Mini won't fool with iconic design

The mini retains its iconic shape.

Mini will follow a formula that has served Porsche well for the past 50 years: Don't tamper with an iconic design.

As Mini models are redesigned this decade and next, there will be no radical exterior styling changes to create a completely different look for the Mini, says Kay Segler, Mini vice president of brand management.

"If someone would say that a 911 Porsche should be totally different because that styling theme has been around for many years, the customers would say, 'No, that styling is still fresh' "and has become part of the car's character," said Segler at Mini parent BMW's headquarters.

"Some brands and some products need to do things differently."

But Segler said the Mini's insides might see major changes as it evolves over the coming years. "Maybe you could be more adventurous when it comes to the interior," he said. The styling theme created for the Mini 45 years ago and adapted to the current car remains popular.

Segler says proof is the rising demand for the car. Depending on the country, Mini customers wait two to six months for delivery.

This year Mini expects to build more than 200,000 units, up from 189,492 in 2004. Modifications to the Mini assembly plant in Oxford, England, will boost capacity more than 20 per cent, or about 40,000 units, by late 2007.

But disruptions during the $US183 million upgrade are expected to cause Mini's overall production to decrease in 2006 compared with 2005.

The second-generation model is likely to be launched in Europe at the end of next year and the new convertible a year later. Meanwhile, BMW widened its lead over arch-rival Mercedes Car Group in November as global sales grew by 9.5 per cent, fueled by brisk demand for the BMW 3-series sedan.

Sales of 114,044 cars last month put year-to-date deliveries above BMW's level for all of 2004 and reinforced its bragging rights over DaimlerChrysler's premium division.

"We can already predict that we will be the most successful supplier in the premium segment worldwide for 2005," said BMW marketing chief Michael Ganal.

- Reuters