Missed Opportunity Bike-engined MINI
Discussion
Does anyone remember a BMW small car concept from a few (maybe 10) years ago? It was a funky, Smart-like car with a rear/mid-mounted 1100cc BM bike engine.
I was really interested when I first heard that BMW were going to replace the Mini. Imagine my disappointment when the first leaks came out - its just like a normal small hatchback, but handles better.
Soooooooo, perhaps an old-shape Mini could handle a bike engine? We could call it the Mega-mini. In fact I could donate my Suzuki Bandit, the whine from the engine sounds a bit like a Mini's gears...
I was really interested when I first heard that BMW were going to replace the Mini. Imagine my disappointment when the first leaks came out - its just like a normal small hatchback, but handles better.
Soooooooo, perhaps an old-shape Mini could handle a bike engine? We could call it the Mega-mini. In fact I could donate my Suzuki Bandit, the whine from the engine sounds a bit like a Mini's gears...
I could be on to something here, why not drop a Harley lump into a Griff? Might need more than one, I suppose 
i'd love to put a 140000 rpm screamer in a min, not sure how the chassis would like it. i guess i'm ne of those that would do anything to a car to seee what its like, fun i think its called. keep it front wheel drive too, that would be brilliant, mass understeer followed by greater oversteer once the back end of the car gets its own way.....
problem is i'm not the most technically gifted of people so any transmission details would leave me stumped.....definatey a project for the future!
"If I'm not looking out of the rear window, I think I can save it"
problem is i'm not the most technically gifted of people so any transmission details would leave me stumped.....definatey a project for the future!
"If I'm not looking out of the rear window, I think I can save it"
quote:
Does anyone remember a BMW small car concept from a few (maybe 10) years ago? It was a funky, Smart-like car with a rear/mid-mounted 1100cc BM bike engine.
I was really interested when I first heard that BMW were going to replace the Mini. Imagine my disappointment when the first leaks came out - its just like a normal small hatchback, but handles better.
Soooooooo, perhaps an old-shape Mini could handle a bike engine? We could call it the Mega-mini. In fact I could donate my Suzuki Bandit, the whine from the engine sounds a bit like a Mini's gears...
The BMW concept was called the Just 4/2
it did indeed use the BMW K1100 bike engine mounted transversly and an aluminium alloy chassis which was partialy exposed and Kevlar body panels
which cut the weight to 550kg giving a 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds.
It went on show at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show and went as far as a series of prototypes being made.
Hope that lot was of some interest and yes I know I am sad for knowing it.
We had a 11oo BMW-Motor in german Formula Junior. Runs good. But I dont know , how to get this big in a mini Front. The gearbox ? Think will be better to put a Hayabussa in, we have seen one in Hockenheim in a Audi 50 (elder Polo 1 )with 80 mm axle and no diff. He drove hillclimp. 175 HP with 570 kg - had problems to get the power on track, but sounds good.
Hello!
Actually, I HAD a bike engined mini, it was front wheel drive and powered by a Kawasaki ZX-750R J2 engine and gearbox. The engine was canted 45 degrees (BAD IDEA!) backwards, and the chain drove a modified mini diff behind it. No reverse gears!
The problem was that the engine hung forward of the front grill by 6 inches still, and my idea of a fake rally light pod to cover the stuff failed. The engine had a fueling problem and the only runs I made with the car were thus poor ones! Sadly, In my country, Singapore, it was highly illegal to modify cars, and faced with a 6 month jail term (yes, they are crazy!), I had to destroy the car....
The one remaining online picture can be found at the yahoo egroups on MINI-HYRBIDS. I cannot find the link now, it is in the files, called KawaMini.
Just to say, there are guys doing a much better job in the UK, I was in contact with one guys with a 1100cc Kawasaki mid-engined mini, and he was building a Blackbird powered front wheel drive version, but with MANY custom parts so that it FITS into his bonnet! WOW!
If anyone wants boring stories, I can tell you what NOT to do! DOH! regards
PH
Actually, I HAD a bike engined mini, it was front wheel drive and powered by a Kawasaki ZX-750R J2 engine and gearbox. The engine was canted 45 degrees (BAD IDEA!) backwards, and the chain drove a modified mini diff behind it. No reverse gears!
The problem was that the engine hung forward of the front grill by 6 inches still, and my idea of a fake rally light pod to cover the stuff failed. The engine had a fueling problem and the only runs I made with the car were thus poor ones! Sadly, In my country, Singapore, it was highly illegal to modify cars, and faced with a 6 month jail term (yes, they are crazy!), I had to destroy the car....
The one remaining online picture can be found at the yahoo egroups on MINI-HYRBIDS. I cannot find the link now, it is in the files, called KawaMini.
Just to say, there are guys doing a much better job in the UK, I was in contact with one guys with a 1100cc Kawasaki mid-engined mini, and he was building a Blackbird powered front wheel drive version, but with MANY custom parts so that it FITS into his bonnet! WOW!
If anyone wants boring stories, I can tell you what NOT to do! DOH! regards
PH
quote:
Does anyone remember a BMW small car concept from a few (maybe 10) years ago? It was a funky, Smart-like car with a rear/mid-mounted 1100cc BM bike engine.
I suppose, you mean the Z13: a bike engined 3seater with central seat in front. A pitty it never went into production!
That will be a great concept to convert a classic Mini: one central seat & central steering; mid engined 1100cc 4pot, six speed box, ...
They were hard to find, as I did not know this car is called Z13.
The black/white is from
www.auto-news.de/auto2/bm00der_kleine.htm
the colored ones are from
www.bmw-galerie.de/Portal/article.php?sid=20
Both are German, but the 2nd has pics only!
cheers,
Bodo
The black/white is from
www.auto-news.de/auto2/bm00der_kleine.htm
the colored ones are from
www.bmw-galerie.de/Portal/article.php?sid=20
Both are German, but the 2nd has pics only!
cheers,
Bodo
Found some data, but not on the web:
*alloy spaceframe
*mid engine
*cw: 0.34
*16" wheels
*length: 3440mm
*width: 1640mm
*hight: 1320mm
*wheelbase: 2300mm
*net weight: 830kg
*engine displacement: 1100cc.
*power 60kw
*torque: 110Nm
*max. speed: ~180kph
*0...100kph in ~10sec.
I wonder, why BMW never build something like that; must be the Rover deal, which made them think a four seated Mini does it...
*alloy spaceframe
*mid engine
*cw: 0.34
*16" wheels
*length: 3440mm
*width: 1640mm
*hight: 1320mm
*wheelbase: 2300mm
*net weight: 830kg
*engine displacement: 1100cc.
*power 60kw
*torque: 110Nm
*max. speed: ~180kph
*0...100kph in ~10sec.
I wonder, why BMW never build something like that; must be the Rover deal, which made them think a four seated Mini does it...
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