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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.

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:

Watch Jay Leno bounce around with Dakar winner Roma in his Mini All4Racing

With Jay Leno off the Tonight Show, he has all the time in the world to focus on his passion for cars and can even travel a little. Leno teamed up with two-time Dakar Rally winner Nani Roma to jump and slide a Mini Countryman All4 racing truck around the dunes in Death Valley, CA.
The Mini-branded trucks are highly modified for off-road duty. They have won the Dakar Rally consecutively in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and even took a 1-2-3 finish in the most recent running. The specialized Minis are propelled over the dunes by a BMW-sourced, diesel engine with a six-speed sequential gearbox and heavy-duty all-wheel drive system with a locking center differential.
It is amusing to see the big smile on Leno's face, and Roma appears a little worried while Jay is driving. If this is what to expect from the post-Tonight Show Jay Leno's Garage videos, then things are only getting better from an already fantastic series. Scroll down to watch Leno and Roma take a Mini through the dunes.