MINI-i MegaCity Image Leaked?

It looks like a MINI. But what is this, really?

Is it the new MegaCity Vehicle BMW is developing or is it just a concept design for the next-generation MINI Cooper?

Well, no one is quite sure.

This mock-up (Carscoop believes it to be a clay model due to the blacked-out windows) is likely a test design of the MINI-i MegaCity Vehicle. The MegaCity Vehicle is being developed as part of Project-i, a BMW initiative to create new range of near-zero or zero-emissions vehicles for large, urban areas in the next decade.

BMW has not been entirely clear about how these new vehicles will be branded. They seem to be rather bold in claiming it will represent a new paradigm in urban transport and that Project-i will be developing cars for volume production. As things stand now, the MegaCity is set to be a sub-brand of MINI. And some reports surfaced earlier in the year saying that BMW Design Chief, Chris Bangle, left BMW over this very issue, having grave reservations about how Project-i was set to evolve.

The truth probably is that BMW has not yet decided how exactly to do this yet.

Feel free to explore the links for more speculation and some extra photos over at Automobile Magazine which show an early dashboard concept for upcoming MINI vehicles.