2023 Mini Cooper/Countryman- all new generation, will feature EV technologies

[GranTurNismo]

For 2023, the Mini Copper hatchback will enter its fourth generation, and a third generation for the Countryman compact CUV. They will be available in both ICE-powered and BEV variants. MINI said that “cars with highly efficient petrol and diesel engines will continue to be an ideal solution in future for target groups and regions where the mobility requirements are not met or not yet met with all-electric drivetrains”, thus keeping the ICE alive for a few more years.

 

[05XR8]

I’d have a Mini Cooper 3-door. Probably bigger than DE Mazda2 though. Lord, their not mini any more.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Rumor has it the new Mini Cooper will actually be smaller than the current one. I guess it's kind of returning to its roots.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

The proportions and especially the front overhang look considerably better than the current car which is kind of an awkward mess, particularly in S form - but I could just be looking at it optimistically.

 

[05XR8]

Oh, that’s nice. I do remember seeing that Mini concept which was tiny. That’d be cool.
Here we go.

 

[VXR]

Shame it has lost the clamshell bonnet, but, this could well be how it manages to shrink when they don't have to package lights and a grille within one massive panel. It also now appears to open just like on the original it apes, so it could well be the most Mini the new MINI has ever been in that regard.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Shame it has lost the clamshell bonnet, but, this could well be how it manages to shrink when they don't have to package lights and a grille within one massive panel. It also now appears to open just like on the original it apes, so it could well be the most Mini the new MINI has ever been in that regard.

I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. I really don't know why that was ever a thing, particularly if, as you say, it wasn't even a referential move. I'm honestly kind of looking forward to seeing this thing. I hope they keep offering it with the I3T/6M combo here in the states. Hopefully they have a better idea for the interior too. The most recent version of the car felt like a step backward in interior/dashboard design from the R56 cars.

 

[FT-1]

New Mini Cooper has been leaked:


Backup photos in case the tweet gets deleted:

Front looks like an evolutionary update over the current model, but the rear is substantially different.

 

[Wiegert]

Difficult to tell how much of an improvement the proportions are from those shots. The front appears lower and the rear haunches wider. More squat in general.


Front detailing is whatever. The rear looks like a combination of the least MINI-esque shapes and elements they could throw at the space below the rear window. Wouldn't look out of place in the Chinese or Korean markets with a Lifan or SsangYong badge.

 

[05XR8]

I’d say MG-esque with the taillight shape.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Not really sure what to think of that rear.

 

[Joey D]

Not really sure what to think of that rear.

The tail lights are just trying to be Spiderman.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I need to see more, but I'm liking so far. I don't mind the rear. As an American, the rear looks non-specific European - with those hips I kind of get Renault vibes? The proportions are miles better than the current car - squat & tidy like the R53 cars - not ungainly & bloated like the current one.

Not crazy about the interior from what I can see. The R53 and R56 Minis had wonderfully detailed interiors with uncommon shapes. This looks to be taking a step towards Tesla Model 3 style stark minimalism, but some of it's covered up so its tough to say. I wonder if that big ass round screen will be lit all the way to the edge. Would be really dumb if that big circle is mostly bezel.

The white car is badged as an S, but doesn't have a hood scoop. The cars wearing camo have a hood scoop facsimile. Wonder what that's all about.

I dearly hope they give us one last version with an ICE + Manual gearbox. Just one last time, please.

 

[FT-1]

The white car is badged as an S, but doesn't have a hood scoop. The cars wearing camo have a hood scoop facsimile. Wonder what that's all about.

I dearly hope they give us one last version with an ICE + Manual gearbox. Just one last time, please.

The white car is an electric version (lacks an exhaust and has a yellow S) so they probably thought it was a better decision to omit that design element from it.

With that said, all the S models for the F56 generation have not had a functional hood scoop so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see it return, even for the ICE models.

 

[Keef]

The white car is an electric version (lacks an exhaust and has a yellow S) so they probably thought it was a better decision to omit that design element from it.

With that said, all the S models for the F56 generation have not had a functional hood scoop so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see it return, even for the ICE models.

Maybe they're not all EVs? Kinda seems like it's going to be an EV though.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

The white car is an electric version (lacks an exhaust and has a yellow S) so they probably thought it was a better decision to omit that design element from it.

With that said, all the S models for the F56 generation have not had a functional hood scoop so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see it return, even for the ICE models.

I wouldn't miss the hood scoop. Frankly, the F56 looks best in base trim without the overly aggressive front fascia that looks just a little dumb to me. The JCW is so over the top that it sort of works. I really miss the days when special models just sat a little lower and maybe had different wheels or an air dam here and there.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

An interesting bit from a C&D article:

The electric version will ride on a platform jointly developed by BMW and Chinese automaker Great Wall and will be built in China, while the gas-powered Cooper will be built in Oxford, England, likely on an updated version of the current Cooper’s platform.

If 2 cars that looked the same were built on different platforms, that would be very strange to me. I think it's more likely the ICE mini would look considerably different - overhangs, height, etc.

 

[Keef]

An interesting bit from a C&D article:



If 2 cars that looked the same were built on different platforms, that would be very strange to me. I think it's more likely the ICE mini would look considerably different - overhangs, height, etc.

Ugh. Weird enough that Minis have been German cars for years, but now they're Chinese too? Jeez, I never thought BMW would stoop that low. These corporations are addicted to Chinese money and I think it's going to come back to bite them in a bad way.

 

[Centroid]

An interesting bit from a C&D article:



If 2 cars that looked the same were built on different platforms, that would be very strange to me. I think it's more likely the ICE mini would look considerably different - overhangs, height, etc.

GWM's Lemon* platform is both an EV and ICE platform. Which suggests that both versions of the MINI would be on the same platform but time will tell I guess. Of course it may be an entirely new platform they have developed with BMW but that seems unlikely as its quite new.

* that name doesn't travel well does it.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

One thing that makes me doubt that the electric Mini will be a wholly different car from the ICE Mini is the location of the charging port...which looks to be exactly where you'd find a fuel door for a normal car. It's not without precedent that a pure electric platform could have a charging port in this location but it would seem to be a strange choice.

 

[05XR8]

Even with the just revealed Aceman concept, MINI still got the rear signal lights messed up.

 

[FT-1]

Leaked again, this time from new angles:

 

[05XR8]

Why not round taillights to complement the headlights?
Oh and the signals still point the wrong way. Up or Down or Right is left left is right.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Yeah, that's definitely a Mini Cooper alright.

 

[c172fccc]

Not a fan. The rear seems to cut too abrubtly when looking from the side, the side is very BMW with that door handle, the front looks cheap to me, I'll miss the clamshell hood. The rear lights are kind of cool, I'll give it that and they don't look oversized for once.

 

[JohnBM01]

It's a departure, and I appreciate staying true to classics; but this is almost like when the Corvette ditched the circular tail lights starting with the C7. The new design is more sleek and evolutionary, and I actually like this. I still will prefer classic Minis as well as when the Mini was reborn in 2002 or so. I'm intrigued about this car, but not overwhelmingly.

 

[MedigoFlame]

Not a fan. The rear seems to cut too abrubtly when looking from the side, the side is very BMW with that door handle, the front looks cheap to me, I'll miss the clamshell hood. The rear lights are kind of cool, I'll give it that and they don't look oversized for once.

Certainly looks to be the door handle from the BMW i4/4-Series Gran Coupe and 2-Series coupe.

Got to say that the short 3-door's stubbiness reminds me of the Honda e in a good way, but the taillights definitely seem like a big departure. Can only assume it will get BMW's new and rather annoying iDrive 8 system. Previously used something similar to the iDrive 7 system that was easier to navigate through.

 

[Keef]

Why not round taillights to complement the headlights?
Oh and the signals still point the wrong way. Up or Down or Right is left left is right.

The Cooper never had round tail lights before.

The side shot shows just how short and stubby the car is with extremely short overhangs, maybe shorter than its ever had @MedigoFlame

I don't like it. They got rid of the black fender flares which was always one of the best details of the car and framed the body nicely. While this new one looks short and cute, it also looks tall and stubby and heavy. It looks like an exercise in fitting as much mass in a small space as possible.

Look how well integrated the black frame around the wheels is, how there's a tiny crease in the fenders. Makes the car look planted inside the wheels. There are subtle shapes on the body here and there, a little muscle tone but not too much. This new car looks like when you start making beer a habit and you get a bit pudgier and your definition goes away. And it looks like it was plopped on a skateboard frame, which it was in the EV's case, but that doesn't mean the car should look like it was.

I don't like it. It looks unfinished, undefined, and worse than the previous cars.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I quite like it. But the real lights feel out of place compared to the rest of the design. It's very edgy whereas the rest of the car is round. Also, as cool as the union jack is, the lights are still pointing in the wrong direction

Congratulations, Mini, You Made The Stupidest Turn Signals Ever

Over at the Crimson Glow, the East Coast’s fifth-best taillight-themed nightclub and massage parlor, there’s a group of us that meet every month to discuss important taillight developments, the general state of taillightdom globally, brainstorm new taillight ideas, and get really drunk...

jalopnik.com

 

[05XR8]

The Cooper never had round tail lights before.

They could have revisited these:

More round like the originals as well,

I quite like it. But the real lights feel out of place compared to the rest of the design. It's very edgy whereas the rest of the car is round. Also, as cool as the union jack is, the lights are still pointing in the wrong direction

Congratulations, Mini, You Made The Stupidest Turn Signals Ever

Over at the Crimson Glow, the East Coast’s fifth-best taillight-themed nightclub and massage parlor, there’s a group of us that meet every month to discuss important taillight developments, the general state of taillightdom globally, brainstorm new taillight ideas, and get really drunk...

jalopnik.com

Just what I said. Can’t see how they’re missing that.