BMW’s board member in charge of the Mini brand, Peter Schwarzenbauer, is shrinking the Mini lineup to just 5 models. He has just confirmed that he will be dropping the slow-selling Roadster, Coupe and Paceman. Schwarzenbauer admits that the move is controversial because it runs counter to the belief that more models mean more volume.
Overall, the auto industry is tending to occupy more and more niches to generate greater volume. Mini is a brand that will prove the opposite can also be effective.
It is important that the models are clearly defined and Mini customers know what each model stands for. A wide range of different variants doesn’t make sense in the current market. Mini will concentrate on five core models.
We already build Minis in Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand for local markets. At the same time, the Oxford plant is and will remain the heart of Mini production. Mini also has additional production capacity at Magna Steyr in Austria and VDL Nedcar in the Netherlands. Beyond that, there are currently no plans to build or produce Minis at other locations.
For more than a decade, the BMW Group and PSA have enjoyed a successful collaboration regarding gasoline engines this will continue until 2016. No further cooperation is currently planned. We are now working on our own engine modules that will also be used in the new Mini three-door and five-door variants.
The BMW Group has had a successful collaboration with Magna since 2003 and regards them as a long-term strategic partner for vehicle development and contract manufacturing. The Mini Countryman has been produced there since 2010 and the Mini Paceman since 2012. The cooperation between the BMW Group and Magna Steyr will be extended when the current contract for manufacture of these two Mini models expires.
