Whisky & Cigar - Countryman's perfect blend of style and practicality intoxicates Julian's mind
Carmakers are interested in extremity. Whether or not they have the money to create a car that's extreme is another thing altogether. A good car, perhaps, is more than a mirror. It's a magnifying glass. From the tragedies of obscure looking concepts and embarrassingly downright ugly production-ready cars to the pageantry of sleek supercars and cool classics, the appetite for a good car has always proved larger than life.
One of the greatest carmakers in the world - MINI - is evident of our enduring fascination with the need to dominate. After all, the Paceman is the seventh MINI model in 13 years. It's a battle rooted in the motoring industry's need for dealers to tend to the demands of buyers and gain an edge over competitors.
But if you ask me, the situation is worsening for MINI.
Between the Paceman and the Countryman, I'd much prefer the latter, which is the blown up four-door version of the lucky seventh. For one, it has the practicality and appeal of a hatchback and comparable performance figures as the smaller Cooper S - all without losing the cool and quirky looks of a MINI.
Secondly, the Paceman costs some $15,000 more than the Countryman. We had both cars for a number of days and there wasn't a time when the Paceman felt like it deserved to cost 15 grand more than its four-door brethren. Let's put it this way - it's really not a matter of money when MINI is in your 'to-buy' list unless you run out of it. I once had a gambler friend who said, "I don't care if I win or lose, I just want to gamble."
While $15,000 may be chump change to others, paying this amount more for a car with lesser practicality and same performance as the Countryman S despite weighing almost 100kgs lesser just doesn't cut it. I have more respect for money. Maybe it's because I've had very little of it most of my life.
But more importantly, and relevantly, the Countryman was a revolutionary vehicle when it was launched. The appearance of the biggest MINI ever may be of little consequence to anybody, but it worked well for people who wanted a bigger and a four-door MINI. But the Paceman, on the other hand, is a copy of what the Countryman is, just without the rear doors.Â
Although many argue (including me, no doubt) that the Countryman clouds the message of MINI being 'small', it does two things with absolute perfection - retaining the MINI driving essence and allowing four adults to ingress and egress into and from a spacious and comfortable car.
Now, that's something the Paceman can't do.
Chalk & Cheese - Nicholas reckons the two MINIs are worlds apart
If you thought the Paceman is just a two-door Countryman (which Julian reckons), think again. Like chalk and cheese, these two cars couldn't have been more different.
In the same line, the blokes behind the screens must have fried their brains real hard, conceptualising a car that is one of the greatest departure from its roots thus far, and putting their words (drawings to be more specific) into actions.
It is, therefore, fair to say that these British twins (now with German blood flowing in its veins) is nothing quite like before. To put things into better perspective, the car has grown significantly. Park it next to any family sedan, and immediately you will realise that the Paceman is no longer a 'MINI'.
Next, the sheet metal. The MINI Paceman is one good looking car. And no, you probably will not agree with that. Neither will I.
The Paceman is definitely the cooler looking one. The front end may have been inherited directly from the Countryman, but if you ask me, the stylish slopping roof puts it in better light - like how chocolate dips will always make food end up tasting sweet.
If you want practicality, settle for a proper sedan. Putting two more doors on a MINI doesn't work. It is like wearing makeup to the gym - trying to look pretty while working out but attracting the wrong attention at the wrong time.
Naturally, the Paceman is the better bet.
