When BMW revived MINI in 2001, several were curious to see how the carmaker would survive with only one car. Add 15 years into the mix and now the…ahem, British car manufacturer is considering expanding its line-up with a fifth model.
However, Mini can’t decide whether to build a compact sedan (yes, you read that right) or continue with the idea of an electric roadster based on the Superleggera concept car, in an attempt to grow the brand – as BMW AG board member Peter Schwarzenbauer said in an interview with Automotive News:
"It is a question you have to look at economically, and around the world you could say the sedan has the biggest potential, volume-wise."
Still, that doesn’t mean the idea of a genuine “halo car” is abandoned, even though it’s much easier – as a car maker – to concentrate your resources on a “huge segment” instead of a niche, as he continued:
"A car based on the Superleggera electric roadster concept is still on the table as a halo vehicle for the brand. Making a business case to greenlight Superleggera is proving harder – the volume would be low, however, the price would be considerably higher than Mini's current vehicle. Economically it is easier to put a sedan on paper than a great halo car. We've to look at all the options. As you know, halo cars are economically not always great. It is a trade-off: How much does it do for the brand, and how do you make it feasible?"
Mini’s final decision will apparently be made this year, although a firm timetable hasn’t been confirmed.