Mini: Next gen details emerge

Newswheel staff :: 15 March 2006 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini, Europe & UK

[Click on an image to view]

Bigger but lighter?

Spy shots of the upcoming second-gen BMW Mini (known internally at BMW’s sausage-side HQ as the R56) tell a predictable tale of same-again styling. But new technical details are emerging that provide grounds for cautious optimism. Yes, the next Mini will be bigger. But it will also be lighter and “even more go-kart like.”

According to Mini fan site Motoring File, the new car was shown to production staff at the BMW Mini plant in Oxford last week. During the presentation, it’s alleged, plant director Dr. Anton Heiss breathlessly bigged up the R56, describing the car’s handling as “even more go-kart like” than the first BMW-era Mini. The only catch is that R56 has apparently grown in every dimension, including 20mm at the rear, if the insider report quoted is accurate. Despite that, the new car is also claimed to be lighter than outgoing R53 model. However, no specifics in terms of weigh savings are being bandied about - only the observation that BMW’s new aluminium-block four-pot engine is a likely contributing factor.

Bmw is expected to whip the wraps off the R56 Mini within the next few months.

Linkage:
Motoring File

For your viewing pleasure, a few shots of the latest Mini Concept at Geneva…