is the advantage a MiniS has. [sarcasm]YAY, let's make it bigger!

Sounds like most GM sedans, lol

Maybe because for the young-ins...both Miata and Mini are a tad expensive and there is a lot of alternatives on the market. By the time those youngins hit mid to late 20's they are getting married and having kids so a tiny relatively expensive car looses out to something with more doors and more room for growing families.

Maybe its the simple reason that grownups with more disposable income and no need to hall kids around can splurge on a Mini or a little two seater.