MINI’s future is all-electric, the brand has already said as much. Over the next decade, MINI will electrify all of its models, slowly moving away from internal combustion engines (ICE). However, there will still be some piston-powered MINIs in the near future, before the brand fully makes the switch. One of which was just seen doing some camouflaged testing in public. (We don’t own the photos but see ’em here)
The test mule seen in these photos is a standard MINI Cooper Hardtop 2-Door with some sort of ICE powertrain, either gasoline or diesel. We previously saw an all-electric MINI Cooper in spy photos and now its dino-fueled sibling is out and about.
It’s clear this test mule is, in fact, an ICE-powered car for a couple of reasons. One of which is that it lacks the “Electric Test Vehicle” stickers that are legally required of all EV test mules in Germany, where this car was spotted. The other is that it has a cutout in its rear bumper for a center-mounted exhaust. Typically, MINIs with center exhausts are “S” models, with a few extra ponies and some cooler styling. Though, the BMW Group is all over the place with its exhaust designs, so who knows what this will be.
However, it’s clear that it isn’t some sort of John Cooper Works model. Such a thing would have more aggressive body work, potentially a little roof spoiler, and a hood scoop. This MINI Cooper test mule has none of those things, which leads us to believe it’s likely just a normal Cooper S.
The camouflage in these photos prevents us from seeing most of its design, though it’s really not hard to imagine what this new generation of MINI Cooper going to look like. It’s going to look like a MINI… There are some interesting changes, such as the snazzier looking headlights and flush i4-like door handles. But, aside from that, it’s mostly MINI.
While we’re most excited about MINI’s upcoming electric models, it’s nice to see that the internal combustion engine isn’t dead in Britain’s quirkiest brand.
[Source: Car Scoops]
