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MINI Superleggera-Inspired Car Allegedly Approved for Production

Remember the beautiful MINI Superleggera concept unveiled last year? Well, if you’re a fan of the British brand, you should because it will apparently go into production later on this decade, towards 2018.
MINI Superleggera design sketch 1 photo
Photo: MINI
At least that’s what British magazines are reporting and we tend to agree. Our own source inside Munich reported that the Board has been discussing this possibility quite intensely over the last few months, given the overenthusiastic response the company got from the unveiling of the concept.

Furthermore, the ‘superheroes’ strategy is now being rolled out. That implies reducing the range of models in the line-up for 5 core ones that would then have small variations. In turn, it also means that two or three of them will be dropped. A first step in this regard was taken by the company when it announced the end of production for the MINI Coupe and Roadster versions. The last one to follow will be the Paceman.

That means we’ll be left with the MINI Hardtop in 3 and 5 door guises (2 and 4-door in the US for some reason), the Convertible, Countryman, Clubman and this upcoming version based on the Superleggera.

As opposed to what BMW is doing, the British brand seemingly wants to keep its core values intact and the line-up focused on what customers would really buy.

With the Superleggera in production, we might have the first hybrid roadster from MINI ever made. The company is also testing such a layout on other cars as well but the Superleggera would be a roadster and it might be the first automobile of this kind in the entire group that uses both a conventional engine and an electric motor if it comes out before the Z4.

And chances are it will as the most recent info about the future roadster from BMW places it somewhere beyond the 2020 mark while the new MINI should come out somewhere near 2018.

As for the powertrain, it would be made up of a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder ICE for the rear axle and an electric motor sitting on the front axle for better balance and driving excitement.
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