Jalopnik has a rather interesting MINI history article covering the internal Rover / BMW machinations that led to the MINI as we know it now. This was Rover's idea. Visit This Rear-Engine Hatchback Almost Became The New Mini Cooper to check out the article.
Not that bad, really. No wheel gap & no scraping....How can you put those 2 in 1 sentence? 1 thing definite had that design been produced: there would've been no M/A.
I knew I had seen this before. Stan Mott ran a series of cartoons in Road & Track over the years for the Cyclops. It is obviously the design that inspired Rover.
This is a good demonstration that, as a brand, Mini now appeals to lots of guys who would never have bought an original (classic) Mini. Never mind if it works or is rational, what matters most is does it look good, eh?
There is more to the story about that design. My wife gave me a book for Christmas, that tells the entire story of the development of the new MINI. This one was a very early idea, to test certain things, but never meant to go into production.
To be honest MM, I am not really turned off by it. I'm thinking that the front can be fixed, by NOT buying the stupid optional headlights and adding a few driving lights.
I fear MINI's plans are to make it more expensive with all the electronic Dodads they are adding.... A back up camers... Really??:idea: It's like they spent all the development monies and came up short when they had to differenciate the "S" from the Justa.... The bit about tacking on some snap on protrusions out front and calling it an "S".... Really... They sure had the wrong designer in that spot.... And the management team that approved the sportier bumper.... Well... Their skinny jeans were 2 sizes too small...:incazzato: BMW sales are slipping all across the board with the exception of maybe the X-1.... If you can't do it in volumn.... Well maybe makem more expensive... But uglier sure doesn't help.... With the "S" carp lips.... These things are going to make a strange whistling sound at sporting speeds...
That's. more reliable than anything Rover ever built. Probably faster too. Wonder how they got Drew to sit in it.