BMW is considering extending the Mini range to include a pick-up truck, 4x4 or people carrier version in addition to plans to revive the historic Traveller estate model, executives at the German car-maker said.
The expanded line-up would be a tribute to the success of the cult British brand since it was relaunched in 2001, but new vehicles would not come until after the next generation of the Mini goes on sale in 2007.
The British-built Mini has been far more successful than BMW expected and its Cowley plant near Oxford is struggling to meet demand.
The factory is trying to increase production from 189,000 last year to 200,000 this. "We have a lot of ideas for new models," said Michael Ganal, director of sales and marketing.
The company is already planning to add an estate model with doors at the rear, along the lines of the original Morris Mini Minor Traveller, although without the wood trim.
A concept of the car is on display at the Frankfurt motor show, but BMW is struggling to find a name for the car after discovering that it may not own the rights to the Clubman or Traveller names, both used in the past 40 years by Mini.
Mr Ganal also left the door open to a pick-up being made eventually under the BMW badge, something other executives have previously dismissed as a laughable idea.
He said the company had carried out consumer research on BMW pick-ups in the US, where, according to JD Power, the vehicles have 19 per cent of the market, but so far he saw "no serious demand".