New Gold MINI Superleggera Surfaces — Hybrid Prototype Looks Ready for Production

It looks like we’ve been speaking concerning the MINI Superleggera for some time. Although it debuted over a decade in the past, we simply final week checked out its origin story because the “MINI Ferrari,” just for MINI to then publish photos of a gold-hued MINI Superleggera on its Instagram. After we ran that story, commenters weighed in and made us do a double take. This was not, actually, the identical MINI Superleggera we saw all those years ago wearing Cosmo Blue paint. After gathering some new pictures from MINI, we’ve confirmed that it is a MINI Superleggera we haven’t but seen.

This MINI Superleggera is Almost Manufacturing Spec

Trying on the photos, it’s fairly obvious that this MINI Superleggera is extra prepared for manufacturing than the MINI Superleggera Imaginative and prescient. As we lined in our authentic article on the automobile, there are some giveaways. The black-painted wheels are JCW-spec, and two-piece bumpers substitute the painstakingly crafted bodywork of the unique MINI Superleggera Imaginative and prescient. Single-piece models can be far too costly to mass-produce (and substitute), which signifies this automobile as extra production-spec.

The roll bars space additionally completely different from the Imaginative and prescient automobile’s. They now sit increased, main us to imagine it’s what a manufacturing automobile may appear to be. New headlights, seemingly lifted proper off the final technology MINI Cooper, and a smaller rear “fin” add to the extra “practical” aesthetics. Oddly, the hood on this automobile goes the opposite approach. This model has vents and scoops that make it look extra aggressive than the idea.

There’s one different massive clue that this automobile is approach completely different than the unique MINI Superleggera. Across the again, we will see MINI identifies this automobile as a “Hybrid Check Car.” The unique MINI Superleggera was all-electric. We have now to think about the automobile borrows the two.0-liter, 228-horsepower four-pot discovered elsewhere within the MINI lineup. Supplementing it with battery energy would make the possible light-weight Superleggera a ball of enjoyable. Contemplating the engine has 280 pound-feet of torque by itself, throwing electrification within the combine would make the MINI Superleggera a real go-kart round city. A singular rear spoiler not seen on the unique automobile sits atop the hind lights. Which, shock, are additionally barely tweaked from the unique automobile.

MINI Superleggera Inside Adjustments

Possibly most significantly, this automobile seems to have a virtually full inside. The inside has a steering wheel we’ve seen in different MINI merchandise, fronting what seems to be a manufacturing speedometer. Whereas Recaro race seats and a harness system substitute standard seats and a seatbelt, it seems that the cabin is fairly effectively put collectively. We don’t have a full shot of the cabin, sadly. Within the sole inside shot offered, we do see a full middle stack stuffed with buttons and switches. Contemplating the MINI Superleggera Imaginative and prescient had almost nothing within the cockpit, it is a clear step in the direction of manufacturing readiness.

We don’t know whether or not the MINI Superleggera is dealing with an actual chance of manufacturing. What we do know is that it is a new model, was apparently constructed with manufacturing in thoughts. Do you wish to see a manufacturing model of the MINI Superleggera? We all know we do. [Photos provided by MINI and BMW Classic to BMWBLOG for publication / Shot by: David Pentek]