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MINI Speedster back on the cards

Mini Speedster from 2001 - looks set to form the basis of a new MINI Speedster Based on the MINI platform, the Speedster version was talked about as long ago as 2001, but never made it to production on the first MINI platform. But perhaps having now covered just about every variant they can think of, BMW has decided that now is the time to revive the car and get it in to production. Small Roadsters, in the vein of the old British open-topped 2 seater ( and its modern ‘Homage’ version – the MX-5) will, I’m sure, see something of a renaissance in the next few years as people start to turn away from big, profligate cars, but still seek some fun motoring.

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.

Video: Road & Track presents The Five Minute Car Design with Tom Matano

Tom Matano – designer of the Mazda MX-5 and executive director of industrial design at Academy of Art University – is the subject of Road & Track's second ‘The Five Minute Car Design' video feature. The R&T crew headed to Matano's design studio and asked him to create his ideal sedan in just five minutes before destroying it at the end of the film. This latest video is the second in the series, which started with Ian Cartabiano from Calty Design in California design and destroy his ultimate sports car.