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Mini MINI revealed MINI Rocketman exclusively revealed to Auto Express, to star at Geneva and offers bold look in smaller package
Get ready for a MINI launch party! The British firm has announced a daring new concept called the Rocketman – and it’s ready 
to blast off at the Geneva 
Motor Show next week. 

	Boasting seats for four in 
a package not much bigger 
than the original Sixties model, 
it’s the mini MINI we’ve all been waiting for

Boasting seats for four in 
a package not much bigger 
than the original Sixties model, 
it’s the mini MINI we’ve all been waiting for – and Auto Express 
was granted exclusive access to the newcomer before the expo. 

In the metal, the squat 
proportions lend the car a 
profile that is uncannily similar 
to the original Mini, but a quick glance at the dimensions reveals a few subtle differences. At 3,419mm long and 1,907mm wide, the baby MINI is about 40cm longer and 50cm wider than the original. Head of design Anders Warming told us the aim wasn’t to copy the dimensions of the Sixties icon. “It’s all about the proportions. A MINI must be the smallest car in its class,” he said.

Though Warming pointed out how all the familiar styling cues remain, “including the large round headlights and raised fenders”, but they’ve been tweaked for the newcomer. 

The lamps now feature a 
centrally mounted LED set-up for high beams, bordered by a light ring for dipped. Plus, the mesh grille and foglamps are enclosed in a hexagonal piece of carbon fibre that’s actually part of the ultra-lightweight chassis.

The Rocketman borrows 
technology from owner BMW’s forthcoming Megacity electric 
car, which uses 
a carbon fibre spaceframe to reduce weight – and rather than hide it, MINI has left it exposed around the grille and front apron. 

At the rear, the hexagonal 
lines mirror the nose, and MINI’s famous ‘Coke-can’ exhaust pipe
 gets a central position in the bumper. The quirky, handle-
style tail-lights project on to 
the bodywork, rather than face straight out, and incorporate 
the brake and indicator lamps. 

The trademark Union Jack 
roof makes a return as a full-length glass panel, using the car’s structural beams to create the diagonal and horizontal lines. Inside, the transparent top floods the cabin with light to create 
an impression of space. 

That’s not the only trick 
designers have used, though. Warming tells us that the dash 
in the Rocketman “sits exactly the same distance away from 
the driver as it did in the very 
first Mini”, making the cockpit seem bigger than it actually is. 

Getting in to the Rocketman isn’t as difficult as you might 
think, either. The doors are 
double-hinged to allow for a 
wide opening. The sills are also part of the door, so you don’t have to climb over them before lowering yourself into the seat. 

Despite the cabin’s small dimensions, MINI claims it is spacious enough for four adults, and the seats can be arranged into three different layouts. As 
a two-seater, the front chairs move as far back as needed, while the instrument cluster 
can also be moved. Carrying three people is as simple as 
sliding the passenger seats 
forward to allow for a decent amount of legroom in the rear. 

The odd one out is the fourth chair, which is a temporary device that folds down out of 
a backpack attached 
to the rear seat. It’s a 
similar configuration to that 
in Toyota’s innovative iQ.

However, with a tall driver 
at the wheel, it’s impossible 
to fit anyone in this space. 

On the plus side, the Rocketman does feature a 
clever boot. It consists of two parts, with the upper section 
a traditional roof-hinged hatch and the bottom part a drawer. The latter opens 350mm from 
the body, and you can even 
drive around with it open, 
allowing you to carry skis and snowboards in special holders. 

There’s no official word 
on what sits under the bonnet 
of the newcomer, but it’s likely that any production model 


will be powered by BMW’s 
forthcoming three-cylinder 
petrol and diesel engines. 

These 1.5-litre units can 
be tuned to produce anywhere between 75bhp and 200bhp. That leaves room for a range 
of Cooper S and SD models, as well as an ultra-efficient diesel option that would claim economy of around 94mpg and emissions 
of well under 100g/km.

Despite the strong green 
credentials, all models should be fun to drive. Thanks to its compact size and low weight, the Rocketman is likely to be 
the most agile MINI yet. 

The best news of all is that 
the firm is committed to making sure each of its concept cars goes into production – with the exception of the Beachcomber, which was unable to meet safety 
regulations. So, the MINI we’ve all been waiting for is almost certain to reach showrooms.

Insiders told us we would have to wait until the radical next-generation MINI hatch arrives in 2014 before the Rocketman hits the UK. It’s likely to follow a year later.

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