Frank Stephenson Coming Back to MINI?

[MiniDave]

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1110479_mclaren-design-boss-frank-stephenson-rumored-to-rejoin-mini

This rumor has hit the interwebz hard the last few days, and I for one am all for it.

But what will he inherit, and what will BMW allow him to do with it?

[BruceK]

Encouraging to hear he might be back. He is inheriting the MINI brand after what must have been exposure to radiation.  You know, like in the B movies of the 1950s where whatever get irradiated grows huge and massively out of proportion. 

IMO, they need to go smaller. 

[MiniDave]

I understand why BMW felt MINI needed to grow to survive, and they were right given how many Countryman they sold, and how successful the new Clubman and Countryman are - but I think they missed a good bet. They could have brought the big cars out under a different name just like they did in the past - as the Maxxi - and kept the MINI R50 sized too.

I'm thinking Frank's hands may be tied a bit by BMW's need to platform share. Unless there is a BMW 600 or 700 type car in their future, I doubt they'll allow him to make a small car again on it's own platform. But, if they'd allow him to build it on the old platform - which will still run down the same assembly lines maybe, just maybe we can get a cool new R50/R53 again.

I'm excited to see what will happen, but sad that it's going to be several years yet before we see anything, and it will be more expensive too. I would love to see Minis, MINIs and Maxxi's, and I'll bet the dealers would too.