by Frank Beeton
auto alert
A probing review
of significant global
motor industry news
Mini – Where is it headed?
There can be no denying that BMW’s
stewardship of the Mini brand since
2001 has been a great success. By the
end of 2012, 2½ million of the radically
redesigned car had been sold, joined
by a further 305 000 in 2013, which was
also an individual year sales record for
the marque. Somewhat surprisingly,
the United States has become the
largest single national market for the
range, taking 66 000 units in 2013, well
ahead of the 53 000 units sold during
the same year in the United Kingdom.
“Surprisingly”, because North America
is still considered to be very much a “big
car” market, but Mini has established
a cult-like following there, and it is
interesting to ponder on the reasons
behind this success. Superficially,
the distinctive retro styling, cheeky
personality and go-kart like roadholding
of the Mini have been the main factors
influencing a large number of American
buyers.
The retro connection may not, on its
own, be such a significant factor. For
an example, two of my closest friends
were enthusiasts for the original Mini,
as designed by Alec Issigonis, and put
into production by the British Motor
Corporation in 1959. Like me, they both
competed with Minis in various branches
of motorsport, and each of us owned
a number of different Minis during the
1960’s and 70’s. We also spent much of
our spare time bent under that miniscule
bonnet, wrestling with components
positioned for optimum space utilisation,
rather than accessibility. However, we
have not been been tempted to own the
present-day Mini, because we do not
see it as the spiritual descendant from
the original. The first Mini combined the
most basic of technical components,
aside from the complicated transaxle,
to provide unprecedented levels of
accommodation and roadholding
within a package measuring just
3054 x 1410 x 1346 mm. With some
engine tuning, it could also produce
giant-killing performance, and apart from
a short dalliance with BMC’s Hydrolastic
interconnected liquid suspension, most
Minis had a very simple rubber block
spring medium, which was considered
by enthusiasts to be a superior, if less
comfortable, solution.
The present Mini is a very different kettle
of fish, being state of the art in every
technical aspect. While retaining the
general body shape, cheeky personality
and certain deign cues of the original, the
car has evolved in other areas to ensure
its appeal to a much younger, and more
sophisticated set of potential buyers.
Firstly, the “package” has grown
substantially in size. Technical
sophistication has also greatly advanced,
with more modern drivelines and
suspensions. However, it should be
recognised that retaining the basic layout
of the original, using “conventional”
driveline and suspension components,
has only been made possible by the larger
envelope size now employed, facilitated
by the universal adoption of the transverse
engine, front-wheel drive layout, that was
pioneered by the original.
BMW has also cleverly developed the Mini
brand into a family of models, and over
the past thirteen years, there have been
Mini One, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper S,
John Cooper Works, Convertible, Cabrio,
Hardtop/Hatch, Clubman, Countryman,
Coupé, Roadster, and Paceman
derivatives. Although certain of these
names were inherited from the original
design, BMW has used them to enhance
the appeal of the brand. Diesel-powered
and all-wheel-drive variants have also
appeared, and it would be fair to say
that the Mini family has now evolved way
beyond the wildest dreams entertained by
its orig inator.
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april 2014
However, a closer examination of the
latest Mini range does raise some
interesting questions about the future
direction of the product. The dimensions
of the sedan have grown further, to
3 837 x 1 727 x 1 414 mm., and the
centrally-mounted speedometer, a quirky
characteristic carried over from the
original design, has migrated to a more
logical position in front of the driver.
Unquestionably, the larger dimensions
will advance the Mini’s appeal to North
American buyers, and the latest 2-door
Hardtop model for that market offers a
choice of turbocharged, direct-injection
1,5 litre 3-cylinder or 2,0 litre 4-cylinder
petrol power units, 6-speed manual
or automatic transmissions, dynamic
damper control, LED headlights,
smart cruise control, updated incar entertainment/driver information
systems, and a head-up display.
However, the appearance of the “Mini
Clubman Concept” at the Geneva
Auto Show pushes the envelope even
further. Overall length of this “wagon”
derivative has grown to well over four
metres, and width to a touch under
1 900 mm. More importantly, the next
generation Mini will, reportedly, share
a platform with new BMW front-drive
models (including, presumably, the
2 Series Active Tourer, recently on show
in Geneva). A few months back, we
raised the question of the Mini’s future
in an expected scenario where parent
BMW would introduce its own FWD
cars to replace the current rear-drive
1 Series. Observers believe that the
2 Series Active Tourer may well be the
precursor to the next 1 Series. BMW has
already said that introducing FWD into
its own range will lift the group’s total
annual front-drive production to 1 million
units by 2020, and result in improved
economies of scale and profitability for
the Mini. Up until now, the Mini and the
entry-level rear-drive BMW 1 Series have
addressed two distinctly different market