The collaboration between BMW and Toyota may expand beyond the current deal which includes BMW sharing its diesel engines and developing a rear-wheel drive Supra coupe twinned with the next-gen BMW Z4 in exchange of Toyota’s fuel-cell know-how.
Word on the street is the two carmakers began talks about a venture into entry-level hatchbacks. If the talks materialize, Mini would get an all-new Minor baby model. “It’s still early days as far as the baby Mini goes. But when our new R&D board member Klaus Fröhlich traveled to America early in the new year, this was one of the subjects on his agenda,” a source from Mini told Automobile Magazine.
As Mini’s smallest model, the Minor is estimated to cost between $14,500 and $16,000, with the source also saying that early design exercises combine elements from the Paceman and Rocketman concept (pictured).
The car will feature fresh proportions and new details such as a double-bubble rear roof section, upright “Union Jack” taillights, a small trapezoidal grille, and blacked out pillars. According to sources quoted by the magazine, the Minor is “pleasantly short on bling.”
So what has Toyota got to do with the Mini Minor? Well, it will work together with BMW on an all-new platform, as the Germans wouldn’t use the Aygo as a donor car. To maintain low costs and weight, engineers are expected to focus both on downsizing and de-contenting. It won’t be easy, especially since electromobility is said to play an important role in this project.
While the report doesn’t mention it, Toyota will most likely use the platform co-developed with BMW on a future city car of its own.
PHOTOS
