2012 Mini Cooper Hardtop on 2040-cars

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Mini Hardtop next generation shown in first official photos

Undermining the work of spy photographers around the world, Mini gave us our first official look at the next-generation Hardtop by publishing a series of photos that show the hatchback wearing full camouflage. While the finer design details remain hidden, the shots are revealing enough to provide a very decent idea of what to expect — and what not to expect — from the fourth generation of this British icon. What's immediately clear is that the next Hardtop looks like a Mini; or, at least, like the German reinvention of the Mini. Designers haven't significantly changed the hatchback's proportions, and they kept defining styling cues such as round headlights, a nearly flat roof panel, and vertical rear lights. One interesting detail is that the headlights are no longer integrated into the hood; the Mini seemingly loses its clamshell hood in favor of a more conventional unit that stops at about the same level as the A-pillars. Mini also mounted the door handles flush with the body. We're guessing more details will jump out when the camouflage come off, but we're expecting mostly evolutionary changes. "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," said Mini boss Bernd Korber in December 2020. He added that the project's motto was "don't screw with an icon." Mini hopes to become an electric-only brand by the beginning of the 2030s, but we're not there yet. While the Hardtop draped in camouflage runs on batteries, gasoline-powered models will continue to be part of the range in many markets around the world. It's too early to provide technical details, but it's reasonable to assume that both the EV and the gasoline-sipping models will benefit from drivetrain improvements. Front-wheel-drive will continue to come standard, like it always has. Will the stick-shift survive? We're keeping our fingers crossed. More information about the next-generation Mini Hardtop will be released in the coming months, and the model is scheduled to make its debut in 2023. It's one of several new models the BMW-owned brand has in the pipeline. The next-generation Countryman is scheduled to enter production in 2023 as well, an electric high-performance John Cooper Works-branded model is on its way, and Mini pledged to release a crossover it described as "small" (which is highly relative, even for Mini) that will exclusively be offered with an electric powertrain.

Mini Countryman X-Raid gets some off-road chops courtesy of the Dakar team

Mini trades on its heritage quite a bit, particularly when it comes to racing. But one aspect of its motorsports history has been difficult to capitalize on: Dakar off-road racing. That's understandable, considering the disparity between Mini's road-going cars and the Mini-branded trucks built by X-Raid that do the racing. X-Raid itself seems to have figured out how to bridge that gap with its own set of upgrades for the Mini Countryman. X-Raid's example for its off-road upgrades is a Mini Cooper S Countryman All4, though we would expect the various parts could just as easily be fitted to other Countryman variants such as the base 134-horsepower Cooper Countryman. The S makes more sense for a racing company what with its 189-horepower turbocharged four-cylinder and the All4 offers off-road friendly all-wheel drive. Though Mini doesn't go into specifics about the suspension and chassis upgrades, we know that there is some level of suspension lift, as well as 28-inch all-terrain tires mounted on what appear to be 17-inch beadlock wheels. These modifications give the Mini Cooper S Countryman Powered by X-Raid (yes, that's the actual full name of the car) an extra 1.6 inch of ground clearance. As with the parts list, Mini and X-Raid haven't given precise pricing or availability for the parts. X-Raid is a German company, and we suspect it's only planning on selling the parts in Europe, but we wouldn't be surprised if there were a way to have them ship to the U.S. If you're interested in getting your own, Mini says to contact X-Raid directly for more details, and you can find their contact info at their official site, linked here. Related Video:

Bronco, Yukon, Hummer and a CES recap | Autoblog Podcast #610

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Assistant Editor Zac Palmer. They kick things off by talking about recent news, including the revival of the Hummer name as an electric pickup, revealing Ford Bronco spy shots and the unveiling of the 2021 GMC Yukon. Then Zac tells about his time in Las Vegas attending CES 2020. They talk about the cars they've been driving: a JCW-tuned Mini Clubman, the long-term Subaru Forester with its new gold wheels, a Volvo S60 PHEV that's been added to the long-term fleet, and a Camry Hybrid. Last, but not least, they help a listener decide how to spend his money on a sports car. Autoblog Podcast #610 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Hummer returning as an electric GMC pickup The latest on the Ford Bronco 2021 GMC Yukon CES 2020 recap Cars we're driving:2020 John Cooper Works Mini Clubman 2020 Subaru Forester long-termer (now with gold wheels!) 2020 Volvo S60 T8 Inscription 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.