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Didn't see this coming, did you? This is the MINI Superleggera Vision, a concept that the iconic German-owned British marque will be presenting at the 2014 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Designed in collaboration with legendary Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera, the Superleggera Vision is a homage to the classic British two-seater roadster format.

While the front features the familiar MINI face, the rest of the car, fashioned out of hand-beaten aluminium, is radically different from any MINI you've ever seen, with a long bonnet, cab-backward stance, curvaceous surfacing and Jaguar D-Type-aping tail fin. The Union Jack tail lights in particular are a nice touch.

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Added to that are some Italianate detailing, such as Touring Superleggera's signature character line that runs from the front wheels to the rear, that betray the concept's mixed parentage. The concept is finished in a light Como Blue, named after the lake where the event is held.

If the exterior is a little adventurous for a MINI, the minimalist interior should put the brand's aficionados right back at home with a circular navigation display set into the middle of the unpainted aluminium dashboard, digital instruments in front of the driver and a three-spoke steering wheel.

Even so, there are still unique details abound, such as the door structure arranged to look like, yes, the Union Jack, the analogue clock on the right of the central display and an oh-so-2014 camera in between the front seats to capture those "worthwhile moments on the road".

To top off a slightly bizarre concept, the retro-futuristic Superleggera Vision is powered by an electric motor, but no specs whatsoever have been handed out. So, good move by the brand and should be produced, or a bridge too far?