The MINI Beachcomber concept was thought to be little more than a preview of the production Countryman when it took to the Detroit stage earlier this year, but a new report suggests the toughened soft-roader could be heading to production.
According to a new report from Auto Express, MINI executives are on the verge of giving the green light to a production version of the Beachcomber concept. Essentially a stripped-down version of the Countryman, the MINI concept made its world debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
MINI used the Beachcomber as a preview to the road-going Countryman, but a strong interest in the concept has the German-owned British automaker strongly considering a production version of the show car. “We will come back to this to see if there is a business basis, as we were overwhelmed by the reaction,†head of MINI brand management Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht told Auto Express. “MINI will never show a concept that won’t make production.â€
The Beachcomber was inspired by the classic beach buggy design, debuting with no doors and an open roof. The show car also featured a beefier suspension and MINI’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system. If the Beachcomber ultimately makes it into the MINI lineup, expect it to wear the historically appropriate Moke nameplate.
References
1. ‘The Moke is…’ view
