MUNICH, Germany — Mini is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with the introduction of the 2009 Mini Coupe Concept in September at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Mini's Design Director Gert Hildebrand discussed the new coupe at length with Inside Line, saying, "The idea to do a Mini coupe was born in our design center. New ideas never come from the board offices; they come from the floor of the design studio. BMW does trend analysis a lot and every three months we talk to Mini representatives from all over the world to discuss the needs of our clients. But we were never asked to do a coupe. We're close followers of blogs and so forth, and we just felt that people would like the idea of a car like this."
Hildebrand takes a look at this dramatic creation, a two-seater that looks low and sleek. "It's a pocket Porsche," he says. "Maybe we can bring back the same adventurous customers we had with the BMW Z3 coupe. And, actually, both cars have had the same designer — Marcus Syring."
