Gallery: MINI Four Door & Superleggera at the Paris Motor Show
The recent Paris Motor Show gave MINI fans an excellent chance to finally get hands-on with the new four door (or is it five?). But there was something else on display that may have actually drew more of a crowd – the MINI Superleggera. And since we know most of you couldn’t make the trip to Paris, reader Troy French has provided us with a full gallery from the show. Click through and tell us what you think of both in the comment section.
<p>“MINI Has To Sell 400,000 Cars A Year”!</p>
<p>According to a high-ranking insider, BMW will need to sell at least one million units a year off its UKL1 platform, if it is to earn a decent return on its investment, and expects MINI to contribute 400,000 sales a year, once all F-series variants come on stream.</p>
<p>Love, love, love the Superleggera. But… what about driver/passenger protection? That windshield is so raked that I would worry about head protection in the event of a flip or even generally against debris. How do you figure they will modify this to make it safer?</p>
<p>Totally agree. The Superlegerra is indeed a most exquisite piece of automotive art. Sadly, and you are really going to hate me for saying this, BMW has admitted that this car was only possible to build by hand, and that many of its design elements would be impossible to mass produce – that swage line would be a nightmare. Like Rocketman, the actual production version would be very different.</p>
<p>Ahhhh, shucks. But not entirely surprising. The real questions in my mind are:</p>
<ol>
<li>How likely are we to get a production version of the Superleggera (or something heavily inspired by it)?</li>
</ol>
<p>and</p>
<ol>
<li>Just how different will that production version be/look? In other words: Will it still look like a piece of art put on wheels and wrapped in chrome? Or would it be barely distinguishable from the Roadster (a very attractive looking car in its own right, but no Superleggera)?</li>
</ol>
<p>MotoringFile will have more news on this, coming soon. Stayed tuned!</p>
<p>Expect it to look very similar to a Roadsterfied F56 and be pleasantly surprised if we get something closer to the concept :)</p>
<p>They will leave the car as it is but make it so enormously expensive that any owner will have to keep it in a glass case rather than drive it. Then it will be entirely safe – to admire.</p>
<p>Thought that headline said “four door superleggera” at first … was about to lose my shit.</p>
<p>No, that would be called the superleggeraMan.</p>
<p>Carbuyer (UK based) did a video review of the new 5-door hatch: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8G8hjQEHrQ&list=UUULKp_WfpcnuqZsrjaK1DVw" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8G8hjQEHrQ&list=UUULKp_WfpcnuqZsrjaK1DVw</a></p>
<p>Yes, I totally agree. It just looks really awkward. I love the new F56 and I’m seriously considering buying one next year. I’m also considering a VW Golf, but with the Golf I’d be torn between a two-door and a four-door since they look identical except for the extra doors. The four-door MINI hardtop? I wouldn’t even consider it. To me it looks like a chop-shop aftermarket addition of doors, it definitely doesn’t look designed from the ground up to be that way.</p>
<p>Take a look at the 4-door GTI. It’s a nice looking hot hatch that survived the conversion from the 2-door variant to the 4-door version without the same awkward disfigurement suffered by the the 5-door hatch. And it’s a real hoot to drive (based on 3+ years of driving one myself, albeit the prior model).</p>
<p>While on the subject of 4-door variants, at the Paris Motor Show, Audi is displaying its 4-door 4-seater ‘TT Sportback’ concept, which is built on a longer wheelbase version of its all new TT Coupe, and it looks stunning. Audi’s technical chief, Ulrich Hackenburg, says the TT Sportback is a real sports car, aimed at customers with a young family. The concept on display is fitted with the 395bhp 2.0-litre engine from the Golf R 400, and propels the Sportback from 0-62 MPH in 3.9secs!</p>
<p>MINI – Honda Crosstour…..</p>
<p>Project Businessman? Hmmm…</p>
<p>Best project name ever</p>