Nearly five months ago, a rumor around the MINI and Rolls Royce brands showed up on our radar. Autocar reported that Rolls Royce is working on a super high-end MINI vehicle manufactured at the Goodwood plant. Rolls-Royce will focus on upgrading the MINI’s interior bringing to the standards of a luxury car.
At the time, sources close to MINI gave the insight scoop to Autocar UK fellows who report that the project was close to getting the green light. Some spy photos of a late prototype were posted at that time as well.
Two days ago, Autocar returned with the confirmation that MINI by Rolls Royce will indeed make into production. Highly placed sources at BMW have told Autocar that the cars will “totally individual” and the project is seeking to create “niche vehicles” for customers.
Executives at the company believe that a MINI with the interior luxury of a much larger car has again become relevant thanks to the current trend of downsizing, especially for affluent city drivers.
It is likely that the options will extend beyond trim materials and buyers could be encouraged to choose more luxury features and interior fittings. Back in the 1960s, MINI vehicles featured high standards of trim and were often owned by celebrities, a plan that inspired the Oxford based company.
There are no news on when the new model will be launched or revealed, but we expect to see an announcement sometimes next year.
[Source: Autocar ]
Author: Horatiu B.
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/11/22/mini- ... confirmed/