The MINI Superleggera — or, “Minarri” as it’s sometimes called — is one of the most exiting concept cars the brand has ever been a part of. Arguably it’s one of the most exciting concept cars ever thanks to gorgeous proportions and classical styling. Making it even more lust-worthy, MINI even planned to build the Superleggera, although that sadly never materialized. More recently, a gold-painted hybrid prototype again captivated imaginations — even more so, perhaps, when we noticed all the production-minded changes throughout the car. The jury is still out on whether the car will ever show up in dealer inventory. But, we do have fresh new insights about how the cars drive, thanks to further conversations with the design team and engineer Jürgen Greil.
MINI Superleggera: As Fun As It Looks
The MINI Superleggera was an idea almost seven years in the making and called “a dream come true” by one member of the team who was deeply involved with the project. It’s good to know the praise and work wasn’t wasted: the MINI Superleggera was “fun to drive,” thanks to 58% of the vehicle’s weight being over the rear axle. That’s somewhere in the realm of Porsche 993 Turbo weight distribution, flirting with 40/60 front/rear bias. So, “fun” might be a bit of an understatement. Under the sheet metal was a BMW i8 battery with a two-cylinder engine, mounted on the rear axle. Inspiration came tangentially from Ferrari, and it’s apparently one reason why the BMW i3 is rear-wheel drive.
But the car’s balance wasn’t the only reason it’s a blast to drive. Weight is said to be around 1,000 kg, or 2,200 pounds. That’s just shy of what the current Miata weighs. That car also makes around 180 horsepower, which isn’t a ton, but even if the MINI Superleggera makes around the same, its massive rear bias would make it an enthusiast dream come true. Remember, the MINI Superleggera was originally scheduled as an “i4,” to slot below the i8. We’ve also since learned that the idea was to introduce a whole range of cars underneath the i8. So, rather than just the 911 and Boxster parallel it would’ve been a whole line from the i3 to the i8.
The MINI Superleggera: Forbidden Fun?
As previously mentioned, MINI never got around to pushing the MINI Superleggera into production. Sources claim the brand had too many variants at the time and needed to reduce complexity rather than introduce new variables. Rich when you consider the sometimes overlapping variety in the BMW lineup, but MINI is after all a separate brand. There was a possibility of “twinning” the Mini Ferrari with a BMW equivalent vehicle, but sadly nothing ever shook out. Though Herbert Diess, then BMW’s board member for development, tried to get production started with Stefan Pierer at KTM, that too fell flat. Ironically, the small, fun car was reportedly “too big of a step.”
