BMW has, allegedly, finally given Mini the go-ahead to build the cute Rocketman concept it unveiled back in 2011.
A few years ago, other reports indicated that the Rocketman had been given the green light for production, but the project never came to fruition. Now, according to Autocar, BMW is pushing forward with plans to introduce the car to the market in 2022 as a three-door hatchback with an all-electric powertrain.
An unnamed BMW official claims that the Rocketman will come to life thanks to a newly established joint venture between BMW and Great Wall Motors dubbed Spotlight Automotive.
“We’re advancing plans for a model along the lines of the Rocketman. It’s a car we have been looking at for a long time, but to build it profitably at the price point we think customers are prepared to pay, you need a joint venture partner to share costs,” the official said. “Great Wall Motors has provided that opportunity with a shared electric car platform that will be used by Mini.”
When the Mini Rocketman was conceived, Mini intended on offering it with a range of three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. However, the industry’s radical shift towards electrification means that it will now only be offered with an electric powertrain, details of which remain unknown. It will be one of the 25 plug-in hybrid and pure electric motors which BMW intends on launching by the end of 2023.