Spy Shots: Is this the face of the next Mini Cooper? Probably not.
Take a good look at the spy shot above. The car you see is obviously a MINI of some sort, though nobody seems quite sure what to make of it. There's a possibility that it's nothing more than a clay mock-up of a possible design direction that didn't make it into production, but it could also be some sort of early prototype for a future vehicle.
L'Automobile Magazine, the French site that the images originate from, seems to believe that this is a new version of the MINI Cooper that will be ready sometime in 2011. If so, it's clear that the car's basic shape will remain the same while details like the droopy front grille and oval-shaped head lamps will be borrowed from the MINI Crossover Concept that debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2008.
According to World Car Fans and BMWBlog, there also exists the possibility that this is the upcoming Megacity electric vehicle, an eco-friendly offshoot of the MINI family that's part of parent company BMW's Project i initiative. So, just what is this thing exactly? Dunno. We're taking the wait-and-see approach.
[Source: L'Automobile Magazine - translated]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KeatMP 8:13PM (5/14/2009)
Looks like a really angry face.
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garlinski 9:53PM (5/14/2009)
I'd say scared... or like an older woman got her face stretched back over her head...
geo.stewart 8:27AM (5/15/2009)
chinese knockoff
amg 8:17PM (5/14/2009)
A face only a mother could love...
WTF are they thinking? The current production one was bad enough compared to the first New MINI (2002-2006). This is just plain terrible.
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Marc-O 8:22PM (5/14/2009)
Looks like a scale model on a shelf to me !
Hopefully this is not the direction the mainstream Mini will take, it takes the "cute" and the "spunky" out of the current facia...
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danotoriousb 8:23PM (5/14/2009)
holy $%*@
I just want a Mini Cooper that looks and feels like a mini cooper. Its not that hard. Make it light, give it some good power, put an S badge on it and dont make it look like an angry anime character and we're straight.
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Tim 9:19PM (5/14/2009)
The next MINI is the Crossman. You know, the 4-door, 4wd version aka R60.
Any pics you see will probably be that.
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Jimbo 12:17AM (5/15/2009)
Agreed. If it has the styling cues of the Crossover Concept, then why can't this BE the Crossman? Seems to make the most sense to me....
P.V. 9:35PM (5/14/2009)
Meh. I hope not.
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txdesign 9:37PM (5/14/2009)
Time to pick up a good used 05 or 06 model; design-wise it's been downhill since 07. I guess BMW is figuring out that updating retro designs is difficult, but let's hope this is not the new design direction. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a pleasant surprise.
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PauloBecker 9:48PM (5/14/2009)
Looks like a Chinese rip-off.
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James 11:45PM (5/14/2009)
I was just about to write that!
Prolly something Chinese!
Anyway, I actually think it looks nice, but it's far too small to be the "Crossman" SUV. Who knows?! Perhaps it actually IS Chinese.
BigTeebo 11:21PM (5/14/2009)
As if the 2nd gen MINI didn't look like the first gen with Downs Syndrome. I'm almost at 100K miles with my '02, as I have zero interest in the future MINIs. The 2nd gen had changes that generally weren't necessary, as it was doing just fine on its own.
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larry a 12:05PM (5/15/2009)
They should have stopped making them in 06, updating the styling on something thats retro just never seems to work.
BlackEmblem 12:30AM (5/15/2009)
Someday they will run out of ideas to the point that they will be discontinued.
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Flea 3:05AM (5/15/2009)
greeeeeat....I was just wondering how long it would take BMW to stick that revolting M3 front lip on the Mini too.
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g 9:11AM (5/15/2009)
if this is real i would rather have a happy mazda3 than a sad mini cooper
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iltoyli 2:17PM (5/15/2009)
I actually kind of like it... it's also a pretty weird angle that the photo is taken from, so you'll have to wait and see more photos. But I definitely think this is the Crossman that's coming out.
And these headlights aren't nearly as bad the as the Ferrari California's which look like someone pulling back their eyelids.
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