MotoringFile concludes about the new 2013 MINI Paceman Cooper S ALL4:
All I can say is that the MINI Paceman, like the JCW GP, is a car aimed squarely at fans of the MINI brand. I know that sounds like heresy for many MotoringFile readers, but bear with me. Where the GP (and I’d also contend the Coupe, Roadster and all of JCW) exists to swell the arteries of MINI fans focused on performance, the Paceman’s appeal has a different aim. The R61 is aimed straight at the heart of people who love the MINI style — at people who revel in that sculpted, European aesthetic. Does that make the Paceman more of a lifestyle accessory than a car? It could have, if MINI hadn’t been very, very careful with it. Truth is though, the Paceman has as much performance, and as much economy as it needs to properly carry a MINI badge in my opinion. It’s still an intersection of those key MINI criteria. It’s just heavier on the style end. It’s also just heavier, but fantastically so. This is a car that would be a pleasure to own. It’s a pleasure to drive, a pleasure to look at, and a pleasure to ride in. It’s something special, and frankly, in JCW spec it’d be everything some MINI fans are really looking for.
