MG Steals the Mini's Thunder With a Retro Concept That Nails the Original Spirit

If you’ve been disappointed by how bloated and overstyled modern Minis have become, you’re not alone. The charm of the original, small, simple, and purposeful, has been buried under layers of excess. But at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, MG, a British brand now owned by Chinese parent SAIC, unveiled a concept that proves the classic Mini formula isn’t dead.

It’s just been waiting for someone else to get it right.

The GO! Concept is a tiny electric city car that looks like the Mini the Mini should be. It’s compact, clean, and clearly inspired by the original Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor, cars that MG has a distant but real family connection to through the old British Motor Corporation.

Designer Carl Gotham says he drew from MG’s own history, including the MGB GT and Metro Turbo, but the visual link to the classic Mini is unmistakable. MG can’t openly admit it, of course, but the resemblance is no accident. And honestly, who cares? It works.

The GO! is slated for production in 2027, and while it’s electric, that fits the original Mini’s ethos of affordable, practical urban mobility. MG also showed the Cyber Concept, a midsize electric SUV inspired by the legendary EX181 land-speed record car from 1959, the one that hit 254 mph on just 295 horsepower.

The Cyber doesn’t try to match that speed, but its low, sleek profile and green paint nod to the record-breaker. Still, the GO! is the star. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best homage comes from outside the family.