2019 Mini Hardtop 2 Door Cooper on 2040-cars

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Mini Cooper Hardtop will soon receive its biggest makeover in two decades

Now well into its third generation, Mini's retro-styled Hardtop has been around since BMW rebooted the brand 20 years ago. Stylists and engineers are working on the fourth-generation model, and the company revealed the cheeky hatchback is in line to receive its most significant makeover to date. Mini boss Bernd Korber told Autocar that the project's motto was "don't screw with an icon," which means the fourth-generation Hardtop will keep the heritage-inspired design that has characterized it for the past two decades. And yet, it will be drastically different than the model that's currently in showrooms. It will be smaller, though it likely won't be as tiny as the original Mini from 1959, and it will showcase a purer approach to design. The idea of a smaller, lighter Mini has us wondering if the new Hardtop could take some inspiration from the 2011 Rocketman concept. "What you'll see in 2023 is that we've clearly modernized it by taking a big step -- the biggest step in the last 20 years -- but it will be unmistakably a Mini," Korber affirmed. He said the Hardtop is to the Mini brand what the 911 is to Porsche; it's the stylistic cornerstone of the range, the model that sets the beat that other models dance to. Balancing the need to move the Hardtop forward with the desire to honor tradition is a challenging task, according to the brand. We don't know where its stylists drew the line yet, or whether the next-generation Hardtop will borrow styling cues from other cars in the company's past, like the square-front Clubman launched in 1969. Mini told Autocar it's defined by more than design; it cited proportions, a compact feel, and a friendly personality as key ingredients in the Hardtop's recipe, which hints at what to expect -- and, significantly, what not to expect. Mini shifted the Hardtop's evolution into high gear several years ago.  "Mini started out as a brand that was very clean in terms of design. There were only four switches and one dial [inside]. We somehow moved away from that, because so many more functionalities have entered the vehicle. Let's say that would be our goal, to arrive back at something that would be as clean and simple as the original but offers the modern technology and safety features of today's cars," BMW Group design director Adrian van Hooydonk told us in 2018. "Bigger changes are around the corner, but it will still be a little bit retro," he added.

Mini 'Takes the States' is ready to rally again this summer

The Mini brand has gone to great lengths — literally — during the past two decades to embrace and entertain its loyal following by sponsoring cross-country caravans to celebrate its products and customers. This summer, the caravan reforms once again. Officially called “Mini Takes the States,” the rally in mid-July is scheduled to embark from Albuquerque, N.M., and finish eight days later in Seattle. Visiting five states and nine cities, several hundred drivers and their passengers are expected to join the caravan for part or all of the journey. MTTS, as it's become known as to Mini fans, first rolled out in 2006, with Mini USA using it as a way to celebrate the introduction of the first, hardcore GP edition of its high-performance John Cooper Works model. It has since become a biennial event, with each rally taking a different route around the U.S. It's not competitive. The idea is to connect Mini owners and let them share their enthusiasm about the brand and their experiences with it. Mini plans festivities along the route and usually a “Rally Finale” on the final evening. As far as expenses — hotels, most meals — participants are on their own, although breakfasts and some evening events with food are provided by Mini. The idea is to create positive publicity and “good feelings” for the brand, and to sell more Minis. Since Minis are, at the end of the day, automobiles, service may be required along the MTTS route. Technicians are on hand to perform repairs like engine computer diagnostics, light bulb replacements, tire changes, and other non-major work. Participants will initially head north from New Mexico through Colorado and Utah to Salt Lake City. Continuing through Big Sky country, MTTS 2024 will stop in Bozeman and Missoula, Mont., then head west to Spokane, Wash. From there, drivers will cruise southwest through the scenic mountains and valleys of Yakima, Wash., winding up in Seattle. “WeÂ’re excited to reconnect with our Mini owners nationwide to foster current relationships, forge new friendships and make lasting memories, this time in some of our incredible and majestic western states,” said Mike Peyton, vice president and "chief motorer" for Mini of the Americas, in a press release.

Meet Vini, the V8-powered second-generation Mini Hardtop

There are several ways to extract horsepower from a Mini Hardtop, and most are far more straight-forward than squeezing a V8 engine under the clamshell hood. And yet, at the request of a client, England-based EDM Racing is well into the process of doubling the retro-styled hatchback's cylinder count while making it rear-wheel drive. Amusingly called Vini, the V8-powered Mini started life as a 2007 Cooper S. It had a little over 100,000 miles on its odometer when David Power, the managing director of suspension bushing expert Powerflex, instructed EDM Racing to prepare it for an improbable engine swap. As mechanics stripped it to the bare metal, Power sourced a 4.0-liter, 415-horsepower V8 and a matching seven-speed automatic transmission from an E92-generation BMW M3 and began figuring out how to make it fit into a city-friendly hatchback delivered new with a 172-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Installing the new drivetrain directly behind the front seats would have likely been the easiest solution from a packaging standpoint, but the team decided to keep the front-engined layout. The conversion consequently required chopping out significant chunks of the Hardtop's firewall and floor, so EDM Racing started by designing and welding in a roll cage to maintain the car's structural integrity. The firm then installed modified front and rear subframes from a Subaru Impreza to keep the four wheels in their original position, or as close to it as possible. Power stressed he wants Vini to look nearly stock, especially when it comes to its track width, meaning punching out the wheel arches Renault 5 Turbo-style was out of the question.  The V8 fits surprisingly well in the Mini's engine bay, and it keeps the car's weight distribution in check. Power originally considered using a Subaru-built flat-four or a straight-six from an earlier M3, but both would have put too much weight ahead of the front wheels. Installing the automatic transmission was more difficult, however. "Making it all work in an OEM fashion will be a challenge for sure, but no more so than the most galling part of the project so far: Chopping out a transmission tunnel wide enough to accept the Getrag. I was aware of the dangers associated with cutting too much away and removing integral strength from the shell in the process, hence why we tackled the job in set stages and with the cage [installed]," EDM Racing's Elliott Dunmore explained.