2009 Mini Cooper Hardtop S on 2040-cars

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2022 Mini Hardtop spied with bigger grille

The current generation of Mini Hardtop and Convertible has been around since 2014, so it doesn't come as a big surprise that one of our spy photographers spotted a group of test cars sporting refreshed styling. These cars were all Mini Cooper S or Mini John Cooper Works models, and the mild styling tweaks make us believe these updates will be applied to the 2022 Mini Hardtop and Convertible lines, with small changes for different trims. One shot of a few Minis shows one of them wearing no camouflage at all. While the angle isn't ideal, there's still plenty we can make out. It appears to be a John Cooper Works based on the particularly large lower and outboard grilles. It seems to have a John Cooper Works badge in the side of the grille with black tape over it, too. The main grille is noticeably larger than that of the current model. It also adopts a mesh pattern over the whole surface. There's still a bar dividing the grille, but the division is less distinct than on the current car. We can also see this version gets a pronounced front splitter. The other cars in these shots have more thoroughly disguised front and rear ends. The larger main grille does seem to show through, as well as more lower grille area. At the back, the updated Mini has a wider diffuser area, and immediately above it is a set of vents that span the same width. This seems to be a John Cooper Works since it looks fairly aggressive with large center exhaust tips. The regular Hardtop and Convertible models will probably have more toned down versions of this bumper without the center exhaust. Since these are relatively minor styling updates, we expect them to show up on the 2022 Hardtop and Convertible variants. They could be accompanied by powertrain and feature changes, too. In fact, reports have said that there could be a smaller Hardtop model that's electric-only coming around 2022, with this refreshed version sticking around for a few years during the transition. Related Video:    

BMW shuffles chairs in its design department

BMW Group has made some changes to its design team since August 1, and has shuffled top personnel to different positions at BMW Design, Mini Design and Rolls-Royce.
The BMW Design team led by Karim Habib (middle, right) gains a new head of Exterior Design in Domagoj Dukec (right), who has worked for the exterior design team since 2010 and shaped the Concept Active Tourer.
Oliver Heilmer (left), who has worked for BMW's interior design unit since 2000 and designed the 5 Series interior, replaces Marc Girard as head of Interior Design BMW Automobiles. Marc Girard goes to manage BMW's subsidiary design group, BMW DesignworksUSA.

BMW 2 Series gets 3-cylinder Mini engine

BMW just keeps lopping off cylinders from its engines and sliding the ever-more-diminutive mills into its models. This spring, Europeans will get some of the automaker's smallest yet thanks to a new entry-level 2 Series that will share a powerplant with the Mini Cooper. The Bavarian company will also introduce a few other tweaks to the compact coupe across the pond. The 218i is the new 2 Series base model, and it shares its 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with the latest family of Minis. The engine makes the same 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, but BMW does have some tiny changes for it. First, the orientation is swapped to fit lengthwise under the hood and drive the rear wheels. Just as importantly, buyers can order it with an eight-speed automatic, rather than the six-speed in the Minis. BMW claims that the little engine gives the 218i a 50:50 weight distribution, and it takes around 8.8 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour with the standard six-speed manual – tack on another tenth for the automatic. Either way, top speed is still a perfectly respectable 132 mph. Those acceleration numbers, incidentally, are over a second slower than what the latest Cooper is quoted at. Beyond this new base model, BMW will bring a few other additions to the 2 Series for Europe. The 220d oil burner will be available with xDrive all-wheel drive, and the company will introduce several new equipment bundles called Advantage, Luxury Line, Sport Line and M Sport. Each will bundle various options and trims together to appeal to buyers. No word yet on whether the 218i will eventually make it to North America, but we aren't holding our breath. Scroll down to read BMW's lengthy release about all of the changes set for the 2 Series. The BMW 2 Series Coupe: New entry-level engines, new model variants, even greater individuality. Premiere of the BMW 218i Coupe with 3-cylinder petrol engine from the new BMW Group engine portfolio and the BMW 220d xDrive Coupe – new and varied range of equipment features for model variants Advantage, Sport Line, Luxury Line and M Sport. Munich. From March 2015, new entry-level engines, a further four-wheel drive model and additional equipment options will increase the diversity of features available for the BMW 2 Series Coupe. With the market launch of the new BMW 218i Coupe, a three-cylinder petrol engine from the BMW Group's latest engine family will be featured for the first time in the brand's sporty and elegant compact model.