The Countryman will certainly be significantly heavier, and the standard Mini engine will be undersized (assuming it’s available), forcing you to pay for the turbo to get reasonable performance.

The article says a diesel will be the only 2.0L available. Well, maybe that’s okay, but diesels are not so popular in the U.S. Maybe that’s something we should grow out of, but it seems to me that a 2.0L gasoline engine would be a good choice for the U.S. market.

I honestly do really look forward to seeing what both BMW and Mini show in Frankfurt this year, this includes the R60. I have yet to make up my mind about the design and will be interested in seeing the final solution they come up with. This however does not change my opposition to the R60.

Gabe- glad you got to writing this post!

Mercedes Benz M, BMW X5 and BMW X3. Hummer H1 and Hummer H3

Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero, the Volkswagen Race Touareg, the Bowler Wildcat 200 and the Nissan Navara.

C4 (a bit explosive?) I could never say anything that would possibly explain the Aztek.

Over and out

I don’t expect we will ever see any Mini with a 2 liter motor. The R60 is built with the idea of getting a small family over a little bit of snow (for those that need a cruch imo), the WRX though seating 5 was still built from the ground up to be a performance car something the R60 will never be (even in JCW form)

But, if you don’t have a 2 or 2.5 litre turbo engine, you can’t just drop one in, it has to be available to X customers, no specials that are not production based. If you don’t have 4wd you can’t install one.

The rally engine and drivetrain can be modified heavily within the rules, but it would be a stretch to take a 1.4T-FWD and turn it into a 2.0T-4WD. (quite unlike NASCAR)

The classic Mini went through this same process, that is where the Cooper S got its 1071cc and 1275cc engine and larger disc brakes.

Rover produced a thing called the Metro 6R4 back in the day and produced the required minimum number to be homologated for rallying. They were rallied, did well and the surplus units were sold off for whatever they could get for them. And it was based on the Rover Metro grocery getter.

Ford is currently rallying the Focus, not exactly a street legal racecar when you go out to your local dealer and talk to the guy in the plaid pants and white shoes. But if you go to a dealer in the UK you can order a Focus RS with a 300HP 2.5L turbo, just like the one they run in the WRC.

The Audi Quattro came out of world rallying.

The same process is done in racing, vis the Ford GT40, Ferrari 250 GTO (“Gran Turismo Omologato”)…

Do you think that all of those scooby WRXs running around with gold wheels and hood scoops were sold because moms could rely on the safety of a 4wd system to get over curbs at the soccer field? No, rally on Saturday, sell on Monday.

As for rallying the R60 is a soft-road vehicle that is going to be slower and more sluggish around corners than the Coupe and Clubman. Not a great place for a rally car. The AWD system is being made with the idea of getting a soccer mom across a snowy parking lot not for thundering down nasty b roads. I am pretty sure we are going to see a JCW version (bleh). Still at the end of the day you will have a slower, softer, and heavier vehicle than either the R55 or R56.

1) They build vehicles in the target market, in this case Europe.

2) Rallying. Rallying sells vehicles of this type (WRX, EVO, …).

Carnac says stay tuned for a 4WD 2L Turbo version RSN.

If you have a family, you’ll do much better with a 4 door or a station wagon 3 series.

Heck here is a another need for you BMW, maybe time to make yet another larger and heavier “mini”.