The Aceman is MINI’s big debut this week in Beijing. It shares the spotlight with the mechanically related Cooper S in the JCW trim. With its new wave of models, the BMW-owned brand has introduced a John Cooper Works grade limited to visual upgrades. A true performance model with the three famous letters is expected to land before the end of 2024.
MINI will make both the Aceman and electric Cooper in China. By MINI, we actually mean the Spotlight Automotive joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. The two cars are going to be assembled at a new factory in Zhangjiagang. Up to 160,000 vehicles will be built there annually. These two EVs are also heading to the UK where they’ll be assembled in Oxford but not before 2026.
As before, the zero-emission hatch is strictly a three-door affair. If you want a more practical car, MINI now sells the five-door Aceman as a subcompact electric-only crossover. For the Beijing show, the “J01” electric city car received a two-tone look with red hood stripes and 18-inch bi-color wheels. Eagle-eyed readers will notice the new John Cooper Works logo at the front and on the bottom of the steering wheel.
If you’re not ready to hop on the EV bandwagon yet, MINI recently launched the three-door hatch with gasoline engines. It carries the “F66” internal codename and will be joined later this year by the five-door “F65.” There’s even an “F67” convertible coming before the end of 2024. In the final quarter of the year, we’ll also see true JCW derivatives of the gas and electric hatchbacks as well as of the Aceman.
By 2025, MINI will have refreshed its entire lineup. There are even rumors that the electric convertible is coming back. It’s apparently codenamed “J03” and could hit the assembly line in 2027. Unlike the last one limited to 999 units sold in Europe, it’s likely to be a permanent member of the lineup and a global model.
