BMW to continue concept spree

MINI could fundamentally change course with its upcoming Vision concept car after the BMW Group’s leadership hinted at changes to its business plan.

Promising radical new, future-previewing concept cars for MINI, Rolls-Royce and the Motorrad motorcycle division this year, BMW Group CEO Harald Krüger promised some things would change at its small car brand, MINI.

“The Vision concept for MINI will take the topic of customisation driven one step further,” he said at BMW’s 100th birthday press conference in Munich this week.

With the MINI Vision concept car set to be uncovered in London in June, Krüger’s statement has driven to speculation that BMW could be expanding its cooperating with hydrogen fuel-cell partner Toyota.

While key rival Audi drives down the costs of its A1, Q2, Q3 and A3 rivals by developing them from higher-volume Volkswagen Group architectures, MINI bases all its cars and SUVs off the BMW Group’s more expensive UKL architecture.

Any move to create the oft-speculated mini MINI would need a different base layer than the UKL, lest it be become a perpetual loss maker, regardless of its volumes.

Yet the Krüger business-model announcement is much more likely to relate to the brand’s profit-enriching accessories catalogue, with the likelihood of interchangeability of some non-core customising parts and the retrofitting of others.

“In June, there will be a Vision for Mini,” BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk admitted.

“We believe that through modern technology, every MINI can be your MINI,” he said.

MINI joined the BMW fold in 2001 and Rolls-Royce two years later, while Motorrad existed decades before BMW made cars.

Pointedly, BMW – which kicked off its centenary proceedings by showing the BMW Vision Next 100 concept this week — is not promising Vision concept cars for its M and i brands.

“We have four Vision cars that will be presented over the course of the year,” van Hooydonk said.

“We will have specifically designed Vision vehicles for each of our brands.

"We had to consider how these technologies could support human beings, our customers. We developed a vision of what the core of the brands could look like.”

While the MINI Vision concept is unnamed, the Rolls-Royce will be called the Rolls-Royce Vision Grand Sanctuary.

“In June there will also be a Vision for Rolls-Royce, and it will be historic because it is a brand which has never created a concept vehicle.

“Grand Sanctuary is the concept. The idea is that the Rolls-Royce becomes a retreat.”

With no hint of irony, van Hooydonk went on to say the Motorrad motorcycle concept car, scheduled to be revealed in October, would be called the BMW Vision The Great Escape.