[~Marcus~]

This week's Autocar

"A senior BMW engineer has admitted that the next MINI family project will start with a clean sheet; the current structure is so unique it makes expanding the MINI family difficult. Rumour has it that BMW will drop items such as the multi-link rear axle and frameless windows. The car will be easier and cheaper to build, and a bigger MINI htach will join the clan"

Pure speculation probably as we heard this may happen with R56 and hasn't, but R56 still looks expensive to build compared to the cars it competes against. With the rear wrap-around glass gone in R56, and the smaller bonnet, do you think BMW have a plan to drop the expensive features one by one (as dropping them all at once is too much of a shock?)

[Paul]

Exaactly, this was what certain publications claimed would happen this time around. This is just pure speculation (all over again).

[SiBradbury]

A larger Mini hatch? How much longer before we see a Mini SUV?
(having said that, everytime i see a new shape Range Rover from the back, i can't help thinking it looks a bit mini-like)

[mGP]

I don't know about the rumors; but I can say that the road-(no pun intended )-BMW are going down will mean that if they drop all the features that are symbolic of 'mini' they will end up with something very ordinary; and would probably start having difficulty justifying the prices they charge in relation to other cars in the same sector.

In my opinion, the complexity and unique design touches are what makes a mini a mini, and without these I don't see mini having as strong a hold in the market as they do now.

But as Paul say's it's mostly all speculation.

[Jordan210]

R59 lol

I think liek Paul al speculation

[Root Ginger]

Well as they say "you have to speculate to accumulate"

[Paul]

Yep, and it sells copy I guess.

[R1]

MINI SUV (acording to Autocar!)

[SiBradbury]

Quote: Originally Posted by SiBradbury (original)

AUGUST 5TH: A larger Mini hatch? How much longer before we see a Mini SUV?
(having said that, everytime i see a new shape Range Rover from the back, i can't help thinking it looks a bit mini-like)

Nostradamus eat your heart out!

Tommorow: next weeks lottery numbers!
(i'm here all week folks! Try the veal.)

[Jordan210]

Quote: Originally Posted by R1 (original)

MINI SUV (acording to Autocar!)

There photoshoping is quite good

Tho i did see the same artical when i went to the paris motorshow tho i cant read french lol...

[Goonery]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jordan210 (original)

There photoshoping is quite good

Tho i did see the same artical when i went to the paris motorshow tho i cant read french lol...

And you can't type in English LOL

[Jordan210]

Shhh

Most people all ready knew that...

I have to put im dyslexic im my sig now

[Prowse]

I read somewhere that the MINI designers 'evolved' the MK1 design (with its style from the classic mini) to get the MK2 (to make some cost savings and meet new safety regs). The next designs for the mk3 are meant to be a totally fresh start with a blank piece of paper, not necessarily keeping any of the 'classic' design.

[Paul]

That's not what the designers have said that I've been speaking to. They want to continue with the evolution of the car, "911 style".

What else did the mags in the know say about the now "current" 2nd generation?

Plastic roof, no multilink rear suspension, released in 2007, they wont increase the rear overhang to increase boot space, that the Cooper would have a turbo, and there could be a "2nd Cooper" without a turbo (?!?), and much much more....

Oh, and it would look like this:





Still, if they don't make all these guesses week after week, they might never actually get a few of them right to claim they "exclusively revealed" the details.

[Rakey]

why would MINI make their product a low price cheap item?

they've only spent time and money developing it into a premium product, and more margin can be made on premium product

I'm totally with Paul on this one, there have been many things mentioned by 'the press' in the past that were rubbish, this is just one of them.

[MyNameIsEarl]

Yes, rumours like this existed right after the Mk1 was realeased. And they haven't materialized. Or not entirely. Some of the Mk1 attractive features have dissapeared and there is a lot of 'cheapness' in R56 (a matter of opinion of course).
There are already a large number of fans for which MINI cannot do wrong - see discussions here on this forum about the new R56...
What makes you thing BMW is not capitalising on the name it made with Mk1 then extended to certain degree to Mk2?
If any of this is even partially true and what happened to R56 sets a trend, then MINI will be just another overpriced small (or not so small in the new version) hatchback.

[Lucky Dave]

If Porsche can make a 4x4 then im sure BMW will make all sorts of Minis!

[~Marcus~]

While cost savings have been made on items like the rear side window glass, the R56 as a whole feels like a more solid, higher quality item. If this trend continues, I will be happy!

[CC07ERS]

Quote: Originally Posted by R1 (original)

MINI SUV (acording to Autocar!)

nice wheels do you think its the jcw suv

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by ~Marcus~ (original)

While cost savings have been made on items like the rear side window glass, the R56 as a whole feels like a more solid, higher quality item. If this trend continues, I will be happy!

Ditto.