Mini Speedster @ NAIAS

This surprised me. A Miata competition?

If it's front wheel drive, I wouldn't be cross shopping it with a Miata. Of course most of the auto buying public probably cross shopped the Miata with the Sebring 'vert.

They are trying way too hard with the tail lights.

Man, everyone is going for the Aston-look grille these days.

Wouldn't that be a Roadster? I thought Speedsters were stripped down right to the frame.

Finally, Mini managed to find another spin-off that made sense. Unlike many of their other recent ones.

I like it but those door panels and tail lights take the union jack motif a little too far, methinks.

Aw man too bad it's FWD. Front looks way better than an ND Miata.

It was very big in person. Not a MINI. All MINIs are now huge for what they are supposed to be.

I agree on the taillights, some simple round circular lights would like great.

I like the taillights.

Car looks like a lot of fun, and I really don't care about FWD vs RWD in this case.

In reply to gearheadE30:

Uhh, that grill is a Mini shaped grill on that MINI thing.

They looked like this from 1967 through 2000 when production stopped. The Mk1 grills are a bit different. It looks not at all like an Aston grill to me.

I really wish that was RWD.

If it was RWD it wouldn't be a Mini. I like the door pulls but the tail lights are a little much.

I love the fin.

This car has been known in MINI circles for awhile now. IIRC, it was first shown at some Euro show - Paris, maybe? Regardless, from what's been posted it's purely a concept/show car and won't likely see production. Especially given how poorly the current Coupe & Roadster are selling.

I believe they call it a "speedster" because it doesn't have a top nor any provisions for one.

In reply to Rusted_Busted_Spit:

You could also say that if it was a two seater convertible it wouldn't be a MINI.

Looks pretty good. Probably wont ever drive one but I bet ill see a bunch on campus at the sorority houses.

RossD wrote: They are trying way too hard with the tail lights.

You shut your dirty whore mouth! (said like Will Ferrell so everyone laughs and knows I am kidding)

I actually really like them, to each his own I guess. Overall the concept is kinda cool, but a FWD roaster is the sux.

MINI is in the fashion business. Other than "looks cute" there aren't many great reasons to buy one. There are offerings from other car makers that are better value for money and more reliable / cheaper to run. The driving experience isn't vastly better than some competing cars.

If they keep cooking up cute cars, they might be around in 10 years.

In reply to T.J.:

There was the Moke though, but I get what you are saying.

LuxInterior wrote: The driving experience isn't vastly better than some competing cars.

I disagree, having driven many modern small cars and choosing the MINI over them. Comparing it to GTI's for example, The VW is very "germanic" in how it goes about it's business, much like BMWs, Audis, Porsches, and to a lesser extent, Mercedes. There's a feeling of driving a precision tool, but not a lot of "joy" in how it responds to your input. Just a businesslike way of doing what you ask it to (at least in the GTI and R versions). It's a little heavier feeling and a little more sluggish than cars like the Mazda2/Mazda 3 and MINI.

The MINI, through it's steering calibration and throttle tip-in calibration and sounds tends to be more of a willing dance partner. The VW tends to do what you ask it to do, while the MINI is the one doing the asking, if you catch my drift. The VW tends to have the Porsche and BMW version of Tuetonic "fun" which is doing things as well as they can, but in a serious manner. The MINI is more of the excitable buddy that is pushing you to do more and clapping their hands and yelling "Again!" when you do. Even the base MINI has that vision of "fun" baked into it that encourages you to play more. Base Golfs and the like just don't. The JCW cranks all that up to 11. Is it the most powerful? No, but unless you were drag racing it back to back with the R, you really won't know it, because of the other factors that make it seem like it's overachieving.

I've run that comparison with a number of modern small cars and came away the same each time. The newest MINI is a tiny bit softer and a tiny bit larger, but it has the same "genetic" predisposition to egging you on to have more fun.

As for the FWD argument, at this size and class of car, FWD is just fine. I really don't care which end is being driven when the driving style is so grin inducing as it is.

Overall, I like it, but the MINI grille design seems tortured.

They're trying to to stretch a face from a two-box utilitarian car on to something very different.

It could be prettier if it didn't have to be a MINI.

No lies, I still like it.

I'm glad to see more concept cars in this segment, and I like the sentiment of the neo-classic design, but I don't like this concept very much. Looks a bit like a kid's toy version of a cool car.
"Oh, we'd like to make something that evokes this design, because it's awesome:"
"but it doesn't fit with our brand, which isn't so awesome, so we're going to mix it with a healthy dose of this:"
"and some of this:"

"Ta-Da!"

In reply to JohnyHachi6: Great Comment! Until you included the picture I was confused. I kept thinking this Mini reminded me of another car but couldn't think of what. The long gone and not missed last Thunderbird!!

The Tbird was a little overweight and a little slow, I doubt the MINI will have either problem. Styling wasn't a problem with it.