The MINI Crossover has done the rounds in the Arctic and now it’s on to suspension development at the Nurburgring. Globalmotoring.net has a new batch of photos of the crossover from this past week at the famed track.
Look for the new model to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September with photos to leak out a few weeks beforehand. For more on the R60 MINI Crossover be sure to check out MotoringFile’s R60 section.
<p>so instead of ‘pull to inflate’ stickers by the towhook, is this going to have ‘pull to deflate’ instead?</p>
<p>Yeah, i know it has extra body cladding right now and the paint is not flattering……but</p>
<p>The center of the dash doesn’t look like it has a round speedo there… either that or they’ve truly taken it to far and made it the size of one of the wheels. Also looks like it’s carrying over the faux roof rails from the clubman.</p>
<p>Hmmm…Even with the camo you can see that it’s a Mini. But it looks so big and bloated. Are you sure that’s not an R56?</p>
<p>Ha!</p>
<p>At this point I am much more interested in the VW R20.</p>
<p>What a slug! R5800 more like it!</p>
<p>A good car for the American market, the picture reminds me of a R56 that has packed on major girth. I guess for a country that is world famous for doing the same this car does have a fit.</p>
<p>Still good to see them running the Ring in it, I am quite sure that BMW/Mini is working hard to give it a taste of good handling to make it fit into the MINI feeling.</p>
<p>I wonder if Todd could do a full wrap in that motif? he.he. ;)</p>
<p>Was ist das grosse Lever?!</p>
<p>Couldn’t connect with the link to Globalmotoring.net, but found some more photos at: <a href="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/235019/mini_crossman_spied.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/235019/mini_crossman_spied.html</a></p>
<p>Ugh, what a pig!</p>
<p>…as an unapologetic fan of all things MINI, this will be my next car…</p>
<p>…if they bring the diesel i’ll have to fight my dad off with a blunt instrument to buy one before he does…</p>
<p>…and as i said before it will snuggle at night with my r53 and make sweet, sweet MINI love in the garage…</p>
<p>Where is all the clamoring for four wheel drive?Wouldn’t this be a likely option? I’m guessing that very few of MINI’s existing owner base want to see this happen.</p>
<p>I’ve tried to keep an open mind, but I’m starting to get very worried. Very worried. What are they thinking? Sure it’s disguised, but this is looking every inch as ugly as the concept. The veneer of Mini styling clues can’t hide the slab like flanks, the bulky front end, the ugly rear quarterlights; it’s an eye searing abomination!
MINI has done well because it’s small, athletic, efficient and, yes, a little bit novel. While the R60 may handle well, being based on a larger 4wd car even the FWD drive model will be far too heavy. It’s image will not be athletic; it will not be small; it will not be as efficient; worst of all it’s derivative and not at all clever. A slightly smaller Toyota RAV4 with some cartoon like Mini styling elements?
I genuinely think this will have a net negative impact on BMW. I can’t see who will buy this in any quantities. If, in spite of the world economy, they do manage to sell enough to cover their costs, the negative effect on the MINI brand will be significant.
What’s the point of this car? My guess: its an attempt to make a fast profit by increasing volumes of the the BMW X1. I don’t buy the argument that this will increase MINI volumes and make the MINI brand ‘stand alone’. It’s made in a different factory, in a different country on a completely different platform. No economies of scale there…
I’m a Mini fan old and new, I own an R56 and while its not perfect, I think it’s great. I can see how MINI could make many different variants.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s too late, but BMW: DON’T DO IT!</p>
<p>M’god a clubman that made too many trips to dunkin donutz…</p>
<p>I wondered if the Aztek would ever rear it’s ugly head again and there it is…. gad!</p>
<p>OMG! WHY would you put a FREAKIN SUV on the ring?!?!?!</p>
<p>But then again why does BMW buid suv’s? Or Porsche build suv’s either?</p>
<p>WRONG!</p>
<p>Bavarian Overlords screwing things up once again. I am 1000% convinced that they will kill MINI</p>
<p>These pics really show there is a lot of body cladding on the concept, but I can still see it is going to be bigger than any MINI yet. What I find most intriguing will be if it has a diesel engine and gets better gas mileage than any petrol MINI.</p>
<p>What if the R60 is <em>bigger</em> than any MINI, but is <em>more</em> fuel efficient than any MINI stateside. Will Motoringfile readers hate it less? :D</p>
<p>I think that most people who frequent this website and especially those who post here have a significantly different outlook on vehicles than most people in the USA. We have gotten used to the size of our MINIs or are predisposed to small cars. So everything larger than a MINI starts to look huge. We should all keep in mind that anyone new to the MINI brand will still think that the Crossover is quite small. I also constantly have people asking when MINI will have a 4 door and when they will have a 4WD/AWD.</p>
<p>I’m in New England where a large number of people are, oddly, terrified of driving in the snow. Nearly everyone I talk to asks how my MINI is in the snow. No one really seems to be convinced when I say that I’ve never had any trouble driving my MINI in the snow.</p>
<p>It’s all about perception. When most people first see the MINI they think “economy car.” Then when they drive it their perception changes. The same for snow driving. Many people have the perception that a small car will not do well in the snow. That perception may change in the future. However, MINI is not large enough to change that perception. People will buy what they want, whether it makes sense or not. So they will roll with it and take advantage of those perceptions.</p>
<blockquote>OMG! WHY would you put a FREAKIN SUV on the ring?!?!?!</blockquote>
<p>Then you will be absolutely horrified to know that even BUSES drive the ring! There isn’t anything mystical about the ring. When you get down to it, the ring is just a fancy toll road. ;)</p>
<p>Eto</p>
<p>For me BMW/MINI could produce on the best cars of all time in the R60, beautiful to look at and wonderful to drive and my vitriolic reaction to it would be exactly the same. My problem is not about the sheet metal its the complete departure of Sir Alec’s vision and I will never accept that the MINI brand needs a SUV with BMW producing a direct competitor.</p>
<p>A good car for France Paris’s market (very bigs SUV in this odl town)
Not before september ?
Perhaps in summer, like 2006 range ou clubman</p>
<p>Is it just me or are the A and C pillars somewhat different on this mule than the one spotted undergoing cold weather testing in February?</p>
<p>I hope this car is using more production parts since this version seems to show roof lines closer to the R55/R56, in contrast to the boxy angles on the earlier prototype.</p>
<p>Of course, it may just be the absence of disguising materials on the A pillar and different placement of the yellow and green colors on the C pillar. This stuff may work better than I thought!</p>
<p>If they make a JCW version … there could be a support category for the MINI Challenge :-)</p>
<p>The R60 may be the biggest MINI yet, but isn’t still going to be the smallest or shortest AWD/SUV/SAV available?</p>
<p>R554M – Agree the rear roofline on the above test vehicle looks better. Hopefully it will undergo testing Down Under for the harsh environment & endurance testing – especially on those outback roads full of dust, sand, corrugations, pot-holes & temperature extremes. I’m liking what I see in the above photo (aside from the outside paisley patterns – however they got the green & gold colours right).</p>
<p>If you go to the GlobalMotoring web site notice the handbrake at <a href="http://www.globalmotors.net/2010-mini-crossman-spied-on-the-nurburgring/crossman-1/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.globalmotors.net/2010-mini-crossman-spied-on-the-nurburgring/crossman-1/</a> (hopefully not all in plastic) plus rear barn doors at <a href="http://www.globalmotors.net/2010-mini-crossman-spied-on-the-nurburgring/crossman-6/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.globalmotors.net/2010-mini-crossman-spied-on-the-nurburgring/crossman-6/</a>. Will be interesting to see what pans out closer to production and whether swing doors are in plus the ability to electrically raise & lower the rear window(s)like to old station wagons.</p>
<p>Is it my eyesight or is the rear end smaller than the front. Why bother making a bigger car and leaving a small ass? Is that single rear wiper an indication of a single rear door?</p>
<p>I am biting my tongue/fingers. I don’t have enough expletives to describe this horrid thing..</p>
<p>I got over the fact that the clubman is a disgrace to the mini name….Now this? Whats next a mini tractor trailer ughhh to bad i love my mini to much to give it up</p>