Photo: original image created by autoevolution
What BMW or MINI fan doesn’t wish for something with German build quality that looks like the Fiat 500? There’s clearly a market for this sort of car, and for a while, rumors indicated that MINI would indeed put the Rocketman into production and make the mini MINI... or the other way around.
Now, CAR Magazine reports production plans have been stopped, and there will not be any Fiat 500 rival. Usually, canceled cars come as a result of lack of demand or high build costs, so what killed the Rocketman?
It all has to do with the ridiculously short 3050mm wheelbase. It would have been extremely hard for MINI to shrink its new front-wheel drive architecture this much. As you know, short cars are notoriously unstable, and the Rocketman too would have been plagued by stability, handling and crash protection problems.
So what will replace the Rocketman in the future 10-strong lineup? We don’t know, but we’re hoping the MINI finally sees the wisdom of making a true RWD sportscar with premium qualities.
Editor's note: MINI never makes a concept for no reason, and they knew the technical dificulties from the get-go. Don't take the Rocketman for dead yet!
It all has to do with the ridiculously short 3050mm wheelbase. It would have been extremely hard for MINI to shrink its new front-wheel drive architecture this much. As you know, short cars are notoriously unstable, and the Rocketman too would have been plagued by stability, handling and crash protection problems.
So what will replace the Rocketman in the future 10-strong lineup? We don’t know, but we’re hoping the MINI finally sees the wisdom of making a true RWD sportscar with premium qualities.
Editor's note: MINI never makes a concept for no reason, and they knew the technical dificulties from the get-go. Don't take the Rocketman for dead yet!
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