Alright all you diehard Mini fans; time to get excited. One of the biggest (no pun intended) complaints about the new MINI that emerged in 2002 was its size. How could BMW call it a MINI when it was so much larger than the original? Sacrilege, right? Well, original Mini fans prepare to hang your heads humbly as you welcome the new mini MINI.
That's right, the smallest MINI in the lineup is getting ready for production. First seen as the Mini Rocketman concept (sing it with me now, “Rocket maaaaan”) in Geneva, this nifty little number will be the smallest of the MINI bunch and is set to only be 40cm longer and 50cm wider than the original Mini.
For anyone who saw the Rocketman concept images circling the web, the mini MINI will maintain the look save for the handlebar taillights, and all-glass Union Jack roof (pity). It will maintain its 3+1 seating arrangement (similarly structured to the world's smallest 4-seater, the Scion iQ), as well as the centered Coke-can exhaust.
While no specifics have been uttered from the mouths of babes (aka BMW execs) regarding the engine that will land in the mini MINI, there has been speculation that the technology from BMW's electric i3 city car will make an appearance. The mini MINI would be an ideal place to fit an electric powertrain and make the mini MINI the fuel-efficient ride it's meant to be.
The “Mini Rocketman” is set to arrive in 2014. Until then, “I think it's gonna be a long, long time...”
