MINI's new stylish scooter - the E Concept

Shortly after launching its largest vehicle of all time, MINI has come up with its smallest: a stylish scooter.

Hot on the heels of the arrival of the MiniCountryman 'crossover' in UK showrooms comes the firm's Scooter E Concept, which will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next week.

Perhaps the novel bike concept should not come as a surprise. MINI has been one of the great success stories over the past decade with some 1.7 million models produced at its Oxford plant - but there are now four models in the range and the Countryman is so large it can accommodate five people.

Car firms need to keep innovating to survive, so MINI designers have gone back to basics and drawn on another iconic image from the Swinging Sixties for their inspiration - the scooter.

The show concept comes in two versions: one to deliver sporting fun for a single rider, the other designed to carry two people.

The single seater concept is steeped in the brand's British heritage, with a British Racing Green windshield and 'aged' brown leather seat.

The two-person machine, meanwhile, has a more modern anthracite finish with contrasting yellow seat.

Unlike the rasping Vespas and Lambrettas of old the Scooter E is electric-powered, with its own on-board energy storage system, and produces zero emissions. Its battery can be recharged at any conventional power socket.

Its designers have tried to incorporate elements of MINI car design in the look of the machine. The windshield is angled in a similar fashion to that of a Mini Hatch while the big headlight unit is reminiscent of those of the Countryman.

The two indicator units, meanwhile, evoke the front view of the classic Mini.

There are, of course, some cool designer features - otherwise it would not be a MINI.

The outsize speedometer has a smartphone socket integrated in the middle - and the phone is literally the key. As soon as the rider docks his or her mobile phone and switches it on, the vehicle is ready to go.

While the scooter is in motion, the phone can be used as a navigation system, music player or telephone. A wireless Bluetooth interface connects to a helmet so riders can talk on the phone or access their personal music collection while on the road.

The navigation function can indicate the current position of other MINI scooters in the immediate area - and when two vehicles meet they are programmed to 'flash' headlights at each other.