MINI's upcoming crossover has been rumored for quite some time and now thanks to the folks at Carscoop we have these spy photos off the small SUV out testing. Maybe we're Doubting Thomases for not having fully believed MINI would build such a vehicle, or maybe we just didn't want to believe it. Still, if anyone can make a crossover handle well and be fun to drive, it’s the folks at MINI.
Unofficially dubbed the Crossman, the MINI crossover is larger than the Clubman and if the concept vehicle first shown at the Paris Auto Show is any clue, it will measure 159.5-inches in length, be 72-inches wide and 62.9-inches high. Comparatively, a standard MINI Cooper measures 143.9- x 66.5- x 56.2-inches.
CarScoop is reporting that the Crossman's architecture is loosely based on that of the upcoming BMW X1 - which has been reported to be 3-Series chassis. This would allow the crossover to have all-wheel drive - likely a version of BMW xDrive.
The Crossman will be manufactured outside the U.K. in Magna Steyr's Austria facility and is expected to arrive in 2010 as a 2011 model.
I still say that when you had variations such as the Moke, Pickup, Van, Wolseley Hornet, Riley Elf, Estate, Countryman, Cooper S, Clubman and so on of the original Mini, it's very hard to say any new variant, however wild or "out of keeping" it may be isn't a "true MINI" in some way.
Just because you could argue the Mini became stale, with only one body type, that that is where the MINI should look to continue. I think they should be bold and adventurous and see where it takes them.
They didn't bring all those variations to the States, but the ones I recall were all clearly based off the classic Mini's essential platform. I don't recall them borrowing an entirely different chassis from something else and changing the coachwork so it resembled Mini styling. Like I said I'm not familiar with all of those so I may be mistaken. That's what seems to be going on here.
Fair point. Although the Moke was a completely different chassis but blighted with Mini mechanicals. (You can buy a new chassis from China to restore a Moke!!)
FYI The pickup and van were a longer wheelbase - usefully, it took them up into the next class in gymkhanas/motorkhanas/whatever you call them, where the pickup in particular was super competitive (front drive, no rear weight). The estate was also the long wheelbase, as was the Countryman if that's the woody version. The Riley and Wolseley were unspeakably stupid Minis-with-a-boot. The Clubman was a facelift - longer nose and square tail-lights.
BMW is building MINI into a brand in its own right, which I think is a good thing. I think it's the character more than the platform itself that defines the MINI. So even if they share a platform between, say, the X1 and the MINI 4WD, as long as they're smart enough to imbue the latter with MINI character (and I think they are), that works for me. People don't care if an Audi TT shares its platform with a Seat or VW Caddy, as long as the TT drives like a sports car.
Yes I suppose if BMW wants to go ahead and turn the MINI brand into their version of Chevrolet that is ok with me, I just hope they'll continue to make some cars with a full dose of the original character. Having owned other BMW's (currently have '99 Z3 with less than 23K bought new) IMHO the current Cooper models hark back to the essence of the BMW 2002 better than the 1-series, which seems more-or-less just a 3-series with a few inches steamed off at the spa. That is one reason I had to have the MINI after driving one!
Somehow, even with the Cayenne the "real" Porsche and it's image hasn't suffered as a result, and no matter what the Crossover may look like it cant be as much of a "brand dilution" as that ugly mugged beast of a vehicle. So there's got to be hope in that, surely?
I never drove a 2002 but aspired to its replacement - until I saw it . I had a 1-series as a loan car and it drove sweetly but not fun like a MINI. And the MINI is such a nicer place to be inside too. So I agree with you - a MINI is great and a 1-series is a 3-series-lite and ugly too.
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mini crossover 
wtf 
