New Report on MINI’s Rumored Small Car
Car Magazine, one of the more authoritative sources these days on all things BMW has a new report out that neatly sums up the current rumor mill around MINI’s small car plans (aka the MINI Minor). We’ve done a ton of reporting on a Rocketman type of vehicle and even scooped the existence of MINI’s interest over five years ago. But now as things are becoming more real, details are starting to surface.
According to Car, early sketches reveal a small three door hatch with Paceman and Rocketman cues that include a double-bubble rear roof section, upright split Union Jack taillights, a trapezoidal grille and blacked-out pillars.
Similar to our reports over the years, Car states that BMW will be partnering with Toyota to help bring a new small car platform to market. However instead of using an existing platform the duo will create a bespoke architecture that will underpin premium small cars for both automakers.
Power trains should focus on three cylinders when it comes to internal combustion – both diesel and petrol. The latter coulees Cooper S outputs at the high-end. Also expected is a full electric version with BMW i3 like range and performance.
Look for more on the MINI Minor in the coming months.
<p>Liking everything about this, save for the Toyota DNA.</p>
<p>I think we all can agree that MINI could greatly benefit from some Toyota reliability DNA…</p>
<p>I disagree. My MINI was plenty reliable. But I’m biased, having grown up with Japanese cars.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that anyone who has spent time around MINIs could call them reliable, lol.</p>
<p>I have not had reliability issues either, but Toyota isn’t bullet proof either folks, they had the most recalls of any manufacturer over the past few years.</p>
<p>Maybe I was lucky.</p>
<p>My MINI was also very reliable. Only “broke down” once in 100,000 miles thanks to the thermostat housing.</p>
<p>Mine have been plagued by small issues, a death by a thousand paper cuts I guess. I’ve never owned one out of warranty so thankfully I haven’t had to deal with the cost of repairing that stuff.</p>
<p>There are well documented common issues with each model though.</p>
<p>Guess I do too. 5 years of Minis and absolutely no problems or rattles!!!</p>
<p>Other than basic maintenance the only thing only mechanical issue that has required repair on my 12yr old R53 was a power steering pump and MINIUSA sent me a full reimbursement for that!</p>
<p>Personally I have no complaints whatsoever when it comes to reliability.</p>
<p>With that said…..I want no part of a R56 MCS and I certainly hope the F56 can prove itself to be less problematic than the gen2 turbos</p>
<p>I’m hopeful that they want to get this right and not have it handle like a Yaris or Aygo.</p>
<p>Other recent collaborations with Toyota have turned out fairly well.
<a href="https://vimeo.com/56559442" rel="nofollow ugc">https://vimeo.com/56559442</a></p>
<p>If I’d wanted a dammd Prius I’d have bought one. What I wanted was a vehicle with a sporting nature, fun to drive with the ability to blow past lackluster pick ups and SUV’s. Please Mini no more mom-mobiles… Ford, Chevy and Chrysler make far too many as it is. You’re killing off the Roadster and Coupe to be replaced by larger vehicles… big mistake. You’ve lost your soul, you’re becoming an appliance manufacture.</p>
<p>But this article is about a smaller car. And the Roadster and Coupe will likely be replaced by what ever model spawns from the Superleggera Concept.</p>
<p>Did you actually read the article, or were you just quoting from the “R50/53 Lover Complaints to MINI” brochure?</p>
<p>Wow, let it all out! Seems like this would still be a hoot to drive with the 3cyl which is a hoot in the much bigger Hardtop, so I believe you have jumped the gun sir.</p>
<p>Ok, sounds good, but when? Unless they starting working on a platform 5 years ago when this was all rumored I think we are 4 years away yet. Also, in the Midwest, the i3 isn’t doing so hot…</p>
<p>Hope they can bring the price down for a Minor EV.</p>
<p>The CAR article says 2019.</p>
<p>Why is Toyota involved? MINI seriously needs to nourish its roots. Its direction is not evolutionary.The defining essence of MINI has been scale. Its sweet fragrance will continue to evaporate in proportion to its girth.</p>
<p>Couldn’t agree more, but that’s not the gamble MINI’s making.</p>
<p>Larger MINIs? Less-quirky MINIs? MINI seems to have made a conscious choice to respond to the market rather than continue to brazenly define it, which was how the brand was initially positioned. A co-developed bargain basement MINI sounds like yet another responsive move; to chatter about car sharing and waning interest in car ownership overall.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the timing for initiating a non-derivative, premium, truly sporty MINI city car arguably couldn’t be much better. By the time something of this description would be ready to ship fuel prices will likely have recovered, or perhaps even spiked.</p>
<p>The entire car scene is transforming. Hybrid and electric are gaining momentum. Differentiation will define success in the marketplace. MINI occupies an excellent space in the matrix that begs to be cultivated and harvested by discriminating consumers seeking distinctive design and functionality. When MINI becomes mini again it will blossom and once again capture our ardor and imagination. “Rocketman” must not be allowed to sit on the launchpad interminably. It embodies the essence of (and future success) of the brand.</p>
<p>“When MINI becomes mini again it will blossom and once again capture our ardor and imagination.”</p>
<p>Agree. The debate shaping up seems to be about how MINI goes about building something smaller than the F56.</p>
<p>The cost of developing a bespoke chassis to be used on just one model is simply too big.</p>
<p>The price of glory is never cheap. Timidity precludes success in the marketplace. It is the bold and the beautiful that capture imagination and inspire desire.</p>
<p>Not if the price of glory results in a $25K MINI Minor .</p>
<p>None of that changes the validity of his statement.</p>
<p>I get this too, yet somehow MINI managed to revive the entire brand back in 2001 based upon a bespoke platform.</p>
<p>That said, I’m not at all opposed to a joint venture with Toyota if it yields a MINI Minor.</p>
<p>Correct, but I remember reading that the 02-06 generation was not profitable for MINI.</p>
<p>The following is what Georg Kacher wrote about the MINI Minor in Automobile:</p>
<p>“As far as size, the Euro-only Toyota Aygo could be a suitable donor car, but MINI won’t have it. Not only because the next-generation Aygo won’t be around before 2020 but also because BMW can’t allow MINI to adopt a badge-engineered product conceived and built by a third party. Instead, Toyota and BMW are looking into an all-new bargain basement effort that can be integrated in the MINI family. To keep costs and weight at bay, engineers will simultaneously have to focus on de-contenting and downsizing. No easy task, mind you, seeing how electromobility is said to play an important role in this build.”</p>
<p>Not very long ago, Georg Kacher, writing on that occasion in CAR, reported that BMW was working on the idea of using a re-engineered and shortened R50 platform to underpin a new MINI City Car. Is this what he is referring to when he says, “To keep costs and weight at bay, engineers will simultaneously have to focus on de-contenting and downsizing”?</p>
<p>“Toyota and BMW are looking into an all-new bargain basement effort that can be integrated in the MINI family”</p>
<p>Will it be a bargain-basement effort, or is it “a bespoke architecture that will underpin premium small cars for both automakers” as mentioned in the post above?</p>
<p>Hmm, I’m intrigued!</p>
<p>You raise the subject of the Range Rover Evoque Design Philosophy, so I thought you might be interested in this spyshot of the Evoque Convertible, due in 2016.</p>
<p>Hi Nick. Thanks for that. Not sure if that works for me. You?</p>
<p>To clarify, I’m mainly interested in the difference between the way McGovern and MINI communicates about their respective brands.</p>
<p>Hi Mathew, I have to confess that I’m a huge fan of the Evoque, in fact I’m a huge fan of Jaguar Land Rover as a company. JLR seems to have the Midas touch these days. As for the Evoque Convertible, the camo doesn’t do it any favours, but I suspect it will look pretty good without it. What effect cutting off the roof has had on its torsional rigidity, especially off-road, remains to be seen!</p>
<p>Do you really think the Evoque Convertible will “look pretty good” or is that sarcasm?</p>
<p>Totally sincere!</p>
<p>Matthew, personally I quite like the Rocketman (or whatever the current proposal is). I would love to see true MINI uniqueness (there is nothing terribly unique or innovative about Toyota) paired with Toyota reliability. Nobody will argue that generally Toyota’s are among the most reliable brands in the market. Conversely there isn’t a single auto industry review that doesn’t either slam or question MINIs reliability. If each manufacturer contributes what they do best, it could be a great combination.</p>
<p>Hi GoRixter. There’s definitely a glass-half-full argument to be made for this partnership. It’s not something I want, but I see where you’re coming from,</p>
<p>Which is what we’ve reporting for over five years. The reason t hasn’t worked in the past is that no vehicle architecture Toyota has produced recently would have worked for the MINI brand in terms of vehicle dynamics.</p>
<p>I bought a copy of the March edition of CAR magazine today, which is always more detailed than the digital version, and it has thrown up a few interesting pointers. The article by Georg Kacher on the MINI Minor, opens with the announcement that, “BMW plans a smaller three-door MINI Minor for 2018/19 – and in a shock move, it could be co-developed with Toyota”. Note that he says “could be” rather than “will be”.</p>
<p>He goes on to say that, “Sources say the current MINI platform is too complex and heavy to shrink under 3750mm, and would struggle to
free up sufficient cockpit space. So the partners will work up a budget platform which is compatible with the MINI’s drivetrains and electronic platform”. Here he is pointing to the fact that a ’budget’ rather than a ‘premium’ platform is being proposed.</p>
<p>Finally, he reports that, “BMW has been toying with a MINI Van based on the 2-series Active Tourer. While sources vow that it is a good-looking thing, new MINI chief Peter Schwarzenbauer has relegated it to
‘joker’ status – BMW will only play this card if the MINI Minor falls through”. This is further evidence that points to the fact that the MINI Minor is still far from a done deal.</p>
<p>Could that be the Rocketman in the pic?
<a href="http://www.gtplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/mystery-mini-2-638x359.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.gtplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/mystery-mini-2-638×359.jpg</a></p>
<p>Nope it’s the Clubman Vision GT6 concept…</p>
<p>Ahhh geeez, anybody but Toyota. Maybe Mazda as they at least have a sporting nature and don’t necessarily build appliances like Toyota.</p>
<p>The FT86 says hi.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how the new pedestrian crash standards will impact the front end design of the mini MINI. Considering the big snout that the F56 has grown the designers will have a challenge on heir hands. Perhaps on this new bespoke chassis the 3-cyl engine can be placed further down and back.</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that the extended nose was on account of the European pedestrian standards.</p>
<p>Correct. That’s what I meant.</p>
<p>Hey, we’re on the same page. Many don’t realize what MINI has to go thru with the European standards.</p>
<p>There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Some cars use a hood that rises at the rear in an impact to meet regulations. More crumple room is a passive way to get the job done, but not the only way. It’s just a mater of costs.</p>
<p>It’s a sad day when Mini has to make a “Mini” because its Mini is now grotesquely bloated.</p>