27 Jul 06
Sales of the reborn-under-BMW Mini have far exceeded the company's expectations. Over 800,000 new Minis have been built at the factory at Cowley, near Oxford, since 2001, with nearly 200,000 sold in the UK alone. The car is sold in over 70 countries worldwide, including the USA; it takes part in its own dedicated one-make race series, and there are enthusiastic owners' clubs in many countries. For some Mini owners, it's more than just a car, it's a way of life, with many taking part in long distance rallies, club meetings and gatherings such as the Mini United three-day festival in Misano, Italy, last year, which over 5000 people attended.
So how do you update such a successful car? It goes without saying that this Mini would not have proved such a hit were it not such a good product in its own right, but its homage to the original Mini and the respect for that car's heritage provides an extra problem for BMW's designers, engineers and product-planners to ponder. How do you make a car look more modern when much of its appeal rests on its retro styling?
The answer to these questions is: don't meddle with a winning formula, make only minor detail-changes to the exterior and to the cabin, yet address all the technical shortcomings of the first-generation car and overhaul it under the surface.
