Romania isn’t a big market for MINI but the Eastern European country is where the first-ever racing MINI was born a few years ago. Earlier this month, a first-generation Cooper SE managed to win the local Super Rally Championship in its class. The new zero-emission hatchback as a street-legal production model has now touched in the twelfth-largest country in Europe. At its local debut event, it wasn’t all alone since it shared the spotlight with the new Countryman.
The double premiere in Romania wasn’t organized at a MINI or BMW dealer but in a rather unexpected place. The dynamic duo made its first appearance at the Museum of Immersive New Art (MINA) where the three-door hatch and compact crossover were shown alongside the championship-winning race car we mentioned earlier. The official presentation was built around a 360-degree projection over an area spanning 400 square meters and featuring no fewer than 14 projectors.
As far as the cars are concerned, MINI decided to highlight the fully electric 3-Door Cooper SE in the John Cooper Works trim together with the Countryman C featuring a combustion engine. Specifically, the compact crossover was a front-wheel-drive model with a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine. Locally, the British marque also sells the 3-Door hatch as a Cooper E and the Countryman in S and John Cooper Works All4 flavors. These are the versions available at launch, with more to come to widen the portfolio.
The new electric hatch will initially be built in China but MINI recently announced plans to produce the EV at home in Oxford from 2026. As for the Countryman, it’s now built in-house by the BMW Group at the Leipzig plant in Germany. This next wave of fully redesigned models will include a 5-Door hatchback and a convertible, not to mention a new addition to the range – the Aceman. This subcompact crossover will be made in China from 2024 and in the UK from 2026.
Source: BMW Romania
