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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

Will the Mini John Cooper Works GP get an electric sidekick?

Mini will beat most of its rivals to the burgeoning electric hot hatch segment by releasing a battery-powered variant of the John Cooper Works GP, according to a recent report. If the rumor is accurate, the British brand's second series-produced electric car will also become one of the quickest models it has ever put its name on. Enthusiast website Motoring File spotted what looks suspiciously like an electric John Cooper Works GP testing in Germany, and unnamed sources who are allegedly familiar with the company's plans confirmed the model is currently being evaluated. None of the insiders said the model has been confirmed for production, however. It's too early to tell what will power the electric GP, or how closely it will be related to the Cooper SE. We're curious to find out how Mini will offset the battery's weight; the gasoline-powered GP (pictured) tips the scale at 2,855 pounds, while the SE weighs in at 3,153 pounds. Granted, a generous amount of instant torque can help the hatchback overcome its extra pounds, but masking it on a twisty road will require serious chassis wizardry. If the rumor is true, we'll learn more about Mini's next electric model in the coming months. It might arrive in showrooms in 2022, likely priced above $50,000 and possibly as a limited-edition model. For context, the existing GP is limited to 3,000 units worldwide, and pricing starts at $45,750. Mini made its commitment to electrification clear when it pegged its future on crossovers, the Chinese market, and electric cars. It confirmed it's developing an electric crossover that will be about as big as the Countryman, and it stressed electrification will spread across its range in the coming years. It's not planning on ditching gasoline- and diesel-powered engines soon, though; it wants to give customers what it calls the power of choice. Who else is in the game? Electrification still hasn't reached hot hatch land, and Mini's rumored electric GP would be one of the first cars of its kind. Volkswagen has often hinted it wants to build a spicier version of the Golf-sized ID.3 sold in Europe, but we haven't seen the model yet; the firm is understandably allocating its resources to ramping up production of volume-oriented models, like the ID.4 crossover. Across the pond, Renault transformed the humble Zoe into a 460-horsepower, four-wheel drive superhatch in 2017, but the project fizzled before it spawned a production car.

2016 Mini Cooper Convertible First Drive

Conventional gearhead wisdom says to go for the biggest, most powerful engine. For the first two generations of Mini Convertible, this was a no-brainer. You bought the Cooper S. But as Senior Editor Alex Kierstein argued in our first drive of the Cooper S soft top, the less-powerful Cooper Convertible has an ace up its sleeve: a highly entertaining, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine. After some time behind the wheel, this two-time Mini Cooper S (hardtop) owner is ready to say the Cooper Convertible is the droptop Mini you should buy, full stop. The Cooper's 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder makes just 134 ponies and 162 pound-feet of torque. That's a 55-horsepower deficit and an extra 1.5 seconds, compared to the Cooper S. But who's clocking a Mini Convertible with a stopwatch? The 8.2 seconds it takes to get to 60 mph is perfectly adequate , and the triple's power delivery is addictive. Peak torque comes in at 1,250 rpm, making for effortless acceleration around town. The engine is positively diesel-like in the way it generates twist below 4,000 rpm, and the way it runs out of steam well before its 6,500-rpm redline. But this isn't annoying. There's more than enough torque to make the Cooper's acceleration sprightly around town. Think about it this way: The Cooper S' 2.0-liter turbo has enough power to rescue you from bad driving. But because of the turbo lag and the wheezy top end, the base Cooper forces you to manage your momentum. In that way, it's not unlike the Mazda MX-5, Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ, and other so-called "momentum cars," that require drivers to maintain speed for a good corner exit. That, friends, is fun. But some of the car's shortcomings are less fun. We praised the triple's "offbeat, enticing growl" in our first drive, but this is still a three-cylinder engine and it vibrates like one. There's a diesel-like clatter from the direct-injection system on cold starts. And when rolling off the line at part throttle, the triple sends a weird vibration right to our hips. It disappears quickly as the speed increases, but the sensation is consistent enough to be annoying. Aside from the interesting powerplant, the best driving goodies aren't reserved only for the Cooper S. Tick the right boxes, and the regular Cooper can fit the adaptive dampers we raved about on the Cooper S first drive – Dynamic Damper Control is a $500 standalone option or included in the $1,750 Sport Package.