A ‘talking’ version of the Mini hits showrooms in January.

Costing £21,030, the 50th anniversary model will have a unique voice system to greet drivers when the engine is started and say goodbye when it is turned off.

Dubbed mission control by BMW’s development engineers, the system can deliver 1,500 different spoken messages.

Should it be driven with an unsecured door, it can say “Attention, a door is open – is someone trying to escape?” and if driven too fast from start, it will plead “Ease up on the gas a bit, I’m not warmed up yet”.

Continued high speed driving will prompt the message: “Take it easy please and we’ll save fuel at the same time” and driving with the sunroof open and air-con operating will bring the comment “This is no good – one of them has to go to make any environmental sense at all and that’s that”.