Jaguar, Land Rover, and Mini Today: Part 3 | MINI
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Geneva & NY Motor Show Interview Feature
Jaguar, Land Rover, and MINI: The Present and Near Future of British Cars, Part 3
MINI Has No Limits
Jaguar Chapter,Land Rover Chapterand Land Rover Chapter, this marks the final installment of Tatsuya Kushima's journey into the future of British cars. The focus this time is MINI. What is MINI's vision for the future, now that it has welcomed the seventh generation family member, the "Paceman"? And what are your thoughts on the Paceman's highest performance model, the "MINI John Cooper Works Paceman"?"
Text by KUSHIMA Tatsuya
Like Coca-Cola?
Finally, a word about MINI. Speaking with us was Markus Schilling, MINI's Exterior Design General Manager. The main topic was the Paceman.
"Crossovers currently account for about 30 percent of all MINI sales. In that sense, we believe they have been accepted worldwide.
And from that, the Paceman was born. Just as there is a coupe version of the hatchback.
MINI Coupe, the difference is that the latter is a two-seater, while this is a four-seater. It's true that the MINI Coupe allowed for a more daring roofline because of that."
"The Paceman shares the same front pillars as the Countryman, but the rear is different. The horizontal taillights are a first for MINI. We made the rear fenders bulge to give it a muscular appearance. It needed to look powerful. Also, this bulge gives it a classic feel. We put a lot of thought into those aspects."
MINI Crossover
MINI Paceman
Schilling spoke passionately about the Paceman's design. Perhaps he felt a sense of accomplishment in this new challenge. However, he also stated that MINI remains unchanged.
"The MINI family will grow, but the core remains the same. Think of it like Coca-Cola. You can imagine that, right? But MINI has no limits. Designers have many ideas, so more models may appear in the future."
The interview concluded with words that seemed to hint at future possibilities. However, at present, it feels as though the full lineup has been unveiled.GenevaandNYbooths were adorned with only derivative models. Nevertheless, MINI always manages to surprise us.
The John Cooper Works is Impressive
Incidentally, just before the Geneva Motor Show, MINI held aJCW Paceman test drive eventin Munich.
JCW has been added to the seventh model as well. As for its performance, it was, as always, finished to a high degree of perfection. The quick, engaging handling and the sporty yet surprisingly comfortable suspension setup were superb.
The powertrain is the same as other JCW models, so its reliability is also high.
Perhaps due to the limited number of openings, the body rigidity feels higher than the Countryman JCW.
Regardless, I have a strong affinity for the Countryman Cooper, which I drive daily. In fact, I feel that the Countryman and Paceman bodies require power comparable to the Cooper S, so the JCW is truly impressive.
And now,even the JCW can be driven with an AT. This leads one to wonder if a "GP" version might be added to the Countryman and Paceman as well. Such anticipation is also part of MINI's charm.