MINI’s Top Secret Colorado Project (aka R60?)

Sections: R60 (Countryman) Jan 17th, 2007 76 Comments

MF Exclusive: Since the beginning of the decade, BMW has been studying additional MINI model configurations and how they would fit within the brand. The first (and most obvious choice) was the convertible that debuted in 2004. Next will be the return of the Clubman moniker (but in classic Traveller form) as an extended three door MINI.

While these first two additional models could be considered playing it safe, the third will be anything but. We’ve heard rumors as early as last January of an additional MINI model that will stretch the MINI brand and grow the potential buying pool. In the past, rumors have ranged from an AWD MINI with more space and aggressive looks to a MINI roadster based on the BMW 1 Series built somewhere outside of England.

Now, with the Clubman’s development winding down and the R57 next generation MINI convertible getting closer to a late 2008 introduction, BMW is looking ahead to the next and most un-MINI-like addition to the range. And its the current, internal only name, of the proposed vehicle that should give us some clues as to its final design: the Colorado.

Our sources are telling us that BMW is currently looking at making the Colorado (almost surely to be tagged internally as the R58 when finalized) an all-wheel drive vehicle that sits higher and can be used for light off-roading without sacrificing much of the typical MINI performance.

However with MINIs continuing to sell well globally, there is a lack of space to take on this proposed new model at the Oxford plant in the UK. And with BMW’s German facilities at full capacity, our sources tell us that there are two choices currently on the table: BMW’s extremely versatile plant in Spartanburg South Carolina or Magna Steyr, the Austrian company that BMW outsources X3 production to.

Another issue is engineering and design. This may come as a shocker, but BMW is considering not basing the Colorado on the current MINI platform. Instead it could use a new small BMW platform intended for a small SUV based on the 1 Series. If BMW goes down this path, expect the Colorado/R58 to usher in a new and potentially exciting time for the brand, where more is possible than just a simple two-door hatch. You can also expect quite an uproar from some MINI faithful (as evidenced surely by comments below).

It may be worth reiterating that the Colorado name is purely an internal name at the moment and not meant for producion. Especially with Chevy currently using the name for it’s small truck in the US market. Instead our money is on the classic Moke name.

We’ll have more on the Colorado in the coming months.

Written By: Gabe

rhawth99

Wow, a MINI SUV! There have been some interesting drawings from folks speculating on what one would like like. It will be interesting to watch as this develops and of course, far more interesting to read the feedback from everyone! :-)
James

A small MINI-badged BMW SUV is definitely not an ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œexciting time for the brandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â. It would put MINI in the long list of brands giving up their original focus to be everything to everyone. I admire what BMW did to bring MINI into existence, but eventually MINI is virtually going to cease to exist as a separate idea from BMW.

A MINI X1 based on a BMW SUV chassis? No thanks, BMW. If you must make an AWD, then do so. But keep it in a package that stays true to what MINI stands for. Add AWD to the Cooper or Clubman, but please donÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t create a MINI SUV.
Jon

Until I see pictures, renderings or sketches, I choose to reserve judgement. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, yet.
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com Dave

I think this is great news. It shows confidence in the future of the brand and growing it into a real line-up, not just a one trick pony (admittedly it’s a good trick though).

I’m curious to see how the R58 evolves. Something along the lines of a “MINI” version of the Audi Steppenwolf concept would be great. :)
snid

While I’m not thrilled with the idea of a MINI soft-roader, after driving my Cooper through the snow and ice for the last couple of days, and seeing the mass if snow built up in the wheelwell around my snow tires, I’d probably buy a MINI soft-roader for winter / dirt road / mud season use.
http://www.alldigitalnyc.com drew

how could more MINI be anything but good??

bring it!
Andy

Why Colorado and not Mini Moke, like the last Mini SUV?
lavardera

Smart ditched its plans for a US market small SUV. Its hardly the way to distinguish yourself in the US market.

So how far off the mark does the R56 feel now all you mini curmudgeons?
Matt

doesn’t Mini have a history of off-road variants?
Nathaniel Salzman

Before all the “this will kill the brand” talk starts, everyone take a deep breath and remember that the Cooper and Cooper S aren’t going anywhere. If a MINI-style SUV doesn’t sell, it’ll die it’s own natural death and the Cooper and Cooper S will live on. Fear not.
Mark Smith

I think re-incarnating MINI’s past again for the soon to be fourth time is a spectacular idea. A newer Moke I think would bring in some adventure to MINI that hasn’t been seen yet. I don’t know where they can go with this but an SUV Jeep Wrangler kind of MINI with a fuel efficient drivetrain sounds like it wouldn’t stray too far away from what MINI has been doing.
Ashley Wilson

“A small MINI-badged BMW SUV is definitely not an ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œexciting time for the brandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â. It would put MINI in the long list of brands giving up their original focus to be everything to everyone.”

So Ford shoulda stuck with the Model T then? C’mon, it’s not like Mini (non-caps) stuck to only 2-door tiny cars; I don’t think they’re “betraying the legacy.” (unless you consider a legacy 4 years long) And like Nathaniel said, if it doesn’t work out the it’ll be naturally selected out of the lineup.
http://bravo5.org/ blalor

I hope MINI’s wearing their asbestos undergarments this morning. Personally, there’s nothing in this article that gets me excited, but it will definitely be interesting to see where this ends up.
Erick

The idea of an AWD MINI does catch my interest as long as it doesn’t come with the off-road baggage (ie: just AWD thank you). I’d love to tear around an Auto-X circuit with all 4 wheels pulling and push through the twisties. That would indeed be exciting.
kelly

an all-wheel drive vehicle that sits higher and can be used for light off-roading without sacrificing the typical MINI performance.

apparently the laws of physics don’t apply.
http://inomis.com iNomis

Can’t they just add AWD and a 2″ lift to the R55 to get a soft-roader? If they are going to take the money to build something completely different then why not go for a Jeep killer?
Timothy

Saab jumped the shark with their SUV. This is extremely risky. I think I’d prefer BMW to produce any such vehicle as the X1, not a MINI.

The next MINI I’d like to see is a two seat pickup with the same length as the coupe, a vehicle truly in the MINI spirit. I tend to agree with the thought upthread that AWD is an option, not a whole new vehicle by itself. (BMW sells loads of xi variants, right?)

I also wish BMW would hew more toward some basic Mini ideas of efficiency and thriftiness, particularly in the fuel department. Is it possible for the MINI to have a drivetrain like the Chevy Volt, for example? SUVs seem so passe, like the non-functional hoodscoop on the S.
seb

Like Apple Computer (now Apple) making their desktop computers Windows compatible, it is probably a good thing for the company’s bottom line … but a certain individualistic mystique and charm has been forfeited in the process. MINI (and Apple) have spent decades saying “we’re better”, “don’t follow the masses”, “be different”, etc. … and now those mantras are changed to: “we’re better … but they are pretty good too”, “don’t follow the masses … unless you really want to”, and “be different … sometimes”. I thought much the same of Porsche when they joined the crowd with their SUV (sole-less uninspiring vehicle).
goonery

iNomis : CanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t they just add AWD and a 2ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â³ lift to the R55 to get a soft-roader? If they are going to take the money to build something completely different then why not go for a Jeep killer?

That would be an X5 :-)
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com Dave

Before all the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œthis will kill the brandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â talk starts, everyone take a deep breath and remember that the Cooper and Cooper S arenÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t going anywhere. If a MINI-style SUV doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t sell, itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ll die itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s own natural death and the Cooper and Cooper S will live on. Fear not.

When we first started discussing that the MINI (COOPER) should evolve like the Porsche 911, it was mostly to say that we wanted the timeless design to evolve slowly over time.

However, with this move I think we’re seeing that MINI the company may evolve along the lines of modern day Porsche. The Cayenne clearly has been a good move for the financial stability of Porsche and makes projects like the 911 GT3 possible.

The Cayenne has also helped secure Porsche’s finances to the point where Porsche is making a move to effectively take over Volkswagen. MINI should be so fortunate as to wind up in a similar position 10 years down the line. ;)
Vanwall

I would rather they came out with a sports car of some sort, than any sort of SUV – the concept is the antithesis of small, and unless they keep it at a relative Moke-sized vehicle, which would kinda pigeon-hole it, they are going way out of MINI territory as far as I’m concerned. The fascination of boutique SUVs, crossovers, and the like seems to be a dead end as far as advancing the brand – why be like everybody else? Hasn’t the SUV trend, enabled solely by favorable legislation – let’s face it, they haven’t been logically advanced or refined for years, they are regressing if the H2 is anything to judge by – going the way of the dinosaur? I say we need a cosmic event to kill it off for good, and MINI doesn’t really need to be all things to all people, so wait for the comet strike or whatever to be over, and make a small sports car. I have nothing against large vehicles, if used as intended, but come on, street tires on an off-road design? – over-over-compensating.

BCNU Rob in Dago
Bud

Perhaps an expedition-oriented MINI in the tradition of the Moke would carve a niche and draw more into the MINI fold without completely obliterating tradition. I am, however, inclined to agree with previous comments regarding the dilution of focus and singular identity that has made the relaunch such a remarkable success.
http://www.nemini.org PaulGraz

The last thing the world needs is another SUV, of any make. Large SUV sales are declining – those people are going with smaller SUVs – and small SUV owners are looking at wagons now that they realized they never needed 4WD in the first place. The long term trend is moving away from these rolling roadblocks.

The traveller makes sense. By the time Colorado hits the market it will be too late. It’s a mistake, IMHO.
Ron Arnold

A certain General has the Colorado moniker already sewn up, BTW and I’m sure the C&D letter is already being written. I hope that the execution of this concept is much more of a rally MINI than anything approaching an SUV MINI as those two words are at odds with each other. I officially call that the downturn started with the mammarian vents in R56…
AJ

MINI SUV – sounds like a contradiction in terms. Two things that I never thought I’d hear go together. Oh well, it was stated before and I’ll reiterate – I’ll hold off judgement until I see it.
Wessy

Makes a whole lot of sense, from BMW’s perspective, to introduce such vehicles as MINIs instead of as BMWs since BMW is concerned that smaller cars like the 1 Series might take the BMW brand downmarket in the eyes of US buyers. So why not a micro-SUV — especially if it had a turbodiesel powerplant! — and a 1 Series-based hatch and/or roadster? I don’t think MINI’s brand identity would be diluted as long as the additional vehicles are small — they don’t have to be MINI-small, just smaller than most of what’s sold here in the States — and, let’s not forget, sporty!
pdxmini

Bring on the Moke baby! Put a deisel in it too.
Bilbo Baggins

I would like to add my vote for an AWD MINI R56 without the jacked up look. Just keep it nice and low like it is right now and install the Getrag AWD system has already been developed.

I do not see the need for a soft road variant of the MINI. Most of the SUVs on the market never even get as far off road as the front lawn. Many of the american SUVs do not even have AWD or 4WD.

The markets are changing because of fuel concerns and by the time the “Colorado” can be brought to market it will be too late.

I think some of the people that have posted here do not understand that the new vehicle will not be called the “Colorado” and the the name is just an internal code name for the new vehicle. No C&D from the General will be necessary.
allenski

I would like to see where all this goes. However, it doesn’t forebode well for my future enthusiasm of the MINI brand if BMW continues on this particular path.
MoggyPig

Bring on the next MINI MOKE! But this time, make it look sort of like the original, but with AWD. And what about a MINI Pick-up and Van? The line worked before, how about now? As long as BMW hits the low end of the price point, a new MOKE should sell well. The original Moke had “cheeky” looks and even though it had almost zero off road capability, it had a personality all it’s own.
Evan

An AWD MINI is a great idea. And by raising the ground clearance, let me hope it is like the 1″ of the 3-series AWD variants and not 5-6″. MINIs need to handle like nothing else, and no matter what you do, once you increase ground clearance you raise the center of gravity and negatively impact handling. Sure, an X5 can hold its own around a circuit, but no where near as well as a coupe/sedan/wagon with their mass lower to the ground.

No MINI version of the rumored 1 series based X1 please. Share some AWD mechanics if need be, but not structure…. MINI should leave small SUVs to the other brands. Wouldn’t it be confusing, especially to the USA, for the anti-SUV MINI brand to offer a soft-roader SUV?….
Tim

To me is sounds like most of the people voicing in on this topic are city dwellers. I’ve driven my MC for the past three years and 70K miles in rural Northern Arizona and New Mexico. I love this car but there are times that I wish it had higher clearance and AWD to get me back to the trail head or swimming hole. Sign me up for the Colorado!
Stephan

The Colorado name is currently being used by GM on a line of small pickups….The Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon. I hope MINI/BMW know what they are doing as this a highly saturated market with a lot of solid competition at all price points.
AlwaysOpenCharlie05

Ick. Definitely not liking the off-roading concept here. MINI is a sportscar- a sporty, fat, stocky and bubbly go-kart. If ANYTHING, go the luxury route, NOT the 4×4 route!! Well, okay, by 4×4 I mean “Jeep” style… an AWD MINI would be phenomenal and I’d buy in quite rapidly, no doubt.

Still… reserving all judgment until I’ve driven it.
Pingback: MINI R58 at iNomis
http://forbes1.com/be/minicoopera.htm Troy Forbes

I think it could be a lot like my other favorite vehicle, the Jeep Wrangler. I think the MINI and the Wrangler have a lot in common. I CanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t wait to see it.
O(=^=)O Capn

For all of you who have been asking for a dealership closer to you, a moke would be the perfect reason for dealerships to come to more rural areas.
Wetworth

Ahhh!!! I don’t know if im excited or horrified! All this confusion and frustration… its like im choosing the body color all over again!
http://www.dragonbrewswap.com PassatDoTd

I wouldn’t doubt that MINI could pull off another Moke successfully. My question would be, “is the market there for the product?”. Now that I am living in Arizona I would freaking jump at the chance to get a MINI with even light off roading capabilities. Some freaking ground clearance. This is the only place I have lived where I’ve gone, “man I could use a Jeep”. I’d much rather be able to say, “man I could use a Moke”.

Let the alarmists/purists raise the red flags and shout into the megaphones…the rest of us will just wait and see what comes out and keep our fingers crossed in the process.
Nathaniel Salzman

I would rather they came out with a sports car of some sort

I like to think that my Cooper S qualifies fairly squarely as a sports car. But maybe that’s just me.

I do like the idea of more a MINI rally car than a MINI SUV. Perhaps we can think of the R58 more like the Subaru Outback: much more car than SUV but with some actual off-pavement capability. If there’s a JCW version, we could think of it as a WRX killer. This move seems to me like MINI may be itching for some rekindled rally action.
Dave

Oh god! Not a MINI SUV. I hope they are not planning on releasing a SUV or a crossover. MINI is suppose to be the anti-SUV and their whole brand is built on differentiating themselves from the cannonaros of the world. I think companies lose their souls when they stray too far from their heritage and try to enter different markets. MINI is in a niche category and getting away from that will dilute the image and the brand.
SooperCooperS33

an SUV is the exact opposite of a mini poor handling/gas mileage high center of gravity if BMW did this it would cause the MINI brand to go against everything that made it great the brand isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t supposed to follow trends I thought MINI was the brand for people who wanted to break away and be different– Everyone better get used to seeing soccer moms at the mini club events
Vanwall

I’ve got a piccie of a real off-road Mini: http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f77/Vanwall/SafariMini.jpg

Hydro-adjustable height, lottsa lights. Maybe, maybe. ;-)

BCNU,

Rob in Dago
Teresa

I hate the idea of a Mini brand SUV. It goes against everything that Mini stands for. I hope this isn’t the direction Mini is going : (
O(=^=)O Capn

Robs Link from above
Mini2Go

I think that those of you saying this move is anti-MINI and that it will dilute the brand are THINKING way too small – too inside-the-box. Who says that MINI is planning an SUV in any traditional sense? I think that they have, can, and will do something that is true to the essence of the MINI brand and yet be different from its current offerings. I really hope they do put together something that breaks another mold.

I love the idea of MINI taking its core values and applying them in different ways. My family has various driving needs that my Cooper S can’t adequately fill – but I sure would love to have the opportunity to fill them with something else from the MINI stable!

…and +1 on the vote for a turbo-diesel!
Mini2Go

Oh, I almost forgot – for the few that apparently either skimmed or simply skipped parts of Gabe’s write-up:

Colorado is just an internal code-name for the project. It is not the planned name for the vehicle. Bets are that it will be called the Moke like its predecessor.
Bavarian Racing Green

…BMW isn’t going to cut off it’s nose despite it’s face…

…they have a ‘small SUV’ already, the X3…

…a MINI SUV that apparently has most of yall’s panties in a bunch doesn’t make sense for them in the market…

…that’s why MINI was reincarnated anyway, as an excuse to produce cheaper, FWD vehicles under BMW umbrella without taking away from the RWD ‘ultimate driving machine’ mystique…

…the MINI Jeep/moke/baja?? makes so much more sense, a niche vehicle for a niche brand…

…a short, AWD, powerful Mini, and people are complaining???
http://atlantaminis.net M. Dillon

To BRG: Well put…

Making a MINI SUV/Moke is BMW’s,”slick”,way of bringing low priced,quality,rides,without pissing off the BMW,”purists”.

Besides…my Wife LOVES my MINI;but,in the line of work that she does,she needs a SUV. And since we are starting the process of getting a new SUV to replace that,”crap called Jeep Liberty”,that she owns,we quiet naturally looked at the X3 and X5.

Wow! Those things are expensive!

With that stated,…come on BMW/MINI…bring on that SUV/Moke! We don’t have all day!
WingNut

The rumors of the MINI-TR roadster got me excited a little more, but an redesign of the Moke seems wicked cool too.

My MINI braves the roads of the Adirondacks all winter long, and does so quite well… however a few more inches of clearance would be nice starting at the end of November. I’d enjoy going over instead of through those blocks of sand and ice build up that fall off of other vehicles in the winter. Not to mention the potential traction increase.

But the other thing that has my blood pumping about this… could we see the introduction of a MINI diesel
engine here in the U.S. via this truck/suv/MINI (Moke).

I want a redesigned-(bio)diesel-Moke! I want a redesigned-(bio)diesel-Moke! I want a redesigned-(bio)diesel-Moke! I want a redesigned-(bio)diesel-Moke! (…in flat BRG if possible)

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