Production Mini Superleggera concept could use a plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to that of the i8 sports car
The bold Mini Superleggera concept is getting closer to production, as new details on its powertrain have emerged.
Autocar sources have confirmed the production car is due to receive a plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to that used by the i8 sports car. That arrangement will see a petrol engine mounted at the front, with an electric motor mounted above the rear axle. It will be based on the same UKL platform which already underpins the rest of the Mini range as well as the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer.
A decision on putting the Superleggera into production is due to be made in November, and for the moment the car remains at the earliest stages of development.
Mini officials are understood to have been working on a business case to bring the acclaimed concept to production. Speaking to Autocar, BMW board member with the responsibility for Mini Peter Schwarzenbauer said: "We wanted to show a vision of how far the Mini brand can go. We are fighting hard to get this car on the street.
"There is no decision at the moment, but we have a lot of people here that are fighting hard for it. One of our superheroes will be an open car. I'm not saying the Superleggera will come, but you will have an open car."
The car was revealed last May at the Ville d’Este Concours d’Elegance. “It’s all about the business case; we’re not producing cars just to produce them," said Schwarzenbauer "They have to be financially viable. We’re not there yet with the Superleggera, but there’s a desire to find a solution. We have put it out there, got reactions, have had the positive feedback and we’re still working on it.”
Schwarzenbauer said the Superleggera should not be seen as a future replacement for the current Coupe and Roadster models because it was an entirely different proposition: “They don’t compare; the Superleggera is a serious sports car. This is why we did the concept, to show how far you could stretch the Mini brand. It was something completely surprising.”
Even if it doesn’t make production, the concept will still have a significant impact on future Minis.
“There are several design topics you’ll see in the future from the Superleggera. The interior is really reduced to the max and this is something that fits in well at Mini. Look at the dash on a 1959 car; there’s nothing on it,” he said.
Noting that "every new Mini model will come with a hybrid [option]," Schwarzenbauer said that Mini was still exploring the potential of plug-in hybrid and EV technology. "Plug-in hybrids are economically a little easier," he said "Full electric is extremely challenging. Finding a small space to put all the batteries in is extremely challenging. We are working on both possibilities."
The next Mini production model will be the Clubman, which is due to be unveiled in Berlin later today ahead of a debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - though pictures of the new model have already leaked online.
Schwarzenbauer said the model would stay true to last year’s Clubman concept car, a radical departure from the current model. It features four conventional side doors, unlike the current 2+1 arrangement, although the split tailgate will remain.
“The Clubman is the next big step in Mini’s history. I think it’s by far the best-looking Mini ever made, and it’s also very practical. It will be the coolest kid on the block. The only thing it has in common with the current car is the split rear doors,” he said.
Another next-generation Mini model with a radical departure planned will be the next Countryman, which will become a more authentic SUV in its second generation: “The Countryman is and will be very different to the Clubman. The Clubman is the cool kid and good looking. The Countryman is rougher and more of an SUV. If we stay true to what we're doing and making our replacement cars radically different in style and character, you can guess where we're going [with the Countryman]."
Schwarzenbauer described the Clubman and Countryman as two of the five “superheroes” of the Mini range. Five is his ideal range size, and one of the other superheroes is the three- and five-door hatch, which is considered the same model in a different bodystyle.
He wouldn’t confirm the other two models in the future smaller range, but the Cabriolet would be likely given test mules have been spied for it and Schwarzenbauer said this was not considered a bodystyle of the three/five-door hatch and was a model in its own right.
If a business case can be made for the Superleggera, it would be the fifth, surely spelling the end for future replacements for the Paceman, Coupe and Roadster. On the new five-door hatch, Schwarzenbauer said the sales split was 60/40 in favour of the three-door model still.
He also confirmed that Mini will continue to leverage its British heritage when evolving the brand in the future, although a oft-proposed British design studio is not part of the plan.
“We use freelance designers in London but the Mini headquarters will not be there. We already have an international design team in Munich with all kinds of nationalities, so much so that the main language is English and you don’t think you’re in Germany when you go in there,” he said.
Schwarzenbauer added there were logistical reasons for keeping the design and engineering teams together: “The design team also has to be close to the tech people; separate them and you’ll have the nicest-looking car but no one will be able to use it. There needs to be a constant exchange between designers and engineers. There will always be a fine line in developing the brand as it is one people are so passionate about.”
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