MF Poll: Rocketman or Superleggera?
With the FXX generation, one of MINI’s goals is to build a more focused lineup. While we could debate for endless hours the meaning of the word “focus” in the five super-hero cars strategy, we’d prefer to use everyone’s time to answer a simple question. Should MINI be in a position to bring to market the Rocketman or the Superleggera, which of the two would you rather become a reality? To vote, just complete the form below and don’t hesitate to let us know the reason(s) for your choice in the comment section. The poll will remain open until week.
<p>If the Superleggera was available I would buy one today. If the Rocketman was available I would buy one today. But having to chose between the two is difficult. I want them both!! But if I am only allowed to have one, I’d go with the Rocketman. It is more true to Mini and minimalism.</p>
<p>I would always opt for the convertible, but it would also be more successful, in the USA at least. I’m not sure which would do better globally.</p>
<p>Rocketman without a doubt. The Superleggera would be a great addition and instant classic but the Rocketman with lower price and size would be back to what made MINI take off.</p>
<p>Where was price discussed?</p>
<p>Brotha Mark I think @minicooperracer:disqus assumes that the smaller MINI would be less expensive especially since MINI is supposedly going to move the next hardtop into the C segment with the Ford Focus and VW Golf. It would make sense.</p>
<p>I would buy a Rocketman even if it was very close in price to the current hatch, especially if there was an ‘S’ model.</p>
<p>they can hear you.. please stop saying that.</p>
<p>Please don’t stop saying it – they haven’t heard you enough yet!</p>
<p>I would buy it if it was 2 grand more!</p>
<p>I would buy it, period! But a JCW model. That would be insanely fast!</p>
<p>I think I could love the Superleggera. But my MCSC is my everyday car. If the roof profile ends up anything like the coupe/roadster, I won’t be able to drive it. The roofline in the coupe/roadster is literally about 2″ below my line of sight.</p>
<p>The Rocketman ticks all the boxes for me, too. Can I get it in a JCW?</p>
<p>I think the Superleggera, while sexy, will have limited sales volume just because it’s a drop top. The Rocketman will be MINI’s true city car and will sell in larger numbers especially in Europe. I would certainly be interested in a true mini MINI.</p>
<p>The ultimate expression of style, fun, efficiency, and uniqueness I vote for the Superleggera hands down.</p>
<p>I’m with this guy – he sounds like he knows his stuff.</p>
<p>the superleggera is certainly more “cool” but it would only sell a 10th of what the rocketman would. Think about how many convertibles/roadsters you sell now.</p>
<p>It’s a Poll, not a contest. Personally I like the “Cool” one.</p>
<p>How good looking are the current Coupe, Roadster, and Convertible compared to the Superleggera??? Hands down you cannot deny that the Superleggera blows the other three away and relative to its style would attract more buyers than both the Coupe and Roadster combined.</p>
<p>I don’t recall anyone denying that. The comparison was between superleggara and rocketman – not coupe, roadster, or convertible.</p>
<p>On that subject though rocketman would sell ten times more than the coupe, roadster, and convertible combined. People are practically begging for a small city car.</p>
<p>Superleggara is very cool but it won’t hit anywhere near the sales numbers rocketman would. The market for two seater convertibles is pretty small (no matter how cool they are).
How many miatas, roadsters or z4s you see running around? How many crappy little fiats or even crappier smart cars do you see? I’m “lucky” to see one a day of the first three combined and I see several each of the last two every day.</p>
<p>rocketman, of course! i don’t need to explain myself.. just rocket man, please.</p>
<p>Superleggera. We are on our second MINI Roadster (and third MINI soft-top), so our bias is pretty clear. While I’d like to see MINI get back to smaller, more urban designs the Superleggera is not only a car I lust after, but I think would bring a lot of positive attention to the brand.</p>
<p>The sports car market seems to be shrinking from what I am reading, so my vote went to the Rocketman</p>
<p>Since the question asks ‘bring to market,’ not ‘make money’ or ‘sell craptons,’ I voted Superleggera. The Rocketman would sell better, especially outside the US, with everything that comes with that (increased sales #, broader customer base, etc.). But with MINI being a ‘personal’ brand, yet not having a halo/sporty/intimate model, the Superleggera would do more in terms of advancing the brand.</p>
<p>I really do like what Alex is doing on MF – he has added a touch of edginess.</p>
<p>However, voting for either Rocketman or Superleggera is like riding a rocking horse, it will give you something to do but it will get you nowhere. Neither will make it to production!</p>
<p>Thanks for kudos Nick! I really appreciate it. Also, never say never ;)</p>
<p>Je vous en prie ! :-)</p>
<p>Kudos to Alex, it’s good to have readers engaged and informed.</p>
<p>Regarding the Superleggera, MINI could share development with the Z2? Rocketman is less likely, requiring a partner such as Toyota to work with instead.</p>
<p>Both ‘Rocketman’ and ‘Superleggera’ are intellectual concepts showcasing what could be achieved if money was no object. Neither was ever intended for production. In fact, ‘Superlegerra’ has more to do with showcasing the extraordinary talents of ‘Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera’ the Italian automobile coachbuilder, well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented ‘superleggera’ construction methods. Very expensive!</p>
<p>Agee, would not expect either to come to market in the same form as their Concepts. However, using the Concepts as the inspiration for developing a production car is how I look at this conversation.</p>
<p>With thay in mind, a Superlegerra-inspired production roadster seems closer to having a chance of coming to market using the UKL platform.</p>
<p>We’ll see. I suspect that you are correct and neither will see the light of day as MINI remains focused on the hero strategy. Yet the response has been so strong to the Superleggera design that it obviously has their attention, enough to keep showing it at multiple high-profile auto shows.</p>
<p>Using the UKL platform was BMW’s original plan, but two events conspired against it. First, the global sports car market collapsed after 2008 and, according to Ian Robertson, “may never recover”, and second, BMW got its fingers burnt with the R58/59. In any event, what little market remains for a small two-seater Roadster is well and truly sown-up by Mazda with its MX5. Interestingly, Mazda would like to build a new RX8 which, it says, could be based on an extended version of its new scalable MX5 platform, but has yet to make a business case for it. No surprise there!</p>
<p>Thanks John!</p>
<p>its a brutal choice between the two. The Rocketman is THE car that epitomizes the brand / MINI. It’s insane to not consider building it.</p>
<p>And the superleggera is the car I dream of owning. So I voted Superleggera.</p>
<p>Definitely Superleggera for me. #sexiestMINIever</p>
<p>Rocketman for sure, no question</p>
<p>ROCKETMAN</p>
<p>ROCKETMAN, period. The Superleggera looks sexy, but so did/does the coupe-roadster twins, and I have a roadster. But the Superleggera is just too far out of the mainstream and I don’t think that there’s enough market for it here in the USA, then consider Europe. Also the pricing? And the power plant? I’m no electric or hybrid fan, so I’m out there too. Bring on a 200 hp 3 cylinder JCW in the Rocketman, that’d sell, especially to Mini purists.</p>
<p>I’d be satisfied with the 135 hp the current mini 3 cylinder has.</p>
<p>My next car will l likely be electric so if they don’t make the Superleggera I’m not sure what I’ll end up with. Rocketman is a very cool design but it will likely be underpowered. Give it 200+HP and 40 MPG and the Rocketman becomes very intriguing. Still, my preference would be for the Superleggera with a range of 350-miles or more. If they can pull that off I’m all in.</p>
<p>any good renderings of the superleggerra with a top yet? i bet it would look even more amazing..</p>
<p>I love the concept and the design of Superleggera, but since I rent an apartment and the garage doesn’t have charging facility, electric cars are not realistic for me.</p>
<p>I recently traveled to Tokyo, Japan where those sub-1000cc “Kei” cars are everywhere. I saw MINIs once in a while and they looked HUGE. Seriously, after one week of staying, I honestly thought it was a Countryman when I saw an F56 parked. I’ve also read that F56 is now “3-number” license plate in Japan, which means F56 is not considered as a compact car in Japanese standard. That’s kinda sad. I’d love to see a small, classic Mini sized MINI in their portfolio. I think it will sell really well in Europe and Asia, and metro area in the US as well.</p>
<p>Love to see
• Go-kart handling
• Manual transmission (please!!)
• F56/BMW level interior quality, but a lot less busy design
• Enough power, but for the size and likely weight, do we really need 200 hp?? I don’t think so.
• Bring back the center speedo for this one…</p>
<p>If they make gasoline version of Superleggera, then that’s going to be one tough choice to make.</p>
<p>I would buy the rocketman, the superleggera does nothing for me, doesn’t resemble a mini at all</p>
<p>Rocketman, with a JCW version….and switch back to a supercharger.</p>
<p>Actually just re-hire the original first-gen design team and get them to finish the rocketman!</p>
<p>My choise is the Superleggera, becouse it will be the best roadster in the market, and it’s MINI offcourse…</p>
<p>The Superleggera of course. It’s in the sprit of a true British Roadster.</p>