MINI Superleggera “MINI Ferrari” Idea Drives Like a Porsche

The MINI Superleggera — or, “Minarri” because it’s generally known as — is without doubt one of the most exiting idea vehicles the model has ever been part of. Arguably it’s one of the vital thrilling idea vehicles ever due to attractive proportions and classical styling. Making it much more lust-worthy, MINI even deliberate to construct the Superleggerathough that sadly by no means materialized. Extra just lately, a gold-painted hybrid prototype once more captivated imaginations — much more so, maybe, after we seen all of the production-minded modifications all through the automobile. The jury continues to be out on whether or not the automobile will ever present up in vendor stock. However, we do have contemporary new insights about how the vehicles drive, due to additional conversations with the design workforce and engineer Jürgen Greil.

MINI Superleggera: As Enjoyable As It Seems to be

The MINI Superleggera was an concept nearly seven years within the making and known as “a dream come true” by one member of the workforce who was deeply concerned with the mission. It’s good to know the reward and work wasn’t wasted: the MINI Superleggera was “enjoyable to drive,” due to 58% of the car’s weight being over the rear axle. That’s someplace within the realm of Porsche 993 Turbo weight distribution, flirting with 40/60 entrance/rear bias. So, “enjoyable” could be a little bit of an understatement. Beneath the sheet metallic was a BMW i8 battery with a two-cylinder engine, mounted on the rear axle. Inspiration got here tangentially from Ferrari, and it’s apparently one cause why the BMW i3 is rear-wheel drive.

However the automobile’s stability wasn’t the one cause it’s a blast to drive. Weight is alleged to be round 1,000 kg, or 2,200 kilos. That’s simply shy of what the present Miata weighs. That automobile additionally makes round 180 horsepower, which isn’t a ton, however even when the MINI Superleggera makes across the similar, its huge rear bias would make it an fanatic dream come true. Keep in mind, the MINI Superleggera was initially scheduled as an “i4,” to fit beneath the i8. We’ve additionally since realized that the thought was to introduce an entire vary of vehicles beneath the i8. So, fairly than simply the 911 and Boxster parallel it will’ve been an entire line from the i3 to the i8.

The MINI Superleggera: Forbidden Enjoyable?

As beforehand talked about, MINI by no means obtained round to pushing the MINI Superleggera into manufacturing. Sources declare the model had too many variants on the time and wanted to cut back complexity fairly than introduce new variables. Wealthy when you think about the generally overlapping selection within the BMW lineup, however MINI is in any case a separate model. There was a risk of “twinning” the Mini Ferrari with a BMW equal car, however sadly nothing ever shook out. Although Herbert Diess, then BMW’s board member for improvement, tried to get manufacturing began with Stefan Pierer at KTM, that too fell flat. Sarcastically, the small, enjoyable automobile was reportedly “too huge of a step.”