Featuring a mid-rear-mounted engine, ultra-lightweight materials, and a tiny footprint, they proposed maximizing interior space in the true spirit of Alec Issigonis.

Developed by the Rover Group before BMW shifted the modern MINI's direction toward retro-styling and premium features.

The cars were rear-engined, using a small 0.8-litre, 3-cylinder engine (producing about 60 horsepower) mounted beneath the rear seats. This layout drove the rear wheels and freed up the front to act as a proper crash-absorbing crumple zone.

They were designed to utilize a steel frame covered in lightweight plastic or aluminum body panels, paired with Hydragas suspension for a smooth, classic Mini-like ride.

The Spiritual was a 3-meter long 2-door, while the Spiritual Too was a 3.5-meter long 4-door. Despite the extra doors, the 4-door variant aimed to offer as much interior cabin space as a BMW 7-Series while keeping the total vehicle weight at just 700 kilograms.

Rather than relying on the classic, nostalgic shape of the 1959 Mini, these concepts looked like typical 1990s and early-2000s European city cars (similar in concept to the Audi A2).

When BMW took over the Rover Group, the design team at BMW favored a distinct, premium retro-aesthetic, and these radically utilitarian Spiritual concepts were ultimately shelved in favor of the production MINI Cooper launched in 2000.