Every car is an argument about what matters, and the MINI Beachcomber makes its case with 1995 cc BMW N47 Inline 4 and 105 kW @ 5,500 rpm. Mini built from 2010 — as electrification stopped being an experiment and the crossover took every market. Its designer of record is Gert Hildebrand.
The story
The MINI Beachcomber is a concept car presented by Mini at the 2010 North American International Auto Show as a preview of the Countryman crossover. The Beachcomber has an open body concept, which according to the brand is supposed to offer an ultimate expression of freedom in a car. The concept is also a comeback to the Mini Moke, which was a symbol of adventurous motoring back in the 1960s.
The Mini concept comes with a newly developed all-wheel drivetrain and several body elements which serve to make the car extra-strong, robust and to also give it an elevated seating position. In order to protect its occupants from wind and rain, the concept car features a soft-top roof. This protection can be completely removed from the body and stored in a container. There is also the possibility of using hardtop panels made of an extra-light plastic material, which protect the roof, the sides of the car and the rear storage compartment.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits 1995 cc BMW N47 Inline 4; it is rated at 105 kW @ 5,500 rpm. Kerb weight is 1400 kg. Power-to-weight lands near 75 horsepower per tonne, which is unhurried — enough for the job, not for the bragging. The gearbox is a 6-speed Manual. The layout matters: drive goes to all four wheels, which is what lets the power be used on a wet road. The wheelbase is 2595 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Mini's history is not in doubt: the Mini Crossover Concept came before it; the Mini Countryman followed it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Toyota Etios, the Chevrolet Orlando, the Lexus CT. Nearby in the Mini catalogue sit the Mini (3rd Generation) and the Mini All4 Racing.
Mini1959
Mini1969
Mini (3rd Generation) 
Mini (MkI)