Wanted in Columbia: Mini

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When I was first in the market for a car, many of the dealerships I visited were in one of two places: Two Notch Road in Northeast Columbia and Greystone Boulevard near the zoo.

Greystone still has a concentration of dealerships, but many of the Two Notch dealerships are moving to Killian Road off of I-77. The State has a story about the mass exodus.

Dealerships need a lot of land and really must be close to an interstate. They are moving out the interstates to less developed exits where land is more available and affordable. There is a Honda dealership in Lexington off of 378. Toyota on I-26 past Harbison. Chevy and Hyundai have dealerships at the Clemson Road exit at I-20. And of course, the explosions of dealerships at Killian Road at I-77.

In Columbia, we’ve got almost all the dealerships* that you would expect to find in a city our size with one exception: Mini**. 

2016 Mini Clubman

2016 Mini Clubman

Judging by the number of Minis*** that you see on the road, you’d think there was one in Columbia. But the closest dealerships are located in Charleston, Greenville and Charlotte.

Most Mini dealerships are connected to BMW dealers, and I think that is the problem. BMW of Columbia is located off of Two Notch in a pretty dated facility. I’ve assumed that at some point, that dealership will move and I’ve hoped that when they build a new complex, they’ll make room for a Mini dealership. I’ve long assumed that they will build out around the Killian Road area, but they aren’t mentioned among the dealerships planning to make the move from Two Notch to Killian Road. Until they move, Mini lovers will likely have to drive an hour or more for sales and service.

* I wouldn’t expect to see a Tesla dealership in Columbia anytime soon. But I’d love to see a Supercharger station.

** Mini is #5 on our Wanted in Columbia list.

*** I really like the new Mini Clubman. Might be a possible replacement for my Rabbit in a couple of years… unless I decide to go electric.

Concept Car Awesomeness

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As a kid, I loved going to the Chicago Auto Show every year. All of the car manufacturers in the world would show up with their current models. Celebrities signing autographs. And while it was cool to see all of that, the concept cars always stole the show.

Concept cars are prototypes that allow designers to experiment and play. They are typically half-car and half-work-of-art. Some are amazingly futuristic and others are relatively straightforward. But they all test concepts that may indicate a future design direction for that brand. And then, they add at least a few ridiculously impractical features that will never make it into production.

Mini released a concept car this week, the Mini Superleggera Vision. It's a pure concept car – an electric sports car with a distinctly British roadster feel. It's an elegant and clear design evolution of the Mini brand. 

The Mini Superleggera concept car.

The Mini Superleggera concept car.

But it is clearly a concept car with lots of impractical features. The chassis and aluminum skin are produced in a way that could never be mass produced. It's got a driver/passenger selfie camera. No door handles. Some awesome Union Jack tail lights and a rear fin.

Union Jack tail lights! And a rear fin!

Union Jack tail lights! And a rear fin!

And it's beautiful. I absolutely love it. Even the fin.

That said, it's always interesting to see where these design experiments land. Based on feedback from car show audiences, media and the web, the companies figure out what resonates with potential buyers. It then can attempt to simplify and refine those concepts into another concept car or a production model. 

Or it may simply be a one-off experiment that goes no where, even if people love the concept. (For example, check out the Mini Rocketman. People are still clamoring to get that car produced.)

You can see the whole gallery of Mini Superleggera Vision images over at Autoblog or get lots of details at Motoring File, a Mini fan blog.