The original article from last summer (to which Jaloplink and Auto Motor Sport chimed-in more recently with the photoshopped image of the MINI Countryman seen in Califzeph’s repost) was from Edmunds Inside Line website, here:

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2010/07/rendered-the-mini-minivan-that-could-be-headed-our-way.html

The accompanying image (a digital illustration) was this one..

(Click on the thumbnail for larger image)

Yech!

I particularly like the references to crack pipes and cocaine, if BMW/MINI does come out with this variant in 2013, Alec Issigonis will likely roll over in his grave.

Instead of going BIGGER, I think MINI should concentrate on keeping the legendary SMALL a feature of the car.

At what point do we say “Ok MINI, this thing is no longer a Mini-sized car, you have to stop using the brand-name off topic like that. You are just killing the historical reference by beating upon it like a dead horse.”

Would BMW drivers buy that thing? Hmm, let me see, how well are sales of BMW and Mercedes Mini-Vans doing these days? No? Not so good?

Oh, but put them in the same class as a Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Grand Voyager for a moment .. Oops, wait a sec… These aren’t the ultimate driving machine, BMW, and in fact they aren’t sportscars, heck, they don’t even qualify as a crossover.

Is BMW losing sight of what MINI stands for? There’s nothing chic about Minivans, the X5, X3, or X6 for that matter, and I don’t care what sort of celebrity soccer mom drives them. Is this MINIs answer to the Honda Odyssey or Ford Escape? Does it really NEED any sort of answer from the once great UK auto maker, Mini?

Not every concept car makes it to production, some are just bad ideas and never make it off the drawing board.

Let’s hope for MINI’s sake this one gets quietly put to rest. I for one would like to see them reincarnate the original 1959 design in a 4×10 car with modern safety and convenience features, now THAT would be a feat of engineering I would stand in line to buy.
–StarLord

AMVIV8 will be May 19 – 22, 2011 at Palace Station.

A MINI Vacation in Vegas (AMVIV for short) is an annual club-run event hosted by the Sin City MINI Club for MINI and Mini Cooper enthusiasts. It’s a chance for folks to take time out of their busy schedules to head out to the desert and schmooze with fellow Miniacs.

If your dream is to rally through the streets in and around Las Vegas with a bunch of MINIs and Minis, we do that. If your goal is to drool over the latest and greatest mods and accessories for your trusty “steed”, we can help you. If your wish is simply to share a meal or some drinks and compare rally stories until the wee hours of the night, we definitely have you covered.

We’re gathering back at Palace Station the weekend before Memorial Day in 2011, and we’re hoping you’ll make the trek out to join us.

Get your info at amviv.com

Auto Motor und Sport’s joining others claiming BMW will bring a five-seater Mini Minivan to market in 2013. OK Mini, that’s enough. Please step back from the sketch pad, put down the brand bastardization crack pipe and slowly walk away.

Edmunds Inside Line first dropped the idea of a new Mini Minivan earlier this summer and now Auto Motor und Sport’s joined the chorus, roundel-ing up its BMW sources to put together a more realistic-looking rendering of a four-door Hobbit-sized Mini soccer mom-mobile.

It’s certainly a real possibility considering Mini says the Countryman chassis can add a few inches to the wheelbase without problem.

We, on the other hand, do have a problem. We know BMW’s got a great brand name in Mini’s classic emotional design cues and a fun-to-drive ethos. But now it feels like BMW’s trying to cash in on that heritage to use Mini to create their own better-than-Volkswagen brand for the people by building a slew of small, fuel-efficient cars — and even selling them at a premium price. But as the brand’s expanded it’s threatened the emotional attachment consumers have with it. That’s likely a bad thing. Especially if there’s any more compromise made in the “fun-to-drive” realm — a realm we already know the Mini Clubman inhabits less of than its smaller Cooper cousin.

And that’s why we’ve watched with growing concern as the brand expanded from its core Cooper competency into ever-bigger, -longer and -multi-doored segments. True, they’ve been here before. Mini once had a van from 1960-1982, but that van was built on the same platform as the Mk 1 MIni — there wasn’t a sizable boost in size in order to accomplish it.

Also true that we’ll be seeing the two-seat Mini Coupe next year and the Roadster the year after — so there’s still hope for those of us who love Mini for the go-kart-like nimble ride. Still, we think a Mini Minivan — if it does happen — and if it doesn’t maintain the same driving characteristics, Hobbit-like size and design language — is the line on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm where we may have to scream “None shall pass!”

-Jalopnik

We just wanted to introduce you all to the hotties that run the Shasta Mini Club!

Pictured above: Terry, Linda, Kathy, Stacy and Jess

It’s a shame our two news outlets (BMW Press Group and The News Market) are too slow to post this,
here is the Mini Countryman WRC at the Paris Motor Show Debut!

Source: ZerCustoms, YouTube

Concept Art to drool over:

Source: SickRides, YouTube

Driving Footage: Fourth and final day of testing with the team’s rookie mini Prodrive WRC Cabração in the village of Ponte de Lima, and driving the two-time world champion Marcus Gronholm always very fast in the stretch Minho, and also near the end of the test run the young Pilot Mini Kris Meeke.

Source: Kimikaizen , YouTube
Driven by Markko Märtin and Ott Tänak

Thanks to Miniologists worldwide for providing us with this incredible footage!