Mini AWD in 2008

[Ferrer]

What about the estate version?

Could do, but I guess there could be rigidity problems with the suicide doors, altough they could weld them, just like they did with the roof of the 307 CC. However there are two problems I can think of. First Mini has no suitable 2-litre engine, and I doubt BMW engines can be homologated and secondly the risk is too big for Mini, if the car isn't a sure winner from the start its image could suffer badly. Seeing its good sales I doubt the investment would pay off.

[Waugh-terfall]

Except for the R8...

HAHA yeah, Most excludes the R8. Come to think of the Rosemeyer concept was rear engined to and the R8/R10 LeMans Racers.


And yeah, I think the Mini Traveller would be a bad idea. I think it'd make the Mini name to widely spred, when you hear Mini you think caracterful little 3dr that whines, Well, I do anyway. I don't hear Mini and go hmm, estates are nice. Though a return to rallying from Mini would be pretty cool.

[Ferrer]

And yeah, I think the Mini Traveller would be a bad idea. I think it'd make the Mini name to widely spred, when you hear Mini you think caracterful little 3dr that whines, Well, I do anyway. I don't hear Mini and go hmm, estates are nice. Though a return to rallying from Mini would be pretty cool.

I have always thought the Mini would have made for a good privateers S1600 car, a bit like the coll and quirky alternative but without a factory support (thus limiting the impact if things didn't go well). However as S1600 cars have all but disappeared from rallying, I guess there's no suitable category for the Mini.

[Matra et Alpine]

A UK well-respected rally prep team ( can#t remember right now which one ) undertook a project to modify the Mini for rallying. They had to custom design front shocks and suspension components and then heard nothing else about it. So I guess it ddint' work out very well at all