Automotive

MINI Paceman transformed into a mini pickup truck concept

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The MINI Paceman Adventure concept
The MINI Paceman Adventure is a project of MINI apprentices and trainers
The Adventure has an increased ground clearance and off-road tires
The roof rack holds a spare tire and includes lights for night off-roading
The Paceman Adventure is fortified for tackling dirt, gravel, mud and more
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure loses its rear seats for a bed that can haul tools and gear
The MINI Paceman Adventure loses its rear seats for a bed that can haul tools and gear
A snorkel-style air intake prepares the Paceman Adventure for river crossings
The MINI team at work on the Paceman Adventure
The Adventure concept is based on the Cooper S Paceman with ALL4 AWD
The Paceman Adventure is powered by the 184-hp turbo engine of the Cooper S trim
The MINI Paceman Adventure
No April Fool's prank here
The MINI Paceman Adventure is painted Jungle Green
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI team at work on the Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
Close-up of the roof-mounted air intake
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The Mini Paceman Adventure includes a roof rack
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The The MINI Paceman Adventure rides on a modified chassis
The MINI Paceman Adventure is built atop the Cooper S Paceman
MINI is clear that the Paceman Adventure is a one-off project car
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
A MINI gets a pickup bed
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure
The MINI Paceman Adventure concept
A peek inside the two-seat cabin
Ready to haul and venture off-road
Photo of a 1960's Mini Pick-Up
View gallery - 42 images

In a move that appears like a late April Fools' prank, MINI has revealed a pickup version of the Cooper S Paceman. The Paceman Adventure loses its rear seats in favor of a small bed and is beefed up for off-road driving. Useful or just plain weird – you decide.

The Paceman Adventure isn't a preview of a potential production MINI truck. It's a project that MINI used to nurture young, learning minds. MINI instructors worked on the vision with their apprentices in BMW's plants in Munich and Dingolfing.

The Paceman may seem like a completely random candidate for a pickup conversion, but there was at least a little method to the madness. The team chose the 184-hp Cooper S Paceman ALL4 for its rugged (for a MINI) all-wheel drive design. To add some grit, MINI increased the ground clearance, hooked up a snorkel-style roof air intake, added a set of off-road tires and threw a roof rack with off-road lighting on top.

The roof rack holds a spare tire and includes lights for night off-roading

MINI says that the converted car would be at home on gravel roads, desert trails, muddy thoroughfares and even the occasional river crossing. It doesn't exactly pack the haul space of a full-size pickup, but its bed would come in handy for smaller items, such as a toolbox or luggage.

Photo of a 1960's Mini Pick-Up

While the MINI Paceman Adventure may seem completely foreign to those familiar only with recent MINI vehicles, a diminutive, two-door Mini pickup (seen above) did once roam roadways. The model was launched in 1961, back when Mini was part of British Motor Corporation. It was one of several body alternatives offered in Mini's early days, also including a station wagon and a van, and sold close to 60,000 units over its two decades on the market.

MINI is quite clear that the Paceman Adventure isn't the start of a Mini Pick-up revival, saying, "The MINI Paceman Adventure is a true one-off and there are no plans for series production."

If you like the vehicle, you might also want to check out the smart for-us – an electric pickup version of the smart fortwo.

Source: BMW/MINI

View gallery - 42 images
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10 comments
BigGoofyGuy
I think that is really nice. The older one seems to have more room in the back but the newer one has a nicer style. I wonder if they will also have a little cap for the back? perhaps have a 'truck camper' that is small enough to fit the back? There is already a mini-teardrop camper that is made for the Mini Cooper, why not a Mini mini-truck camper? :)
Robyn Kiriko Takami
This is very nice! I like it much better than the Estate style.
The Skud
Brilliant! They did it with the Mini-Moke as well as the 1961 Mini pictured above, so, seriously why not produce this? If not thought of for production by Mini, license one of the many off-road conversion manufacturers, they would love to, especially with a "limo" stretch to the bed for 'bike room. Make the pick-up bed cover one of those unfold-to-the-ground tent/camper systems and you're almost perfect!
Daishi
I would love to see them build something like this and treat it as a platofm. The bed is small but there are always bed extenders" http://i.imgur.com/4BE0klK.jpg
One thing I was always impressed with for side by side ATV's is they do a pretty impressive job of treating the thing as a platform, they are like giant expensive lego products where you can buy all kinds of different doors/cabs/beds/winches/plows etc. for them.
Modern day "utility" vehicles are really nothing more than larger cars, there generally isn't much utility involved.
One of the biggest challenges I see is people buy vehicles big enough to buy furniture with or store everything they need on vacation and drive them to work every day carrying just themselves. Touring motorcycles deal with this with trailers: http://i.imgur.com/vMZECXv.jpg Even a small camper is possible: http://i.imgur.com/yKZg8B7.jpg
The concept isn't new but I think with the right design(s) there is a lot more potential to solve this problem with enclosed trailers than I have seen. There are trailers out there with rail systems (http://i.imgur.com/P9fmog6.jpg) but I think it's possible to take it another step and make the insides reconfigurable so you could use ratchet straps and wheel chucks or things like beds, kitchens, toolboxes etc. for camping or work.
There were a couple projects that advocated using towed trailers for electric vehicle range extenders. if someone builds standard swappable battery packs like we see with propane today trailers are probably the best way to retrofit them into cars without room and plug in hybrids.
Grunt
I'm just surprised it took them so long to get there, and it was the apprentices that pushed for it. Got to be a winner! I'd have one.
Aloysius
A cute looking car. What's the ground clearance?
doug5380
Having just gone looking for a small pickup (there is nothing out there) this caught my eye. Cute but not quite right for me. If anyone in the industry is reading - 90% of the time it's just me or me and the dog. About 9% of the time I'm hauling something in the bed (can't put manure in an SUV) I live in Colorado but manufacturers don't seem to believe we have roads 1% of the time do I need 4wheel drive and high clearance. Give me a cab plus (for dog) hybrid mileage (with an outlet to use it as a generator) and a bed that can handle 4x8 material and low entrance for an old body (mine) and I'll be yours!
Riaanh
@doug5380, amazing here in South Africa small pickup's is one of the favourite types of vehicles, we call them bakkies. Google : Chevrolet Utility or Ford Bantam.
Rosebud
I must have this!! I have been looking everywhere since this concept came out in 2014. I looked at possibly modifying a mini to match this design, but man I wish Mini Cooper made it easy on me and just produced this awesome truck already! Please, please make this truck a production reality!
andreas
I was looking for a while now for a cute car for my wife that would let her haul all her gardening supplies around without having to buy a manly pickup truck. Everybody I shared this with loved it. I believe that there is a huge market for this type of vehicle. It is the perfect mix of practicality and style while maintaining some femininity. The women that would be attracted to this type of vehicle i picture to be between 30 and 55 and they will have the financial means to purchase it. Built it and they will come and tear it out of your hands!!!