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New MINI Breaks Cover

Mind the doors... the MINI is about to get the 'suicide' treatment. But fans of the cult car should not worry, as parent firm BMW has no plans to axe its baby best-seller.

By Craig Cheetham

15th March 2005

This week's mag features the first stunning pictures of the all-new MINI Clubman Estate, which we can exclusively reveal will have Mazda RX-8-style suicide doors. The Clubman Estate could account for up to a fifth of all MINI sales when it joins the brand new range in two years' time.

This new-look MINI will bear a striking resemblance to the current car - after all, why change a winning formula? But it will have a simplified nose, doing away with the present model's complex 'clamshell' bonnet and replacing it with a more conventional item.

That would allow a more up-right grille, shaped to more closely resemble the original Austin Mini's. Meanwhile, sporty models are likely to be offered with an unusual twin-headlamp layout. Yet it's the estate variant that is expected to see the most significant developments.

It may look similar to the wood-panelled load-luggers made by Italian firm Castagna in 2003, but it will be designed and built by BMW. The new car is likely to share most of its structure with the MINI hatch to keep costs down, but be based on a longer-wheelbase platform.

And unusually, the Clubman will come with only one rear side door, although twin back doors give excellent luggage space and make loading easy. The boot volume is expected to at least rival the likes of five-door hatches such as the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.

This move comes as MINI looks to take on more mainstream competitors, with BMW aiming for much higher volumes of the newcomer. The Clubman could realistically account for as many as an extra quarter of a million sales a year globally. There are other bodystyle variants in the pipeline, too, with a convertible expected from launch and the possibility of a MINI Speedster or a reincarnation of the Moke name before the end of the decade.

BMW won't confirm exact plans for the next-generation MINI, but we have been made aware of the fact that there are 'other variants' being considered as essential to the model's continued popularity.

The next generation will also see a new range of engines debuting in the car, to replace the current Chrysler-sourced petrol units and Toyota diesel powerplants.

Initially, it's expected that only Cooper and Cooper S versions will get the new motors - both 1.6-litre petrols developing similar outputs to the existing variants. They'll use BMW's latest Valvetronic technology to deliver better performance and economy than today's engines.

In addition, there will be an all-new oil-burner, likely to develop more than 100bhp for the first time. It could be offered in the first-ever Cooper diesel, which is expected to appear in showrooms late in 2007. The MINI One will get new engines in 2009, with both petrol and oil-burners anticipated.

This new model range will probably debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007, before going on sale across Europe that summer. The Clubman Estate will make its first public appearance towards the end of the year, with the wraps being taken off the entire line-up in Japan and the US in 2008.

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