Dear 001,
I came across this in Car magazine...sounds cool!
Further Information on Next-Gen Mini
• The New Mini will be built on a new platform, with most likely a longer wheelbase to accommodate a Traveller/estate version.
• The new convertible is an indication of the need for a new platform. Extensive frame changes had to be made to accommodate the convertible. The new platform will be more flexible.
• No more variants of the Mini will be based on the current platform. The 3-door hatchback and the cabrio is all that will be seen.
• The new platform is expected for 2007. (Not sure if this means a 2007 model year, which means we will probably see it in the August 2006 timeframe, or will be seen in the 2007 calendar year.)
• The new platform will be shorter than the 1-series, but the MPV version could be longer, with a higher roofline.
• The new Mini will retain the current car's trademark pin-sharp handling and kart-like agility.
• The new engine will be built at PSA's Douvrin engine plant in France. The engine will first appear in the Peugot lineup in 2006, a year ahead of it's inclusion in the Mini lineup. (This should give us a good review of the engine prior to it's release in the Mini).
• The new hatch, will be an evolutionary design, retaining four essential style elements: the Mini's short, stocky proportions, an uninterrupted glass area between body and roof, and the bonnet's diagonal cutline which echoes the 1959 car's protruding panel seam.
• It will also most likely retain the hexagonal grill, bold round headlights and retro-inspired interior.
As a side note it is quite interesting at how close the new Porsche 997 headlights look like the Mini's. They are a very close match.
Love your site!
c