It seems like we’ve been talking about the MINI Superleggera for a while now. Even though it was released over a decade ago, it wasn’t until last week that we delved into its origin story as a “MINI Ferrari,” only to post pictures of a gold-colored MINI Superleggera on Instagram. After we published this story, commenters jumped in and forced us to do a double take. This actually wasn’t the same MINI Superleggera we saw in Cosmo Blue paint all those years ago. After collecting some new photos of MINI, we have confirmed that it is a MINI Superleggera that we have not seen yet.
This MINI Superleggera is almost standard
Looking at the pictures, it’s pretty obvious that this MINI Superleggera is more production ready than the MINI Superleggera Vision. As we described in our original article about the car, there are some gifts. The black painted wheels are JCW specification and two-piece bumpers replace the carefully crafted bodywork of the original MINI Superleggera Vision. One-piece units would be far too expensive to mass produce (and replace), suggesting this vehicle is more stock.
The roll bar area also differs from that of the Vision car. They sit higher now, which makes us think it’s a production car look. New headlights seemingly lifted directly from the last-generation MINI Cooper and a smaller rear “fin” add to the more “realistic” aesthetic. Oddly enough, the hood of this car goes the other way. This version features vents and scoops that make it look more aggressive than the concept.
There is another important clue that this car is significantly different from the original MINI Superleggera. On the back we can see that MINI identifies this car as a “hybrid test vehicle”. The original MINI Superleggera was purely electric. We have to imagine the car adopts the 228hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine found elsewhere in the MINI range. The addition of battery power would make what is probably a lightweight Superleggera fun to drive. Considering the engine alone has 280 pound-feet of torque, the addition of electrification would make the MINI Superleggera a true city go-kart. Atop the taillights sits a unique rear spoiler that wasn’t seen on the original car. Which, surprisingly, are also slightly optimized compared to the original car.
Changes to the interior of the MINI Superleggera
Perhaps most importantly, this car appears to have a nearly complete interior. Inside, there’s a steering wheel that we’ve seen on other MINI products, and in front of it is what looks like a stock speedometer. While Recaro racing seats and a harness system replace traditional seats and a seatbelt, the cabin appears to be fairly well constructed. Unfortunately we don’t have a full shot of the cabin. In the only interior shot provided, we see a full center console full of buttons and switches. Considering that the MINI Superleggera Vision had almost no cockpit, this is a clear step towards series production.
We don’t know if the MINI Superleggera is facing a real production opportunity. What we Do I know this is a new version that appears to have been created with production in mind. Would you like to see a production version of the MINI Superleggera? We know we do. [Photos provided by MINI and BMW Classic to BMWBLOG for publication / Shot by: David Pentek]
