LEAKED! 3D Model Of What **MAY** Be A MINI Halo Car Emerges — Is THIS What The Company NEEDS To Get Back In The Limelight?

MINI is a niche car company. Let's face it, the quirky BMW-owned manufacturer really is not precisely in the automotive business. It's in the accessory business.

Much like cars built by Fiat and Smart, these products are for a very narrow, targeted demographic. And as we've been saying for quite a bit of time that there's not much room left for them to play. Essentially, everyone that wanted a MINI or a Fiat or a Smart car went out and purchased them. Although I have ZERO scientific data to support this, I'd wager that after the consumer was done with their cute urban car they probably want to upgrade to something more luxurious or something larger.

Of course these niche players have added vehicles to their product portfolio but aside from the Countryman, nothing really stuck. MINI had a particularly bad outing with its Coupe and Roadster variants. Now it will be interesting to see how the five-door Cooper does in the marketplace.

So, what does the company do NOW?

Apparently it looks like MINI may be giving it another go with a halo-type sports car. Modeled after the Superleggera Concept, it looks like MINI will be building a two-door convertible that would go up against the likes of the Audi TT.

But, I have to be a bit cynical and address the elephant in the room. After all I said above, is this what the company really NEEDS?

Read Article

MDarringer - 1/2/2015 11:44:00 PM

-4 Boost

If it's FWD it will be obliterated by the Fiat 124

CarCrazedinCali - 1/3/2015 5:51:57 PM

+3 Boost

What? Fiat makes cars with poor reliability ratings and even worse crash test ratings...

http://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-reports-says-this-is-the-worst-car-around-2014-10

http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/iihs-small-car-crash-test-results-mini-earns-the-only-good-fiat-nissan-mazda-graded-poor/2014/07/30/87cd132c-1809-11e4-88f7-96ed767bb747_story.html

valhallakey - 1/3/2015 3:15:19 AM

+1 Boost

Hope they make it, and do something interesting powertrain wise. 3cyl turbo powering the rear wheels and an optional hybrid model with electric power for the front wheels. If they can get 10-20 miles and 45-55mph top speed for the pure electric mode but keep the weight down that, IMHO, would be a game changing sports car.

MDarringer - 1/3/2015 10:35:07 AM

-1 Boost

Given that BMW owns the Triumph name, they should do a conventional RWD roadster aimed at the Miata/124 and call it a TR4. Minis are FWD hatchbacks and should stay there.

ParadoX - 1/3/2015 1:59:41 PM

+3 Boost

Mini is a brand that can really only do one thing. I think they need to stop worrying about expansion (it wont happen), and focus on making the most of the one thing they can do.

MDarringer - 1/3/2015 4:07:11 PM

-1 Boost

BMW made the mistake of making Mini have stand-alone dealers thus they have to have multiple products. The smarter move would have been to put Mini in all BMW dealers because the products compliment each other well.

CarCrazedinCali - 1/3/2015 5:35:16 PM

+1 Boost

Back in the limelight? You should be more specific and say limelight in the US... A recent Euro matchup of hatches had the MINI on top. The fact that the US market isn't too hot on hatches or small cars doesn't help MINI but I believe the products are a fantastic example of BMW craftsmanship in the small car segment.

MDarringer - 1/3/2015 6:11:31 PM

-2 Boost

Mini isn't out of the limelight in the USA. The 3 door Cooper and Cooper S are doing just fine. Its the idiotic permutations that are giving the impression of downturn.

valhallakey - 1/4/2015 4:56:44 PM

+1 Boost

@MDarringer - Good idea on using the Triumph brand, can easily fall under either the mini or BMW umbrella and Mini can focus (or appear to) on fwd hatches. I was kind of thinking the same thing with GM in a way. They should make Pontiac Firebirds, Trans Ams, GTOs, Olds eighty eights and 442 s when they want to. Sell them out of GM dealers. Only Caddilac should be separate dealerships IMHO.