R50/53 Future mini's
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
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Model News
BMW's near-term planning attaches maxi importance to the new Mini. Britain's CAR magazine reports the German automaker wants to shift 300,000 Minis a year by mid-decade--a sizeable 20-25 percent of the company's projected worldwide sales at that point. To achieve this, says CAR, BMW is working on a somewhat larger Mini intended for broader market appeal than today's subcompact. Details are scant, but bigger Mini is reportedly targeted as a 2005 model, at least for Europe, and will be a companion to the current car, not a replacement. BMW is said to be mulling a 4-dr hatchback, a "trunked" sedan, and perhaps a new incarnation of the original Mini Traveller wagon, with wood or wood-like side trim and side-hinged rear cargo doors. However, it's unclear which of these will make the cut, as a top priority of the design effort is said to be reducing production costs without compromising perceived quality. The big-Mini design will reportedly be adapted for a redesigned 2-dr, likely to debut for 2006. Omitted in all this is whether the larger Minis will come to the U.S. We'd guess BMW won't decide until the current models have been on sale here at least a year.
CAR also reports that a convertible version of the current Mini is due to start production sometime in 2003 at BMW's plant in Oxford, England. That one seems a shoo-in for the U.S. but, again, we'll have to wait and see.
Competition
Our only Best Buy selection in this class, the Volkswagen New Beetle offers interesting styling and a nice mix of comfort, performance, and economy. The New Beetle is the most practical and affordable in its class. It also offers a wide range of powertrains from miserly diesel models to rapid turbo gas models.
If raw performance is what you are after we recommend cost a little more, but are generally worth it.
BMW's near-term planning attaches maxi importance to the new Mini. Britain's CAR magazine reports the German automaker wants to shift 300,000 Minis a year by mid-decade--a sizeable 20-25 percent of the company's projected worldwide sales at that point. To achieve this, says CAR, BMW is working on a somewhat larger Mini intended for broader market appeal than today's subcompact. Details are scant, but bigger Mini is reportedly targeted as a 2005 model, at least for Europe, and will be a companion to the current car, not a replacement. BMW is said to be mulling a 4-dr hatchback, a "trunked" sedan, and perhaps a new incarnation of the original Mini Traveller wagon, with wood or wood-like side trim and side-hinged rear cargo doors. However, it's unclear which of these will make the cut, as a top priority of the design effort is said to be reducing production costs without compromising perceived quality. The big-Mini design will reportedly be adapted for a redesigned 2-dr, likely to debut for 2006. Omitted in all this is whether the larger Minis will come to the U.S. We'd guess BMW won't decide until the current models have been on sale here at least a year.
CAR also reports that a convertible version of the current Mini is due to start production sometime in 2003 at BMW's plant in Oxford, England. That one seems a shoo-in for the U.S. but, again, we'll have to wait and see.
Competition
Our only Best Buy selection in this class, the Volkswagen New Beetle offers interesting styling and a nice mix of comfort, performance, and economy. The New Beetle is the most practical and affordable in its class. It also offers a wide range of powertrains from miserly diesel models to rapid turbo gas models.
If raw performance is what you are after we recommend cost a little more, but are generally worth it.
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Stevens Point, WI
I've seen a couple of pictures that were supposed to be of MINI convertable prototypes. Probably just "photoshop" pics. But, it looked very good and maximum fun. That is the only car I would trade my Cooper for. The west coast people will suck those things right up. What would be better that doing some California Dreaming in a MINI convert?
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