MINI is at it again, attracting attention to a car that you can't buy yet. It's an awesome concept car that they're showing off at the Bread and Butter conference in Barcelona.
It's a MINI with more room - we guess that when they mean "crossover" they mean not entirely a small car, but not entirely a big car. Whatever. You can't buy it yet, it's just an auto-designer's dream for now.
Having recently spent a week in a Cooper S JCW, the highlight of numerous MINIs I've enjoyed over the years, it's obvious to me why the iconic British brand has had such monumental success. Its cars are brilliant! It's difficult to have any more fun even if you spend hundreds of thousands more for an exotic ride, but unlike the Tall ride height, buffed details and four-doors... it's a MINI crossover alright. (Photo: MINI) sneers of jealousy you'll get in a flashy supercar, you'll start to think you're a bona fide celebrity with all the waves and goodwill that come unsolicited when driving a MINI.
Since its reinvention from the original Mini in model year 2001, the larger but still diminutive subcompact reached its millionth car mark on April 3rd, 2007, after only six years of production. In March of 1965 the original, built from 1959 to 2000, achieved the same total in an almost identical amount of time. Clearly there's a pattern of success, but in today's tumultuous economic situation, how should MINI's parent company keep the momentum going.
One way is to expand the lineup, a business model BMW has enjoyed success with over the years. The German brand has ventured into various SUV/crossover markets on one side of the auto sector and subcompact models not much larger than the MINI on the other. MINI has also expanded its offerings to include a convertible and more recently a more family-friendly extended version dubbed the Cooper Clubman. OK, now that's different. (Photo: MINI) While important models, the compact crossover segment has been growing at a phenomenal rate in the US, Europe and around the world, so why not create a MINI SUV?
The thought of such an “abomination” might not have sat well with the late Sir Alec Issigonis, and may further still cause a murmur amongst MINI (or rather Mini) faithful, but it's not like oddball Minis weren't around in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Austin Mini Van was a popular delivery vehicle in its time, while Mini pickup trucks have been known to show up at and not be turned away from Mini car meets. ==================================
BRUCE
SmartCarQuote.com offer a fresh way of getting the best price on a new car, truck or SUV.
1 comment:
Having recently spent a week in a Cooper S JCW, the highlight of numerous MINIs I've enjoyed over the years, it's obvious to me why the iconic British brand has had such monumental success. Its cars are brilliant! It's difficult to have any more fun even if you spend hundreds of thousands more for an exotic ride, but unlike the
Tall ride height, buffed details and four-doors... it's a MINI crossover alright. (Photo: MINI)
sneers of jealousy you'll get in a flashy supercar, you'll start to think you're a bona fide celebrity with all the waves and goodwill that come unsolicited when driving a MINI.
Since its reinvention from the original Mini in model year 2001, the larger but still diminutive subcompact reached its millionth car mark on April 3rd, 2007, after only six years of production. In March of 1965 the original, built from 1959 to 2000, achieved the same total in an almost identical amount of time. Clearly there's a pattern of success, but in today's tumultuous economic situation, how should MINI's parent company keep the momentum going.
One way is to expand the lineup, a business model BMW has enjoyed success with over the years. The German brand has ventured into various SUV/crossover markets on one side of the auto sector and subcompact models not much larger than the MINI on the other. MINI has also expanded its offerings to include a convertible and more recently a more family-friendly extended version dubbed the Cooper Clubman.
OK, now that's different. (Photo: MINI)
While important models, the compact crossover segment has been growing at a phenomenal rate in the US, Europe and around the world, so why not create a MINI SUV?
The thought of such an “abomination” might not have sat well with the late Sir Alec Issigonis, and may further still cause a murmur amongst MINI (or rather Mini) faithful, but it's not like oddball Minis weren't around in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Austin Mini Van was a popular delivery vehicle in its time, while Mini pickup trucks have been known to show up at and not be turned away from Mini car meets.
==================================
BRUCE
SmartCarQuote.com offer a fresh way of getting the best price on a new car, truck or SUV.
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