Cooper Hardtop

Make
Mini
Segment
Hatchback

That the Mini continues to grow is a point of contention with fans of the British marque. If you directly compare the recently launched third-generation Mini to the first-gen reborn model back in 2000, you'll immediately notice just how much bigger the newer model is. And to tell you the truth, it's really not all that mini anymore. Of course, the reborn 2000 model is also quite a bit larger than the iconic original, but even then you could plainly tell just how its designers and engineers did their utmost best to keep its dimensions compact.

The second-gen Mini also grew, but it's the latest model that really makes the brand's name somewhat ironic sounding today. Let's not even bring up the Countryman. Or the ridiculous Paceman. Mini's BMW owners are also fully aware of this growth spurt, hence the Rocketman Concept. It's too bad ze Germans won't commit to a production version. But still, today's Mini only resembles the original in various styling cues. That's not entirely a bad thing and there's little doubt it'll be a huge sales success. But whatever happened to the decently priced, fun-to-drive and powerful, street legal go-cart? Oh, that's right. It's called the Fiat 500 Abarth. Mini - and BMW for that matter - time to take note.