By: IOL Motoring Staff
Lake Como, Italy - This fusion of British and Italian style, revealed at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este this past weekend, is the result of a team effort between Mini and Milan-based coach builder Touring Superleggera.
Despite its seductive yet minimalistic roadster proportions that clearly salute the past, it is a thoroughly modern machine beneath the skin where an electric drivetrain gives the new concept car truly green credentials - although that's as much as Mini will elaborate on what powers the Superleggera Vision Concept.
The design combines modern Mini design cues - particularly at the front end - with classical roadster proportions, as seen in the long bonnet, generous wheelbase and short overhangs.
Mini's design head Anders Warming said the concept “creates unique emotional beauty in combining the past and future of the automotive industry, i.e. traditional coachwork craftsmanship and modern design styling.”
ITALIAN JOB
Touring Superleggera's equivalent Louis de Fabribeckers added: “In this car all unnecessary equipment or decoration is sacrificed, as performance is gained through lightness and efficiency of the bodywork and interior. The Italian touch is in the proportions and the typical waistline.”
In keeping with this theme, the interior design and materials were chosen to reflect traditional coachwork construction and here you'll find no shortage of high-end materials like leather, aluminium and black chrome.
But is this just a flight of fancy? Perhaps not.
Word on the street is that it hints at a larger replacement for the current Mini Roadster, one that would go head-to-head with the Mazda MX5 in terms of its size at least.