As the months go by we're slowly getting a better picture of the next generation MINI. And as we've said previously on MotoringFile it will certainly be more of a evolution rather than a revolution. Rest assured there will be no Mercedes like twin integrated headlamps or ditching of the famous z-link rear suspension. In fact it's our belief that the majority of current MINI owners worried about the future of the marque will breathe a collective sigh of relief when the new car is finally officially exposed to the public in two and a half years.
This week's Autocar (where the above pic comes from) has more on the next generation MINI due to possibly debut at the Geneva Auto Show in 2007. Here's an excerpt:
A new Mini will go on sale in 2007, with more powerful high-tech engines, smooth new looks and myriad detail changes that should ensure it remains one of Britain's most desirable small cars.
Based on today's chassis with its front strut and rear multi-link Z-axle suspension, the new Mini will be a similar size to today's car, growing just a few millimetres in length, width, wheelbase and height That will keep it at 3.6m long with a 2.4m long wheelbase, ensuring that the wheel-at-each-corner proportions remain.
Designers will also resist the temptation to extend the rear overhang to create a bigger boot. There are always pressures to make a new car bigger, but the Mini has to be small, otherwise it isnt a Mini, said a source.
As a result the interior package will be very similar to the current car's, with detail changes to components like seats and interior trim squeezing an extra few millimetres of leg, head and shoulder room.
The overall feeling of the cabin will still be a cosy, sporty environment, with design themes such as the central speedo remaining. Interior plastics will be of a much higher grade, however. The windscreen will also stay upright and relatively close to the driver. After exploring new styling directions, including a taller, more conventional supermini-type package, Mini has decided to keep the exterior close to today?s model.
You can read the entire article here.
top and bottom left image courtesy of Autocar.
<p>Its not bad, but I still don't like it. We'll just have to wait and see it to the unveiling.</p>
<p>well, as much as I adore my MINI, I realize that a design change is vital to it's lasting success, and I'll probably be ready for a fresh look in a few years anyway – Lord knows the beetle could use one. that said, though, seeing all of these photoshop jobs for the next couple years is going to be painful.</p>
<p>That turn signal in the side-view mirror is pretty awful….</p>
<p>i really hope they keep the headlights attached to the bonnet. every other car on the market has the conventional headlight to body design. this is a just another thing that makes our MINI's unique</p>
<p>Does the picture of that new design really make the Mini look like it has a face? I hope that is a bad photoshop job. I thought Kerbie was dead?</p>
<p>It seems that there is less distinction between the turbo cooper and the turbo S as far as power is concerned. I assume since the intercooler is “located low down” they will eliminate the bonnet scoop on the S. Do you think the exterior styling will be nearly identical across the range with the new engine. As a huge plus, the fuel economy for these new engines sounds awesome.</p>
<p>I aagree with Jimbo. The turn signals in the side-view mirrors are hideous. </p>
<p>I also hope they keep the headlights attached to the bonnet…one of the most unique and endearing features of the current version.</p>
<p>I like it. But the turbocharger in the Cooper will raise insurance premiums…:(</p>
<p>You can see in this pic atleast that the hood seem is at the same level as the fender seem and that the lights are NOT on the hood. Not a bad job of capturing the same look though. I'm content.</p>
<p>I like the wider fender flares and side sills, though I'll miss the hood scoop on the S if its gone.</p>
<p>As mentioned in previous articles the headlights will not be attached to the bonnet due to cost concerns.</p>
<p>And I would not count on those turn signals on the mirrors actually happening. BMW has always favored signals just behind the front wheels… where they are currently.</p>
<p>So… no more hood scoope?</p>
<p>“The windscreen will also stay upright and relatively close to the driver.”??
Am I the only one who thinks the windscreen is anything but close to the driver? Vs. my miata and CRX it's quite a distance.</p>
<p>Yeah, I laughed at that too. I don't know to what car they're comparing it to, but you could perform a puppet show on that dash. (I'm just saying.)</p>
<p>I hate to even throw this out there, but why are we still looking at Autocar as anything remotely factual? These obviously Photochopped pics are good visual candy for selling magazines, but that's about it. I'm holding my final opinion until I see the “real” thing.</p>
<p>I don't think they're really trying to hide the fact that the pic is photoshopped. They refer to it in the article and the last photo even shows the original press photo next to it as a comparison. </p>
<p>With that said I would say this is probably the closest any magazine has gotten to at least the general shape of the car. Give the sides of the grille less of an extreme angle and make the hood a touch taller and you'd probably be a bit closer.</p>
<p>Yeah, I assume its more photoshop, which I'm really getting sick of. As for the design, I do like the concept of the 1 piece grille. Its the one gripe I have about the current version – it looks odd, although I do like the bonnet.</p>
<p>As for the engines – any sign of a Mini One or diesel engines showing up in the US with this release?</p>
<p>I haven't heard anything definitive but I would doubt the US will be seeing the MINI One. I'd also doubt the MINI One Diesel would make it over with the current engine. It would take something with a bit more power to fit into the expectations of the US market. Unless gas hits $4 a gallon :)</p>
<p>Well, things seem to be looking up for the next MINI, I can rest easy now I know we'll keep our center speedo! The only thing I'm not so sure about is the grille. It's bigger (which I like) but a bit to pointed at either end. The only other thing is that I really wish they'd keep the bonnet scoop – it's one of the things I really love about the MINI today!</p>
<p>Yeah, all the renderings make the front end of the Mini look “mean”. I don't get it. Hopefully the Mini doesn't follow the new design look of the BMWs (not that I don't like it, but its just not Mini).</p>
<p>I think the 2007 Mini will actually look pretty good and I hope they make an AWD version with over 200HP since I will be in the market for a new car in 2009.</p>
<p>this seems like a decent revision of the MINI styling theme. </p>
<p>at least it doesn't have [insert Bangle rant] … it still looks clean and like a MINI.</p>
<p>I like the turn signal on the mirror.</p>
<p>On the current MINI the area with the side-vent where you see a cluster of seams from the door, bonnet, lower & upper fender areas — That area looks sloppy and chopped-up. I'm wondering with the new design if that area might have less seams and look cleaner and more finished. It's hard to tell from the pic.</p>
<p>That's actually one of my favorite parts of the car, TJKonarski.</p>
<p>Yeah that's one of my favorite areas too. All those intersecting lines give the design a nice tension.</p>
<p>I recomend taking a look at the side of an original Mini.</p>
<p>All those seams follow the lines of the original Mini.</p>
<p>Cheers,
Jack</p>
<p>I guess I'm in the minority here, but I think this is good news. Assuming all of this speculation is correct, the suspension set-up that allows the MINI to handle so well is not changing, the appearance of the MINI will not change dramatically, and the engines will be more powerful. That all sounds just fine to me.</p>
<p>I would like to see a factory wide-arch option to go with that extra power and possible AWD.</p>
<p>At the bottom of the article, it mentions pricing. It says for the S, 16000 pounds. At the current exchange rate, that would mean the next S would hit the US at $32.000.
Goodbye good deal. If that's what it prices out at, I'm afraid that I'll be looking elsewhere for a replacment for my 04.</p>
<p>DCE: The current MCS starts at 15,800 pounds right now. The new S won't be more more expensive than the current $20k</p>
<p>yeah, right now the S is the same price in pounds…BMW is just eating the dollar dip and still selling the S at 20k…it SHOULD cost us 30k RIGHT NOW to buy the S based on the dollar's value…yet another reason the S is the best value car in the US…</p>
<p>BTW….dgszweda…it's Herbie…RB</p>
<p>No complaints – I'll be trading my 05 for the new one when it rolls on over to my dealership.</p>
<p>“z-link rear transmission”??? isn't that a typo in the last word of the third sentence of your intro paragraph. As good as your site is, it often has typographical errors–fire the proofreader :-)</p>
<p>Considering that the GT-R might finally make it to the states in 07 from Infiniti – I'm tempted to jump ship. </p>
<p>The new design for the Mini looks nice – just wished the projected engine was alot more powerful.</p>
<p>I* bet you the gas mileage will be the same as now with a spooling turbo your foot will be 'in it', more than ever!!
🙁 or :)</p>
<p>it's definitely photoshop or some other similar program. notice how the background is exactly the same? that said i like the new one, lights in the mirrors and all. i do hope they keep the hood scoop for the S. i can't wait!</p>
<p>I'll withhold judgement until I see the real deal. As long as millimeters don't turn into centimeters and then to meters, I'll be OK with it. I'm gonna miss the lights on the bonnet. I'll not shed too many tears over the scoop, however, as I accepted it grudgingly as a neccesary evil. Always reminded me of a Fairthorpe Em2, or a Rockette, or some such – I wanted an offset NACA duct m'self.</p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>Well if it looks anything like that blue thing I'll wait until 2014 and maybe they'll get better.</p>
<p>I'm keeping my 2002…thank you!</p>
<p>RB</p>
<p>BTW…in my book the hood scoop is one of the kooler items otherwise the hood is a blob, to me.</p>
<p>I think it's going in a good direction. I think the scoop makes the current S model look fatfaced, piglike, snouty. The Cooper hood has a sleeker and more aggressive line to it.<br />
Good Riddence to that nostril!
I like the larger, open grille. If they mount an intercooler, I'd imagine there would be some space created up front… would that be an extended frame? </p>
<p>Hood minus lights is a good cost counter move on MINI's part.</p>
<p>The mirror signals, yuck. Wish they'd redeign the mouse ears completely. But I do not like the side marker lights either. A redesign of that feature would be nice.</p>
<p>And an AWD would mean less room inside, higher insurance rates, mor expenive upkeep, the MSRP will be significantly higher… AWD in a MINI wouldn't seem like much of an advantage, considering.</p>
<p>Anyhow, I'd pass over the coop for the GT-R myself…
And Nissan is planning on releasing a compact, looks like a small 350Z… which should be pretty nice.</p>
<p>A lot coming to us in the future.</p>
<p>No scoop?? Thats not cool.</p>
<p>I agree with Doug “the scoop makes the current S model look fatfaced, piglike, snouty. The Cooper hood has a sleeker and more aggressive line to it.” A MINI without the scoop would be fine with me. That is just an one opinion, though.</p>
<p>It never fails, car companies continue to modernize and tweak until the car looks less and less than intended. I like the new Mustang because it harkens back to the original, and I think Ford will sell a ton of them just because of nostalgia. </p>
<p>My favorite car of all time was a 71 MGB. The make eventually died because they kept modernizing it. I love my Cooper and am glad I got one now. Now if I can just have the good sense to maintain it well into the future-unlike what I let happen to the old MG.</p>
<p>When I first saw the pic above of the '07 Mini I thought it was a Cooper. Then I saw the current MCS to the right and realized the one on the left is a '07 MCS. I think the S isn't an S without the hood scoop.</p>
<p>I agree — An S needs the hood scoop. It looks a bit impotent without it. I use the word 'impotent' purposefully because the dictionary's definition is:
“Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak.
Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless.”
Also, because this has always been touted a 'boy' car. To remove the hood scoop on the S is to practically castrate it. MINI exec's, if you're reading this post… KEEP THE SCOOP ON THE S!</p>
<p>The 07 concept is terrible so far. The hoodscoop is the defining feature of a Cooper S. Removing the hoodscoop would be a huge mistake. The angled lights look to Mercedes E-classe like too. Also the turning signals should stay behind the wheel. </p>
<p>All I can say is thank goodness this is only a photoshop and there's a chance MINI's design team is reading our reactions. MINI seems to be about hertage (BMW) so they hopefully will keep the design as original as possible.</p>
<p>How long did it take to change & redesign the new mini2 since the original austin mini design ? A LOT of years!!!! That is the reason why its such a classic that people collect them till today. What are these guys doing? Can they just stick to the first mini2 design. They just messed up!!! </p>
<p>How will this turn into a classic if they keep on changing the looks within 4-6 years!!!!!!</p>
<p>To all that think the new Mini will look horrible according to the rendering at the top….you should be ashamed of yourselves! If the car looks anything like the rendering, it will be a very good looking car, better than the current one. The side mirror markers are definatly a nice touch. The whole front end looks amazing! I also think that the new engines are much needed. With new competition comming around with 200+ hp 4cyl. in the same class for about the same price or cheaper…BMW NEEDS to step it up a notch. I just think that the new 1.6L twin-cam turbo will be more fun to drive, and more efficient at making power than the pathetic single cam superchaged 4 cyl. Not to mention it's going to sound a whole lot better at open throttle because of the twin-cams. After market tuning will also help the car obtain much more HP than tuning the current engine. Turbo engines respond better to mods as compared to superchaged variants. Another tuning advantage is the twin-cam thing. Not only will it sound better, it will also include BMW's variable valve timing which means better feul economy and when modded with aftermarket sport cams, it will produce much more HP than if u were just modding a single cam engine. The point of all this is that the Mini needs a serious makeover, inside and out. Competition is getting feirce and i just think that BMW just has way more potential than what it's currently doing….oh yea…and the rendering looks bad ass too! C'mon BMW, build that Monster Mini!</p>
<p>Daill3stchop: Ashamed?… Are you kidding or ignorant?! Pick one! One should never be ashamed of of their opinions, likes or dislikes. Necessity is the mother of invention… But so is imagination, creative expression and CHANGE… DON'T EVER TRY TO STIFLE THESE CHARACTARISTICS!!! They are what allow things that happen to actually come to fruition. Some of it works — Some of it does not. But without it we wouldn't have the all the good that exists now and all that will exist in the future. Express you're opinion, you're entitled. But never EVER place shame on someone for simply expressing themselves.</p>
<p>I do like the rendering, but I hope that MINI keeps the design very (and I mean VERY) close to the current design that I love so much…Just a simple facelift would suffice!</p>
<p>vorrei sapere se usciràla versione diesel del mini cabrio che data???</p>
<p>Actually, I am a BIG FAN of the above photoshopped version….</p>
<p>I like the plastics under the door (much meaner and sporty, like the mirror flash (too classy)(although I wonder how will it look with chequered mirrors etc) and I LOVE THE FRONT!!!!!…</p>
<p>Can I order mine as the above and leave the others pic whatever they want?…lol</p>
<p>cheers 2 all and let us have a nice mini meeting in ITALY!!!!!!</p>
<p>(cafeine, Greek Miniclub.gr)</p>