MotoringFile reader Stefan managed to take a few pics of what appears to be the Cooper S version of the new R55 (aka the Traveler) during his honeymoon in Africa. While the test mule is heavily camouflaged, there is still a lot to take in for those wanting to know more about the upcoming long wheelbase MINI.
In the above image we can clearly see the functioning hood scoop of the 170bhp turbocharged engine. Also seen are the turn signals integrated into the headlights that we mentioned awhile back. However due to MINI’s excellent job of hiding the true front of the car via pounds of tacked on plastic, there’s little of the final design evident.
That said we can see the more tear-dropped shaped rearview mirrors, the R55 specific roof design and the new plastic lower side moldings. And for those who are really into the details, the new wiper design is also subtly visable.
One of the biggest additions to the R55 will be the passenger suicide rear door that you can clearly see here taped up. In fact it looks like the engineers have used the door once or twice as it would seem the tape is a bit worn.
In this next photo (above) we can get a good feel of the overall length of the R55 and the position of the rear suicide door. However it’s worth noting that the information we’ve over the last few months about this topic indicates the R55 will have only one suicide door (on the passenger side) with nothing on the driver side. Could MINI have simply copied the taped outline on the passenger side to throw us off or could the R55 actually feature two suicide doors? Also seen in the above photo (through the rear windows) is a taped central portion of the rear boot. This is actually where the rear “barn doors” should open on the final car.
Related:
[ Next Generation MINI Revealed (Updated) ] MotoringFile
Looks like a turn indicator showing through on the outside driver’s side mirror.
Wow…This is like watching a baby develop before birth.
We can see the MINI transforming to a shape & style similar to the Traveller Concept Parent Cars.
Wow, the area of the hood over the wheel wells and at the transition sure looks more angular.
>Looks like a turn indicator showing through on the outside driver’s side mirror.
That’s just some trickery by BMW. Since BMW is known to not use mirror mounted turn signals they probably figure it’ll throw off the spy photographers.
>Wow, the area of the hood over the wheel wells and at the transition sure looks more angular.
This is nothing more than camouflage actually.
They should just stick to the regular MINI. To me the idea of a MINI station wagon is terrible.
On the contrary, the MINI wagon is a great idea, and one that I am eagerly awaiting. MINI handling and styling with room for cargo makes for a compelling package that should sell well.
One of the main reasons I hear from people that they would not consider buying a MINI is because they are thought to be too small to be practical. The R55 fixes that.
That being said, I’ve managed to fit two kayaks, a bike, camping and kayaking gear for two, myself and my wife into our rack-equipped MCS, and enjoyed a great motoring experience while still having the stuff I need to enjoy the time spent outside the car, too. The MINI is more practical than people give it credit for.
Not too bad. I’ll be happy when we finally see the final product. What’s with the rear bumper? Camouflage? Bastiges!
Don’t forget this one is probably right hand drive. Hence the taped rear door on the left side.
I look forward to seeing the finished product on this. As a triathlete and backpacker, I could use the extra room and still get the fun of driving a MINI. Maybe I will not have to choose between keeping my stuff at home, or driving my wifes (gulp, gag) SUV.
<blockquote>Don’t forget this one is probably right hand drive. Hence the taped rear door on the left side.</blockquote>
Look at the second picture down. That extra door is on the same side as the steering wheel (left side).
Unless the pictures are flipped, you can see through the windows that this is a left hand drive car.
whats the mini next to it??
I wonder if the barn doors are going to be asymetrical? Hope not.
I don’t think the body could maintain enough structural integrity to have suicides on both sides, at least the way a MINI can be driven. Plus all that extra weight for each door? – no way, I would hope, the car is too wee for that.
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
That roof design looks really funky. Would that be the first mini without a flat roof?
surely it would make sense for the thing to have these backward opening doors on both sides…? otherwise you have two different body shells for left and right hand drive cars…?
Does anyone else do a similar door arrangement, with what would in effect be a three door car (excluding hatch area)?
It seems odd that they would have only one suicide door. That’s because overall production is split between left hand drive/right hand drive. From a manufacturing point of view, I would think it simpler to have two auxiliary doors rather than build some cars with the door on the right and others with it on the left.
>Does anyone else do a similar door arrangement, with what would in effect be a three door car (excluding hatch area)?
For years full-size trucks in the US had this arrangement. Then they said to hell with weight and rigidity and went to four 🙂
Great shots – thanks for sharing.
If you look at the second picture there is tape on the passenger side as well. It looks like they are trying to hide whether there is a rear door on both sides. They may also be trying to hide which side opens if that feature is only on one side.
This may be slightly off-topic. Is there any information about new convertible changes to compliment the R56?
Even using my imagination to project it forward and remove the obvious prototyping effects – I still don’t like it.
I’m hoping for a pair of suicide doors for no other reason than sheer symmetry. And Tony T makes a really good point that they’d have to produce separate body shells for LHD and RHD cars. If the RX-8 can have twin rear suicide doors and stay a structurally sound coupe, then why can’t the MINI? It isn’t as though they took the R56 and stuck it on the taffy puller and just stretched the car – I’m sure its a separate sub-frame and what not, which if they’ve engineered it right should be plenty stiff. Nobody would be saying anything about stiffness if it were just one long door, but structurally it’s no different. What gets me is I bet at the end of the day, the parallelogram doors probably wouldn’t be any more expensive than rear suicides – and maybe lighter. We’ll see I guess. Cool to see it out and about.
I think the Traveler is a great idea for folks who want a MINI and need a wee bit more room. My wife and I each have a MINI and I keep a Subaru Forester just for the cargo space (and to seat four adults). If the Traveler can handle this, bye-bye Subaru. Seems like the Traveler is rounding into shape nicely – thanks for keeping us informed Gabe!
The thing about having the door is that visually it really does break up the side profile a lot to have the extra pillar. Where as without the rear door you have this very nice long unobstructed rear passenger window that results in a much cleaner side profile (Frankfurt Concept).
From inside the car, you could also imagine that with a stubby door like that the rear seat passenger sitting next to the rear door is going to be looking out of a window roughly the size of the window in a commercial airliner. Then they’ll have the pillar there. Where as on the side without the door, that passenger would have a nice unobstructed view out the window.
I’m pretty fond of the Traveller, but if I ever purchased one, the first modification would be window tint to help unify the appearance of the two sides of the car by darkening the windows to help them blend in more with the black glass that the pillars sit behind.
I’ll take one.
A Traveler’d be brilliant… More so if it provides rear legroom.
Q: How much heavier would it likely be (re: 170bhp)?
i thought the barn doors were nixed…
>i thought the barn doors were nixed…
Check out the last section of the article below:
<a href="http://motoringfile.com/2006/02/28/next-generation-mini-revealed-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Next Generation Revealed (part 2)</a>
I don’t like the roof, I hope it’s just part of the camouflage. It has to be flat.
Appart from that, I seriously consider the Traveler. It’s cool, you have plenty of room and it’s not necessarily a family car.
<blockquote>Does anyone else do a similar door arrangement, with what would in effect be a three door car (excluding hatch area)?</blockquote>
Saturn coupes were (are?) available with a third “suicide” rear door on the driver’s side.
Then there’s the RX8, of coruse.
Looking forward to seeing and driving a final version.
<strong>The Roof</strong>
My hope for the roof is that the ribbing won’t be there just for the sake of it, but that there will be some kind of a <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2005_detroit_concept/images/P0023053.jpg" rel="nofollow">factory rack</a> available that may build off of those two ribs.
The roof rack options on the current MINI have been poor to say the least. Either get an aftermarket rack that clips on to the plastic “gutters” or get the MINI accessory rack that requires drilling into the roof. Having real <strong>load rated</strong> rails would be a big step forward
<strong>The 3rd Door</strong>
If the conventional wisdom is right and the third door is going to be on the passenger side, then that means MINI already would need to build two different body shells due to different placement of the door for LHD and RHD. Given all of the customization available from MINI one very MINI way to handle the third door might be to offer a few different door configuations on the spec sheet (3rd door driver’s side, 3rd door passenger’s side, 4 door).
It’s nice and will be very practical. Now will they drop a bomb and give it to us in ’07?
With that extra room, there will be space for some sweet loving with my wife and some of her friends.
Not digging this at all. Looks like a Subaru Forester/Outback with a hoodscoop, although granted it’s heavily cladded.
Not sure why you’d want a “preformance” station wagon; it’s kind of an oxymoron. If I see one of these with Bonnet stripes, I’ll gag–it’ll be like all those counterfeit mini ads, except worse–Mini parodying itself.
Lengthening the current platform just kills the styling IMHO.
>Not sure why you’d want a “preformance†station wagon; it’s kind of an oxymoron.
That’s the strangest statement I’ve heard in a long time. Why not? To me the much bigger questions would be, why in the world would someone want a small SUV? I have a 3 series wagon with a manual and the sport suspension. It handles like a sports sedan, is faster than my MCS, can haul a ton and gets respectable MPG. Explain to me why no one should want (or expect) something like that?
Ok so lets say thats what the roof looks like on this when its goes into priduction . . . I now have a reason not to buy a traveler
I’ll take one with AWD.
<blockquote>Not sure why you’d want a “preformance†station wagon</blockquote>
Think of it as an extended wheelbase hatch with a stubby 3rd door then. 😉
In all seriousness, you’re right, the R55 is a station wagon – though MINI will no doubt try to convince us it is actually something else… MCT where the T stands for Touring, not <em>turbo</em> 😉
Back to the performance station wagon oxymoron, what’s so wrong with that? We can’t all own a fleet of vehicles, and wanting additional practicality shouldn’t sentence one to drive an SUV, a minivan, or a car that doesn’t handle well.
I’d love to take an R55 out on a track and see what other cars the little MINI station wagon could pick off.
There are quite a few turbo or supercharged wagons on the market. WRX Sport Wagons (SW) for one, but also Merc BMW VW. There’s definetely a market for them.
The mini will add good if not great fuel economy to the equation compared to other SWs.
I like the idea. I like the looks. I just wonder if I can get it with a JCW engine kit and JCW grocery bag storage system? LOL
Gah! Why can’t his be coming out sooner. Wife and I want a MINI and this would be the perfect size for us!
I wouldn’t really call it much of a station wagon… still a small little package!
I wonder how MINI will address the rear wiper for the barn doors. The only thing I can think of is the set up on a bus.
Sorry, a performance station makes no sense to me. What do you use it for? For the track?
In all seriosness, it’s extended wheelbase isn’t going to handle as well as a performance sedan. What you should be comparing your station wagon to IMHO is it’s companion sedan model rather than the Mini (but I doubt the wagon will go through twisties as well as an MCS, but that’s simply conjecture)–there is no way your three series wagon compares to a 3 series sedan–a huge compromise. A station wagon is, well, a station wagon–more for utility. Sure, you can soup one up, and it will be faster than a give performance car, but It’s still a strange mix to me. Just my opinion; I have the luxury of having a vehicle for utility, and the Mini for fun–if I could only have one car, maybe I’d feel differently (but I doubt it).
BTW, I don’t disagree with you on the small SUV statement.
>What you should be comparing your station wagon to IMHO is it’s companion sedan model rather than the Mini (but I doubt the wagon will go through twisties as well as an MCS, but that’s simply conjecture)—there is no way your three series wagon compares to a 3 series sedan—a huge compromise.
It just seems odd that you’d be trying to tell me this. I’ve owned five 3 series – 2 coupes, 2 sedans and one wagon. I know the difference in performance and feel very very well. And I’m happy to tell you that the wagon feels almost no different than any other E46 3 series with sports package. In fact here are the differences: the wagon weights <a href="http://www.modernracer.com/bmw325i.html">77lbs</a> more than the sedan and actually has better weight distribution at 50/50. To make up for the added 77lbs BMW gave the wagon has a quicker gear ratio and the larger brakes of the 328i or 330i depending on the year.
So you can see why I find your statement factually incorrect.
>A station wagon is, well, a station wagon—more for utility. Sure, you can soup one up, and it will be faster than a give performance car, but It’s still a strange mix to me. Just my opinion; I have the luxury of having a vehicle for utility, and the Mini for fun—if I could only have one car, maybe I’d feel differently (but I doubt it).
You argument is the same one many people use to get a sporty wagon. One car for utility, and the MINI. It just so happens that people with sport wagons refuse to have a “utility” vehicle that is a bore to drive. I don’t understand why anyone would make that consession actually.
But I still can’t get over the whole idea of someone thinking a sporty wagon is an oxymoron. If you really believe that you certainly haven’t been to Europe where sport wagons have been hugely popular for many many years. This new MINI will just be an extension of this.
very well put,
how many of you have ever driven a 540iT, (touring in BMW speak, wagon for the rest)
this is one of the most awesome cars I have ever driven.
Not too mention all the high performance variants by Audi, the original RS4 and more recently RS6 come to mind.
wagon need not mean dull, quite the contrary in some cases.
I fondly remember kicking plenty of butt in a Classic Mini Wagon – they were like no other, unless you were in another Mini. I won’t even go into the Van and Pick-up versions, as they were just as capable. 😉 They didn’t lose much at all of the legendary chassis performance of the coupe, and were just as endlessly tuneable. If MINI carries over the handling of the present coupe in such a manner, it will be one awesome wagon, I wouldn’t think twice about twisties running or autox.
As an aside, our 325iT is one helluva car, wagon or not. ‘Nuff said.
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
How much will the plastic cladding go for on ebay?
I think it would be great!
Think of it. Give it AWD and it would be long enough to rally. Suh-weet!
AWD AWD AWD AWD AWD AWD AWD AWD!!!
Just noticed the spelling of the model name is inconsistent in the article title, the body of the text, and in the comments.
Has it been resolved yet whether the model will be spelled the British way with two L’s, “Traveller”, or the American way with one, “Traveler”?
Obviously, the original Morris Mini Traveller was with two L’s and I think that’s what the new version should be as well.
.
<blockquote>If you really believe that you certainly haven’t been to Europe where sport wagons have been hugely popular for many many years. This new MINI will just be an extension of this.</blockquote>
As a European, I would just like to second that. It might have actually been Volvo (yes, really :)) that invented the sporty wagon, with their 850R. My dad has a Volvo V40 T4 (190 BHP 2.0 turbo) with a proper sporty suspension kit that is just a hoot to drive. Then think of the Alfa 156 Sportwagon, Audi A3 Sportback, etc. Actually, if you’re really up for the utility, these cars are probably not the best choice around, they don’t have that much more storage space than the sedan version. For a lot of buyers, probably 50% of the appeal is actually in the looks, the other 50% is the added practicallity (which alone would be such a great argument to shell out the extra bucks).
I think you’ll find that the Audi beet Volvo to it with the RS2 which was developed with Porsche.
That was a phenomenal car in its day and probably still holds its own today.
First: i always love as soon as something different comes out there has to be SOMEONE too poo-poo it. Ready for this: i bet they offer the R55 S with a….GASP!…automatic! It will only be a matter of time before the REAL MINIs (SC/6 Speed/tin top) start a lynch mob and drive those posers out of town!
Huh? Nah..i didn’t hear anything….it’s just a bunch of guys in british cars smaller than ours saying something about BMW…
Anyway – thanks for the pics. Good to see that coming along. My wife and I are in the same position as rhawth99, a MINI for each and a subaru wagon for everything else. Granted, my scooby is a bit of a beater, I doubt i am going to run out & replace it with an R55, but it is nice to have the option. A friend of the family has two children, and she is patiently waiting for the R55 to come out. (well, maybe not that patiently…. 🙂
Anyway, it’s good to keep in mind that once the R55 comes out that they will be stopping production on ALL coupes and sending getrag a memo to take their business elsewhere.
I heard the R61 has sliding doors on each side and Stow & go Seating for 7….
🙂
-jac
Reading above, someone noted that the “sports wagons” are relatively short on utility–if so, why not go for all out performance? Then it’s not doing either function as well as it could be–a compromise. And many of the european “station wagons” are more like large hatchbacks than station wagons IMHO. But I really don’t want to argue this anymore; it’s struck a nerve apparently and that’s not why I go to this board, so fire away, I promise I’m done with it.
Back to the topic: someone mentioned above that the classic mini still looked “different”, and that’s one of my biggest issues with the new Mini wagon–the old Mini wagon was still very small, and didn’t look like anything else on the road. It was more of an extended hatch than an all out station wagon (The classic really doesn’t look like a station wagon–more like a cross between a mini, miniature panel truck, and a station wagon). This thing on the other hand looks closer to a station wagon than a hatch. What gives the Mini it’s uniqueness in the U.S.? It’s the shortest car from nose to tail. It’s not the narrowest though; the Mini’s unique look comes from being short yet relatively wide. The Wagon destroys that; the dimensions now are more like every other small wagon out there, and the Mini doesn’t have that eye catching look. Dissapointing, and I’m hoping they don’t make a bazillion of these–hate to see brand dilution.
Struck a nerve… yeah… I’m a strict wagon-guy. I don’t like 4-door sedans. If it has 4 doors, it should be a wagon. Otherwise, a 2-door coupe. Or even better: a 2-door WAGON! (like my ’73 Volvo 1800ES) 😉
For what it’s worth, Audi, BMW and VW people take wagons to the track all the time. I had service records for an Audi A4 Avant I had and there was mention of the car being prepped for a DE by the dealer.
Honestly, from what I’ve seen so far, my complaint about the new Traveller is it’s too close to the MINI in size and not big enough.
If it has the drive-ablitity of the E39 Touring or the new E60 Touring, it will be a much loved adtion to the touring class, unless they are going to consider it on the X3 platform, which I think they will with the traveler. Is the hightride the same? from the pic I would say its up a inch or two. Pics would be better if they were closer up. Heck if I was in Africa, I would have waited for them to get out of the car then jump in it , demand the keys….lol
-alpinamike
While we’re on the subject of wagons, I like to mention my Dodge Magnum SR/T which will smoke a lot of those other “wagons” out there.
OK, I will no longer resist commenting. Since I own BOTH a 67 Austin Cooper S AND a 68 Morris Mini Traveller (woody wagon), I think I can speak to handling differences between them. I autocross them both — both have fairly equivalent suspension and drive trains (since I upgraded the Woody many years ago with a Cooper S engine and brakes). The Woody does just about everything in autocross better than the Cooper S sedan — mind you, they are both tons of fun to compete in. The extended wheelbase of the Woody (a whole 4 inches!) makes the handling (to me)seem much more predictable. I get lots of warning before the wagon will spin. In the sedan, when you get the spin warning, it is usually way too late to catch it — it is going to spin, period — enjoy the ride. The wagon slaloms just as quickly, perhaps quicker. It stops just as well as the sedan, it goes just as quickly. On very slow corners, I can easily get the rear end of the wagon to hang out and get through the corner quicker. If I attempt to hang the rear end of the sedan out, about 50% of the time, I will end up spinning it.
Now we won’t really know how the New MINI wagon’s handling will compare to the sedans until we get our hands on them, so speculation at this point is just that — SPECULATION. However, my best “guess” is that BMW will give us a very fine handling wagon (call it what you want). I look forward to seeing how it does.
I do know that I can transport 4 extra tires and wheels, floor jack, an air tank, tool box, two helmets, a cooler, and two folding chairs in my wagon when I got to autocross — can’t do that with the sedan!
If you want to see a picture of the wagon in three wheel mode at an autocross, go to NAM (same user name as here) and look in my gallery.
Am I going to run down to my MINI dealer and order a wagon? Most likely not. But when I need to replace my 2006 MCS(if I ever do such a thing) , I will most certainly look. And when I need to replace my daily driver vehicle (99 Ford Contour SVT)I will have a MINI wagon on the short list.
Let’s preserve judgement until we have the facts — I know that isn’t as much fun as what is going on here, but the truth is we won’t KNOW until we have our hands on the new wagons.
cheers,
Paul
<blockquote>If you want to see a picture of the wagon in three wheel mode at an autocross, go to NAM (same user name as here) and look in my gallery.</blockquote>
Here it is: <a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/gallery/data/500/7612heeledover1.jpg" rel="nofollow">Photo</a>
Are you saying you get better autocross times with the wagon than the base classic mini?
BTW, love the picture, but it highlights my major beef with the new mini. You look at that picture, and it still looks like a mini; the personality is still there. You look at the new mini traveller, and it looks like a half dozen other station wagons on the road.
I agree we don’t know for sure what the end result is going to be, but from the concept vehicles, I think at least from a style standpoint, the idea is fairly clear. And besides, what’s the point of looking at articles such as this then, if we’re not going to speculate?
argh! if you’re ever asked to participate in a pre-production evaluation for market research purposes, do so at your own peril. i have seen both 2007 models in the flesh, sat in them, played with the doors… i have the answers to all your questions, and i can’t say a thing! gah! i’m ready to burst…
rds – I think there are others here who know the feeling as well!
“Are you saying you get better autocross times with the wagon than the base classic mini?”
Absolutely! And remember, they both have the same drivetrain (1275cc Cooper S engine, and 7.5 inch front disk brakes, same wheel and tire size). The wagon weighs probably at least 100lbs more just because there is more glass, and a longer roof. The gas tank in the Woody is low and under the floor, where the twin tanks in the Cooper S sedan are higher, in the boot on both sides. Both of them are fully streetable vehicles.
Dave — thanks for porting the picture over.
cheers,
Paul
I also still have my Countryman, and it sure looks like a station wagon, albeit small. It does not look like an extended hatchback, and functioned as a station wagon, not a hatchback. The new Traveller will look like a MINI-wagon, as intended. I’m all for it!
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
I love the Wagon. Surf’s up dude! My first car was a ’73 Pinto wagon-which were 2dr wagons. I think it was way nicer than the Pinto coupe. I put a sticker on the back that said TURBO. People used to ask if it was really Turbo charged and all I had to do was take em through some twisties and that would shut them up. Ford has been downhill ever since then. Maybe they should bring back the Pinto.
<blockquote>argh! if you’re ever asked to participate in a pre-production evaluation for market research purposes, do so at your own peril. i have seen both 2007 models in the flesh, sat in them, played with the doors… i have the answers to all your questions, and i can’t say a thing! gah! i’m ready to burst…</blockquote>
Hey rds, when you say “both” 2007 models in the flesh, does that mean MC and MCS or sedan and Wagon?
It is interesting that you would say something like this on a Traveller thread. and that would mean that a wagon variant would come out in 2007. HMMN,
“Argh! Gah!”
IF so let it be AWD AWD AWD!
Since he probably can’t answer – I’ll answer for him. Just like MINI showed the 2007 MC 18 months before being released (03/05) they have now shown the 2008 R55 to select people in focus groups.
One word sums it up for me! HIDEOUS!!! Its not a MINI anymore!! Its a MAXI. Does this behemouth sip not guzzle too?
okay, R55 is the 07 MCS? You (Gabe)say it is the 08. rds was talking about the 07.
I think that what you are trying to tell me that it is the 08 wagon? I’m Sorry. Right?
R55 = the Traveler
67, now 68 comments…looks like a car capable of making a lot of conversation, and heads turn…
man that roof looks odd… is that going to be a Traveler only thing? And I still do not like the turn signals in the headlights. Too Mercedes Benz for me. Not to mention the thought process behind putting an indicator light inches away from a broadcast illumination light.
If you want to see a serious performance wagon check out a Lancer Evolution IX wagon in Japan. Simply amazing! Lots of people have different needs and not everyone can have a 2nd vehicle. This provides a lot of the style of a MC and some practicality.
I may be able to afford a secondary car in the future and I’m looking at a MCS Convertible with auto. Driving 50+ miles a day in DC traffic I want something maneuverable, fairly small and fun to drive. The traveler would also fit the bill and could be used on weekends with the kids too. I say spread the joy.
thx stefan 🙂 great bunch of pics!
see you at strahlung pur IV
eS aka n!co