It has been apparent for decades that the Mini, even if it was a sales success, would have to be replaced. At the beginning of the 1990s, the pressure grew that the A-Series engine would no longer be able to meet the emerging emission classes in the near future. So development of the "New Mini" began in 1993. When BMW joined Rover, a religious war was started. While Rover wanted to create a primarily useful vehicle in the spirit of Issigonis, the Munich colleagues focused on a sporty lifestyle vehicle. Bernd Pischetsrieder, incidentally a great-nephew of Issigonis, favoured the design of the American Frank Stephenson. The car will be built by BMW in the former Morris factory in Cowley.
