BMW To Build New Mini Moke !!!

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Radical teaser concept could pave the way for a 21st-century Mini Moke perfect for Australian lifestyles.

Memories of the door-less Mini Moke will be revived at January’s Detroit motor show with this radical Mini concept.

This Beachcomber show car mimics the open-body style of the Moke, as well as the Jeep Wrangler, and is the latest precursor to what will become the Mini brand’s most dramatic variant under BMW ownership – a compact 4WD that will go on sale in late 2010.

Unlike the front-drive Moke that was even built in Australia from the late ’60s until 1982, the Beachcomber uses the all-wheel-drive system that will be employed by the Mini soft-roader expected to be called Countryman or Crossman.

The Beachcomber’s grille design also makes a nod to the Moke, while the tough off-road look is aided by an elevated ride height and 17-inch wheels wrapped in chunky off-road rubber and housed in bulky wheel-arches.

There’s underbody protection and also a lockable spare-wheel casing at the rear, too - though it’s for storing beach items such as towels or flip flops rather than a spare tyre because the Beachcomber’s tyres are run-flats.

The cabin design will be familiar to owners of current Minis, though gains bespoke off-road instruments including compass and tilt-and-pitch gauge.

Four red sports seats are embroidered with logos representing sports such as swimming and cycling, and dividing them is an accessories rail – running from the dash to the rear luggage area – onto which passengers can attach items such as mobiles or sunglass holders.

The rear seats feature adjustable backrests and can be folded flat to accommodate sporty lifestyle equipment such as mountain bikes.

Mini says the Beachcomber – at four metres, a metre longer than the original Moke – can also fit surfboards by attaching them to the vehicle’s lateral roo support beam (which incorporates the word ‘Mini’).

When the elements turn bad, the vehicle (again like the Moke) can be enclosed using easy-to-fit lightweight plastic covers and a soft-fabric roof to protect occupants.

BMW could put the Moke-inspired Beachcomber into production as a spin-off variant of the Mini soft-roader if there’s a sufficiently positive public reaction to the concept.