MINI’s Next Two Seater Under Development

JonPD Jun 30th, 2009 Link

A class dominating small performance car with a clear message what its about. Build on the GP, refine the sport offered in it to a much higher level. Make it unique, cut serious weight, scale up the suspension.

Basically give us a higher end tuned /M styled car. I would love to see a something that can spank cars such as the Focus RS. With the top end performance cars slowly getting pushed to extinction building a smaller performance car makes perfect sense. I really want to see BMW/Mini make a screaming little car that refines some of the luxury out of the GP and focuses it on performance.

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Ian C. Jun 30th, 2009 Link

This is just the same conversation we had back in ‘05 when the original GP was being rumored … remove loads of weight, carbon fiber hood, 250hp+, etc, etc. Conclusion then was a $40K-$50K car that no-one would buy; don’t see any reason why that still would not be true.

MINI have to be able to sell whatever they develop in sufficient quantity to recover costs; I’ve heard they lost big time on the GP program, so anything they do is likely to be more available (not limited to 2,000 models) to spread costs, and not too expensive to develop (so nothing expensively unique like a super tuned engine).

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GSP Jun 30th, 2009 Link

Sorry, I don’t see this as a GP …. the market is too small. Instead I can envision BMW going with something to go against the Miata.

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Nigel Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I think GSP is right. MINI needs a Miata fighter and they already have a platform with the guts to build on. I am betting [and hoping] that it will be a Speedsster test mule. If it is and it has a 2012 rollout, that will put it right at the time I’m due for a replacement of my 2008 R56

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hardingsan Jun 30th, 2009 Link

i thought they lost most of the money on the gp with the crazy delivery and the hand assembly in italy, no? that means if they build it with all the other minis it won’t cost them as much, and if they don’t pr the crap out of the delivery it won’t cost them as much. i think there’s a big difference between making it a special range-topping model and making the buyers feel like complete royalty.

with that said, i think it should be along the lines of the original gp; a stripper, race-ready r56. i like the idea of a small two-seater, but save it for it’s own model line. i think they have a good process/tradition for the core car and should stick to it.

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Phil Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I missed the boat the 1st time, but I’d be up for a GP-type vehicle in 2 years to replace my R56. I hope that they consider it and that they can offer it at a reasonable cost.

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lavardera Jun 30th, 2009 Link

how about both

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JonPD Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I have to say personally I don’t think I am alone with this but if Mini were to develop a class dominating performance car I would not shy away from it for 50k. However I would not spend 30k on any current Mini “performance” cars knowing it would take a lump of money afterwords to make the car something other than a embarrassment to its competition.

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James Jun 30th, 2009 Link

@ JonPD: Not sure how a MINI John Cooper Works lapping the ‘ring faster than an R32 and within 3 seconds of a Lotus Exige makes it an embarassment…

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Fred Jun 30th, 2009 Link

Affordable, powerful coupe that can get 40+ mpg, with the same ease of ingress and egress as the R56.

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James Irmiger Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I’ve always hoped for something more Lotus-like. Strip out all the needless weight and don’t put anything back in! A SEVERE weight reduction the likes of which we’ve never seen coupled with a modest increase in power and suspension would make this car an absolute dream.

More than likely, though, we’ll probably get some puffed-up garbage direct from the marketing department that hits some prescribed non-MINI-buying demographic and has no real value to existing owners. sigh.

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Drew Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I’m hoping that if it’s a coupe that it’s a slant back style 2-seater. And let’s hope it doesn’t have the ridiculous wheelgap of the current MINIs. Something about a sexy coupe/speedster and wheelgap doesn’t fit. :-P

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bee1000 Jun 30th, 2009 Link

Whatever that 2-seater may be, I won’t be able to afford it. Seems likely that it’s the coupe concept. It would be cool if the coupe turned into something like the M Coupe–a distinctive, sports-first car that the general public would have no interest in, but Mini enthusiasts would drool over.

It’s nice to see R53 GPs coming down to reasonable prices, though. Carmax had one with under 10,000 miles on it for $25,000 the last time I looked. As long as those aren’t 10,000 miles on a racetrack, I figure that’s about the best $25K you could spend on a Mini.

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gokartride Jun 30th, 2009 Link

I hope MINI hasn’t painted themselves into a corner here. Yes, they made the coupe and the cabrio…and well, yes, I suppose a Clubman makes sense. Now an SAV and a 2-seater? What could possibly be next? Yes, limited editions (performance and otherwise) may appear now and again, no problem, but how many variants can justifiably fit under the MINI banner? So far they have managed to pull new things out of the hat on a fairly regular basis….but how far can they stretch this MINI-thing before it gets weird?

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Jon Jun 30th, 2009 Link

gokartride,

time to face the facts, my friend. The MINI brand cannot just be a one-horse-show. This stable needs some variation and grow, or else it’ll fade away, eventually. It’s called reality.

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Lee L Jun 30th, 2009 Link

Poster by Jon:

time to face the facts, my friend. The MINI brand cannot just be a one-horse-show. This stable needs some variation and grow, or else it’ll fade away, eventually. It’s called reality.

But, the flip side is just what gokartride is saying. You can only have so many different models and still keep any economy of scale in production and the models are not competing with each other.

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that.guy Jun 30th, 2009 Link

If I am going to give up rear seats, then this car would have to be mid-engined and RWD.

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Axel Griesinger Jul 1st, 2009 Link

it’s the coupe – definetely. but i would prefer a r56 gp.

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Steve Mehder Jul 1st, 2009 Link

Take and inch and half out of the beltline. Keep the general appearance, but reduce the roof to the two seats only. Create a hard drop-top. Turn the engine 90 degrees and run the drive wheels as the back wheels.

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Ducky Jul 1st, 2009 Link

Just bring us the speedster and be done with it already! Thank you very much.

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JCWRKS Jul 1st, 2009 Link

If the SUV/SAV turns out to be the cash cow and the brand savior that some think it will be, then why can’t MINI can build the speedster and a GP style factory JCW along the lines of the Renault Megane R26r.

It’s an uncompromising drivers car first and foremost and there some of us that would love to see a car like that from MINI :-)

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Dimitri Grigoriev Jul 2nd, 2009 Link

Being very close to the Family, I know for a fact that the new GP has been in the pipes for a while now and that it will come out. Whether this particular car is the prototype or not, I don’t know, but the inevitability of it comming out is clear.

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goat Jul 2nd, 2009 Link

I’m hoping Dimitri and others are right and it’s a successor to the GP – lighter, 2 seats, bit more power, optimized suspension, more sound, more feel. The R56 needs this to regain some lost credibility as a full-on driving-oriented car. If done right, it’s “halo effect” will help all MINIs maintain their status as drivers’ cars.

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Amith Bhudram Jul 6th, 2009 Link

I hope it is the GP, I’ve had my name on the list for 2 of them since the first ones were sold out! I want my GP, I’ve waited long enough!!!

Weird thing, on a tangent. Saw a video of Jeremy Clarkson in a new MCS tailing Sabine Schmidt in a new JCW and she couldn’t shake him on the track!!!

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