The Mini finally grows

The BMW-backed Mini: aimed at young drivers

Forty one years after it was first produced, the Mini has attracted a middle aged spread.

The new-look model unveiled at the Paris Motor Show is 11 inches longer than existing Minis.

At 11ft long, it is now similar in size to family hatchbacks such as the Ford Fiesta.

But BMW, which owns the rights to the British classic, says the big difference in the new model is under the skin.

"From the outside it's unmistakably a Mini and the styling carries over from the old car, but it's been interpreted in a different way," said Mini spokesman Graham Briggs.

Safety features

The new model, equipped with anti-lock brakes, side impact protection and airbags as standard, will be the safest car of its size when it reaches BMW dealerships next summer, Mini says.

New Mini, old marketing techniques

The car, which will cost about £10,000, will be built at BMW's Cowley plant near Oxford, helping to secure 2,500 jobs at the factory.

The car, which will be equipped with a 16-valve 1.6 litre engine, will be marketed as a luxury car for younger customers rather than a mass-market vehicle, BMW president Joachim Milberg said.

The Morris Mini Minor was designed in 1959 by Sir Alec Issigonis, and shot to fame when Cooper models won the Monte Carlo Rally.

Rover, independent of BMW since May, stops production of the old-style Mini next week.