The original Mini was a major milestone in automotive history: it popularized the now-ubiquitous transverse engine, front-wheel-drive powertrain; it was a world-class rally champion; and it was also a movie star — a few times over.
Imagine, then, trying to create a followup act as Rover engineers, under BMW management, set out to do in the 1990s. The Mini’s successor for the 21st century had to not only honor creator Alec Issigonis’ brilliant design but it had to be relevant to a new generation of drivers. The little car’s success in the United States was crucial, but it couldn’t rely on buyers flocking to dealers out of a sense of nostalgia, as the Mini was never a household name here like it was in Great Britain and Europe.
You know how it turned out: In 2002, the new MINI — presented by BMW as Rover had been sold off by then — hit the ground running and never looked back. The first-generation MINI Cooper and supercharged MINI Cooper S (sometimes referred to by their internal designations R50 and R53) kicked off the resurgence and ran with updates through 2006. In 2005, the hatchbacks were joined by a convertible
