Tuesday 24th January 2012

BMW axes Mini Rocketman project

Or rather the laws of physics and crash regulations do

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Mini has cancelled its plans for a production version of the diminutive Rocketman concept, which it unveiled at last year's Geneva motor show.

So why has BMW decided to kill the mini Mini? After all, the will was evidently there to create a proper city car-sized Mini, rather than an outsize version of the Issigonis original.And, judging by the reaction on PH to the original unveil of the Rocketman, the buyers would have been there too.

The problem, it seems, came in getting the car to meet stringent modern safety regulations. And in making it handle with the sort of chuckable sportiness that Mini buyers expect. The result? The death of a car that, according to Car magazine's Georg Kacher, who broke this story, could have been in Mini showrooms around 2016.

The shelving of the Rocketman project also begs another interesting question: if Mini is to introduce three new models by 2020 (giving it a 10-model range), exactly what are they going to be if the Rocketman isn't one of them?

[P4ROT]

Shame really because this points to new MINIs moving even further away from the original concept, rather than back towards it (becoming smaller and more compact)

[GBDG]

Seems like a shame. I liked the look of these. I'm skeptical about the safety argument, cars like the Pug 107/Aygo seem to manage fine.

I suspect the reality is that it's hard to make money on a cheaper car, so why bother? Mini have done very well at the premium end of the small car market, this product doesn't really deliver any new customers for them.

[kambites]

GBDG said:

Seems like a shame. I liked the look of these. I'm skeptical about the safety argument, cars like the Pug 107/Aygo seem to manage fine.

I'd guess that in order to keep the "Miniesque" looks, they have to put the bonnet quite close to the top of the engine, which you're not allowed to do these days.

[Johnboy Mac]

Would it be fair to say no loss this MINI? Buy an i-Q, possibly save a few bob and get better build quality into the bargain.

[garypotter]

AArgh another MINI story, nearly 2 a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

great advertising for MINI by PH, I hope they are paying you in magic beans for all the advertising, even for cars they are NOT going to build.

[Stew2000]

It failed its Mini Mission

I can't see the point of so many "specials"
http://www.mini.co.uk/model-range/hatch/

[Quacker]

Shame.

Clubman van is a sure thing as far as I know. I wouldn't be surprised if a compact mini still arrived on the scene in the coming few years. Mini 7 seater?

[Twincam16]

kambites said:

GBDG said:

Seems like a shame. I liked the look of these. I'm skeptical about the safety argument, cars like the Pug 107/Aygo seem to manage fine.

I'd guess that in order to keep the "Miniesque" looks, they have to put the bonnet quite close to the top of the engine, which you're not allowed to do these days.

I'm not so sure about that.

Look at this:



Fit MINI headlights.

Fit MINI grille



Replace avant-garde triangular rear lights with MINI-style chrome-edged single-piece units.

Fit Minilite lookalike wheels.



You could keep much of that interior as it's already very MINI-ish with its pod-shaped instruments.

And there you have it. Using the same PSA connection that MINI gets its engines from, a proper Mini-MINI, designed true to Issigonis' original, for the price of a few aftermarket accessories.

Offer it in typically MINI colour schemes, make it affordable, offer a turbocharged variant Cooper version to truly set it apart from the Toyota/Citroën/Peugeot crowd - job done.

[kambites]

That bonnet is much shorter and significantly higher than the MINI concept pictured above.

Of course they could do a standard small car with vague hints of Mini to it, but would anyone buy it?

[Twincam16]

kambites said:

That bonnet is much shorter and significantly higher than the MINI concept pictured above.

I'm not saying you could turn a C1 into a Rocketman, but you could definitely give the Rocketman a MINI identity.

And as for all the people who'll say 'but it won't be a real MINI and everyone will know it' - well the original Mini was available as an Austin, a Morris, a Wolseley and a Riley and no-one kicked up much of a fuss. Had certain plans gone ahead there would have been an MG Mini as well.

[Twincam16]

kambites said:

That bonnet is much shorter and significantly higher than the MINI concept pictured above.

Of course they could do a standard small car with vague hints of Mini to it, but would anyone buy it?

If it said MINI on it and looked vaguely like one, it'd sell even if the boot floor was upholstered in dog turds.

[Crunchy Nutter]

Still wasn't small enough anyway. 1907mm wide makes it wider than a Mondeo, although I'm assuming that's including the mirrors.

[Pumpsmynads]

"the buyers would have been there too."

Well they wouldn't have been PH readers then judging by the previous reactions. So it's axed for whatever reason and now everyone on here can rejoice.

[iain1970]

1. Hatch
2. Cabrio
3. Coupé
4. Clubman
5. Countryman

As far as I know, that's it for the current Mini models. We've had suggestion of

6. Roadster based on the Coupé
7. Van based on the Clubman
8. Countryman coupé whose name eludes me

So the last two are up to the designers, accountants and marketing people.

I'd like to see

9. Smaller city car
10. Pickup based on the Countryman in a Jumbuck/Fabia/Brat type of way.

[richb77]

"The shelving of the Rocketman project also begs another interesting question: if Mini is to introduce three new models by 2020 (giving it a 10-model range), exactly what are they going to be if the Rocketman isn't one of them?"

A 9 model range????

[Zircon]

How can Renault offer the Twingo sport, but BMW Mini not achieve the same performance in a small car package?

[andyps]

I can't figure how MINI say they can't make a smaller car meet the regulations and provide Mini handling. There are plenty of small cars which demonstrate that meeting crash regulations is possible - iQ and Smart being the obvious ones in addition to the 107/C1/Aygo trio. The original Mini partly had such great handling because it was small.

If this is the real explanation it questions the abilities of the great engineering minds working at BMW. Or it just doesn't make financial sense for them, in which case the engineers need to look again at how to do it, so the problem is back with them.

[Numeric]

Straight economics - low build volumes (this wouldn't have gone to the US) and a sector that struggles to reach high pricing, when aligned with some extensive unique engineering costs kill this. The original Mini hardly made a brass farthing in its life and as we know most manufacturers seem to do their small cars in multi brand or collaboration (PSA/Toyota, VAG) or they aren't that small so have a greater level of market potential.

Also the first gen New Mini struggled to make cash due to high build costs - it was only the very surprising richness of the up speccing and the weak pound offering natural hedging to BMW group that made it a success, but note how quickly the car was changed to one that offered lower build costs and greater platform usage (so lower marginal cost) opportunities.

[B10]

Perhaps when they launch the new MINI hatchback they will keep the existing one as a MINI classic (sic). The new MINI hatch is bound to bigger and will make the current one look small.
Therefore 10 models.

[cookie1600]

Fear not friends!!! still plenty of other vehicles to bring out on the theme yet.....