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2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door will have new head- and taillight designs

Squint hard and you'll still probably see the exact same car. Squint really hard, then pull up multiple side-by-side photos on multiple screens, call in a buddy, and then you just might be able to see how the 2019 Mini Cooper will differ from the current model year. This is a midcycle refresh of a Mini - if you were expecting something different, we don't like your odds in Vegas. But, let's take a look at what is clearly new on the test mules spotted by spy photographers in Germany. Although the camo is doing a bang-up job, the taillights are different than the circular, bubble-like elements that are currently on the Cooper and that we saw in our last 2019 Cooper spy photos. The reverse light seems to be in the same position, but the bold horizontal LED strip could indicate the Cooper will be adopting the Union Jack-inspired taillights from the Mini John Cooper Works GT Concept unveiled at Frankfurt in September. On the other hand, those concept taillights did not have the large vertical element of this camo'd test mule, nor can we see any evidence of diagonal elements. Maybe they're just going with an English flag homage, to hell with the rest of Britain? Maybe not. Up front, the headlight clusters are also different, but they do seem to be the same upgraded headlights we saw on that Mini test mule back in May. There is without question a visual similarity between these and the JCW GP Concept - albeit without the red color. We're not sure what the rest of the camo might be hiding up front, but it doesn't seem to be anything major. Back at the rear, there seems to now be a bit of a lip built into the trim piece above the license plate. As for mechanical and interior changes, we wouldn't expect anything big on that front, either, as Mini has rarely made noteworthy updates mid-way through a generation. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door: Spy Shots View 9 Photos Spy Photos MINI Hatchback mini cooper s

Mini is sending some buyers a car-sized puzzle to apologize for delivery delays

The ongoing chip shortage has wreaked havoc on automotive supply chains around the world, causing a diverse selection of side effects including long delivery delays. Mini has found a clever way for some of its customers to pass the time: It's sending them a giant Mini puzzle. Created by advertising agency Pereira O'Dell, the puzzle's full name is the "we're-working-hard-to-get-you-your-car, waiting-is-the-worst, in-the-meantime-happy-puzzling Mini puzzle." It sounds like the company has created several designs, though the only image it published shows a red hatchback with white stripes on a red background. It's huge; the dimensions weren't published, but it looks like it takes up a car-sized spot in a garage. The pieces look relatively big, but completing the puzzle will likely require several days of trial and error. Mini notes that not every buyer who is waiting to take delivery of one of its cars will receive a life-sized puzzle; only "select new customers" will get one. It's sending normal-sized puzzles to some of its other customers, however. There's no word on how recipients are selected. Delays have plagued nearly every carmaker in the past few months, so Mini isn't alone. The company has temporarily stopped building cars equipped with a manual transmission to simplify its range. While it hasn't revealed precisely how long customers need to wait before taking delivery, its consumer website warns that "due to increased customer demand, production availability of model year 2023 Mini models is limited." It adds that the estimated delivery time for custom-built orders varies "depending on trims, packages, options, and location." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mini nixes plans for 7-seater, Countryman to stay largest model

Contrary to popular belief, it seems that Mini's growth plans do have a limit both in size and number of models. During the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, it unveiled the six-door Clubman concept (pictured above) that was 4.4-inches longer and about two-inches wider than even the current Countryman crossover. Mini design chief Anders Warming says that this is the new size limit for its models, and the BMW subsidiary isn't building a larger, seven-passenger vehicle above the current Countryman.
"We won't build anything bigger than the Countryman, not at this moment. You should be able to park a Mini in a city, so a Countryman or this new Clubman is as big as it should be," said Warming to Auto Express in Geneva. Rumors going back to last November, pegged the Mini as developing an even larger vehicle to take on mainstream CUVs.
While Warming is ruling out a bigger Minis for now, a smaller one like the Rocketman concept still might be in the cards. He said that the project has been warmly received but still had to be investigated because "it's a numbers game." So if bigger Minis aren't coming, there still might be a slim chance for a smaller one.