CNN on Future MINI Product Development

Sections: In the Press Oct 7th, 2005 11 Comments

That great bastion of automotive news CNN.com (yes that’s sarcasm) takes a stab at the future of MINI model development in today’s edition. Here’s an excerpt:

The new lineup could include a station wagon or an off-roader. Maybe a two-seater. Whatever form it takes, additions will be small — you can count on that.

Mini’s current model, the Cooper, is already set for a redesign next year. Don’t expect major changes, but one reason for the redesign is to give the car more flexible engineering that could be easily adapted to different body styles.

BMW, Mini’s parent company, originally expected to sell 20,000 Mini Coopers a year in the United States, according to a recent story in Automotive News, an industry newspaper. Last year, 36,000 were sold here. The 100,000th Mini was sold in February, two years ahead of schedule.

…A likely next step is a longer Mini. The Mini Concept Frankfurt shown at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, was based on a 1970s version sold as the Clubman and the Traveller. It’s sort of a station wagon Mini. It’s still got just two doors, but it’s got more space in back for luggage and for rear-seat passengers.

“The Mini, in the classic sense, always had a Traveller or a Clubman version,” said Rich Steinberg, manager of product strategy for Mini.

The Concept Frankfurt has some styling cues that, company executives said, will appear on the next version of the Mini Cooper. The Concept Frankfurt is also a reminder that the original makers of Minis, had more tricks up their sleeve than just one little car.

[ Ready for a Mini SUV? ] CNN

Of course leave it to CNN to sex up the title and imply that an SUV is imminent. As most MotoringFile readers probably know, MINI has plans for an extended wheelbase MINI, but a taller off-road like vehicle is probably unlikely in the near future.

Written By: Gabe

11 Comments

Ian Oct 7th, 2005 Link

I guess stories like this on CNN and the earlier Cnet one indicate how hot the MINI still is …

indimini Oct 7th, 2005 Link

I like the line that reads “don’t expect major changes.”, lol. Yeah, except for an all new powerplant, platform, interior and sheet metal, it’s pretty much going to be the same car they offer now.

O(=^=)O Capn Oct 7th, 2005 Link

It’s sort of a station wagon Mini.

Looks like “sort of” a technical term.

but a taller off-road like vehicle is probably unlikely in the near future.

on another note, why would an SUV have to be Taller?

GMINI Oct 7th, 2005 Link

On that other note, ground clearance.

Nostrodamus Oct 7th, 2005 Link

Its definitely a MAXI!! It is cute but MINI just lost me. WHATS THE GAS MILEAGE ON THIS SUV ANYWAY? What happened to “SIP DON”T GUZZLE”? Sounds to me like MINI is selling out on its own brand advertising. Guess thats why the ad company got the old heave hoe! So long to MINI and Hello MAXI!!!!

Nos

Nostrodamus Oct 7th, 2005 Link

SUVs pose greater danger to pedestrians — scientists By Patricia Reaney Fri Oct 7, 3:40 PM ET LONDON (Reuters) – Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) may feel safer for their drivers but they are more deadly than other cars for pedestrians, Irish scientists said on Friday.

Research has shown that the chance of killing or seriously injuring a pedestrian is two to four times higher for someone driving an SUV, or 4X4 vehicle, than a car.

“There is clearly a higher risk for pedestrians when they are struck by a light truck or SUV compared to a passenger car,” Dr. Ciaran Simms, an expert in mechanical engineering at Trinity College in Dublin, told Reuters.

Elderly pedestrians and children are most at risk.

In an editorial in The British Medical Journal medical journal, Simms and Desmond O’Neill, a professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College, called for warnings on SUVs to inform buyers of the increased risk the vehicles pose to pedestrians.

They also recommended a higher road tax and called for all SUVs involved in accidents to be documented.

The researchers, who studied accidents involving SUVs to determine why they are so deadly for pedestrians, said size didn’t matter.

The main problem was the height and shape of the front of vehicle. The hood, or bonnet, is higher than on cars and has a more severe impact when it strikes the center of the body and upper legs and pelvis.

Raising the edge of the front hood or bonnet of a vehicle from 600-850 mm (24-33 inches) increases the impact by a factor of two, which results in a doubling of injuries to vulnerable parts of the body such as the head and abdomen.

The vehicles are increasingly popular. Sales of SUVs in Europe have risen by 15 percent in the last year while demand for cars has slumped by 4 percent, according to the scientists.

“In the United States, 40 percent of new vehicles are classified as light trucks or vans (many of which are SUVs),” they said in the editorial.

Elderly pedestrians are more vulnerable to the dangers of SUVs because they are weaker, less agile and may have poorer reactions that may make them less likely to avoid being struck and more at risk of suffering serious injuries and dying.

The increased height may also make it more difficult for drivers to see young children in front of or around the vehicle, according to the researchers.

GMINI Oct 7th, 2005 Link

I think a multi-terrained MINI is very far off. And it’s marketers will do well to keep it from being called an SUV. That means a better name and a bettter design.

Mark (Ohio) Oct 7th, 2005 Link

I guess while we’re dreaming…where’s the mid-engine Mini two-seater? A la Renault’s idea with the Clio v6. :)

Allan Oct 8th, 2005 Link

It’s funny that even CNN is covering news on the MINI, maybe because the MINI is getting to be so popular even CNN wants a “piece of the pie”.

O(=^=)O Capn Oct 8th, 2005 Link

I think that Nostrodamus is right, We should ban pedestrians. They are too dangerous. Especially the elderly pedestrians. When they are too slow to get out of the way, they should be “retired”.

Soylent Green, ITS PEOPLE!!!

Oh and GMINI, I’m thinking more like a Subie Outback/MINI. Is that still considered an SUV? It still has clearance but not jacked up so much per se.

Clearance = taller tires, range of motion in suspension. IMHO. Suv, Explorer/Escalade/Expedition…

I’m in one of my moods… Anyone who takes me seriously should be taken out into the street and shot, seriously.

I’m not joking, not even a limerick.

GMINI Oct 8th, 2005 Link

Yeah, Capn. That’s just the ticket. Subie clearance (and AWD), Cooper profile. And the name, well, MOKE. But not so much of a departure, (please!)

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