Mini Cooper Classic 1987 Red/black 1300 Four Speed Right Hand Drive on 2040-cars

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2015 Mini Cooper stuns crowd, itself [w/videos]

Remember the Mini Rocketman concept from 2011? While we were really, really hoping for a production version - a properly mini Mini - that never happened. And it won't. But what we are getting is a whole lot of that showcar's styling cues applied to the third-generation Mini Cooper hardtop, a model making its debut here at the LA Auto Show. And while from most angles, the new Mini is as cute as ever, we just can't quite warm up to that face - or that huge front overhang. The car simply looks like a frightened goldfish (that yellow paint isn't helping, either).
The car simply looks like a frightened goldfish (that yellow paint isn't helping, either).
It should probably be pretty nice to drive, though, with the base Cooper using a new turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine good for 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Friskier Cooper S models get a healthy power increase, their 2.0-liter turbo engines putting out a full 189 hp and 207 lb-ft, with both engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Mini says goodbye to Coupe and Roadster

Mini has tried a variety of body-styles in recent years, and while some of them have been successful, others have not – most especially its two-door models. Aside from the standard Hardtop (which is now available with an extra set of doors), the Clubman (which is also getting extra apertures in its next iteration) and the Paceman (which isn't expected to make it another generation), the Coupe and Roadster models have been particularly slow sellers for the brand. So after much speculation on their future, Mini is now officially showing both two-doors the door. Although the manufacturer has't said exactly when production of the two will cease at the plant in Oxford, UK, it has confirmed that "The two individual two-seater athletes Mini Coupe and Mini Roadster will finish their career together and as planned." In their place, Mini is said to be working to put the Superleggera Vision concept into production. Just when that may come to pass, or if it might breed a fixed-roof version to take the coupe's place, remain to be seen. But for now, you'll need to get your Mini with three doors or more. Related Video: THE MINI COUPE AND THE MINI ROADSTER: TWO ATHLETES TURN INTO THE FINAL STRAIGHT British premium automobile manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program - production of both two-seater models at MINI Plant Oxford is about to end as planned. Munich, Germany, February 11, 2015. Changeover at MINI Plant Oxford: while worldwide demand for the new MINI 3 door and the new MINI 5 door launched a few months ago increases continuously, production of two model variants from the preceding generation of the original in the premium small car segment is about to come to an end. The two individual two-seater athletes MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster will finish their career together and as planned. In taking this step, the British premium car manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program and in terms of vehicle production at the Oxford plant. The new MINI 5 door is now produced there in seven engine variants, as is the new MINI 3 door. The MINI Coupe was originally launched in the "Green Hell": the new model saw its world premiere at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring Nordschleife immediately before its appearance at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in 2011.

Mini Hardtop's next generation could be smaller, electric-only

Mini has started developing the fourth-generation Hardtop it will release in the early 2020s. Many aspects of the car aren't set in stone yet, but the company's chief executive revealed his team is considering making the hatchback smaller than the current model by offering it only as an electric car. The cheeky Hardtop has ballooned in size since the first-generation model arrived in 2000. The current, two-door variant of the car (pictured) is eight inches longer, two inches taller, and about 250 pounds heavier than the original BMW-developed hatchback. Company boss Bernd Koerber told British magazine Auto Express that he's pushing his team to make the next Mini small again. Going electric-only would allow engineers to get close to the original Hardtop's footprint. An electric motor is more compact than a comparable gasoline-powered engine, and the battery pack can be cleverly integrated in a part of the car that doesn't extend its length. Whether Mini will manage to integrate a bulky battery pack into the Hardtop while shaving 250 pounds remains to be seen. "I would love to see Mini move back to the essence of clever use of space. That means the outer proportions on the core Mini Hardtop could be reduced. I can see that happening," Koerber explained. He added shrinking the hatchback wouldn't make it less practical. Auto Express speculated Mini might sell the current, third-generation Hardtop alongside its replacement for several years to satisfy motorists not interested in going electric. This strategy will become increasingly common during the 2020s; the Fiat 500 will soldier on in Europe after the launch of its battery-powered successor, and Porsche confirmed it will manufacture the first- and second-generation variants of the Macan side by side to give customers exactly what they're looking for. Going electric-only wouldn't be the cheapest, easiest way to replace the Hardtop. The firm can't use the BMW-sourced platform that underpins the recently-released Cooper SE because it's too big, so it would need to develop a new architecture specifically for it. Engineers would also need to figure out how to develop an electric follow-up to the John Cooper Works-badged hot hatch. None of these problems are insurmountable, but they're expensive to solve, so Mini's executives are giving themselves time to weigh the pros and cons of reinventing the heritage-laced British icon yet again.