MINI Crossover Prototype Spied Undergoing Cold Weather Testing

Scott P. Feb 15th, 2009 Link

Ha! I wonder if this test mule is suffering from Cold Start clattering my ‘07 R56S is experiencing!

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rhawth99 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Can’t be any cold start clatter – BMW does EXTENSIVE cold weather testing of all their new vehicles. :)

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WRR Todd Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I’m no longer warming to this idea. The shape and lines of this are simply – not good.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Todd, thank you.

This thing is in one word: Hideous.

I hope the financial crisis kills this project before it sees the light of day.

This R60 business is simply a bunch of no good.

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Zack Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Just give me an R56 with an AWD drivetrain and I’ll be happy.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Or a Clubman..

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CraigE Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I’m no longer warming to this idea. The shape and lines of this are simply – not good.

Quite frankly it is a complete waste of breath commenting about these pictures. The shape is obscured by cladding and the lines by swirly patterns. If you can truly tell what this will look like from this, then you must have x-ray vision.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

CraigE. It doesn’t take X-Ray vision, or even half a brain, to see this thong for what it is… A turkey.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I meant to say “Thing” not “Thong”. :) (Damn keyboard)

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DUDE! Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Well I can only hope the end product is better looking than this thing.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I hope the financial downturn makes the bean counters and marketeers in Munich reconsider this terrible idea of a car.

This one belongs in the file labeled “Wheels are coming off of MINI”.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

In fact, I read in http://www.autonews.com this morning that BMW is cutting X3 SUV production. The X3 is currently manufactured by Magna Styer in Austria, the future production site of the (Gasp!) MINI R60.

BMW is reducing X3 production numbers until they can move it to the South Carolina BMW plant.

As we stand today, I see the future of this R60 (and X1 BMW sibling) turkeys very, very, very bleak.

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DUDE! Feb 16th, 2009 Link

C4… are you always this petulant?

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

@DUDE!:

Nah, I am brutally honest.

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MINI “Crossman” Sightings… – As Seen From my MINI Feb 16th, 2009 Link

[...] of the “Crossman” undergoing cold weather testing…sourced from autoweek.com and this article at [...]

Gabe Feb 16th, 2009 Link

This one belongs in the file labeled “Wheels are coming off of MINI”.

OMFG… priceless.

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Pete Feb 16th, 2009 Link

MINI! You have lost it…even without the camo this has to be one of the uglist pugs BMW-MINI has come up with! YUCH!

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JonPD Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Well no surprise here, I think this is epic blunder by Mini.

“This one belongs in the file labeled “Wheels are coming off of MINI”.”

LOL

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WRR Todd Feb 16th, 2009 Link

then you must have x-ray vision.

Dang. My secret’s out. Yes. I am, I am, I am Superman and I can see everything including the unattractive lines.

I had high hopes with the concept but my hopes are fading. Not completely dashed, but definitely fading.

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AZpir8king Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I agree with ZACK! Give me AWD and adjustable ride height. 4-Doors? NO. Doesn’t even look nimble. This R60 has a REALLY long wheelbase (looks to have 12 inches more based on wheel size using photoshop). Does it still qualigy to be a MIni? How about the MEGA-Mini?

Here’s a better Idea: once its AWD and ride height adjustable, Chop off the back of the Clubman and give me a two seater convertable with a really cool old style truck bed!!!

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joe Feb 16th, 2009 Link

does anybody else see a small bit of the porsche cayenne in the picture?

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Jon Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I believe that many of you are jumping to the conclusion that you hate this vehicle too quickly. This photo is not attractive, granted, but the vehicle is not yet ready to be judged aesthetically. You’re unfairly hating it with all this crap on it, and the swirly paint job.

You all hated the now-beloved JCW GP before it came out, too. TODD, I’M TALKING TO YOU, TOO…

Wait, and give it a real chance, haters!

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lavardera Feb 16th, 2009 Link

It does not look as aggressive as the concept – number one is the tires are too short and narrow as compared to the show car. Without that meat on the wheels it just looks kind of chubby and tippy.

But I like the swirly wrap – Todd, can you do that?

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MINIme Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I guarantee the finished product will have visual appeal (if you like the way MINIs look). AND, this vehicle just might have some sense of practical application! I loved my R53, but it fell short of meting my true needs daily.

I am envisioning a “woody wagon” version of this… Surf’s up!

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CraigE Feb 16th, 2009 Link

From the closer shots, it is apparent that there is quite a bit of cladding in the front and back. This makes it look quite bulbous and imposable to see the actual proportions. The windows, roof and pillars (which are visible) look quite similar to the concept in design. I’m still optimistic that it will look good once the burkha is off.

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bee1000 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

If building an SUV is what it takes for Mini to remain a viable brand, then Mini should build an SUV. The fact that the people on this site don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. We have already bought the products Mini makes, now they need to find more people to sell cars to. That means either convincing people to buy the current Minis, or creating new Minis that suit what people want. If their research says a small SUV will sell, then have at it. Look what the Cayenne has enabled Porsche to do. You might hate that thing, but it is very successful.

(That said, I don’t think I’ll be waving to anyone driving a Mini SUV when we cross paths. Damn poseurs.)

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Comparing this bloated pig to the late JCW GP is the mother of all insults..

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Jon Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Hey C4, get off your high-horse!

I didn’t compare the car to the GP.

I compared the early negative reactions of this car to the same kind of early negative reactions that were voiced about the GP.

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Dr Obnxs Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Is this really the Mini softroader? Or is it just the Lifan 320 undergoing European tests?

From Joloplink

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beken Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Regardless of what the overall car will look like, the thing that caught my attention was the placement of the front signal lights and headlights, as well as the reflector/side marker light on the mirrors. Could this be an indication of a facelift on the R56?

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

@beken:

Beken, no doubt that by the time this thing rolls out, the facelifted second gen cars will also be in playing field.

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JonPD Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Guess at the end of the day a SUV just makes the “go-kart” handling as laughable as a Ultimate Driving Machine that gets spanked by a Datsun (Nissan).

Guess BMW is just showing its hand lately, larger is better mentality that worked out so well for the big three US makers.

I still wonder how much my dealership would charge to remove all Mini badges from my GP since there is no way its related in anyway to a mommy soccer delivering vehicle in any form. Can say the only waves this monstrosity will ever get from me is something likely considered a bit rude.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

To me this car is wrong in soo many levels, pretty much akin as to why BMW never designed and sold a Minivan…

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AN Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Good job being cordial CFr4nk. Telling someone he only has half a brain. You’re cracking me up. Describing it as a bloated pig. If memory serves, all the same words were used about your beloved Clubman not being a real MINI.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

@Dr Obnxs:

Do they have any cold start issues?

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

AN, still fishing for an answer?

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AN Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I already know the answer, since I work at MINI. I’m just pointing out your hypocrisy.

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C4 Feb 16th, 2009 Link

OK, so now the truth has come out…. Wonderful! A paid company rep engaging in petty backyard school fights over the internet. You are supposed to uphold the image of the products and services your company provides. And may I remind you… I am a very long time well established customer with MINI. I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of products and services and have encouraged many others to do the same. To that effect, it is poor PR to insult your customers on a message board.

I demand an apology from MINI.

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AN Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Um, I was kidding. Remember? You started the debate about me working there with your threats. Irony, sarcasm. Get it?

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Gabe Feb 16th, 2009 Link

A paid company rep engaging in petty backyard school fights over the internet.

I think that was meant to be tongue and cheek.

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Dylan Feb 16th, 2009 Link

How long is C4 going to be allowed to wreck the comments on this site :/ If MINI do in fact read this blog (as has been rumoured) they must roll their eyes at the quality of the debate and analysis (with of course some obvious exceptions).

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Gabe Feb 16th, 2009 Link

How long is C4 going to be allowed to wreck the comments on this site :/ If MINI do in fact read this blog (as has been rumoured) they must roll their eyes at the quality of the debate and analysis (with of course some obvious exceptions).

Well they do and… they probably do. However just know that good insightful opinions from commenters on MF are very important to people at MINI. I’ve heard this first hand numerous times.

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ie Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Did MINI hire the dude that designed the pontiac aztec?… all this THING needs is some sweet plastic cladding on the sides.

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JonPD Feb 16th, 2009 Link

“Well they do and… they probably do. However just know that good insightful opinions from commenters on MF are very important to people at MINI. I’ve heard this first hand numerous times.”

Guessing mine are not among those Gabe ;). Think the only thing Mini thinks about my opinion on many of their recent choices is that I get run down before the R60 goes to market lol.

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DUDE! Feb 16th, 2009 Link

C4… Brutally obnoxious is more like it bud.

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Evan Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I actually like it.

There, I said it. I’d have it next to my ‘04 R50 Cooper. It’s four inches longer than a Clubman, which is still wicked short. And it’s a little taller, with four easy to use doors. It’ll be more practical than the hatch and a 128i. Even if the price will bump a well equipped 1er. My next car purchase will need to account for a dog and child, pushing the limit of MINI Cooper.

I’m not sorry that I like it. A diesel version w/AWD may be the ticket. Or an S version w/sports suspension…. BRG, black roof, 18″ wheels.

If it’s a fall debut at Frankfurt, will it be in the USA around March 2010?

Although, I still love the Clubman. Especially now that I could get the JCW Stage I kit for it. Show me the 2010 update and I’ll tell you my decision…

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robble Feb 16th, 2009 Link

. I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of products and services

(with mini)

hasn’t everyone who had bought a MINI? We are all experts by that measure.

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Fred Feb 16th, 2009 Link

“Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”

Interesting, then, that my comment does not show-up online.

Okay, I will say something more exciting:

“Oh, yeah? Well, so’s your old man! You little girl!”

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JonPD Feb 16th, 2009 Link

Fred likely your other comment is in moderation, it happens to me from time to time due to character uses that could be spam so is held until a moderator can confirm.

Evan, I am not bashing anyone for saying this interests them. My personal unhappiness lays with some of the people at Mini that are willing to trash everything Sir Alec stood for and throwing the historical precedence into the garbage bin. While there are some things on the concept R60 I think are not bad designs, I choke thinking that Mini really needs a SUV. Also with the 1 series SUV there is likely to be so much overlap on the price point alone that a huge number that would consider a Mini SUV will go for the tiny bit larger 1 series that will be a few thousand more.

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Aaron Feb 16th, 2009 Link

I will wait to see the final product. MINI has clearly made a “go” call on this, so…I only hope that they’ll put out a product that is marketable. I am NOT a fan of the Clubman, and to be honest, I’d probably like the R60 more than a Clubman (I like full functionality and the suicide door and barn doors feels like a half-finished copout to me). I thought it had previously been reported that MINI was not going to put barn doors on the R60 and was reverting to the hatchback or going with a side hinged rear gate design. I really hope that they stick with that plan. Having said that, I am disappointed that MINI seems to be moving away from the original concept (from way back in the day) and from what made the R50 re-conceptualization so successful. It’s fine to evolve the brand, just seems to me that they are making bad design decisions and developing cars that have fewer of the design elements that made the modern MINI a MINI.

C4 – 50 comments, over 25% of them are from you. Great to read your opinion, but…you’re kinda crying wolf here.

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dc11r Feb 16th, 2009 Link

you guys remember the 2-door rav4? remember that it didnt sell well during a booming economy?

well… apparently Mini product planners forgot about it.

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Capt Feb 17th, 2009 Link

Final product will probably differ, but I agree an above reply, both in the prototype and in these shots, my mind sees: porsche cayenne

Frankenstien’s workshop? They stuck Clubman door handles on tailgate, but are much lower than a Club, looks like a poor head fake on the rear door overall (faux barn doors, 2 handles, but a single wiper…)

Not crazy about the shape in this or the prototype, but would like to see a 4 door/AWD MINI on the market that is tasteful. Our 1 Clubman household is w/2 kids + 2 dogs and everyone fits thanks to the extended boot.

However, we are in New England and a R60 would definintely be appreciated over the long winters and easier loading/unloading of kids. My overall preference would be to have a traditional MINI for commuting and the R60 for family time if they can hit the right note on the design.

I believe Subaru was the only major car maker to increase US sales in ‘08… AWD mini SUVs/Wagons are clearly in demand.

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Aussom Feb 17th, 2009 Link

I second the idea of an AWD drivetrain for the Clubman, however being in a right-hand drive (RHD) market will only consider buying a Clubman if they change the suicide door to the left hand side for the RHD market. Having the suicide door behind the driver’s door in the RHD market was the main deciding factor for me not buying a Clubman, as access to the back seats is dangerous and restricted. If the Crossover gets around this issue at a reasonable price and has more streamlined lines like the Clubman (including possible pop-out or vertically lowering rear window), I may consider buying one.

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CraigE Feb 17th, 2009 Link

you guys remember the 2-door rav4? remember that it didnt sell well during a booming economy? well… apparently Mini product planners forgot about it.

Well the R60 is pretty clearly a 4 door. I don’t see the connection.

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Tim Feb 17th, 2009 Link

Im a noob to this Motoringfile and I’m already sick of C4.

This is a test mule, far from production and far from its final look. No need to write it off yet.

This R60 could be a huge blunder for MINI, or..like some others here have stated, could be a great way to reach new demographics. Its a good time to go for it, right now it seems that people love EVERYTHING MINI.

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MINIme Feb 17th, 2009 Link

I volunteer to remove JonPD’s badges from his GP, for free. As long as you don’t mind my crude methods…

MINI, like every other car manufacturer is looking to sustain itself. This requires reinventing the wheel (pun intended) sometimes. They cannot possibly cater to enthusiasts of an antiquated concept as a means of survival. At least, not for the long haul. My interest in a new MINI was sparked by my interest in the classic Mini, but they are distinctly different in so many ways. I really enjoyed the ownership experience of my R53 and I do plan to acquire a classic Mini someday, as well as an R60. I just don’t get all the closed-minded, overzealous defenders of the “genuine article” known as the new MINI when it, in fact, started as nothing more than a look-back attempt at capitalizing on the original Mini concept and ended up as a much larger, albeit premium compact.

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SFRedMCc Feb 17th, 2009 Link

Even though there are no other cars shown next to it, in these photos it appears the Crossman actually isn’t going to be as big as the overblown concept/prototype they were showing. It looks like they just added the 2.5″ to the Clubman’s wheelbase so they would have enough room for 4 doors.

That swirly camouflage sure does a good job of hiding all the details, and the double rear doors seem to be a fake-out, since the rear window has only one wiper. Looks like those funny vertical tail lights weren’t included for final production. I think the scariest looking thing are those monster headlights that have morphed from frog eyes to lizard eyes. Looks like that “skull cap” roof design was left in, and I think that is also a big mistake. All-in-all, it still looks like it’s going to be the “smallest SAV” on the market, so by today’s standards, I guess you could call it the MINI-UTE.

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rs Feb 17th, 2009 Link

That thing had better do some wonderful stuff. Our next family mover will be smaller (coming from a Grand Cherokee), like the clubman. Enough to haul a family of 4 and our bags bags. Long gone are the days of excess.

If I wanted a RAV4 I would have bought a RAV4. I’m sure it will be less expensive. The MINI Cooper/Clubman is a niche, that thing doesn’t look like it fits in one. Again, it better do some wonderful stuff.

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GregW Feb 17th, 2009 Link

You beat me to it – I thought this was a Toyota RAV4! Is the rear boot area designed by Chris Bangle? – it seems to have his “duvet cover bump”.

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GregW Feb 17th, 2009 Link

Spot the difference… http://images.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://www.top4wd.com/includes/images/Toyota_Rav4/1997ToyotaRav4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.top4wd.com/1997ToyotaRav4.html&usg=__mViJfMpD9ZcdngdcbgvBQUu-clc=&h=270&w=500&sz=34&hl=en&start=11&tbnid=-HmYV7b0rVJ6iM:&tbnh=70&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DToyota%2BRAV4%2B4%2Bdoor%2Bmodel%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

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dc11r Feb 17th, 2009 Link

well, the thing is, if the r56 cabrio is already absurdly priced, imagine this thing. Its going to be well into the $40K range, which by then you’d be better off with either an A3 or A4 wagon, or honda element, scion xB, honda crv, acura RDX, FX35, nissan cube, etc…. I’ll bet you that Mini is use MPG as their main attractor, which is fruitless bc its a car that cost significantly more than the competition… so financially, it doesnt make sense. As a niche car, it might succeed.. but only by selling 2500 per year… but where’s the money machine in that? not to mention it is diluting the brand (and I do understand that back in the day they had a variant much like this, but times have changed).

mini needs to abort this thing ASAP while it still can, and just focus on strengthening its core product line. And by strengthening, I mean improve quality of materials, and better build… perhaps even use some of that money to solve the infamous german electronic gremlins?

just a suggestion.

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bavarian racing green Feb 17th, 2009 Link

…i haven’t commented here for a long time because i used to like reading things from folks who enjoy cars…

…mostly folks just complain now…

…personally i’m excited to see it in the flesh as i foresee this as a viable stablemate to my r53, especially if it’s diesel…

…i loves me an ugly diesel…

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SFRedMCc Feb 17th, 2009 Link

I just checked the Audi website (which is really clumsy to navigate); and it seems that for a “base” A3-Sportwagon w/ all-wheel drive it’ll cost $30.5K.

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C4 Feb 18th, 2009 Link

I just don’t see how can BMW make any sales/profit projections on this thing given the bad state of the economy. If things don’t improve by the fall I would not be surprised BMW being forced to shelve it for good.

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fourblades Feb 23rd, 2009 Link

I wonder why some people are hating this car the same way some were hating the newer and chubbier version of MINI Cooper… I recommend waiting, I assume most have grown into the newer ones by now.

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