Here's an excerpt of an article published in yesterday's Times:

Dr Anton Heiss, managing director of the plant, said the German carmaker would consider raising production levels when a new model Mini is launched in the next few years. BMW began production of the current Mini in the summer of 2001, expecting to make 100,000 cars a year. This year it will make more than 180,000.

The Oxford plant cannot exceed its capacity of about 200,000 cars without substantial new investment. But BMW has ruled out building the Mini outside the UK because of the brand’s British heritage.

The first 5.3 million Minis were produced at Rover’s Longbridge factory between 1959 and 2000. The car was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. But sales then dropped as it became something of a car for connoisseurs.

You can read the entire article here