The Next MINI Shows Its Business End

It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black. – Nigel Tufnel

The boot is no longer…the hatch door is in the same place; the bumper is simply thicker and the taillights/rear fenders are carried through to match it. No functional purpose except for better rear crashworthiness and a lot of ugly. I'm sure it's just some experimental thing.

Josh – I'm guessing that we're looking at a testing mule for the a next MINI of some kind with the new chassis underneath and the current body grafted onto it. I'm sure the end result will take advantage of the space.

JCW 230bhp!!! Lovely!

“Could the boot extension have nothing to do with “improving boot space” and instead be an attempt to meet WRC regulations so they can enter a secret AWD Mini in rally races? One could only hope…”

I agree!!

I say, make “Test Mule Black” a color option!

Gabe, is there any way you can make that picture bigger?

I laugh at all the remarks people have for a car that is still a long way from becoming real. We are still at least a year from seeing anything that might look like the new MINI. BMW/MINI is not going to show their hand yet.
I understand that here in Chicago it is cold and we have nothing better to do right now than to dream about our next new MINI. Just wait, everything will work out.

Ah yes the Riley Elf and the Wolsley Hornet. Two fine examples of British car making.

+++RB

James – I hope you're not referring to this site in your comment. I think we were pretty straightforward with our assessment of the info and Autocar's track record. We're trying to leave it up to the individual to decided what they want.

Oh yeah – you're probably right. I read the comment a little too quickly. Like I said before I personally think that the photos tell more than the article.

Oh, and judging by the photo (photoshopped?) it looks like the rear quarters are extended also, including the rear lights. Fender plastic trim is also part of the fender. Observations, not opinion, but it's very uneven … could make one believe it's been tossed around the Adobe.

I'm going to go against the trend here and stand up for Autocar. I've subsribed to them for years now because they are one of the few car magazines here in the UK that actually gets things right. I'm not saying they are 100% accurate but they are a lot better than the rubbish you see in other magazines. 9 times out of 10 they get there information and their photoshoped images pretty much spot on. This is why you tend to find a copy of Autocar in any car dealer you walk into in the UK. They also host the most prestigous and respected automotive award ceremony in the UK every year. In this article all they do is speculate, as we all do when we see a spy shot, and if you see the original article you can see the photos have not been fiddled with by photoshop. The only thing they claim to have come from inside sources is that the new works would have 230bhp which no one here is complaining about. Lets stop knocking people for doing their job and take the car in the photos for what it really is, mini trying to confuse us all by plastering a standard car with loads of plastic rubbish.

I would guess that you anwered your own query. I believe, in order to add the awd, and not lose tooooo much space, the extension would keep it 4 passenger friendly.

I tend not to believe any of these photos unless I see Prince Harry driving it dressed as a Nazi.

http://www.autoweek.com/files/weekart/2004/1227/turbomini_rendering.jpg

Sorry – link

oh…..

I still like it so :P JK

All kabitzing aside, I'm sure that underneath that bulbous bumper armour lurks a new bumper style. The difference in the 2005 bumper to the previous was, in my opinion, an improvement. I look forward to seeing what's being hidden.