TG’s guide to concepts: the rally-spec Mini ACV 30

In the late 1990s, design bods at BMW and Rover were locked in a battle. Bavaria’s most famous non-alcoholic export had acquired the ailing British rival (of sorts) Rover, and set about reinventing the most iconic jewel in its crown – the Mini.

Rover wanted to create another space-efficient, shrink-wrapped city car in the spirit of the Alec Issigonis original. BMW meanwhile wanted a bigger, plusher, retro take which could kickstart a trend for premium small cars.

In 1997, BMW’s then design chief used the 30th anniversary of Mini’s celebrated Monte Carlo rally win to create a concept car showing his vision for Mini's future. And it was altogether sportier. Firm over function. This is the Anniversary Concept Vehicle, or ACV 30 for short. Sounds like a hard-drive model, not a rally car...

Dominated by bulbous wheelarches and a football stadium’s worth of spotlights, the ACV 30 did indeed give clues about what BMW’s eventual comeback Cooper would look like. Blacked-out roof pillars, a central exhaust outlet and colour-contrast roof and stripe combos were all soon to become staples of the new millennium’s Mini.

Underneath, this was something very different to your usual city car fare, though. The ACV 30 wasn’t even front-wheel drive, for a kick-off. And that big front grille didn’t have a downsized engine squeezed up behind it. Oh no. The ACV 30 was, believe it or not, mid-engined and rear-wheel drive.

An insane decision, you might quite rightly presume, until you learn that the car was in fact based on the chassis and 1.8-litre powertrain the MG F. That, if you need a reminder, is the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota MR2-rivalling roadster that Rover’s sister brand was stamping out at the time.

In the end, BMW plumped for a design from future McLaren 12C and Ferrari F430 designer Frank Stephenson for its new Mini. Turned out to be a rather smart move, that.

And, of course, it had a thoroughly sensible front-engined, front-driven layout, just like the iconic car it recalled. Still, until Mini gets around to making a showroom version of the lovely Superleggera concept, you’re looking at the most sports car-like Mini, well, ever.