2022 Mini Hardtop 2 Door Cooper S Hatchback 2d on 2040-cars

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BMW looking to save billions with cost cuts

BMW is planning a fairly extensive overhaul in a bid to recoup some its annual costs, with CEO Norbert Reithofer (pictured above) aiming to save three to four billion euro ($4 to $5.4 billion) per year to help keep the company's profit margins between eight and 10 percent, while also maintaining investments in production expansion and new tech. BMW's profit margins sat at 9.4 percent in 2013.
According to Automotive News Europe, Reithofer is none too pleased about costs at Mini and on the 1 Series, although neither AN nor its source story, from Germany's Manager Magazin, elaborate on what steps could be taken to improve losses on either project. That makes it hard to figure out just where the fat will be trimmed from.
What may happen, though, is that BMW attempts to trim 100 million euros ($135 million) from its German labor costs each year; a solution hinted at a few weeks ago by Germany newspaper Muenchner Merkur. While a dramatic cost reduction, 100 million euros still doesn't begin to even approach the savings envisioned by Reithofer.

Next electric Mini Cooper due out in 2024 with a lot more range

The next-generation Mini Hardtop is expected to make its global debut in the not-too-distant future. The hatchback will be offered with gasoline- and battery-powered drivetrains, and a new report provides preliminary specifications about the electric model. One of the more significant changes will appear in advertisements and other promotional material: while the hatchback is officially known as the Hardtop in the United States and the Hatch in England, its successor will adopt the Cooper nameplate. We'll need to be patient to see how the Mini has evolved from a visual perspective but company boss Stephanie Wurst told British magazine Autocar that designers have taken it "back to its roots." It's not expected to grow in length but it will be wider than its predecessor and it will ride on a longer wheelbase. Made in China via a joint-venture with Great Wall Motors, the electric, two-door-only Cooper will be available with either a 40- or a 54-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Those figures correspond to the global-market model; details about the American-market car haven't been released. Range will check in at 240 miles for the smaller pack, according to Autocar, and the standard model will put 181 horsepower under the driver's right foot. Buyers who need more will be asked to step up to the Cooper SE, which will be rated at 215 horsepower.  In comparison, the current Cooper SE has 181 horsepower, about 110 miles of driving range, and a 32.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Made in England, the gasoline-powered Cooper hasn't been detailed yet. Autocar learned that there's a good chance the model will only be offered with an automatic transmission, so get a stick now while you still can. Front-wheel-drive will continue to come standard. We'll hear more about the next Cooper in the coming months, but it's not the next new model that we'll see from Mini. The third-generation Countryman previewed earlier in 2023 is tentatively scheduled to enter production in Germany in late 2023; it will be available with gasoline- and battery-powered drivetrains as well. The electric Cooper will reportedly arrive in May 2024, about two months before its gasoline-burning counterpart, so it will go on sale here in time for the 2025 model year. When it lands, it will compete in the same segment as the Fiat 500e. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop officially revealed

There are occasions in life when something happens in the outside world and I think, "Damn. I wish Dad was here so we could talk about this."
In the past 13 years, that's happened every time Mini unveils a new model. And that's been quite often in the 12 years since the car was reintroduced - it has expanded to include seven different models, which is a testament to how quickly the updated Mini caught on. My Dad, who passed away in 1996, loved the brand. His first car was a Mini, and he'd race it in illegal rallies around the Irish countryside in his 20s, before he emigrated to the US and tried to (mostly) stay on the right side of the law.
Mini released photos and specs for the third-generation "original" hardtop car today. The company had to slap in the term "original" in there to differentiate it from the Convertible, longer-wheelbase Clubman, Countryman crossover, Paceman three-door crossover, Coupe and Roadster. Coming out with that many nameplates in 13 years is unprecedented growth for a company that's essentially brand-new in the US.