Maximum Mini? e-book and blog site

 I came across this site about vehicles that were made using the platform of the Mini Cooper; the original one and not the newer one. It is a blog called Maximum Mini. The owner of the blog posts regularly. It makes for interesting read. 

I was looking for companies or people who were had or were making cars based on the Mini Cooper. I have read of kit cars and plans for cars that are based on existing vehicles (for example, there are kit cars to change the Pontiac Fiero to look like other vehicles). 

maximummini.blogsport.com

I first came across the book - Maximum Mini - Amazon. It was listed as an e-book and as printed books. The Amazon site had the price that seems rather exorbitant for a book (at the time that I searched for it, the price was a couple hundred dollars - IIRC - but not it is out of print). I was able to download it from Google Play and read it using their book app. The e-book version was way more affordable. 

It is not a big book but it has a lot information on the companies that made automobiles that are based on the original Mini Cooper platform. There are brief descriptions and photos of the vehicles. It was enough information to want to learn more about the companies. 

After reading the book, I wondered if they - the companies mentioned - would be able to do something similar with the newer Mini Cooper. The original Mini Cooper and the newer Mini Cooper have some things in common; a front wheel drive system (front engine driving the front wheels), similar layout. The vehicles would have more power and have better bigger parts. I will look to see if anyone has or had done it. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press

MG Midget To Return? Made In China? - article is 2014

 I read an article about the MG Midget is to return. The MG brand was bought by a Chinese firm. The article indicates they are planning on bringing back the MG Midget. I hope this is true. I think the design - per the article - is way cool looking. 

I hope they make the new MG Midget in Great Britain. It would give a positive boost to the United Kingdom economy and boost their 'made in UK' plan. I think it would be great to have it made close to where the previous ones were created. I think having it made or just assembled in UK, it could avoid any import tax or tariff that made be made to non-UK made items. 

MG Midget To Return, Made In China - Car News China. 

photo above is from the article site - link to the article is just above this photo.

I really hope they make it and I really hope they sell them in the USA. I think this design - assuming that is what it might or could look like - is really cool looking and I would not mind driving it. 

I think it would bring back the MG as an affordable sports car. If they have other cars with the MG badge on it, it would add some flair to their line of cars or SUV's.

Thomas Lee Mullins 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press 

Bricklin 3EV by Visionary Vehicles

There is a electric three wheel car that looks really nice. It is called the Bricklin 3EV. It is by Visionary Vehicles. I have a feeling it may never get made (like so many cool ideas / cars that are designed but don't really go anywhere). It would be neat if it did.

Electrive has an article on it but it is dated 02/01/2018. 

(photo from the Electrive site). 

I wonder if one could create the Bricklin 3EV using the parts of a Cam Am Spyder? The name would be different since it wouldn't be an electric but I think it would be still cool. Perhaps call it the Bricklin Spyder (it seems more than one car has that name)? The Can Am Spider has a similar layout of engine and transmission powering the single rear wheel.

I think it would be like taking a Mini Cooper or Smart Fortwo and making something totally new (in appearances). 

Thomas Lee Mullins 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Reva NXG?

I came across this unique little car from Reva called the NXG. I think it is really cool looking. I believe it is a concept car. I hope they put it into production and have it come to the USA.

I think it is part of Mahinda Electric. 

While it is an electric car, it would be neat to see it as a hybrid, a fuel cell vehicle or as a bio fuel 'gas' engine vehicle. I think people / buyers should have an option. I think the Liquid Piston rotary engine would (could possibly) work in this little car. 

I really like the look of this. 

I think it has a neat design. 

One can see the other - in back in red - electric vehicle from them. I believe the red one is the NXR. 

The Reva NXG reminds me of the Obvio 012 in design.

I can compare them. There are similarities and there are differences. I think it would be neat to not only see both made but also sold in the USA. It would be even cooler to see both and experience both so one can really compare the two. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

A New Corbin Merlin Roadster Using The Can Am Spyder As The Donor Vehicle?

While this isn't a true micro car (unless one thinks a car can have three wheels and some micro cars have just three wheels so perhaps it is?) - modern or older, it is interesting. It is a shame that Corbin (they still make seats) did not put the Merlin Roadster - or even the coupe version - into production.

Here is the roadster. There seem to be only a few examples for the roadster that was made.

Here is the coupe. I don't know if this went any further than a prototype. They show one but t might have just been a prototype / mock up that didn't run. 

Corbin Concepts.

There are some neat concepts at this site (sometimes it loads and sometimes it doesn't). 

Perhaps one could build a new one using the Can Am Spyder as a donor vehicle. It seems the layout is very similar; with two wheels in front, one in back and the engine in front (I believe) powering the back wheel. 

one can barely see it but it is a line drawing of the Can Am Spyder.

Perhaps a company could create something like the Merlin using the parts - transmission and engine and other parts - from the Can Am Spyder? Perhaps one could stretch it to fit where one can sit down or have more than one person sitting next to each other? 

It is a short post but with hopes of actually overlaying the Merlin roadster over the the line drawing of the Can Am Spider. 

This blog is just me thinking of a 'what if' scenario. It is something I like to do as 'mental exercise'. It gives one a chance to keep ones mind active and do some creative thinking / creativity. If one does not have to worry about actually creating something, one can be quite creative. It is a lot of fun. It is like being an ideas person. 

Corbin has other designs they had designed at this site. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

My Art at Cafe Press.

updated on 02/06/2020.

Cool Compact Cadillac Concept; The Cadillac Urban.

I came across a cool compact concept from Cadillac called the Urban. It is in my opinion that it is cool; others might not think so but this is my blog and I think it is cool.

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept - Wikipedia

Looking at the performance overview from the Wikipedia page, I can see myself trading in my Smart Fortwo for it. I think it would be a step up.

I think this has an aggressive stance to the design. 

I like the grill / front end design. It connects it to the Cadillac lineup. 

I think this takes the 'lambo' doors and makes them even cooler; in my opinion. 

I like that it is a hatchback. 

I would make the side windows a little bigger. While it looks cool, it does seem to limit ones side view.  I think they production version would have taller windows.

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept - Los Angelos Auto Show - YouTube. 

This video is very informative. It is about the car that is the subject of this blog.

Car and Driver - Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

Motor Trend - Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

There are other articles online about it but I only chose a couple; for no particular reason except to show that other sites have information on it.

TomLeeM

My Art At Cafe Press

The Miata That Became A Corvette? Rock Star?

There was another article at Motor1 that was about the Rock Star by Mitsuoka; a Miata made to look like a Corvette. It seems they chose an earlier model of the Corvette and not the current one. It does have a lot of similarities and differences. I think they chose a good one to duplicate; not that there were any bad Corvette designs (some just better than others).

I had a search looking for vehicles that used the Mazda MX5 Miata as the donor car and/or platform for another vehicle design. I have found one - Himiki - which lead to this one. I think it is a neat find.

The Mitsuoka Motors emblem.

I think it looks like an earlier version of the Corvette. I think this copy of it is really nice. 

I think it looks cool from this angle. It does have the appearance of the earlier Corvette. Perhaps it could be sold as the Opel GT replacement / update? 

Makes wonder what other 'duplicates' that could be made using the platform of the Mazda MX5 Miata. I think it has a lot of potential - especially for someone with lots of imagination and lots of money (I doubt doing this is cheap).

I wonder if one could create an updated version of the Goggomobil Dart using the Mazda MX5 Miata? (just thinking out loud but still a possibility?). Perhaps an King Midget inspired body on a Miata? 

Here is a model of the King Midget that doesn't seem to have been made before the company stopped making cars. Perhaps it could be adapted / stretched to fit onto the Miata platform? (some more 'thinking out loud'). 

TomLeeM

My Art For Sale On Items by Cafe Press

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