MINI Coupé & Speedster Expected at the Frankfurt IAA Motorshow, Crossover Delayed

According to Insideline and MINI spokesperson, BMW will be showing both the Coupé and the Speedster at the Frankfurt show in late September. In fact we’ve confirmed that the Speedster (pictured above) will be shown alongside the coupe at the Frankfurt and LA shows this fall.
However the bad news is that the Crossover originally intended to debut at Frankfurt will be pushed back to a debut in early 2010. Here’s a quote from the Insideline article:
>”The Crossover launch has been pushed back,” says a BMW Mini spokesperson, “as we wish to first explore differentiation within future Mini smaller models and get feedback.”
We wouldn’t read too much into this. MINI’s staking a lot on this Crossover and they expect it to provide solid sales and revenue for quite a few years to come. However the timing of the launch is curious. With production ramping up in December of this year, our guess would be that MINI would debut the car at the Detroit Motorshow in early January. However a debut at the much larger Chicago show or even Geneva could still be in the cards.
Also mentioned in the article is the potential for MINI to work with another manufacturer to help create it’s new models of ultra small cars. It’s hard to speculate because things are still in flux but it would seem that there is still an outside chance at MINI producing something smaller than the current R56 hatchback.
41 Comments
<p>Actually to bad about the R60 being delayed, although I am still not a supporter I was looking forward to seeing the design. Great news though for the Coopster and Speedster being shown though. On the display picture sure hoping they go with the tunnels behind the heads that we have seen before than the large drawing.</p>
<p>Still interesting news that Mini realizes there is a market for a smaller than current R56 Mini.</p>
<p>I think the R60 is going to be an abomination. Put some BMW badges on it and call is the X0.5</p>
<p>I would not be surprised to see the Countryman debuting with the new X3 at Detroit- market specific vehicles. The real reason for the delay is really simple- the Spartanburg plant is NOT finished and the X3 can not start production. The current X3 must finish in Austria before the R60 can begin after a period of retooling. I doubt production versions will begin until the new year, they build cars in advance to iron out kinks in the line, tooling etc so December before the break would be perfect for that.</p>
<p>-M</p>
<p>Makes sense Michael, now if only one of the kinks they could work out is the Mini community from this more than little contentious product.</p>
<p>I think the MINI community is a bit preoccupied with what MINI is to them.</p>
<p>I am always a proponent of thinking outside that box- you know, open the top peek your head out and look around. Nothing in life is ever perfect, as a society we always think of what is wrong, rather than what is right. With cars it is the same way, if 9/10ths of a car is perfect it is that 1/10th people talk about.</p>
<p>As many of you know I am a DIEHARD BMW guy, I bought a MINI years ago b/c it was built with BMW parts and looked different, so to me that was what MINI was and will be. The R60 while not along the same lines of other MINI vehicles, will serve a niche and allow MINI to keep on building the cars enthusiasts want, like the hatch and coupster.</p>
<p>Not everyone is an enthusiast as we make up only a small portion of the car buying public, most people see it as a means to get from A to B- we look at it as why we go from A to B. A performance version of the R60 would be a great vehicle for some but not all, just like I get flack for having a V8 in an M3- that is tradition breaking- but it will out drive every other car hands down with a great sound to boot.</p>
<p>Progress comes with a cost of tradition but there are values of a brand that will not change, MINI will always offer “Go-kart” like handling in a smaller than average package. Economies of scale and remaining profitable are tough things with a two model line-up. MINI is under increased competition from FIAT and Alfa as well. If by building the R60 MINI was able to keep the price of the current offerings the same they would be more competitive in the market, and more likely to not decrease the build of the vehicles.</p>
<p>There is a lot to think about with cars- it is great for everyone to have opinions and share their views to make products better, we all just need to realize that there are a million reasons why the manufacturer did what they did.</p>
<p>Just be thankful the Project-i car is not being offered as a MINI as there would be some seriously upset people!</p>
<p>The official explanation for the delay, “we wish to first explore differentiation within future Mini smaller models”, is cryptic. What kind of smaller model would be a concern for differentiation? Are they thinking of an R56 sized off-roader?</p>
<p>Go kart handling is the same as the Ultimate driving machine Micheal (buzz words).</p>
<p>I do appreciate that Mini needs to produce cars to survive. I however believe making a micro sport ute was undeniably predictable while Mini has staked its clear superiority for designing unique products. I honestly thing a extended Clubman slightly raised with 4 doors would have rocked. I have less issue with Project-I as a Mini than a micro-SUV as a Mini personally.</p>
<p>The end of the day the facts is the Mini brand will have a micro-SUV for better or worse. I have never said the R60 will be anything but successful I just wonder how it will change the brand (I honestly don’t know if it will be for the better)</p>
<p>@rkw, I think the comment was referring to the Coopster and Speedster as those “smaller models”. They wouldn’t want to release the smaller versions right along with the largest MINI ever.
I’m REALLY disappointed with the decision to delay the R60 unveiling as I will be buying a more family oriented vehicle in the next year (or so) and was really hoping the R60 would look good enough and be practical enough for me to stay “in-brand”. Looks like the E91 is becoming more and more likely now.</p>
<p>I might be interested in the R60 as well, but with a growing family and space needed, the 4 bucket seats are not going to cut it. Interior wise right now it doesn’t sound like its bigger than a Clubman, which I already have and am outgrowing fast.</p>
<p>Question: Does this mean Motoringfile has made the claim that the concept would be unveiled online this week? Then a few days later also saying it wouldn’t? Who is the credible or uncredible source in this case then? And who is the “tipster”? Sucks, I had my hopes up big time. I haven’t been this excited about getting a new MINI since my first r53.</p>
<p>It was never a question of debuting the CrossOver @ Frankfurt due to two elements the first being the development and testing has not been completed as the cars have not made FEP- Final Evaluation Prototypes. And of course the debut of the MINI twins.</p>
<p>One of the most read about complaints I have read regarding the production crossover is that it is too skinny compared to the concept. Well if you look closer you can see that the side skirts are missing on some models and the connecting wheel arches are missing too, When you see the car with these in place it fills out to be more like the Crossover and a more chunkier lifestyle look.</p>
<p>For those who have not seen the Crossover Concept Car will get an opportunity at the IAA. The production car is expected to be at Detroit (highly probable) or Geneva – The Two high profile shows in the Crossovers launch cycle.</p>
<p>I am glad to see the BMW honchos waking up from their acupulco gold induced trance and seeing the R60 for what it is…. An abomination that has no place in the MINI lineup. I applaud whomever has decided to red light this thing… Trouble in paradise!!!!</p>
<p>Hope they decide to move the R60 away from SUV and towards high-performance AWD. JCW power, dropped, widened track, agressive fender flares… I’d hit that.</p>
<p>I don’t think this means anything significant other than Mini is trying to take the time to present a product it has tied a vast amount of money into. Even though I am hands down the least tolerant person about this development I would say I would much rather have them take their time to get it together right than to try to rush something that has raised so much ire in the community that will be picked apart by the community and the media.</p>
<p>Is that official roadster pic?</p>
<p>DRRooooooolllllll….</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-267308" rel="nofollow">danny</a>: I can’t believe its taken this long for someone to mention that. Yes, that is an official sketch.</p>
<p>:) thanks!</p>
<p>It has just the right curves I was hoping for, this thing is going to be that long wanted replacement for my old MG Midget I owned many many moons ago!</p>
<p>I think everyone noticed it Gabe. I don’t know how others feel, but to me it just looks like a 2 seater convertible. Which is what it IS in reality, but it shouldn’t be. Anotherwords, nobody screamed, holy s*&t.</p>
<p>They really should do something fresh body wise. We are talking about a 2011 car that still has the overall same feel as the 2002 original release. Not that much realy changed body style wise in 10 years. Some will say that’s great, but I think for the MINI its bad.</p>
<p>I dig the official sketch, especially the wheels. Taaasty! If there are no buttresses to be had behind the seats on the rear deck then this concept will definitely take the cake for “rush job”. Let me say I don’t fault them for that. It just shows. Also, should headroom not work out for me in the coupe (6’5″) then this will be a welcomed alternative.</p>
<p>I claim to be the first post about the graphic heh</p>
<p>My question about the two cars on the drawing, the small version below with tunnels behind the seats versus the larger image of the smooth back version. I have to say I was rather hoping the tunnel version we have seen on some of the latest drawings would have been the case. Will be looking forward to seeing the car that’s for sure. Although I would never personally buy a convertible.</p>
<p>Actually, the wheels kinda remind me of the GP wheels, only with five spokes.</p>
p>@Aurel</p
<p><em>They really should do something fresh body wise. We are talking about a 2011 car that still has the overall same feel as the 2002 original release. Not that much realy changed body style wise in 10 years. Some will say that’s great, but I think for the MINI its bad.</em></p>
<p>Don’t know, Aurel….the concept seems to have worked pretty well for Porsche since 1963, when the 901/911 debuted…you have to admit…the 911 hasn’t changed <em>too</em> much in the past 45+ years, and it certainly hasn’t hurt Porsche’s sales…..</p>
<p>The coupe and the roadster look great (though I’m not super keen on the roof-line window tuck on the coupe). I can’t wait to test drive these cars though I am very sure I won’t buy one as I need more than two seats. I also think that BMW/MINI understand the US market enough to know that the R60 needs to be able to seat 5, so I don’t imagine we’ll see 4 bucket seats here in the US.</p>
<p>JonPD — I’m confused. You’ve been slagging the R60 for years, and suddenly you now say this:</p>
<blockquote>I honestly thing a extended Clubman slightly raised with 4 doors would have rocked.</blockquote>
<p>I’m not sure where you’re drawing the lines here, but it sounds like you’re kinda saying the R60 will rock. Is that possible?</p>
<p>Nope Aaron I still consider the R60 to be an error of epic proportion. I honestly do know more than one person and family that needs more room than the Clubman has.</p>
<p>Meanwhile instead of creating a unique solution to this issue Mini has designed a slightly smaller CR-V or Rav4. Not that this really surprised me since the parent company BMW is incapable of designing much other than SUV after SUV lately. Not to mention that year by year the dimensions of their cars and weight continue to grow. I adore the BMW brand but honestly the pursuit after a market that pretty much single handed destroyed the American car industry has left me more than a little cold. I believe that the R60 is not a Mini development, rather I think BMW looking for greater sales decided that the brand needed a SUV.</p>
<p>Having said that I do honestly think the R60 will sell well, but I fully expect it to be a divisive to the Mini brand as the Cayenne has been to the Porsche brand. For all the love I have for the Coopster I lack any warm feelings for the R60. One is pretty much unique in many ways while one is not in the least ammount.</p>
<p>Let’s hope the r60 never sees the light of day. This concept is what Mini is all about. They could have spent a little more time with the bottom half of the car and the interior but I guess they were to busy with the SUV</p>
<p>Stick to your roots MINI.</p>
<p>All this yappin about the 50th birthday of the tiny original Mini and you go and put out an SUV….nice birthday present 🙁 I hope that suv gets better gas mileage, is lighter, is less expensive and has more power. So when gas hits 6-7-8 dollars in a few months and the other makes have come out with (or have imported) more fuel efficient cars with more power and costs less, Mini will be poised to dominate the market with the r60…a 30k dollar Hyndai That’s a great plan. :)</p>
<p>I, on the other hand, do not see the R60 selling well in this depressed economy. Further, In the months since the R57 was released I have only seen 3 or 4.</p>
<p>While people are struggling out there to pay bills and make ends meet, they’ll continue to hold on to the older cars and put new car purchases in the back burner indefinitely.</p>
<p>MINI has priced themselves out of the market and the R60 is not helping the cause.</p>
<p>Actually C4 I still see a large number of small and mid-sized SUV’s being sold, BMW/Mini is correct that the US is addicted to the sport ute and since generally speaking small vans and wagons are not “cool” enough families often go the SUV route.</p>
<p>Having said that this story is less about any sport ute and more about this fascinating Speedster concept. I do have to say though I am looking forward to seeing this concept as the drawing has a lot more resemblance to the R57 than the Coopster has to my eye so far.</p>
p>@C4</p
<p>Hahaha…climb down off the ledge Frank. The sky is not falling. MINI is just doing what it needs to do in order to stay in business. The fact that they are still trying to create cars aimed squarely at the enthusiasts should be reassuring.</p>
<p>As someone who is extremely excited about the R60, I feel I must put my 2 cents in here. An all-wheel drive, fuel efficiant small-ute with excellent build quality, good resale value and actual drivability is something brand NEW to the US market- NOT a rehash of something old hat. I’ve put myself to sleep at night countless evenings since ’01 by daydreaming of owning a MINI; and the fact that I live in Michigan and will soon have kids did not go well with that dream- now it does. Keep in mind, MINI doesn’t have to sell gobs of R60’s for it to be a success, either. The purpose of every business is to make money- there is notghing immoral about seeking that out. The BMW guys are smart enough to know that they can do it right and extend the life of the brand, or go too far an eliminate its’ appeal and longevity.</p>
<p>The higher price is a valid point; but I’m one who appreciates getting what you pay for. Plus, I’m NOT the average American who looks for a new car every 3 years. My MINI will be given to my kids when they reach age (assuming I can find gas for it by then). Sure, I could get an Escape, RAV4, or Forester but they aren’t MINI. It’d be like getting a Dell instead of an iMac. The economy may be crummy right now (and again, I live in MICHIGAN), but that doesn’t mean no one will be willing to spend the money. The R60 will be unique, efficient, fun and usable year round. When MINI builds it, they will come.</p>
p>@Poerboy</p
<p>Ouch!! That swipe at Dell and likely Mr Gates and the Windows OS hurts!!! LOL</p>
<p>I see your point though….I’m a wannabe Mac owner..hopefully sooner rather than later…..but now returning to the topic of choice…MINI….</p>
<p>Poerboy what you say does make sense widely. However we do have to disagree on the R60 being unique as a micro SUV. Outside of being fractionally smaller how is a four door awd micro crossover unique? As for a Mini that is usable year round I would have to say my R53 have seen deep snow, ice and extended winter more than once and have done a great job. Generally speaking awd is a crutch however, most cars are capable driving decently in the deep recesses of winter.</p>
<p>Actually Mark, Mini is/was doing fine. It was one of the last car companies making money during the resesion and was in high demand with no inventory at the dealerships before the bottom fell out. They’ve survived well.</p>
<p>It is really all about their future and what and how they want be perceived.</p>
<p>The poor can’t afford the r60, the rich won’t touch it (bmw, etc.) which leaves the middle class who watches every dollar. In a few years I’ll be shopping for a replacement for my wife’s Grand Cherokee. A 30k mini suv is NOT in the cards. A suv is a people mover. You can’t track it, you won’t mod it…you just drive it and NOT fast. If I go that route, I’ll look towards the Japanese for a mini suv because it provides the same thing as the r60 but far less expensive. What the Japanese haven’t executed well is the powerful package of the r56 and the Clubman (although I suspect they will bring something to the table very soon, if they haven’t already).</p>
<p>If Mini has done their homework, the clubman will be their sweet spot. Its unusual. Make that a tad bit bigger without losing its handling and giddyup, that would sell really well. I know I would look at it. But they need to refine it. How about a suspension with 2-3 settings? A softer more compliant ride for her and a “sport” setting for me? That’s where they should be dumping their money, improving their brand. Each iteration should be faster, better, lighter, cheaper and more fuel efficient then the last. They have two beautiful gifts from the Marketing Gods. They should spit shine them until everyone has one in their drive way.</p>
<p>Is the Clubman a 30k car? Yes. Did they trick me into looking at it? You bet your butt they did!</p>
<p>Nice points, guys. Sound logic and reason.</p>
<p>Jon- my point about the uniqueness of the vehicle comes directly from the fact that it’s a Mini, not due to any significant advances in engineering ot performance(though I’m sure it will be a lot more fun to drive and handle better than anything else in it’s class). Simply put- mini’s feel different than any other brand. People will come into Mini dealerships who never would have before- because of the letters “SUV”- and will drive out in an R60 because they like all the little things that Mini does well. Silly as it may sound based on it’s price alone, I see the R60 as the gateway to Mini for alot of folks.</p>
<p>777- I hear ya. Not sure why they needed to spend the extra cash in design and development either. The Clubman is sweet. Your changes would make it way sweeter.</p>
<p>At least this cool little car is doing one thing. It’s making me happy that MINI is not only listening, but fully capable of creating some very interesting product. Whatever your feeling may be, the R60 may just surprise us all when it drops!</p>
<p>I am an 7/05 R53 owner and long time M/F reader but first time responder. I am a long time British car lover and have owned several MGs and Austin Healys. I like the fact Mini is trying new body styles and staying to its roots of building small cars. I like this new concept, the roof line reminds me of the new generation 370z. I hope they push the roof line back to the edge of the deck lid if it goes to production. As long as they don’t get crazy with the price (as they have recently with newer models), I’d be interested in trading up. I have to tell you, paying just over $26k for a fully loaded 05 R53 new, I am really disappointed in the increase in cost for buying a well optioned current model Cooper S. I still love the cars but, if the prices continue to rise, I’ll probably tap out and buy something else like a 135 convertible or a 370z . I know I’ll catch heat from the veteran M Filers for saying that but, just not enough value to dollar for me. Are you listening Mini? I am one of your core buyers…</p>
<p>Dear MINI:</p>
<p>Please make the speedster roomy enough for a 6′ 7″ guy to fit. Thank you.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Future Buyer</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that one thinks the words SUV and MINI are complete opposites. I don’t think that makes me harsh, narrow-focused, or insensitive.</p>
<p>The MINI appeals to small car enthusiasts and people for whom it is <em>just</em> big enough to be considered a car they’d feel safe in. The notion of an SUV from MINI is abhorrent to me. I think it goes against the whole marketing campaign and spirit that launched the current crop of MINIs. An SUV didn’t win the 1964 Monte Carlo rally.</p>
<p>Calling the proposed larger MINI a “crossover” is like calling a tennis shoe a “Crosstrainer”. It’s still a tennis shoe and clearly isn’t something you wear with a suit. The whole idea of MINI making a larger car gets under my skin.</p>
<p>That said, this sexy little two-seater with a JCW treatment would be an instant buy for me. Too bad I can’t get one this weekend when I’m considering a new MINI.</p>
<blockquote>The R60 while not along the same lines of other MINI vehicles, will serve a niche and allow MINI to keep on building the cars enthusiasts want, like the hatch and coupster.</blockquote>
<p>Michael, I agree. I feel like the R60 is hopefully going to do what the Carrera did for Porsche: give them some money to improve the smaller, more popular vehicles in the line-up.</p>
<p>Also, Aaron’s comment:</p>
<blockquote> I also think that BMW/MINI understand the US market enough to know that the R60 needs to be able to seat 5, so I don’t imagine we’ll see 4 bucket seats here in the US.</blockquote>
<p>and Auriel Savin’s comment:</p>
<blockquote>I might be interested in the R60 as well, but with a growing family and space needed, the 4 bucket seats are not going to cut it. Interior wise right now it doesn’t sound like its bigger than a Clubman, which I already have and am outgrowing fast.</blockquote>
<p>This is how I feel about the 4 seats option in the R60… I’m a little young and it’s too early for me to start planning for my future family, but when that day comes, I hope to still be driving a MINI, even if it’s a variant of the traditional hatchback that I’ve fallen so in love with. I can see a lot of other families thinking that 5 seats would help and to get rid of that stupid storage system in the middle of the seats. Even if there’s only a family of 4, an extra middle seat would help keep the kids from fighting and such. I feel like if the R60 doesn’t meet this need, it won’t be as successful as it needs to be. I hope that the delay with the R60 is maybe to address that issue? <em>fingers crossed</em> either way!</p>
<p>Oops, typo! I meant the Porsche Cayenne, not Carrera in my above comment (but it won’t let me edit that!)</p>
<p>I think I would call the rear deck humps Fairings. (an external metal or plastic structure added to increase streamlining and reduce drag, esp. on a high-performance car, motorcycle, boat, or aircraft.)</p>
<p>In any case I think the Speedster is definitely in need of these. If there is one thing that sketch tells us, its that in this flat rear deck configuration the car is hard to discriminate from the R57 – I think they need more product differentiation on this.</p>
<p>Given that I have to vote for a single fairing behind the driver in the spirit of the 60s era Jags.</p>
<p>I so hope that they add these fairings, but in order to save money I could see Mini using the same back end as the Coupe which to me, means flat, no fairing.</p>
<p>I hope I am wrong though, the fairings in the bottom sketch looks AMAZING, and would be the icing on this Speedster cake IMO.</p>