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Mini Convertible will reportedly close its top for the final time in 2024

Mini will cancel the droptop version of the Hardtop after three generations, according to a recent report. The Convertible competes in a shrinking segment of the market, so it's one of the brand's slowest-selling nameplates. Production of the current-generation Convertible (pictured) is scheduled to end in February 2024, Automotive News learned from unnamed supplier sources, and the model will not spawn a direct replacement. Mini hasn't confirmed the report, but it's credible because the firm sold only 4,031 units of the Convertible in the United States, one of the largest droptop markets in the world, in 2019, a 25% drop compared to 2018. Global sales totaled 30,426 last year, the publication reported, a not-insignificant 14% drop compared to 2016's results. Motorists who want a convertible Mini may not be entirely out of luck. While it doesn't sound like the head-turning Superleggera Vision concept unveiled in 2014 will reach production, the BMW-owned brand hasn't given up on the idea of launching a standalone sports car that could arrive as a mid-engined roadster. It would likely be electric, like we previously reported, and it hasn't been approved for production yet. Mini has more pressing issues to deal with. Global sales fell by 4.1% in 2019 as motorists in all markets flock around crossovers. As a remedy, executives confirmed they've delayed the launch of the next-generation Hardtop, which will again wear a retro-inspired design but rely largely on technology to offer motorists a simpler, cleaner-looking interior. In the meantime, the company is reportedly developing a pair of crossovers that will allow it to plant a stake in key segments of the market. One, which could revive the Paceman name, will arrive as an electric model developed jointly with China-based Great Wall Motors and built locally. Possibly named Traveller, the second will be a more conventional SUV aimed largely at the American market and neatly positioned between BMW's X1 and X3 in terms of size. It will ride on the German firm's modular CLAR platform, which underpins cars like the 3 Series. Expanding the range while investing in new technologies, like electrification and autonomy, requires a huge amount of resources. In turn, these expenditures make the Convertible's business case even more challenging. If the report is accurate, the Convertible will stick around for about 3 1/2 more years, so it might receive a handful of updates before it closes its top for the final time.

Mini Superleggera patent renderings suggest production prospects

Mini impressed us all when it revealed the Superleggera Vision concept at the Paris Motor Show a couple of months ago. But even before the little roadster concept debuted, there were already rumors of its production potential. And those rumors are only being further entrenched by the emergence of a series of patent renderings. Bearing much more than a passing resemblance to the concept, these images show what could be a revised, production version of the Superleggera, though not without its concessions to reality. For one thing, it looks like it's got a proper framed windshield, but it's hard to tell with the roof in place – something we never saw on the concept, either. It's also got more substantial wing mirrors, but the fin on the rear deck is still there, as are the extractor vents on the hood. We also note that the grille openings are the same shape as the concept's. Of course, the emergence of these images and their filing with the relevant authorities doesn't necessarily mean that Mini is moving ahead with the roadster's production. But if it did, it would likely ditch the concept's electric powertrain, and could stand to fill the void left by the discontinuation of the maligned, outgoing Mini Roadster that was essentially a scrunched Cabriolet with a cowling where the rear seats and stacked roof would be. Parent company BMW is likely taking into account that its rival Daimler didn't have much luck when it slotted a unique roadster of its own into the Smart lineup, so here's hoping that if it does give the Superleggera the green light, it'll have more success in the marketplace.

Chinese ministry uploads Mini Aceman pictures and info

Next up for photo day at the China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Mini Aceman. The Aceman can be seen as a replacement for the Mini Clubman, the four-door version of the two-door Cooper (or five-door depending on your nationality) sized below the Countryman that Mini killed after its third generation. The Chinese data declares the Aceman either 160.5 or 161.2 inches long depending on base or S trim, 69.1 inches wide and 59.6 inches high on a 102.6-inch wheelbase. The Clubman of yore was 168.5 inches long, 70.9 inches wide, and 56.7 inches high on a 105.1-inch wheelbase. Before a debut that we've been told isn't far off, we'll guess much of the difference between the two length has been cut from the hood and cargo areas, not the passenger compartment.  In China, the four-door will only be offered with electric powertrains, sidestepping Mini's "Power of Choice" mantra applied to other models with their hybrid and diesel options. The Aceman for other international markets will be produced in the UK; it's not clear yet if they'll be restricted to EV power as well. This means a base version (the darker car in the gallery above) powered by a 40.7-kilowatt-hour battery turning a motor on the front axle making 181 horsepower and 213 pound-feet of torque, or a 54.2-kWh pack turning a motor with 214 hp and 243 lb-ft in Aceman S guise. These are the same outputs we'll get in the U.S.-spec Cooper E and Cooper SE. Put through China's CLTC fuel economy test, the base Aceman is estimated to go 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a charge, the more powerful Aceman S about 400 km (249 miles). As for the looks, they're the chunkiest we've seen on the new, modern range of Minis. The photo cars also suggest the merest hint of clunky, too, but we're going to put that down to the drab paint schemes and lighting. The form should perk up dressed in Mini standards like Blazing Blue, Legend Grey, Melting Silver III, Nanuq White and Smokey Green under a color-contrasted roof and the numerous chances to brighten up various bits inside and outside the car. Different to other Mini models, headlights and size aren't the only tells, the Aceman fitting some unmissable, squared-off wheel arch cladding. Beyond that, the polygonal DRL shape surrounding round projectors gives the Aceman more anthropomorphic character than its siblings. The S is distinguished by yellow trim and a yellow "S" placed around the body, plus LED headlights and a silver skid plate up front.