Mini Superleggera Vision - Is There A Market For A Retro Convertible?

Mini doesn’t exactly make boring cars. Small and light is always in vogue, and if the design happens to be cutesy enough to invoke images of twenty-somethings on a top-down road trip with smiling faces framed by Ray-Bans, then more power to Mini’s marketing department. BMW’s subsidiary took things a step further by creating the Mini Superleggera Vision. Like its name implies, the two-door concept was a cocktail with one part small British roadster and one part Italian coachbuilding design might.
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ATrain - 4/21/2016 8:08:16 PM

+2 Boost

Quite interesting mix of Aston, Jag, Austin Power and Corvette. Borrowed but refreshed.

Many aspects could never make it into production but that's what these things are for. I especially like the tail lights... Worth one-million-dollars.

MDarringer - 4/21/2016 9:04:57 PM

-1 Boost

A Triumph TR4 with a 2.0T and a TR6 with a Ford 3.7 V6 would be delightful.

Why should BMW use a Ford V6 in this theoretical triumph? Cost savings.

TomM - 4/22/2016 1:01:35 AM

+2 Boost

When Ford brought out the small T-Bird on the Jaguar Platform - it showed that there was a - albeit small - market for retro convertibles.

The re-entry of TVR is hoping that is the case too.

However - these cars HAVE TO BE quite different from the old Roadsters they would be retro to. Many of those things were nothing more than high powered GO CARTS - with poor suspensions - electrical - brakes - etc. Not many people in this group are old enough to remember just how unreliable those cars generally were - but you almost needed your own mechanic riding shotgun on some of them. Some mechanics made really good livings working only on them. Of course - that also fed the desire to modify them in quite a number of ways - and that "requirement" fed an industry. THAT market is gone for good - no consumer today would stand for that.

MDarringer - 4/22/2016 8:57:33 AM

0 Boost

TVRs will sell simply because TVR fans love them. If the planned return to the USA happens, TVR will have a strong enough business case to continue.

The second new TVR will be a roadster version of the Griffith--the name most bandied about as being "the" name.

The Miata has the potential to be truly great with the infusion of horsepower to satisfy those of us that know the chassis can handle 300hp. The mediocre sales of the Miata could probably double if it had a non-girly version.

Mazda could make the Miata a cottage industry. It could be reskinned with another manufacturer's engine and become a product for yet another company.

Corvette Manta Ray = Miata + GM V6 + Vettish styling.