14 Votes

Boost it!

Fiat And Mini Team Up To Produce Their Own Prius Killer

Agent009 submitted on 3/17/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 9:03:24 AM

22 user comments | Category: Spy Shots | Source: | SOURCE: www.autoexpress.co.uk

We have uncovered a bold plan by the British car maker to develop a new family of city cars, including a

autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/234606/mini_spirit_returns.html#" style="border-bottom: 0.1em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; background-color: transparent ! important;" classname="iAs" class="iAs">zero emission flagship powered by an advanced electric engine.

Though exact details remain scarce, it’s believed that the ultra efficient model line up will also offer drivers fuel sipping petrol engines as MINI owner BMW seeks to build an army of green machines aimed at beating tough legislation on CO2 and other gas emissions due in 2012.

Set to hit the road as early as 2011, it’s been confirmed to Auto Express that the top-secret machine is being developed alongside two new models from a joint venture between Fiat and BMW that’s tipped to mark the return of the famous BMW Isetta and Topolino nameplates

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Fiat And Mini Team Up To Produce Their Own Prius Killer

About the Author

Agent009

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."

— Agent009 (View Profile)


User Comments

Lemonade

Ahhhh.. Agent009; the so called enthusiast. Of course this is going to kill the Prius, I mean.. It IS German, isn't it? (Sarcasm)

Last year, about 500 electric Mini's were sent over to California for testing and you even referred to them as "Prius Killers". A while back, GM, BMW, Mercedes, etc.. teamed up to produce a Hybrid to battle Toyota's Synergy Drive and yet, Toyota is still ticking away. When will it ever stop? This is Toyota's future as it is their bread and butter. They are pouring in a ton of money to expand their research and to produce electric/hybrid vehicles which is their belief to be the way of the future. They have way too much momentum in the Hybrid game and a Mini with an electric motor just wont cut it. Try to come up with something a bit more interesting and not some news from La La Land.

This is like coming out and saying that the Toyota Tundra is a F-150 killer.. Simply not going to happen.

— Lemonade (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 11:27:21 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

FanboysStink

Using the word "killer" in the headline attracts clicks and thus boost revenue from adds. It's that simple.

PS. The more fuel efficient small hybrids the better.

— FanboysStink (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 11:58:03 AM | | Votes: 1   

monster

What is that green thing in the picture above!

— monster (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 11:27:58 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

elevatus

lol, totally. What is that...a "MINI" van?

— elevatus (View Profile)

Posted on 3/19/2009 4:10:50 PM | | Votes: 1   

E36er

BMW/Mini continues to dilute and alienate their base customers buy building cars that they will never drive. While these images are just concept drawings they bring up questions about what BMW/Mini is about. The Prius and Honda Insight look the way they do because of their optimized Cd values, not quirky design values.

Now if Mini/Fiat is serious about going up against the Prius/Insight, they MUST get their fit, finish and quality control at least as good as their competition. People who drive these "eco" cars don't care for the nurburing lap times, they want a car that are reliable. Although German car fans like myself may dismiss the inherent quirkiness of a Mini in favor of it's performance, the average Prius/Insight buyer will not. Like Audi, BMW/Mini should stay with what they know and perfect it with fuel efficient strategies, not stylistic fad cars.

I wonder if this is Project I, one of the reasons for Bangles departure...

— E36er (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 11:36:47 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

inspirion7

I do like Minis but poor interior plastic and fit isn't what I would like or anyone for that matter, good point.

— inspirion7 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 4:26:25 PM | | Votes: 1   

inspirion7

I was looking at the Mini Cooper S and the Clubman. Mini should just focus on making variants of their product and not water down the company. Toyota has worked extremely hard on making hybrids their focus when everyone else was making love to image. I give them credit where it is due. I believe Ford and GM will challenge Toyota in various areas a hellvah lot more than Mini. Look at the Ford Fiesta, the Fusion, on one side, GM's Volt/Orlando, and its Euro variants and you can dust the Mini attempt off by poppin' your collar.

— inspirion7 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 4:34:36 PM | | Votes: 2   

Wimmer

Fiat quality has improved big time. There are many happy Fiat owners in Europe and all over the world. Furthermore, Fiat has always placed a little emphasis on STYLE and has many cars which look beautiful. Can't say the same thing for Toyota...

— Wimmer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 1:23:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

david999


Don't get sucked-in by 969.

— david999 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 3:43:20 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Star

Anything can kill a Prius. Is just that bad.

— Star (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 12:23:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Star

I'll remember next time I take a piss in a Japanese car.

— Star (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 1:21:43 PM | | Votes: -1   

Lemonade

That's pretty sad Star. You really shouldn't piss on yourself when driving your WRX (Japanese Car). In case you didn't know, but chicks don't dig that at all my friend.

— Lemonade (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 3:43:21 PM | | Votes: -1   

Lemonade

Whoa! Even the German's are in tune with the St. Patrick's Day spirit. The Green fish on wheels is awesome!

— Lemonade (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 3:40:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

HyundaiSmoke

Big deal, 2 highly unreliable automakers working together to make a technologically testy platform=RECALL city!!!!! Fiats have the worst reliablity ratings in A, and B segments in Europe accoding to JD Power Europe. (For the European C segment only the Honda Civic is less relaible than Fiats Bravo)


Boy is Chrysler repeating history again with this Fiat deal, making small cars with good MPG for the time, but always broke down.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 6:33:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

CarCrazedinCali

Haha... Reliability isn't MINI's issue, they have the best rating from Consumer Reports, so get your story straight before you spout off your BS about MINI. I agree this would be a risky move for MINI, but why not look into it, which is what they are doing...

— CarCrazedinCali (View Profile)

Posted on 3/18/2009 12:57:49 AM | | Votes: 1   

HyundaiSmoke

If I was a lawmaker and saw Chrysler make such a deal with a highly unreliable automaker like Fiat, I would not give them one more red cent. Just think about it guys, everybody will be buying these cars here like hotcakes becuase "they look cute", but we in the US have a higher demand for reliablity than Europe, considering the fact that we drive a lot father than Europeans. This deal is probably Chryslers last hope, and when people see the defects these little rattletraps have Chrysler is done for.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 3/17/2009 6:39:15 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Star

Fiat cars are more reliable than Hyundai cars. Maybe you should keep that in mind before claiming that Fiat cars are unreliable.

— Star (View Profile)

Posted on 3/18/2009 8:21:42 AM | | Votes: 0   

HyundaiSmoke

Its not a claim its fact, Iam looking for that link now. Im studying though, so you're going to have to wait a bit.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 3/18/2009 9:15:06 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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