It’s time for a new Mini. The Mini Hardtop and Convertible – the one that is unofficially known as the Mini Cooper – has been the heart and soul of the little car brand for as long as it has existed. But the version sitting on sales lots today first appeared in 2013, and automotive technology has advanced since then. It faces a crowded field of fun-to-drive cars, many electric or hybrid, that targets the sort of buyer Mini goes after.
So Mini, a division of BMW, needs to refresh its icon. But…well…it’s an icon. You can’t mess with its design much without losing the bright, fun appeal that makes it work. So, what can we expect from the next Mini?
A Little Theater for the Fans
Mini revealed photos of the next Mini Hardtop this week. But they were a little coy about it.
Automakers often disguise a new car under strange black-and-white camouflage patterns during the testing process. This helps them hide details of new designs while the vehicle is still under development.
The automotive press often photographs these camouflaged cars when they appear on public roads. They then use them to publish articles speculating on the next model, which enthusiasts enjoy.
The automakers later trot the finished cars out for photoshoots, releasing carefully staged photos to the press alongside details about the upcoming models.
Mini, however, has taken an unusual approach to whet everyone’s appetites about their next hatch. They sent out glamour shots of the new Mini…in its camo wrap. We can see the basics of the shape, but some details remain hidden by the black and white patterns meant to obscure finer points.
What Ain’t Broke
A retro aesthetic drives the Mini brand. Designers haven’t messed with that. The 2023 Mini Hardtop will have the bulldog proportions, round headlights, and wheels-at-the-far-corners stance you’re used to from Mini.
The taillights are strategically covered, so we can’t promise you that they carry forward the Union Jack theme of the current set. But we’d be surprised if Mini had lost it.
The windshield appears to have a slightly lower angle, and the wheels may be pushed out wider. But the camo wrap makes it hard to be sure.
Electrification Coming
Mini didn’t release details on what’s under the hood. But the test car in the photos wears an “electric test vehicle” label. The brand says it will go all-electric by 2030.
The 2023 Mini Hardtop will be offered with both “an electrified drive and an internal combustion engine” at first. But Mini anticipates that half its sales will be pure electric vehicles (EV) by 2027, and it will offer nothing but EVs by 2030. In 2025, Mini says, “the last new Mini model powered with a combustion engine will come onto the market.”
Aiming for Sustainable Production
Mini plans to use recycled materials for “the roof liner, and for upholstery materials, seats, foot mats and floor coverings.” The brand aims to produce a leather substitute from “natural-fiber materials and plastics obtained from recycled PET bottles” and use “removable covers made of knitted textile” to help buyers customize their Minis.
Performance Ambitions Not Going Away
Minis are known for their go-kart-handling as much as their plucky personality. Fans shouldn’t worry that the brand will lose sight of that, even when it comes to the high-performance John Cooper Works variants. Mini says, “electrification also presents new perspectives for the John Cooper Works brand. Mini is working intensively on concepts for electric John Cooper Works models.”
