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Showing posts with label MINI Concepts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MINI Concepts. Show all posts

MINI Remembers 12 Concept Models Created Under the Ownership of the BMW Group

Thursday, August 2, 2012


For most people in the northern hemisphere, August is the last summer month of relaxation and freedom before the new season kicks in and we all return to reality.

What this means for most industries and especially the automotive sector, is that there is not a lot going on, which could explain why MINI chose this month to reminisce about its past concepts, from the moment it was acquired by the BMW Group in the mid-1990s to the present day.

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The Mini-Me MINI of the BMW Group's London Olympic and Paralympic Games Fleet


After the 160 BMW 1-Series ActiveE coupes and 40 MINI E hatchbacks, the Bavarian automotive group today presented its third pure-electric vehicle to the London Olympic and Paralympic fleet: the Mini MINI.

Evidently, and unlike the other two models, the Mini MINI was not designed to shuttle athletes and officials within the Olympic Park and surrounding Games sites.

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Minier Mini Rocketman Concept Updated for the London 2012 Games

Thursday, June 14, 2012


The concept study that debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and which was initially thought to base a smaller Mini hatchback before we learned than the BMW Group dropped those plans, has been updated to promote the company’s sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

So what's new with the 2012 edition of the Mini Rocketman Concept? For starters, the updated model now wears the colors of the British national flag, the Union Jack, both inside and out.

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2012 Life Ball Mini Roadster Designed by Vogue Editor, Franca Sozzani

Tuesday, May 22, 2012


After teasing us with a single sketch in the beginning of May, Mini went ahead and presented the Roadster Cooper S designed by Franca Sozzani, chief editor of Italian Vogue, at the 2012 edition of the annual Life Ball charity event in Vienna, Austria.

The one-off creation was auctioned off at the AIDS Solidarity Gala for €54,000 (US$69,000) to an unnamed buyer.

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After Camping, MINI Takes the Cooper Hatchback for Yachting

Sunday, April 1, 2012


For some unexplained reason, Mini has discovered a deep-seated love for nature introducing not one, but two different conceptions targeting buyers that love going out and enjoying the environment.

Following the presentation of the two camping solutions, the British brand has crafted together a new amphibious model called the MINI Cooper Yachtsman and revealed it online before it makes its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show, right beside the Hudson River.

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First Official Photos of MINI Clubvan Concept Hit the Net

Saturday, February 18, 2012


Just yesterday, we reported about Mini's plans to reveal a concept model for a light commercial application based on the Clubman, and today, the first official photos of the new Clubvan hit the interwebs ahead of its world premiere at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon in March.

There's nothing really innovative or interesting, for that matter, about the Clubvan as the conversion from passenger model to van is pretty straightforward with Mini simply eliminating the rear seat bench and boot floor to create a continuous loading area.

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MINI to Bring "Breadvan" Concept to the Geneva Motor Show

Friday, February 17, 2012


After the three-door hatchback, convertible, Clubman, Roadster and Coupe variants of the Mini, the BMW Group-owned British carmaker will preview yet another body style at next month's 2012 Geneva Motor Show via a thinly disguised concept model.

This one is called the Clubvan (though Breadvan may have been a more appropriate name in this case...) and as you probably have guessed by now, it's based on the Clubman. However, unlike the latter, the Clubvan study will do away with the rear seats and side windows offering a continuous loading bay stretching to the front passenger seats.

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Mini said to have Pulled the Plug on the Rocketman

Monday, January 23, 2012


Remember the Mini Rocketman Concept from last year's Geneva Motor Show? Over the past few months, there had been several reports saying that the BMW Group was planning to put the city-car sized Mini into production by 2016.

Today, Car is reporting that the Germans have shelved those plans for a smaller Mini model inspired by the Rocketman.

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MINI Files Patent Design for Paceman, the Three-Door Version of the Countryman Crossover

Wednesday, July 20, 2011


Last January at the Detroit Motor Show, MINI lifted the curtains on the not-so-mini Paceman concept study based on the Countryman crossover. During the presentation of the prototype, BMW board member Ian Robertson had then confirmed that the Paceman will join the MINI line-up in the very near future.

And while we’ve yet to capture a prototype version of the Paceman on the road, today we discovered these official patent images that were filed a couple of days ago.

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AC Schnitzer Claims to have Built the Fastest MINI with its New Eagle Concept

Thursday, June 16, 2011


Is an impressive run around the Hockenheim Circuit enough to crown a car the fastest of its kind? Well, according to BMW Group tuning specialist AC Schnitzer, the answer to the above question is yes. The German company raced its John Cooper Works MINI-based Eagle Concept car at the Hockenheim Circuit recording a lap time of 1:13,341 minutes.

AC Schnitzer says the Eagle beat several thoroughbred sports cars such as the Ferrari California (1:13,5 minutes) and the Porsche 911 Turbo (1:14,6 minutes), and was left behind only by specially tuned or hardcore models like the KTM X-Bow and the BMW M3 Kompressor.

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Rough & Tough MINI DSQUARED² Glides Down the Catwalk in Vienna

Monday, May 23, 2011


The BMW Group’s Mini division continues to support the Life Ball gala, Europe’s largest annual charity event in the fight against HIV and AIDS, by commissioning designers to fashion up its cars and then offer them up for auction. For this year’s event in Vienna, Austria, brothers Dean and Dan Caten, who are better known as the Canadian designer duo DSQUARED², crafted the Red Mudder based on the three-door Mini Cooper S.

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One-off Mini Red Mudder to be Unveiled at Life Ball Event on May 21

Friday, May 6, 2011


In keeping with the tradition it started in 2001 by allowing famous fashion designers to play around with its vehicles for Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event, Life Ball, Mini will once again reveal a special one-off model at this year’s happening. After established names like Gianfranco Ferre, Donatella Versace, Diesel and Calvin Klein got their way with the MINI, this year the honor has been awarded to DSquared². Read more »

MINI Shows off New Rocketman at Milan Fashion Week [New Photos and Video]

Thursday, February 24, 2011


Only a few days before its motor show debut at next week's Geneva Salon, the MINI Rocketman concept made its first public appearance at a special event on the sidelines of the Milan Fashion Week. The presentation was held at the Istituto Europeo di Design, which is a design school with a focus on automotive and product design.

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VIDEO: A MINI Cooper S Powered by a Helicopter Jet Engine

Wednesday, February 23, 2011


Rolls-Royce and MINI may have the same owner, but the two iconic British brands have never been intended to cross paths. That was until a Texas-based firm called BMP Design decided to squeeze a Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20B jet engine sourced from a helicopter in the back of a MINI Cooper S. Yes, that's right, just behind the front seats.

The consequences of this action are easy to imagine: the 420-horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque RR engine drives the rear wheels, turning the MINI into a 4WD monster. Managing to drive the car is a major achievement, since the driver needs to balance the conventional controls with the separate levers that command the jet engine.

As you are about to see, the speed and the acceleration of this little rocket are mind-blowing. As is the noise coming from the turbine engine. Watch the videos after the break.

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MINI Brings its iQ Emulating, mini Rocketman Concept to the Geneva Salon [37 High-Res Photos]

Tuesday, February 22, 2011


When it was launched, many industry commentators complained that BMW’s New Mini was neither as compact nor as affordable as its illustrious predecessor had been. In a possible effort to address this (and no doubt to compete with the likes of the competitions smaller offerings), MINI will be showing the Rocketman Concept at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show this March.

MINI describes the Rocketman Concept as a “3 + 1 seater” with exterior dimensions that closely emulate the original Mini of 1959. The one-off concept is 3,419 mm (11 ft. 3 in.) long, 1,907 mm (6 ft. 3 in.) wide and 1,398 mm(4 ft. 7 in.) tall. It sits on a carbon spaceframe underbody that is left visible in some parts of the exterior and cabin.

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MINI to Debut...Mini Concept at Geneva Motor Show

Saturday, February 19, 2011


Carscoop has learned that Mini will lift the covers off a brand new concept model at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March. The three-door design study is said to hark back to the classic Mini in terms of its exterior dimensions while keeping up with the times in terms of safety requirements and occupant space.

The concept will measure a little over 3.4 meters in length, essentially splitting the difference between the current three-door hatchback (3,723 mm) and the original 1959 Mini (3,050 mm).

We also learned that Mini's study will sport a 3+1 seat configuration similar to that of the Toyota iQ and that its design and tech features, including a variety of weight saving tricks and components, will be applied to the next generation of Mini models.

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2011 Detroit Motor Show: BMW Confirms MINI Paceman Concept for Production

Monday, January 10, 2011


At this year’s North American International Auto Show, MINI is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand’s revival and re-launch in the U.S. market. To mark the occasion, the automaker unveiled today the Paceman Concept, and also confirmed that it will spawn a production model in the very near future.

“I’m thrilled to tell you now, for the very first time, that there will be a seventh member of the MINI family – and we will base it on this concept”, said Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, during MINI’s press conference at the Detroit motorshow.

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MINI Paceman Concept: Crossman Coupe Study Previewed Ahead of Detroit Show

Monday, December 20, 2010


In 2001, the BMW Group revived the concept of the original MINI creating a new brand from a single, three-door hatchback model. Fast forward to today, and the British automaker's range has exploded with the arrival of a number of models including the soft-top Convertible, the JCW specials, the Clubman estate and the Countryman crossover, while two two more vehicles, the Coupe and Speedster, which were shown in concept form last year, have already been confirmed for production.

But that doesn't seem to be enough for the BMW Group that has announced a new concept model called the MINI Paceman, which will make its debut at the Detroit motorshow in January, that will almost certainly spawn yet another production vehicle.

Based on the Countryman five-door crossover, the Paceman is described by the company as a Sports Activity Coupé. Think of it as something like a MINI flavored X6 with two doors.

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AC Schnitzer Turns All-Electric MINI E into a Police Car [with Video]

Wednesday, December 1, 2010


In support of the German Automobile Tuner Association’s “Tune it! Safe!” campaign, AC Schnitzer built the MINI E Police Look Concept, which is being showcased at the 2010 Essen Motor Show. The idea behind the campaign is to create a car that can satisfy tuning aficionados and also meet safety standards.

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MINI Core Design Concept Shows what a Non-Retro Cooper could Look Like

Wednesday, September 29, 2010


Niels Steinhoff, a student at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, clearly envisions the next Mini as sleeker, more rounded, and less retro. His concept is called the Mini Core and comes off more as a shooting brake than a typical hatch. Much like a Mini, the Core is still meant to provide "reasonable functionality, driving pleasure, the possibility of individualization".

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