- The 2011 Rocketman concept could inspire a pint-sized Mini.
- Mini’s design chief notes building small cars isn’t easy nowadays.
- Such a vehicle would need to be loaded with safety technologies.
Current cars built by Mini are anything but, well, mini, having slowly swelled in size over the decades and now virtually unrecognizable from the original classic. However, the company has revealed that it is interested in building a smaller model, inspired by the Rocketman concept that was unveiled 15 years ago.
According to the head of design at Mini, Holger Hampf, the marque looks at such a model as an “exciting project,” but noted that building a vehicle as small as it in the modern era won’t be easy.
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“Certainly, we’re studying these volumes, and we’re trying to see what [Mini] can get into such a small 3.6-meter car. It’s not easy,” he told Auto Express. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Hampf noted that cramming all of the safety equipment expected of modern cars into a small two-door like the Rocketman would be challenging, and noted that “everything else around the Mini has grown.”
“You have to be conscious about your surroundings,” he said. “Then there’s new regulations in terms of pedestrian safety and sensor technologies. People don’t want to miss their ADAS functionality, or cruise control and all of that. That has led to increasing the size a little bit. There is so much technology in these cars compared to the classic Mini, or the Rocketman (concept).”
If Smart Can, Surely Mini Can
While building a model like the Rocketman would be difficult, not even modern safety standards should stop Mini from doing it. Last month, Smart unveiled its pint-sized Concept #2, previewing a new urban EV that launches later this year as a successor to the EQ Fortwo. The concept is just 2,792 mm (109.9 inches) long, making it far smaller than any possible version of the Rocketman that Mini might decide to build.
If the brand does decide to go ahead with such a car, it would only have room for a small battery pack. This, in turn, would make for a relatively limited range, but given the car’s size and urban orientation, shouldn’t be much of an issue. Hampf also noted that all Mini models have to be “super safe,” and a production version of the Rocketman would be no different.
