I thought that designworks usa was responsible for the style, but it seems that giugiaro designed it...

Not really.

Next Mini has Italian Roots
Italdesign handles body engineering, chassis, tests for BMW

By AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 01/24/06, 1:12 pm et

MUNICH – When the second-generation Mini is launched late this year, its engineering will be Italian, not German like parent BMW or British like the brand.

Instead, BMW hired Italian design house Italdesign Giugiaro to coordinate the engineering.

BMW styled the new Mini and designed the Mini’s powertrain jointly with its cooperation partner PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and it will be built at Mini’s UK plant. But Italdesign is handling all other development – including developmental engineering of the body, structure and chassis – and parts validation.

Italdesign’s role
Italdesign is subcontracting some parts of the engineering that it cannot handle by itself, such as road testing.

BMW says it chose an outsider to handle the development because it lacked capacity in its Munich headquarters and engineering facilities.

“It is a question of capacity within the company,” said Burkhard Göschel, BMW board member for research and development.

He said it is normal to outsource some engineering, but acknowledged that BMW decided to pool development at Italdesign instead of coordinating its suppliers. “Italdesign has experience with small cars,” Göschel said.

The Mini will be assembled in the current Oxford, England, plant, which will be expanded to produce around 240,000 units annually. Later, the car will add a station wagon and a convertible derivative. The current model comes as a two-door hardtop and cabriolet.

Source: - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

I hope that the chassis will be as good as the actual.

So I'm guessing the new Mini has the new Peugeot/BMW engines, right?

Yes, it will have the new prince and also HDI engines.

This unmasked picture looks very similar to the current car!

I suppose there's no point in changing a winning formula!

Dream it, Enjoy it , Feel it, Sense it, Drive it , Love it. New MINI.

Ehhh...I am not feeling it this time around. I mean I don't know. The mini to me has never quite appealed to me 100%. I think that interior isn't my friend or something who knows.

I think it is an acquired taste.

1. Get your hands on one (preferably Cooper S Works, but a stock S will do...)
2. Drive it like you stole it.
3. You'll have acquired the taste.