When BMW announced that it would be building a million front-wheel-drive cars, a conflict between the new BMW-branded “Megacity” or 0-Series and BMW’s existing MINI brand seemed inevitable. And though we’ve posed the conflict in terms of an either-or decision, it’s clear that BMW sees no problem with offering small, front-drive models through both its BMW and MINI brands. In fact, BMW will offer its Megacity alongside the MINI Cooper, and, according to Autocar, a new MINI-branded model based on the same platform but slotting underneath the Cooper. MINI promises that the new city car will be no larger than the original Mini, and that it is likely to offer a two- or three-seat interior. This three-cylinder, Smart ForTwo-fighting Mini will be built to pass North American crash test standards, so don’t be surprised if it arrives stateside eventually. And though it returns the MINI brand to its roots, the question of how this sub-MINI will relate to its Megacity cousin remains an open question.
I see a few Smarts every day,in my travels around greater Boston. Mostly on the highways. I think a mini Mini or 0 series would work fine over here.
This one looks more true to the original. The current one parked next to an original looks to be about 33% bigger all around.
If I were BMW, I’d think long and hard about stepping onto the slippery slope of badge engineering. They’ve done a great job making Mini a distinct and successful brand. Even if the two models are visually distinctive, they run the risk of watering down the BMW brand. If BMW dealers who don’t carry Mini are clamoring for these it might be worth a shot, but I doubt that’s the case.
Where do you get your information? BMW has already said that the Megacity will be RWD and rear-engined. The 0-series or whatever the eventual FWD cars will be called is a completely different thing.
Yech, no make that YECH.
The only thing I can say about the styling is its marginally better than the Smart and that’s not saying very much.
With the available or soon to be available high mileage subcompacts (I’m thinking Fiesta, Cruze, Fiat 500 for three off the top of my head) why would someone buy one of these?
This oughta be interesting.
For what it is worth, my 1st-gen 2004 Smart Brabus (3-cyl, turbo-intercooled, 75hp, 6th gear) hauling my 220 lb carcass around, burns a bit over 6L/100km (normal unleaded gas) at a steady 150kph w/the a/c on… (diesel versions burn ca. 3.5L/100 km, but only hit 135 kph, and have 0-60 times measured in decades…)
@Robert Walter, I’d still rather have my 150cc scooter.
Wow I wasn’t aware that there had been a drunken orgy between a Mini, Smart, and a Fiat 500.
Sure looks like a Fiat 500 with a more traditional hatchback roofline.
These are the Mini Spiritual concepts and they are 15 years old. In a literal sense they are far closer to the original Mini than the MINI. For one these were built by Rover and had nothing to do with BMW. Rover brought many of the original Mini out of retirement to work on this most notably Dr Alex Moulton. As such the vehicle has Hydragas suspension and is packaged with a great emphasis on maximising interior space. Eventually this was one of three competing designs for the new MINI.
It is actually a rather remarkable vehicle.
“It is actually a rather remarkable vehicle.”
Well it certainly sounds interesting. City car or not, I would drive this on my 20 minute commute for certain…that is, if they can keep the price tag to what a cheap city car should be.
The new Cooper is a geat car, but I can’t see paying an SUV price for a compact car.
And somewhere in-between then and the original launch, the program became such a mess that BMW had to send a constant stream of engineers to Rover-UK to ensure a positive outcome (same for Rover 75, but by the time 75 launched, BMW was so fatigued by the exercise, that they gave the company away and fired the CEO (Mr. B.P.) and head-of-production (Mr. W.R.)…
Cute as a bug, but it needs a good tranny (unlike the smart’s ‘stupid’ gearbox) to wring decent performance and driveability out of that three-pot.
Kind of sad when MINI has to make a mini.
BTW, why do people refer to the current Mini as “Cooper”? Isn’t Cooper a package on the “One” model? Or did BMW drop the original nomenclature and just resort to Cooper for all of them?
Yes, there’s the Mini Cooper and Cooper S.
“Yes, there’s the Mini Cooper and Cooper S”.
Only in North America, elsewhere their are lower price non cooper models. BMW USA is trying to keep the car up-market.
My sister has a Mini D One Clubman (Diesel Wagon). Not sold here.
There is also a really basic “Mini First” for about $15000 manual trans only.