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Is VW Up! the true original Mini successor?

3K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  Collas 
#1 ·
Whilst the BMW Mini had the bloated looks of an originalMini it has never really been seen as a true original Mini successor.
Certainly not in the way that the job Fiat have done withthe 500 which has a more genuine claim to be a successor to the original.

I have a sense that with the job VW have done on the Up! this could truely be seen as a genuine successor to the original Mini with the bonus of a build quality that the original Mini never had.

I would suggest that those who crave after an original Mini but want something modern take a serious look at the Up!

Would any other owner who has had both vehicles (Up! and original Mini) care to comment?

vup rider


Edited by: vup rider
 
#2 ·
Had an old style (Old Y reg) Mini Mayfair as my first car..Certainly the up! is fun to drive like the Mini is and has all the advantages of being small, responsive, and nippy..

It's certainly closer in spirit to the original Mini than the BMW disgrace..

However there is much better design decisions in the up that, when you're sat in it, make it seem a much bigger car than it actually is (my son still refers to it as the TARDIS!)
Plus, I would hope that the up is more mechanically reliable than my old Mini Mayfair which was, unpredictable shall we say, at the best of times..
 
#3 ·
The original Morris Mini Minor and Austin Super Se7en were designed as economy cars in the wake of the Suez Crisis in 1956, when fuel prices shot up in protest to the the Western interference in Egypt, in collusion with Israel. They were also built to take on the motorcycle combination and the increasing numbers of small producers of economy cars, such as Bond, Isetta, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, Peel, Fiat, etc. These were the days of the bubble car and the low quality cottage-industry vehicles of manufacturers like Bond. The Mini, because it was well-made, in comparison, and keenly priced (which Ford concluded was a mistake as BMC were selling them for less than they could make them!), gradually began to take off. It wasn't really until the mid to late 1960s before it became an icon, whether in racing or rallying, or for the fashionable people - Peter Sellers, Twiggy, The Beatles, Lord Snowdon, etc.

In its first years it was very basic - sliding windows, strings for opening the doors, single instrument. It grew in sophistication over the forty or more years it was in production, led to some spin-off models (Wolsely Hornet, Riley Elf, Mini Moke) and grew in size when the 10" tyres were changed to 12" ones.

The up!, on the other hand was born sophisticated and quite large when compared to the small cars of the past, either in physical size or engine capacity - Fiat 500/600, Mini, Citroën 2CV/Dyane/Ami, Reliant Regal/Robin.

I can't really see the comparison between the up! and the original Mini. The closest modern comparison will be the Gordon Murray T27 and its radical way of designing and producing cars. the Mini was radical in its day, but other designers had wanted to exactly the same but were prevented from doing so by cautious manufacturers: Dante Giacosa for Fiat, Hans Ledwinka for Tatra for instance.

Nick
 
#4 ·
I pretty much agree with you. The light small car cannot be built today due to safety requirements. The up! does get pretty close in the good parts, small and lightish weight. There are many other bits I don't miss. Slide opening windows, rock hard suspension, rust and the most alarming brakes I have ever used.

I am looking forward to the best comparison, which surely is fun motoring.
 
#5 ·
In some ways the Mii, Up and Citigo are, but then the same could be said of the Lupo and Arosa. TheoriginalFiat Panda as another. The Mini was ground braking and the blueprint for modern cars inessence.

What the Mini has in spades was a design that lasted decades and simplicity. The Mini is a design classic that has aged very well. I don't feel the Up! as nice looking as it is will age quite as well. It is one of the new breed of cars that are looking at saving weight and being cheaper and simpler to build partly on badge engineering and partly on economies of scale.
 
#6 ·
My first car was a mini. I bought it second hand for £400 off a bloke who 'did his own servicing'. This included changing the brake cylinders. Our first family trip included lots of motorways and a scenic detour over Dartmoor. Luckily the brakes didn't fail until we were back in Norfolk, but I still shudder when I think what might have happened. The car was blue. It had lots of rust and it was very noisy because, as we later discovered, one of the engine mountings was missing and the engine was sitting directly on the subframe! I was glad to have a car, but it was alarming when it cut out on motorways in rain. The best thing about it was I got £200 when I sold it three years later. Minimal depreciation. And really, nothing like the up!
Edited by: yapmaul
 
#7 ·
Scary isn't it
My brakes failed in my polo mk 2 when I was on M25, 4 lanes of traffic suddenly came to a stop, I was in the 2nd lane and my brakes stoped working, luckly I managed to get over to the hard sholder swiched engine off and came to a stop.
Later found that someone had filed my rear brake pipe so when I pressed the brake hard it poped.
Most scary driving experance of my life
 
#8 ·
RE : The mini and the up!.I'm 71. I passed my motorcycle test at 17 and my car test at 18. I owned motor-cycles and a motor-cycle combination until I got married when I bought my first rather tatty mini. This was shortly followed by a 4 year old mini traveller for which I paid £320 (in 1969). It was immaculate; red with red upholstery and carpets and I loved it, fun to drive and a joy to own.
This car was followed by 8 others, some were new, some nearly new and others middle-aged, as we could afford at the time of purchase, and all were at least competent cars and some excellent but none matched the delight I felt for the mini traveller. As time went on I put this down to this car being my first real nice car and accepted that nothing would ever give me the same pleasure.

That is until the up!.
The up! is such a delight to own. It looks nice, it's comfortable, the internal layout is well thought out, the gearbox sweet, it handles well and is a real joy to drive. When I get in it it makes me smile and I'm so glad I never went for any of the alternatives.

The up is my 11th car and the only one I can compare to my mini for overall pleasure.

My complete list is :- mini, mini traveller, new Ford Escort, beetle, Ford Corsair, New Morris Ital estate, Rover 216, New Citroen ZX diesel, Nearly new Ford Mondeo, New Ford Fiesta.

and now:- Red Move with sensor and winter pack. Perfect.
 
#9 ·
I agree with elevenup above. My feelings exactly so far. I bought my first car a new Mini for just under £600 back in 1960. I paid extra to have a heater (what a luxury). I haven't kept tabs on the cars I have owned since but wish I had taken a photo of each of them. But I can remember a Nissan; a VW K47; a Fiat; a Ford van; a Rover; a Daewoo Leganza and I think I have probably owned about fifteen in total. The VW K47 was excellent as was the Daewoo Leganza, But this little VW up! White with all the trimmings except for a sunroof looks as if it is going to be a good one. Because like elevenup it makes me smile when I get in to it.

My favourite vehicle of all though wasn't a car, but when in Singapore I owned a Durkopf Diana motor scooter. My wife and I loved that scooter and it took us all around Malaya with never a problem of any sort. How I wish I had paid to bring it back to the UK instead of selling it.
 
#10 ·
The last time I was in any owners club was in the 1980`s when I was a member of the Mini owners club. For our younger members, that was the original, proper Mini - not the current lifestyle accessory. I owned 5 of the beasts ranging from a basic 850 to a fire breathing 1380, which was an animal (until I blew the engine up but that's another story.)

This got me thinking, I reckon that the Up is about the closest thing on sale today to the Mini. It is small, economical, roomy enough for 4, great fun to drive and cheap but fashionable with a loyal following. Also like the Mini when it came out, it is perfectly engineered for its purpose and bang up to date - unlike it's retro rivals. Again like the Mini, this engineering gives a few quirks like a noisy gearbox, but that is all part of the character.

I reckon the Up will become a classic although I can't see it being built for 40 years like the Mini. I just hope the Up GT is like the Mini Cooper.
 
#11 ·
The original mini is iconic and in its early years a fresh new concept. However, in reality it had many flaws, not least of which was its rotting panels and subframe. The UP isn't original in the same way the Mini was, there were already similar cars in production at the time of design but VW managed to learn from the mistakes of other city cars and produce the best so far. Rust in peace original Mini!
 
#12 ·
My first car was a mini 1275gt with twin petrol tanks a niightmare to insure at the time !
Was my first car so will always have found memory's however it was a nightmare used to break engine mounts every week ( might have something to do with I thought I was in the Italian job) when I drove it did not like water either.

I hope the up is a lot more reliable than my mini
My list of cars are follows
1 mini 1275gt
2 mk3 escort 1.3
2 mk3 escort 1.6
4 Renault 5 gt turbo
5 vauxhall calibra
6 Toyota Celica
7 Porsche 944S2
8 Porsche Boxster 2.7 my first new car
9 BMW X5 3.0d Sport
10 330d M Sport coupe
Since then I get a new car every 6 months for last 5 years
11 bought my girlfriend her move up in oct last year
 
#13 ·
Had a mini 1275 GT (Clubman) as well. I love small fast cars, but at aged 60 need to slow down a bit (just a bit mind you). Would like the Up GT when available, but will settle for the High Up ASG for now. Sorry to rain on your parade, but the Up will be our 101st car. Like you I change "very" often (loosing £1000's in the process), but that is in 43 years of driving mind you!

PS: I consider the Up Gt will be the spiritualsuccessorto the now very rare VW Lupo GTI, which was one of the best cars we have owned.
Edited by: Truth-seeker
 
#17 ·
Thanks collas for correcting the link - what am I doing wrong when cut & pasting from Youtube onto this forum. I can copy fine on other forums/email etc?
 
#19 ·
Truth-seeker said:
Thanks collas for correcting the link - what am I doing wrong when cut & pasting from Youtube onto this forum. I can copy fine on other forums/email etc?

Use the hyperlink tool, which looks like a globe with handcuffs, fifth icon along on the top row.

Nick
 
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