MINI's future revealed

Mini?

Let me be the first to state the obvious - how is this a "mini"?

Is this all because BMW is afraid of sullying its RWD image on its own brand products?

By Oilburner on 8 June, 2010, 10:47am

MINI!

Horrendous!!!! Issigonis must be turning in his grave!

By pulsesmart on 8 June, 2010, 10:59am

Spare Us!

Kensington will never look the same I fear.

By ukmike2000 on 8 June, 2010, 12:10pm

Maxi

this isnt a mini this is a maxi...bmw is turning mini to maxi...maybe they should change the name as i said to maxi...this is an awful thing

By yaspaa on 8 June, 2010, 12:20pm

I like it.

I like this. It seems to be a natural evolution for MINI. It still has that mini-look, but slighltly 'chunked-up' and 4WDish.

By badboyrocco on 8 June, 2010, 3:45pm

Are you daft?

This image is just the Beachcomber concept with some doors paintshopped onto it. You can see that some dubious door markings have been added. And the 'sparewheel' box is visable on the back.

By cookie_s_77 on 8 June, 2010, 5:04pm

Where`s the Mini?

Or am I missing something? Or is it hidden behind that yellow North Korean GAZ 67B jeep ?

We are now a 1000 mlies away from the original Mini ADO 15 size and concept now thanks to BMW designers in Munich and assemblers in Graz and getting further away daily!

To start with Issigonis was 100% right with 10" wheels as a recent study by Michelin shows! They effectively reduce both unsprung weight and vehicle gross weight and thus make a valuable contribution both to economy and handling in one!

Instead of which these BMW things are at Maxi size now and have as much in common with the original ADO 15 concept and a wheel at each corner as a Sherman tank!

Come off it Norbert Reithofer at BMW ! Come back to earth and go back to the drawing board on this range! We want to move forwards not backwards!

By vandenplas4litre on 8 June, 2010, 11:21pm

What is it?

I think it is a shocking car, I really do....its terrible, it has to be one of the worst cars ever made...save the X1 and X3 which are also horrible cars, in fact the trio of them...shocking.

By Widescreen on 10 June, 2010, 10:25am

A giant bumble bee

Damn, I am sounding like a right old grumpy git even though I am not old just precious about cars. Why do they have to do this to an already small car (which you cannot fit 4 adults in comfort whatever Mini drivers tell you). I expect an over priced tag for this like all Mini's. I think Dr Wolfgang Armbrecht was having a domestic with his wife at the time to come up with his. Its a giant bumble bee that needs swatting. Who cares that is a concept on this page, its going to be pants! Buy a decent car (except the X1 and X3)

By aarontp on 10 June, 2010, 11:24am

Calm down

Let me just start by saying that you've got Mini all wrong. BMW, Mini themselves nor any of their rivals have said that they are trying to create the Mini that broke the mould in 1959. Nobody has ever said that the Mini Cooper is even a spiritual successor. Mini is a sub-brand, and a brand in its own right. If they wanted to be like they were in the 50s and 60s, they would have bought the iQ from Toyota and stuck the winged 'Mini' badge on the front? Mini are not about tiny little eco-bowes that push the boundaries space. Mini is about Controversy. They are about being different and unconventional. I will stick my neck out for them and say that so far, they have been are will continue to be controversial.
It may annoy the purists, but all I have to say is calm down, get yourselves on Ebay, buy yourself an original Mini and lock your self in a shed for the next fifty years and see how Mini are doing then. Mini are not about being small, they are about being different.
BMW builds regular cars to cater for all sectors of the market. Rolls-Royce one of BMW's sub-brands is the most luxurious and most prestigious brand of all. Finally Mini is different in its own right. Don't critisize something that you don't know much about. Mini is Mini- not Rover Mini, or Austin Mini.

By Matt2093 on 10 June, 2010, 11:49am

correction

*eco-boxes.

By Matt2093 on 12 June, 2010, 12:08am

BMW Mini Countryman/Coupe

Now this is something i've been waiting for. These look cool, I own a Mini Cooper and it's the best car i've ever driven under 10K. I can picture the Countryman on my driveway, and it looks like a bad boy motor. The styling is Top. Go on BMW! and thank you for designing such cool cars. Rover could never have pulled this off, even though the Original Mini is an Icon.

By minivip on 12 June, 2010, 10:46pm

Mini?

"Don't critisize something that you don't know much about. Mini is Mini- not Rover Mini"
Does driving them and knowing people who own them count as knowing enough about Mini to voice about it? They are cashing in on those people who lock themselves away with an old mini in a shed as no one else in their right mind would by this bumble bee for the stupid price it will retail at.

By aarontp on 17 June, 2010, 7:38am