BMW Considering New MINI Variations
MINI has a coupe, a convertible (set to be re-introduced next spring), a wagon-like vehicle and soon an SUV. While we’ve known for quite some time MINI has been contemplating different variations of the current line-up, however until now we never had any official confirmation of what may be coming. After talking with various high-level sources we’ve pieced together the following list of potential MINI variations that BMW is currently studying.
First up is the cross-over that is already well into development. Code-named the R60, MINI has recently shown off a lightly disguised “concept” version and will debut the production car sometime in 2010.
But after that the list starts to get very interesting. We’ve learned that MINI is official considering the following:
– Two seat coupe
– two door wagon (shooting-brake?)
– Roadster/Speedster
– Compact People carrier (a space efficient version of the current Clubman?)
– Micro car (something closer to the Smart).
Beyond this BMW is currently looking at a host of propulsion systems for future MINIs. Based on sources they are currently investigating:
– Hybrids
– Fuel Cell
– Hydrogen
– Diesel
So our question to all the loyal MotoringFile readers is… what do you want to see?
I want to see a roadster and a sporty two-door wagon. Sort of a JCW Clubman with less doors, and more power.
I’d love for the diesels to get here also. Anything in the 1 series in Europe that can be certified here.
I know hybrids get good gas mileage, but I keep reading articles about how end to end they suck for the environment – strip mining for nickel to make the batteries, no good way to recycle them, etc.
I actually got a phone survey from BMW Munich on Friday asking a whole bunch of lifestyle questions – towards the end of the survey they asked me what I thought of different varients and all the above-mentioned models came up in the questioning.
It’s encouraging that they’re asking their buyers what they think of future direction for their models.
Would just love to see a diesel in Australia…
Hybrid would be awesome – but I doubt that would happen before the diesel.
Want to see hybrid (hard to imagine, how they will fit it inside) and pure electric with 500 km with one charge.
What about a MINI pickup truck?
TWO-SEAT COUPE!!!!! 😀
Mid-engined two-seat coupe 😛
BTW, what about Mini-excavator or Mini-bulldozer? Do BMW plan to extend their range to this type of vehicles? It should also close some niche on the market…
A hardtop convertible!
I have no idea how they’d do it given the inherent size of the MINI, and the added wait. However, I bet a lot of people would love to have the option.
Personally, a 2 seat roadster would be sweet. I think it would fit better as a Triumph than a MINI though, but I imagine that they don;t want to go to teh expense of yet another complete brand.
an electric micro car please
My 2004 Cooper is perfect for me, so I don’t need a new style of car. However, the engine would be something I would like to look at. Electric would be nice, but I get a feeling that a diesel hybrid would be ideal for my uses. Yup, diesel is nice, same with hybrids – why not combine them? You could blow the prius of the road.
Is a two seat coupe to be just a coupe with no back seat like the GP? That seems hardly compelling as anybody could pull the back seat out of a coupe if that’s what they wanted. But if its to have a different roofline, then yes, by all means. I could see a fastback hatch akin to many of the Triumph hard tops. That would pair nicely with a 2 seat roadster, and perhaps a retractable hardtop. I think all these could essentially use the same running gear as the coupe/vert/clubman making the development path easier.
Aside from that the only other thing on the list that gets me excited is the micro-car. I’d love to see them offer something the size of the orginal Mini.
I want a MINI SUV that will CRUSH all those who are smaller in size and stature. I want 6 MPG City and 9 MPG Highway. I want to guzzle. I want to intimidate with the raw power of my supercharged v8. I want more horsepower than IQ. MOREMOREMORE!!!
i’d like all of the above (in the article) and the MINI with a fastback, two seats, and one door.
OOOOOO!!!! MAKE THE TWO SEATER A REAR WHEEL DRIVE CAR!!!! 😀 IM JUMPING IN A HAZE OF DELICIOUS IDEAS!!!!!
I’m still excited about the R60!!!!!!!
How about a true 5 door hatchback variation of the clubman? Engine, electric or hybrid/diesel please.
Two-seat coupe — a minier MINI with hard top and fuel cells.
An AWD 2-seat coupe with a JCW package.
How about a MINI El Camino? I’ll start growing my mullet now!
I like many of those choices. Always like to see hardtop coupes. A speedster could be interesting. I would think though both of those would fit better under a Triumph badge.
Don’t think the micro car is a good idea with the Isetta coming out in general, though what I think that would fit here though is a retro Mini. Would bet that most everything they need to do this is still hanging around so would be cheaper. They could try share some of the platform components with the Isetta to make production cheaper.
As for motors I would like to see here would be either the diesel or a hybrid diesel.
>Don’t think the micro car is a good idea with the Isetta coming out in general, though what I think that would fit here though is a retro Mini. Would bet that most everything they need to do this is still hanging around so would be cheaper. They could try share some of the platform components with the Isetta to make production cheaper.
What if this micro MINI is the BMW small car that’s been in the new recently? That is a distinct possibility.
I am a avid supporter of micro cars. So by that virtue alone I would love to see what BMW has up its sleeve with this for sure. I would welcome a micro car from either BMW or Mini with wide open arms. If rumors are correct and we will be seeing the Isetta I think using the same platform between a Mini and an Isetta/BMW would make great production sense.
Still would love to see a classic looking car, though I am not sure if this would muddy the water for the coupe.
Seems to me that more variations would mean each variation would be splitting up more of the pie, which would reduce economies of scale. Powerplants seem like a way to make the pie bigger, at least moreso than making anything beyond the R60 or a microcar. I can’t imagine a lot of people saying, “I’d never buy a Cooper Convertible, but now that there’s a model with 2 seats, not 4, and a shiny top, sign me up!”
I would like to see a rear wheel drive roadster, but I don’t think MINI has ever produced that kind of car.
Doubt we would see a rear wheel drive car, this would kinda step into BMW’s area, same reason I would never expect a FWD BMW.
A “Micro car (something closer to the Smart)” or a Mini the size of the original Mini would be nice…
Bring back the Isetta and show Mercedes (Smart) how to properly build a city car with attractive looks, performance and fuel economy.
I think they could badge a 2 seater a Triumph and just sell it through the Mini dealerships.
The micro car, or original Mini sized car would have a known market outside the US, and its intro here would allow them to test the waters for that size car in the US. They went through the same question with the R50.
I’d love it if they came out with a Triumph style roadster and coupe/hatchback. If they were to build it with the current motors and basic platform converted to RWD it would perform great and they could keep cost down. Imagine a TR-? that started off with the base Cooper motor, no power steering, windows, locks, etc for under $17k. I’m sure even a loaded up “S” version could still sell for around $25-28k, which would put them in Miata territory for their price range. I’d sell my MINI and my Miata in a heart beat if I could combine all that I love out of the two cars for around what I’m paying now for my MINI.
Not until the US economy recovers (And this could take years, decades) all this talk of brand expansion right now is a little irrelevant in light of the very grave financial situation our country is currently facing. The US dollar is even more worthless against the Euro today than it was on Friday afternoon.
BMW is cutting back on sales, staff and expenses everywhere. The name of the game now is survival…
I’d like a Clubman w/two clubdoors and AWD w/JCW power and stop-start. That’s seems feasible…
I’d love to see a sort of “luxury package” for the MINI- something like what Minspeed offers with their Coachworks program. The idea of a pickup (similar to the classic version) definitely intrigues me, though. Could be fun.
Without a doubt though, I’d love to see a roadster. Like a 2-seater coupe designed from the start as an iconic British sports car.
<blockquote>I’d like a Clubman w/two clubdoors and AWD w/JCW power and stop-start. </blockquote>
+1
Many have sold thier MINI’s when kids have come along. To keep the families in MINI’s a (better styled) R60 is the way to go.
I also vote for PERFORMANCE over efficency! As do most of the enthusiasts who have commented thus far. I think MINI is in an enteresting prediciment. The soul of the car is performance, Its engineers are performance oriented. However it’s sales department has done thier best to sell the car to people who would be happy in a honda fit. The marketing does not fit the essence of what made it successful in the first place. The MINI community is being torn in two by its own maker.
The whole time we were all up in arms about the R60 I was wondering “what if MINI stretches the brand in both directions?” Drive some sales to us big fat Americans with the bigger Crossover, and then turn around and bring back a true Mini with Issigonis’ original footprint and a more modern look.
THAT’S what I’m hoping MINI does next.
Beavers
PS: Anybody else picturing C4 stocking the shelves in his basement with canned goods and shotgun shells in between posts today?
PPS: Anybody else think he just might be right?
I would love to see a two seat COUPE!
Sure he’s right, he’s just about 9-12 months late.
a 2 door diesel wagon please. the clubman has too many weird doors. a hatch works best!
Natural gas. How about natural gas for propulsion? Practically half the price of gasoline, easy to build, clean, and plentiful.
MINI should make a two seat mid-rear engine coupe, rear wheel drive, weighing under 2000 lbs and powered by the current 208 BHP 1.6 JCW turbo engine with 6-speed Getrag. The low weight and slippery shape should improve fuel economy over the MINI Cooper series and offer performance comparable to Porsche’s Boxster S.
Supercharged Goodness I want my power NOW!
Diesel
AWD, not 4WD
Long enough to compete, Fast enough to win (Subies, Mitsu)
A racer! A Giant Killer! That is what a MINI is!
<blockquote>PS: Anybody else picturing C4 stocking the shelves in his basement with canned goods and shotgun shells in between posts today?</blockquote>
Yes, Actually.
<blockquote>PPS: Anybody else think he just might be right?</blockquote>
Depends on who wins
McCain? Economy up
Obama? Economy Dn You can’t tax your way into Prosperity. I never got a job from a poor man, just the rich.
<strong>Absolutely Awesome!</strong>
Think of the possibilities, a 2 seat roadster with convertible top that runs on Hydrogen? My mouth is already watering! Wait a minute, I can run my car on that!
Its great (and vital for survival) that BMW/Mini is researching all these possibilities. They need to be prepared to move where the technology leads them. I just hope they don’t introduce new models more rapidily than they can chew.
I vote for adding a two seat hard top convert like the latest Miata (light weight, doesn’t spoil the lines).
I also vote for getting the diesel here ASAP.
<strong> Two-Seat Convertible!</strong>
I’ve had 2 Miatas, and one MINI. I wish I could combine the Miata & MINI into 1 car…
Something else to consider, would be a smaller MINI. Something along the fortwo lines…but with a regular manual transmission, better MPG and the MINI styling. Not everyone has kids or crap to lug around or lives in the suburbs; a smaller MINI for the city would be fantastic.
<blockquote>Natural gas. How about natural gas for propulsion? Practically half the price of gasoline, easy to build, clean, and plentiful.</blockquote>
Until everyone statrs putting it in thier gas tanks
<blockquote>Bring back the Isetta and show Mercedes (Smart) how to properly build a city car with attractive looks, performance and fuel economy.</blockquote>
I second (or third, or fourth, haven’t counted!) that idea!! I think the Smart car is a brilliant concept but MINI should step in there and show Mercedes how it’s done. That’s what I’d most like to see, and what I think would benefit MINI the most in the future. Think smaller, fuel efficient, and urban-friendly – not big and SUV-like!
I like to see a 6 seater. Make it wider and but two rows of 3. Put the driver in the middle seat up front.
I think BMW shouldn’t be messing around with anything other than improving the current lineup. New models aren’t neccesary, but alter alternative fuels are a must.
Give me a diesel Clubman anytime. Fun to drive, extra room and the efficiency of a hybrid all in one. Who can beat that?
Gabe, what would you like to see?
Think alternative power-plants makes sense for brand growth. Still would love to see a Micro Mini city car.
I would LOVE to see a diesel engine option in all the current body configurations. A diesel hatchback would check my box for a perfectly practical commuter. If they feel the NEED to add another body style, a two-door, two-seat shooting brake that is styled like a Clubman but is the length of the hatchback would be fun. A two-seat coupe should just be a package option with the normal hatchback in the vein of the R53 GP.
Be careful what you wish for – you may get it!
2 door coupe? You already got one. How about decent leg room in the back. Lets face it old Classic Mini had more leg room in the back than the R50 or R56.
Do you really want a 72 year old with no future and limited time left above ground, and a hockey mom running the country?
AWD…..that is all.
…OMG…a CROSSOVER…our MINI stand has ALWAYS been
to HATE S..U..V’s….I’m going to vomit….
No politics please GregW, lets keep the discussion focused.
What direction do you think that Mini should follow if they were to grow the brand after the R60?
Thanks for guiding me back on track JonPD.
How many more variants can you think of? Old Mini had;
2 door saloon, 2 Cooper versions, panel van, station wagon (Countryman and Traveler), pickup, Moke (jeep), and finally a convertible in later years.
So the MINI options are – Pickup, Van, (BMW does not make commercial vehicles), and Moke.
With old Mini, there was a MG sports car version concept made but never progressed (car can be seen at Heritage museum in Gaydon GB).
Will Palin take her guns to town and go moose hunting on Wall Street? Oops…sorry…it kinda slipped out!
Any of the styles mentioned above.
I would love to see BMW take the lead in hydrogen and fuel cell research. There was a Hydrogen car that went up against the new ’08 vett and beat it like a red-headed stepchild.
Slap that Hydrogen fuel cell in a JCW and there will be nothing in its class or 3 classes higher that could touch it.
They say that Hydrogen is too dangerous, but you can get well over a 100 of mpg. So put a fuel tank the size of a motorcycle’s tank. Instant 300-500 miles per tank.
BMW get a pat on the back for true innovation and the world get the energizer MINI
I FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHER VARIANTS;
The Riley Elf, and the Wolseley Hornet (different front grilles and fin tail lamps and a extended boot).
And of course the square nose Clubman in saloon and wagon form.
So unless MINI wants to add appendages to current shape there are not a great range of options left.
How about a car like George Jetson drove – without wheels. When I was a kid watching the show, we thought we would be flying around in these by 2000.!
Still think if they wanted to make a good small city car, they would dust off the presses and use the classic Mini as a city car. Update the suspension and motor and I would bet a great number would be sold. Also if they could do this with similar components they are using for the Isetta could make it more practical.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a new Mini truck.
I’ve said this a few times on here before, and it’s a little boring but…a wagon…4 doors, a hatch, and enough room for 4 passengers and some gear in the back. It should just look like a longer MINI–I don’t care for the Clubman styling, although I admit it’s unique. I just want a clean, MINI sportswagon. Let me have turbo if I want it, or a diesel a la R60, or AWD as options.