MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works G_P Tuning Kit

[Tonyt3]

I did a search on 'Bertone' and found this.....

i think I've cracked the whole Lightweight Mini mystery....

[LMB]

...

Do you think people would still buy it?

[Washy]

Bertone build the Streetka for ford and people buy those

[Damo]

Exclusive Photo(shop) of the Light Weight MINI...

Amazing what you do when your bored...

...It'll give tony something to do finding the original picture

[Paul]

Damo's after work at one of the weekly car rags by the look of it! Or Brenda Priddy, who despite getting good spy shots often seem to want to undermine their credibility by making up poor photochop jobs as well.



Just to add, I know we're not getting anything much new in this information I've just released, but BMW/MINI do not comment on speculation, that's their rule when it comes to media enquiries. The fact that I could get as much information as possible is hopefully a strong signal (especially to doubters) that this will be coming.

Apparently the media in general didn't seem to pick up too much on this story at Frankfurt, even though comments could now be made officially (for the first time). It also seems that any publication you've seen this mentioned in did, indeed, first hear of it on MINI2!

[Paul]

> Bertone will build 2,000 Minis
> BMW contract helps struggling Italian coachbuilder
>
>
> By Luca Ciferri
> Automotive News Europe / September 19, 2005
>
>
> Bertone will build 2,000 units of a high-performance version of the
> Mini.
>
> The two-seat Mini by Bertone will have a 225hp gasoline engine. It
> is expected to be sold worldwide at prices starting at about
> E30,000.
>
> The BMW contract will help the Italian coachbuilder survive
> difficult times. Without the Mini deal Bertone would have no cars to
> build next year. It currently builds the Opel Astra convertible, but
> its successor, the Astra TwinTop, will be produced at Opel's plant
> in Antwerp, Belgium, starting next year.
>
> C1 compensation
>
> Bertone will receive bodies in white from Mini's plant in Oxford,
> England, and complete final assembly in its plant in Grugliasco,
> near Turin.
>
> Sources at Mini parent BMW said the German automaker is helping
> Bertone compensate for end of production of the innovative BMW C1
> motorcycle.
>
> Bertone installed capacity to build 27,000 C1s a year but BMW
> stopped production three years ago after the motorcycle sold only
> about 10,000 units a year.

[northandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

> Bertone will build 2,000 Minis
> BMW contract helps struggling Italian coachbuilder
>
>
> By Luca Ciferri
> Automotive News Europe / September 19, 2005
>
>
> Bertone will build 2,000 units of a high-performance version of the
> Mini.
>
> The two-seat Mini by Bertone will have a 225hp gasoline engine. It
> is expected to be sold worldwide at prices starting at about
> E30,000.
>
> The BMW contract will help the Italian coachbuilder survive
> difficult times. Without the Mini deal Bertone would have no cars to
> build next year. It currently builds the Opel Astra convertible, but
> its successor, the Astra TwinTop, will be produced at Opel's plant
> in Antwerp, Belgium, starting next year.
>
> C1 compensation
>
> Bertone will receive bodies in white from Mini's plant in Oxford,
> England, and complete final assembly in its plant in Grugliasco,
> near Turin.
>
> Sources at Mini parent BMW said the German automaker is helping
> Bertone compensate for end of production of the innovative BMW C1
> motorcycle.
>
> Bertone installed capacity to build 27,000 C1s a year but BMW
> stopped production three years ago after the motorcycle sold only
> about 10,000 units a year.

2 seat mini ?... so that suggests well stripped out interior then ?

[Tonyt3]

Or a radical new roadster/coupe design...?

Why employ a "coach builder" to not fit parts - it must be a custom configuration of some sort...?

[Tonyt3]

Something like...?

[northandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tony*t3

Or a radical new roadster/coupe design...?

Why employ a "coach builder" to not fit parts - it must be a custom configuration of some sort...?

Good point Tony...

[MOTOR'N]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

> Bertone will build 2,000 Minis
> BMW contract helps struggling Italian coachbuilder
>
>
> By Luca Ciferri
> Automotive News Europe / September 19, 2005
>
>
> Bertone will build 2,000 units of a high-performance version of the
> Mini.
>
> The two-seat Mini by Bertone will have a 225hp gasoline engine. It
> is expected to be sold worldwide at prices starting at about
> E30,000.
>
> The BMW contract will help the Italian coachbuilder survive
> difficult times. Without the Mini deal Bertone would have no cars to
> build next year. It currently builds the Opel Astra convertible, but
> its successor, the Astra TwinTop, will be produced at Opel's plant
> in Antwerp, Belgium, starting next year.
>
> C1 compensation
>
> Bertone will receive bodies in white from Mini's plant in Oxford,
> England, and complete final assembly in its plant in Grugliasco,
> near Turin.
>
> Sources at Mini parent BMW said the German automaker is helping
> Bertone compensate for end of production of the innovative BMW C1
> motorcycle.
>
> Bertone installed capacity to build 27,000 C1s a year but BMW
> stopped production three years ago after the motorcycle sold only
> about 10,000 units a year.

Great news Paul
Looks like its time to go for a visit to your local MINI dealer
No fighting while standing in line guys

[bigbaddaboom]

Ooops, two seats puts me out of the picture!

[LMB]

Starting price is better than I thought.

[northandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by LMB

Starting price is better than I thought.

Ah but wait till the add the VAT on

[Eelke]

Not to mention Dutch BPM... That's 41% (I think) on the quoted price, and than also VAT at 19% on top of that. Ouch...