There is one thing that commonly binds the majority of people; we use cars. Here at Rev Junkie, we don’t just use cars to get from point A to point B; we are in love with them. I drive without having a point A or B, and if you’re like me then you’re in the right place. I’m Cody, a student filmmaker and car lover alike. I drive a 2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible. While many car fans might be unsure of how they feel about the MINI brand, they may not have seen the concept they released during 2014 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (yeah, I couldn’t pronounce it either). A true example of what MINI is capable of. It is called the MINI Superleggera (super lightweight).
Just look at it in all of it’s British roadster glory. This is a car James Bond would do a double-take for. Recently, I saw a movie called Kingsmen, The Secret Service in theaters. It’s purpose is to usher in a new spy movie feel to the genre. A feel of a somewhat gritty, young appeal. Wow, I mean just wow! Look what they could use for the next spy car! As a filmmaker and car lover alike, I always take notice to character’s cars. When I say that this is a Bond-esque car, I mean that it pays homage to classic British styling. When I look at this car, I see an old 60’s Aston Martin DB5 and a new MINI making a wonderful baby together. That baby has the feel of the MINI Superleggera.
Both of these cars scream gentleman while they roar down the road. Except the MINI doesn’t roar, because it’s also entirely electric. Just looking at this concept makes me sad though. It will never hit the roads or be put into production. This does not mean however, that we can’t enjoy looking at it and all of its James Bond/Gentlemanly glory. If anything, this concept should give us hope. If you Google search “Roadsters”, cars such as the BMW Z4 or the Nissan 370Z will appear. To me, these don’t seem like true roadsters. The 370Z is too large and the Z4 has it’s heart in the right place but it’s price tag beckons for commitment; rather than a fun weekend ride. The only car that seems like a true roadster is the Mazda Miata and somebody needs to give the Miata a run for it’s money. MINI has been trying to get their foot in the door with the MINI Roadster, but this is a sad excuse for a car in general. It is only the MINI Coupe without a hard top and the MINI coupe is just a Cooper without a backseat! MINI has been doing successful since their introduction to the U.S. So why do they try so hard to have a large lineup? Instead of cramming the same model into a lineup over and over, MINI should offer a simple lineup of varying and unique vehicles.
There is a point I am trying to make here with this concept. MINI and Touring Superleggera have put together what should be the idea for the modern roadster. Something small, compact, and minimalist; it is able to portray much more than what you’re driving. The idea of a Superleggera vehicle is elegance, with light weight, and high performance. These specifications are not hard to meet for car manufacturers, and I would love to see more roadsters, such as this concept hit the road. Every inch of this concept was hand made to perfection. It’s like a car-pastry. Just look at this sweet dorsal fin! Or even better, those brilliant union jack taillights. I could only imagine what a pleasure it would be to get stuck in traffic behind this ride. If MINI takes anything away from this concept for it’s future models, I would be ecstatic. It’s British engineering at its finest (despite MINI being made by BMW)! Between the elegant lines, minimalist designs and all-electric ingenuity; this car is clearly the future of roadsters. Over the years MINI has been getting bigger in size and I believe this is the answer. MINI, please take some ideas from this car and make MINI brilliant again.
Finally, listening to these guys say “Superleggera” is pretty awesome.