JonUK
10-03-2001, 05:15 PM
From autoexpress:
http://linux.doom.org/~jon/temp/mini-roadster.jpg
Mini fans are going to blow their top at the sight of this! BMW has plans to build a whole range of models around its cute new baby, and the first will be this amazing roadster, due to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The German company has poured millions into the MINI's development, but despite a positive reaction and full order books, the car is never going to be a money maker with just a single body style. So while the One and Cooper models are establishing the brand, engineers are working on a family of vehicles sharing the MINI's retro looks and platform in order to give an adequate return on the investment.
Although the roadster pictured here will remain a concept, BMW says plans for a production soft-top are advanced, and the car is expected to reach showrooms in 2004 – just in time to take on Ford's StreetKa and the Smart Roadster. The final forecourt version will ditch the showcar's wild aeroscreen, and use a conventional windscreen and soft-top mechanism.
A cabriolet edition has always been on the cards, and the standard MINI's bodyshell has been designed to be far stiffer than a conventional small car's to allow for the rigidity loss caused by removing the roof. Plans to make the drop-top a four-seater have been scrapped, as there is not enough room in the rear of the car to accommodate a roof mechanism and maintain acceptable luggage space. So instead it will be marketed as a two-seater – leaving enough space for the folding top to disappear under a hard hood cover, complete with fixed roll hoops and aerodynamic 'humps' behind the seats.
Power will be provided by the standard Cooper's 115bhp 1.6-litre engine, or the storming 163bhp supercharged motor from the hot Cooper S, which is due to be unveiled later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. If the roadster is too impractical, though, there will still be a MINI for you. Soon after the two-seater is launched, the estate model will be revealed – harking back to the wood-framed Traveller and Countryman versions of the original Sixties Mini.
However, the car is expected to adopt the Clubman name used on the Seventies estates. Although it will be a full four-seater, the load-lugger will still be based on the current car's wheelbase and won't have much more carrying capacity. Like BMW's Touring models, it's designed to be more of a lifestyle statement than a workhorse. Those looking for more space in their MINI will have to wait until the five-door version is launched in 2005. Just as the original Mini spawned the highly successful Austin 1100/1300 range, BMW will stretch its little car's chassis to make a model that will take on the likes of VW's Polo and Smart's planned four-door at the top of the supermini market. The MINI derivative's proposed styling even bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1100 range.
While BMW seems intent on making history repeat itself in some areas, it acknowledges the MINI will have to move with the times and will launch a diesel version in 2003 using the Toyota Yaris's D-4D power unit.
The firm is also investigating alternative fuels, including hybrid and hydrogen power. Don't expect either MPV or 4x4 versions, though. These may be growth areas in the car market, but MINI bosses are determined to ensure the whole range is still funky to look at and fun to drive – qualities difficult to achieve with taller-standing models.
http://linux.doom.org/~jon/temp/mini-roadster.jpg
Mini fans are going to blow their top at the sight of this! BMW has plans to build a whole range of models around its cute new baby, and the first will be this amazing roadster, due to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The German company has poured millions into the MINI's development, but despite a positive reaction and full order books, the car is never going to be a money maker with just a single body style. So while the One and Cooper models are establishing the brand, engineers are working on a family of vehicles sharing the MINI's retro looks and platform in order to give an adequate return on the investment.
Although the roadster pictured here will remain a concept, BMW says plans for a production soft-top are advanced, and the car is expected to reach showrooms in 2004 – just in time to take on Ford's StreetKa and the Smart Roadster. The final forecourt version will ditch the showcar's wild aeroscreen, and use a conventional windscreen and soft-top mechanism.
A cabriolet edition has always been on the cards, and the standard MINI's bodyshell has been designed to be far stiffer than a conventional small car's to allow for the rigidity loss caused by removing the roof. Plans to make the drop-top a four-seater have been scrapped, as there is not enough room in the rear of the car to accommodate a roof mechanism and maintain acceptable luggage space. So instead it will be marketed as a two-seater – leaving enough space for the folding top to disappear under a hard hood cover, complete with fixed roll hoops and aerodynamic 'humps' behind the seats.
Power will be provided by the standard Cooper's 115bhp 1.6-litre engine, or the storming 163bhp supercharged motor from the hot Cooper S, which is due to be unveiled later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. If the roadster is too impractical, though, there will still be a MINI for you. Soon after the two-seater is launched, the estate model will be revealed – harking back to the wood-framed Traveller and Countryman versions of the original Sixties Mini.
However, the car is expected to adopt the Clubman name used on the Seventies estates. Although it will be a full four-seater, the load-lugger will still be based on the current car's wheelbase and won't have much more carrying capacity. Like BMW's Touring models, it's designed to be more of a lifestyle statement than a workhorse. Those looking for more space in their MINI will have to wait until the five-door version is launched in 2005. Just as the original Mini spawned the highly successful Austin 1100/1300 range, BMW will stretch its little car's chassis to make a model that will take on the likes of VW's Polo and Smart's planned four-door at the top of the supermini market. The MINI derivative's proposed styling even bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1100 range.
While BMW seems intent on making history repeat itself in some areas, it acknowledges the MINI will have to move with the times and will launch a diesel version in 2003 using the Toyota Yaris's D-4D power unit.
The firm is also investigating alternative fuels, including hybrid and hydrogen power. Don't expect either MPV or 4x4 versions, though. These may be growth areas in the car market, but MINI bosses are determined to ensure the whole range is still funky to look at and fun to drive – qualities difficult to achieve with taller-standing models.