Mini is boxing up the scented candles, putting the caps back on the massage oils, and returning the Keith Sweat records to the closet. While other automakers continue to procreate new models almost weekly, the BMW-owned brand took a rare vow of chastity and moved to cut three cars from its lineup. Mini will now focus on only five remaining models.
Model death flies in the face of the prevailing trend in carmaking, which is to flood the market with as many different cars as you can build. Look no further than Mini’s parent company to see this in action. Twenty years ago, BWM sold four types of car: the 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series. Today, BMW has models for every number from one to seven and two entries in its i-Series.