Since BMW acquired the Mini brand, it has come up with an almost incredible number of variations and derivatives of the traditional Mini hatchback. From the crossover-y Countryman and Paceman to the convertible and aggressive coupe, much juice has been squeezed from Alec Issigonis’s original Mini, although some have been more successful than others. Take, for example, the topless Mini roadster, which only differentiates itself from the similar Mini convertible by being even less practical. Could the roadster be better? Sure, and we can’t think of a better blueprint to improvement than this Mini Superleggera Vision concept, which debuted at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Italy.
To create this adorable sports car, Mini’s design team, led by Anders Warming, teamed up with Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera. Carrozzeria Touring is, of course, one of Italy’s legendary coachbuilders, and was created in 1926. The firm closed its doors in 1966 but was resurrected in 2006 with the help of financial investors. Good thing, too, because to our eyes, the Mini Superleggera Vision is stunningly beautiful.
A long hood, a relatively long wheelbase, and a body-side crease dubbed the “Touring line” characterize the Superleggera. The thinly framed windshield is wrapped around at the corners; the tail slopes gracefully and is accentuated with a large, Jaguar D-type–style dorsal fin; and the nearly seamless aluminum body is finished in an almost ethereal “Como blue” paint. In designer Warming’s eloquent words: the Mini’s “energetic, minimalist design embodies the dynamic essence of an automobile.”
We think the proportions evoke classic Italian and British roadsters in the best way possible. The MG Midget and the Triumph Spitfire come to mind, as does the Alfa Romeo Duetto. And the similarities with the Fiat Barchetta, built between 1995 and 2005 on the Punto platform, are striking. Of course, this roadster wouldn’t be a Mini without a few garish accents—such as aluminum stripes on the front hood, or the low taillights that look like British flags cut in half. And the characteristic Mini grill up front is closed. Think Tesla Model S.
Oh, and that closed-off Mini grille? Yup—the Mini Superleggera Vision is fully electric, although BMW is sparing us the technical details of the powertrain’s performance, range, and weight. To us, a buzzing electric motor and the range limitations of a battery-powered ride are particularly unsuited to the very concept of a roadster, let alone one this incredible-looking, but you can’t ding Mini for trying to be “relevant.”
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Inside, the Superleggera Vision is finished in brown “Sabbia” leather, unpainted metal, and black chrome, while the dashboard is made from a single sheet of aluminum. The rearview mirror is hinged on a vertical wire. There are a few fussy elements, like the “Misty Magenta” accents, Union Jack motifs in the structure of the doors, and the in-car camera designed to catch “those particularly worthwhile moments of the road.” There is no mention of a fabric top, so either the design team was going for a Boxster Spyder level of minimalism or this is a highly conceptual concept car.]
Next to being gorgeous, the Mini Superleggera Vision continues a recent BMW trend: Turning to storied Italian design houses for help creating incredible-looking concept cars. Before this Mini, the Germans hit up Zagato two years ago for a Z4-based coupe and last year turned out the hot Gran Lusso coupe with Pininfarina. Neither Zagato’s Z4 nor Pininfarina’s Gran Lusso have made it into production, but we hope BMW will consider this one. Unlike the Paceman and Countryman, the cheeky Mini Roadster and Coupe are actually in line with the brand’s core values—and if the next-generation models based on the latest Cooper Hardtop looked like this, there’d be no mistaking them for any other Mini.
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