MINI to go Extra Mini?

Sections: Efficiency | Rumor Sep 18th, 2007 40 Comments

Over the last year we’ve heard rumors of BMW working on a small city car to be positioned below the current MINI. With European law-makers looking more likely to demand lower and lower corporate CO2 standards, BMW needs a solution to it’s relatively high company average. While the thought of building a baby FWD BMW makes sense on paper, it doesn’t really translate well to the BMW brand. But what does seemingly work is a smaller, more efficient MINI.

Here’s what we’ve heard from sources. BMW is currently working on a ultra efficient FWD car smaller than the current MINI that will slot below the current MINI One price by a 2000 to 3000 English Pounds. That means we could see a “ultra” MINI priced as low as 8500 Pounds. The timeframe will have to roughly correspond with what EU law-makers are proposing, but 2011 or 2012 seem like likely targets for the project.

Again we must stress that this is early days in the project and anything and everything could change. But rest assured, no matter what happens you’ll hear about it on MotoringFile.

Written By: Gabe

mikeyjaro

if they build it, people will buy it..

they are doing an excellent job branding – whether those who love the brand or not agree.

don’t forget, bmw needs to reduce emissions in their fleet over the next few years – and this would no doubt help.
Nathaniel Salzman

An interesting prospect. I love my little car, but something smaller than the MINI is kind of hard to picture in a practical light. They could just retool and start producing an airbag-equipped version of the classic Mini with some sort of super-efficient engine. That’d be hilarious. Hell, I’d buy one.
bee1000

Sounds like a BMW version of the Smart. That wouldn’t be terribly practical in the US, at least not for people with freeway commutes. It won’t matter how efficient a sub-MINI car is if no one will buy it.

BMW needs to develop its own efficient engines to put into decently sized cars, something in the line of Mercedes’ otto-diesel and VW’s small-displacement twincharged engine. Whatever is preventing them from importing the 2008 MINI’s engine shutdown and regenerative braking technology needs to be addressed, too.
drutx

As far as fleet emissions and CO2 standards go, would a MINI branded car affect the BMW average or is MINI seen as a separate entity?
http://www.michiganmini.org Ryephile

I’d love to see a mini-MINI! My guess, based on todays crash standards and people-space requirements, a 2 seat runabout would be the best solution, kind of like a sporty, low, and well-styled version of a Smart if you can picture that.
Victor

Will it fit in the clubman? like a mini car in a mini car?? :P
Vanwall

They could cut out 3 or 4 feet with a sawz-all and weld it back together like the old days. ;-) Or they could make a Micro-MINI with 2 seats and not much else, for nuns to carry groceries around in or somethin’. Or they could get serious and slap some CF and al-u-minium together around a 2- or 3-cylinder advanced diesel and make a serious effort to lighten up 20% smaller MINI, not just for the sake of corporate numbers, but make a truly ambitious attempt to re-engineer and change the direction of gradually up-sizing every model. They could call it an ‘Elf’ – there’s a heritage name.
Scottinbend

I am sure this would be a European market only car. No reason to market it in the US, too small for US buyers.
http://www.matthew-obrien.com Matt

I’d buy it in a second! A two-seater would be fantastic! It also looks like the automotive trend is to be focusing a bit more on the small-car segment. The current Coopers are not actually all that small. It’d be great if this new MINI were the size of the original! It would be a niche car, but there are plenty of people that live in cities, in apartments and condos that don’t need larger vehicles to haul around kids and “things.” For myself and my other city-dwelling friends, we carry in our cars just ourselves, a briefcase, and a gym bag. Who needs all that extra space?
http://www.nemini.org PaulGraz

It’s not unreasonable to see this hit the US eventually. If Smart does well in the US, other micro-cars will certainly follow. Personally I hope this product turns out to be just as successful as the current MINI. I’d rather see this, than a small SUV in the product line…
greg

In my recent trip to Rome I saw tons of Minis. And for every Mini I saw there were twenty smart cars. It will sell, in Europe at least.
col.bobby

I love my ’05 MCS, but I am very interested in a new model a bit closer to the size of the classic Mini. I think a two-seater, more like a small MG would fill out the Mini line quite well. Perhaps a coupe similar to the old Nash Metropolitan? (just joking).
WesR

Smells of the much rumored Mini-Moke/roadster…all the fun of the MINI, without the extra sheetmetal. On a side note, I had five grown adults in my MINI the other weekend for a 30 minute drive, all of us were over 5’6″
http://kontrawize.blogs.com/kontrawize/ Anthony B. Coates

Do BMW have rights to the “Moke” name? Cheers, Tony.
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Vanwall

Oooh. Found the prototype pics!

Shortyshort

Shortness
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gokartride

Well, this is certainly an interesting rumor well worth following. A smaller, more efficient MINI sounds like a fascinating prospect!!
Dave Z

Hmmm, perhaps a modern interpretation of the Isetta?
Jon

I second that PaulGratz, I don’t mind a smaller version of a Mini at all. Would be nice to see a backwards step from the current Mini notion of making ever larger cars. I am still a 100% hater of a SUV made by Mini as a general concept.
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GregW

I agree with previous comments that this is either an Isetta bubble car or a Smart, but Smart are not selling too well. Remember that BMW have the Motorcycle technology as well as cars, so the feasibility of combining to make a small vehicle is a no brainer.
Dave Mac Mini

Ryephile, there once was a sporty, two seat well styled version of the Smart, but Smart sold it off to another company. I don’t know if it still around, but it was sure a neat looking little beast. Check it out here, and see if you think it would sell. I sure do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Roadster
Jim W.

I like the sound of the MINI ELF… Nice thought Vanwall!

Would be great to drive a car the same size as the classic. The ideas for a small displacement high performance engine = what I’ve said for years, although I’m no engineer. I’ll not part with my ’06, but someday maybe it’ll be my BIG car.

If there is one car maker who can put STYLE in a small package with performance, it’s MINI.

MINI ELF… MINI ELF… MINI ELF……
Avitor

Doesn’t BMW own the rights to the Triumph (not to be confused with the motorbikes) and Austin-Healey automobile marques?

I’m not fond of Elf as a car name, but I do dig the old A-H Sprites. Seems like Sprite should be the name to go with, unless they still own the (MG) Midget name.
lavardera

Wow. I’m surprised so many are imagining this to be a two seater rather than something along the form-factor of the original Mini.
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bavarian racing green

…the SMART roadster was rubbish…

…it was way overpriced and as flimsy as can be…

…fun to drive however (got to drive one in Berlin but it felt like it was going to twist in half around corners)…

…i say make it a two-seater fastback coupe (a hybrid of CRX meets Z4 coupe)…

…i’d buy’em by the dozen and give them to all my friends!!!
bavarian racing green

…or rather, a MINI with the practicality of a CRX (MPG and flexibility) but the style of a Z4 coupe…
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JP

It’s possible that the mini MINI would be sold in Asia and Europe only. For it to make sense in North America there would need to be some Co2 mandates. This is unlikely.
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KLF23

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!

sorry, got a little excited.

It would be great for MINI to make a miniMINI. I have been saying for a while that I would give up quite a few features and practicality (but not handling) for a shrink in size. Get it down to around the length of a classic (3m). Two seats would be great. Keep it simple and light. We don’t need another pocket rocket, just direct pure driving. Keep the styling MINI though. We aren’t all Z4 fans.

If they keep the price down and market the customisability, MPG and handling, they would have a winner on their hands.

I really hate it when people do this but: miniMINI FTW!

I’ll hate myself later for that…
lavardera

Why does everybody doubt it would be sold here. You might doubt it would succeed, but why would you doubt that one of germany’s largest car manufacturers who has a sterling reputation in the US would not at least try to sell a car smaller than anything else currently offered in the US, which has been their best market for their smallest car to date? Hmmm, let’s see, what would, say, Mercedes do?
bavarian racing green

…KLF23 — i don’t mean it would look just like a Z4 coupe, just that fastback-coupe style…

…it would still have to have round headlights, signature MINI grille, and the like, just low slung and small…

…picture it akin to a MG Midget, just a Fastback, simple clean lines, direct driving, and w/o the monthly trips to the shop…

…i can dream, can’t i???
Vanwall

If they go mini-MINI, I would love it if they brought back some Riley heritage, which is why I like Elf – it has a Mini connection, or even Sprite, (which was borrowed from Riley for the AH Frog-eye), as these were great small sporting cars in their day. Rileys were always sporting but nicely priced, and had a legendary racing heritage, to boot.
emergo

I do like the idea of the Mini Elf, but how about the Mini Sprite?
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