What think you?
http://www.motoringfile.com/2014/05/...ggera-concept/

 

Makes me want to buy a Coupe more before MINI stops production!

 

Interesting, but I'm not sold on the looks. I like current styling better.

 

I think I like the red diagram of the car better than the actual car. I did like some of touches though, like the Union Jack rear lights. The interior is good too.

 

Different......I dig it.

 

Let's face it, the Roadster will change eventually. None of us will like all the modification but the prospect of a more dynamic style approach is always refreshing. Let's look backwards in time and review of thought of the Coupe and Roadster when they debuted. While I love by beloved Roadster's design style, I'm excited to see what lies down the road ahead.

 

when I first saw the (r59) roadster concept, I told myself I WANT ONE OF THOSE, and it is happening again, this one look different and they keep all the design elements - I will definitely get one.

 

The dorsal fin seems a bit contrived and over-the-top but beyond that, this concept seems to have a lot of promise. I like the minimalistic interior design; hopefully a sign of things to come. When and if this comes to fruition it will certainly warrant a closer look.

 

Beautiful car! "Classic" design. I love it

 

My thoughts are that it has a very definite retro "50's" look too it especially with the dorsal fin.
The simplicity of design appeals to me and I think this car would look even better in person.

 

 

So this this quite interesting...
I can't help feel a little bit ambivalent about it though.

Part of me really likes it and I love what they did with the british flag tail lights. Really clever and nicely done.

Part of me on the other end have a little bit of a hard time seeing it as a MINI. It seems it heavily relies on the front headlight new design and on the new grill shape design to pull it off. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I feel it a bit too much on the surface rather than trough its DNA.

Another thing too is I feel MINI is getting a little to influence by the competition with Mazda Miata. While I understand the business strategy reason I wish it was handled slightly differently.

Also I can not help but see a blend of the Miata, with BMWs angular styling, and on top of it all smashed together with a better version of the Ford thunderbird.



Overall I like the car very much . . . but would I really buy one? I'm not so sure... I did not way back when I saw the thunderbird which had a classic feel to it but yet was not sufficiently contemporary. All MINIs have that classic DNA in them but are also cars of the time. I'm not sure this one would convinced buyers.

Aside from all that . . . really awesome work. Very impressive. That must really have been a fun project to work on and I wish I had been part of the design team. Very

Oh, and I really dig that fin. It could use some attention to details and proportion to make it a real hit.

 

No doubt, if you like the "classic Mini" look the current Coupes and Roadsters fit that bill in an awes0me way.
We love everything about our coupe, but it has drawn much criticism from many within the Mini Cooper ranks as not staying true to the basic Mini concept (looks like a "box").
While I don't agree with this somewhat narrow expectation of what a Mini should look like, it seems sales tend to reflect that point of view.
So the question of whether the Mini Cooper line should in fact have a sports car roadster/coupe in it's lineup comes to the surface.
If they are to seriously enter the sports car market it became obvious that the current roadster/coupe design was going to need styling changes that would appeal more to the sports car enthusiast crowd and leave the "boxy" traditional Mini Cooper design behind and move forward.
Thus the new concept Mini Sports car.

 

I quite agree with you Trex, but I would add this:

For professional designers there are a lot of elements that makes a brand styling. Sometime they are what is called "signature elements like those latest headlights. Sometime it is the basic shape as you refer to the original MINI, but much harder to spell out, sometime it is the feel an ensemble of details and forms give you. This I found to be very profound to what often makes or brake a specific model.

So I would say that indeed I would very much agree that models like a roadster or the coupe does not need to follow the overall shape of the hardtop which you refer as "boxy". At the same time however I think the MINI roadster need to feel MINI. What that is, is probably much harder to describe. It's a little about proportions, subtleties in how round or angular the forms are, a certain dare I mentioned "cuteness" or "happiness", as well as a sense of life style very different from other brands.
BMW for example does it quite well and has an extensive history in doing so.
MINI on the other hand still has a bit of learning in how to do that effectively. It terms of car history, it is relatively still fresh that they are designing other models than the classic hardtop.

Though beautiful on many aspects I do feel a little lost on this one concept in terms of MINI brand. I think the next generation MINI roadster could provide that feel and still be a little more sporty than today's roadster and coupe . . . though admittedly I am found of the "bulldog" like attribute of the current models. That's not to say I can't appreciate something else.

I do hope MINI continues to make roadster because I'm just a few years away from changing our second car, and from the MINI we have today I'm more than ready to get another roadster

 

You know, to be absolutely honest, I love the way the current roadsters and coupes look and wouldn't change a thing if it were up to me. They may not look like some sleek sports car but they look sporty enough for me and have that "cuteness" that sets them aside as something special.
I have no doubt that when BMW/Mini Cooper move on with their different styling for a sports car, the current roadster/coupes will eventually become one of the most sought after Mini Coopers ever produced.

 

I hope you didn't miss read my wanting another roadster for getting rid of ours. I meant I'm ready for a second one in addition to the one we have

 

Surprise,this car is electric

 

I can't say I don't like the latest design. BUT to me I could not consider this as a Mini. Under a new name, MAYBE. Over the last couple of years I personally feel the design is moving farther and farther away from the original concept of the Mini, SMALL & COMPACT. Looking at the 2013/14 coupe, they are definitely moving away from the SMALL. This did not impress me as a Mini , one little bit. Maybe its just me, as an Ex-Brit who owned one of the first Morris Mini Minors in 1960.I approve greatly by many of the improvements over the years, as these were things I would have liked to do to some of my early Minis, but the technologies were not there at the time.
But now they seem to be moving too far away from the original concept, and spoiling it. Just my opinion. Does anyone else feel the same.

 

I think the dash is too plain and maybe that is just for now as a Concept Car. I like lots of buttons and gadgets. Not much for plain dash cars.

Body style is fine but it is much larger than I would like to drive.

I was just having this conversation the other day. What is the choice for a small car say two seater that gets good gas mileage? When I was looking I was surprised by how many got really poor gas mileage.

Nissan 370Z 19/26 MPG
Smart Car 34/38 MPG
BMW Z4 22/34 MPG
Mazda MX-5 22/28 MPG
Mercedes SL63 AMG 16/25 MPG

Mini Cooper 29/37 MPG

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bycla...ters2013.shtml

Regardless of price, I thought I would have found more two seater cars that got better gas mileage. That was a huge deciding factor. I was looking for something that got at least HWY of 34 MPG or better.

Not convinced that Hybrids are cheaper either, then there is type or whole of them and they are not all the same. That world gets complicated fast. Just watch videos on Hybrids.

Do you agree? Did you choose based on gas mileage? If Mini was not a choice what would you have chosen? Besides Mini what else comes close?

I could have chosen a Sedan or a car with a very small back seat. But I use this for me and my long commute and have another family car. So the other three seats are never used if ever. And of course I wanted fun, style, not necessarily speed but that is nice too.

Thanks

 

Keep in mind folks, that this is a vision, not a practical realistic concepts meant to inform of the next gen MINI roadster directly. So things like mpg, or interior technology is irrelevant here. In a way this is just an exercise meant to inspire and create excitement. To that intent I'd say it's quite nice.

The argument that MINI steer away too much from the original concept is always going to be a difficult one. Things need to change to survive and evolve. That's why I'm more interested in the spirit of the brand rather than a direct comparison to the classic. Just my 2ç . . .


So it's powered by Tesla motoring?

 

I'm just glad that it looks like Mini will continue making roadsters, and I do like the concept.

But this looks less Mini and more British roadster.

Did BMW recently acquire the Austin-Healey or Triumph brand?

 

Depends on how you define "recently":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Motor_Company

 

Overall I love this new concept - Especially the boot.

 

This will be called the "SMARTWOOD" and it will be Jaguar inspired...this will cost $53,000 and will only make 500 for the US.

 

so, looking at the concept and falling in love with the style and Italian influence; however in all the photos and videos I've seen not one shows any type of top?? Maybe it folds down into the boot? am I missing something? A pic or vid with the top up would interest me. Thanks