2008 Mini Cooper Base Hatchback 2-door 1.6l S on 2040-cars

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Mini would still like to make a standalone sports car

The head-turning Superleggera Vision concept Mini unveiled in 2014 will remain a one-off model, but the BMW-owned company affirmed it still has its sights set on a standalone, range-topping sports car. It's understandably not a priority, and there's a chance it won't arrive with a turbo four if it receives the green light for production. Mini's current flagship is the limited-edition John Cooper Works GP, a 301-horsepower hot hatch that sounds as angry as it looks. It's based on the Hardtop, but there's space in the Mini range for an even more hardcore sports car that's not built on an existing architecture. Andreas Lampka, the head of the company's communications department, shared what's on his team's wish list while talking to Australian website Motoring. "If we give our engineers some more spare [time and resources], they'll come up with a mid-engined car," he explained. If launched, it would stand out as the first series-produced mid-engined model in the Mini's 61-year history; every single Mini-badged car built has been front-wheel drive, and we doubt engineers are giving the mid-engined layout a lustful look just to channel the power back to the front wheels. It'd likely be rear-wheel drive. Lampka suggested a range-topping sports car could arrive with an electric powertrain, like the Superleggera Vision (pictured), rather than with an evolution of a gasoline-powered engine currently found in the company's arsenal. While a head-spinning, instant torque-fueled zero-to-60-mph time is difficult to argue against, the executive didn't explain how engineers will offset the weight added by the battery pack. It's too early to provide concrete details. Though this is pure speculation, it could share parts with future electrified JCW models. Similarly, there's no word on when we might see Mini's halo model. The company has more pressing issues to solve; global sales fell by 4.1% in 2019, and executives recently confirmed they've delayed the next-generation Hardtop. If the model does arrive, we don't expect to see it until about halfway through the 2020s at the earliest. Related Video:     Featured Gallery Mini Superleggera Vision Concept View 27 Photos Green MINI Convertible Coupe Electric Performance

Mini may have overexpanded, some models may not be replaced

Surprise, surprise. According to Edmunds, Mini may be looking to reduce the number of vehicles in its range, which has recently expanded to include a total of seven offerings (not to mention the copious varieties of configurations found within each line). When Mini relaunched in the early 2000s, it did so with one model, the Cooper Hardtop, and has since added the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster and Paceman. It looks like those ambitions of expanding the range to include up to 10 models may have been a bit optimistic.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly," Jim McDowell, Vice President of Mini USA, told Edmunds in an interview. The brand's core models right now are the Hardtop and Countryman, and of the roughly 66,200 vehicles that Mini sold in the United States last year, these two vehicles accounted for some 75 percent of total sales.
McDowell declined to mention any specific models that may not be replaced in the lineup's next generation, though our best guess is that ultra-niche vehicles like the Coupe (pictured) or Clubman. As for replacing some of the current models with new products, the only clear gap we can see in the brand's lineup is a smaller car like the Rocketman concept, though we've been told several times that a mini-Mini isn't going to happen. Be sure to let us know what Mini models you'd like to see kept or axed in Comments below.

Mini celebrates 60 years of Cooper with Anniversary Edition Hatch

Sir Alec Issigonis never seriously envisioned the original Mini as a performance car. It was a cheap and cheerful econobox developed as an alternative to the bubble cars that were wildly popular in post-WWII England. Race car engineer John Cooper played a significant role in revealing the Mini's sporty side, and the BMW-owned firm is celebrating the collaboration's 60th anniversary with a limited-edition variant of the Hatch that will be sold globally. Aptly named Anniversary Edition, the commemorative hatchback is available in British Racing Green, Midnight Black or Rebel Green (depending on the version). Regardless of the chosen paint color, the light bezels, the door mirror caps, the door handles and the roof are painted white, while most of the other exterior trim pieces are black. The number "74" appears on the hood and on the doors; it was chosen as a reference to the original Mini, which wore the same number when it earned its first win in a major race. Red accents add a finishing touch to the look. Open the door, and you'll spot edition-specific door sill plates with a Cooper logo. The same design appears on the three-spoke steering wheel, and there's a red ring on the passenger side of the dashboard that's a tribute to the original John Cooper logo. The signatures of John, Mike and Charlie Cooper appear next to the instrument cluster. Mini is not making any major mechanical changes to the Anniversary Edition. The package can be ordered with the standard Cooper, the hotter Cooper S or the spicy John Cooper Works model. In its most powerful configuration, the Hatch offers a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 228 horsepower. For context, the original Mini Cooper was powered by a 1.0-liter four-cylinder tuned to develop about 55 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of around 80 mph, and it gained disc brakes (the standard Mini initially settled for drums on both axles).  Only 740 units of the Anniversary Edition Hatch will be built globally. Pricing information hasn't been announced. And, while we know the model is America-bound, there's no word yet on how many will be sent to our shores. We've reached out to the brand, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Cooper's pre-Cooper models Mini launched its first Cooper-tuned model in September 1961, but the collaboration started earlier.