Autotelegraaf.nl looks to have caught the next generation MINI undergoing cold weather testing in northern Finland. In the photos (including the one above also from Autoelegraaf) we can now clearly see a new, larger grille, slightly longer front overhang, and taller bonnet housing what are most likely the new 1.6L engines detailed on MotoringFile last month. While this is still purely a prototype I would guess the overall form seen here is very close to what will eventually be seen on the final car. You can check out more (including a few larger photos) here… if you read Dutch. Or you can check out our very own translation (Thanks Mike!):
BMW has with the MINI, for the moment, a real sales-topper. The current MINI is built in the English Oxford at around 180,000 units per year, and they are going like the proverbial ‘warm sandwiches’ over the counter [i think we could safely translate as ‘hotcakes’ in english 😉 mike]. But there must always be followers, and BMW is busy with that as well. We snapped the MINI-follower [next MINI], that will probably make its debut in 2007, in the high northern parts of the Finnish Lapland, nearby Ivalo.
What do you do as a BMW tech, when just next to the hotel where you are messing around with all your new prototypes lands a whole procession of curious journalists? Well, then you’re not too happy, and our encounter with the BMW delegation had a somewhat grim tone. We were in the neighborhood by chance, because the Volvo XC90 V8 was able to be ridden on snow and ice, but when you then see so many new BMW’s and MINI’s (there were also 3-series, 6-series, Z4’s, and 5-series models in the BMW group), then your curiosity is of course piqued. Moreover, it’s our opinion of the MINI photographed here that it’s merely a prototype with a modified front portion. The new 1.6 liter motor, developed together with PSA, was under the hood (at the same time there was also a Citroen C3 with the same motor being tested), and it was very clear to see that this car has a higher grill than the current MINI and that the headlights no longer sit connected to the hood, but simply are on the main vehicle body.
After taking a few photos from our end, the BMW members got a bit too fed up, and we were rather curtly accused of ‘impoliteness’. At which point one of the gentlemen kindly let us know that he could be “auch unhofflich” [German meaning “also impolite” a threat by BMW member, note it should actually be spelled unhoflich [mike]. Whether that was intended as a threat we will leave up to you, but the fact remains that the BMW folks are going to have a big problem of a non-technical nature: lots of curious journalist eyes, because the Volvo-happening with the XC90 V8 is lasting a whole month and we won’t be the only ones showing an interest in the new MINI.
<p>Good. Some <a rel="nofollow" href="http://autotelegraaf.nl/vanonzeredactie/images/32292.1.gen.jpg">bigger close-up pics</a> are available at that site!
Quite a bulky front end on that pic.</p>
<p>Nice.</p>
<p>I think that I am going to mourn the loss of the hood scoop. (Not too much though, since mine has one).</p>
<p>Not getting into a performance issue here (since the point of the story isn’t performance) but aesthetically I think that the hood scoop adds alot to the look of the car.</p>
<p>Just my .02</p>
<p>I always thought the MINI would look better if it more closely resembled a CATFISH!</p>
<p>Yuck, why are they are determined to mess it up?</p>
<p>I think the new mini will look nice when completed, but where are those spy pics of the interior???</p>
<p>LOL. This is the love child of the Mini and a Chrysler 300.</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>How do you think the next-gen Cooper and Coopers will be differentiated aesthetically (other than larger wheels)? </p>
<p>Yes I’m betting they will have different front clips, side sills, and rear aprons.</p>
<p>Do think the test mule in the pics shows the MC front clip or the MCS’s?</p>
<p>Probably neither. I would assume the only thing that is identical to the production version are the air intakes needed to properly test the engine… hence the undisguised grille.</p>
<p>Here’s a translation I wrote up of the whole article. Pretty funny stuff, enjoy!</p>
<hr />
<p>New MINI snapped</p>
<p>BMW has with the MINI, for the moment, a real sales-topper. The current MINI is built in the English Oxford at around 180,000 units per year, and they are going like the proverbial ‘warm sandwiches’ over the counter [i think we could safely translate as ‘hotcakes’ in english 😉 -mike]. But there must always be followers, and BMW is busy with that as well. We snapped the MINI-follower [next MINI], that will probably make its debut in 2007, in the high northern parts of the Finnish Lapland, nearby Ivalo.</p>
<p>What do you do as a BMW tech, when just next to the hotel where you are messing around with all your new prototypes lands a whole procession of curious journalists? Well, then you’re not too happy, and our encounter with the BMW delegation had a somewhat grim tone. We were in the neighborhood by chance, because the Volvo XC90 V8 was able to be ridden on snow and ice, but when you then see so many new BMW’s and MINI’s (there were also 3-series, 6-series, Z4’s, and 5-series models in the BMW group), then your curiosity is of course piqued. Moreover, it’s our opinion of the MINI photographed here that it’s merely a prototype with a modified front portion. The new 1.6 liter motor, developed together with PSA, was under the hood (at the same time there was also a Citroen C3 with the same motor being tested), and it was very clear to see that this car has a higher grill than the current MINI and that the headlights no longer sit connected to the hood, but simply are on the main vehicle body.</p>
<p>After taking a few photos from our end, the BMW members got a bit too fed up, and we were rather curtly accused of ‘impoliteness’. At which point one of the gentlemen kindly let us know that he could be “auch unhofflich” [German meaning “also impolite” – a threat by BMW member – note it should actually be spelled unhoflich -mike]. Whether that was intended as a threat we will leave up to you, but the fact remains that the BMW folks are going to have a big problem of a non-technical nature: lots of curious journalist eyes, because the Volvo-happening with the XC90 V8 is lasting a whole month and we won’t be the only ones showing an interest in the new MINI.</p>
<p>Phew! That took a while. ;)</p>
<p>Its hard to tell, but it seems this new MINI looks a lot bigger than the current model. i’d like to see them compared side by side, i guess the bit of the 5-series in the corner is all that there is to go by for now ;)</p>
<p>That Mini is wearing Blizzacks</p>
<p>I like the new hood, it makes the car look a little more masculine</p>
<p>I have to say I like it a lot. I Didn’t think I would…but I do! With the size of that huge frontal grille area, can you imagine how big the intercooler will be? Maybe it’s big enough that they’ll finally let us run 4 spot lights 😉 </p>
<p>Just noticed something on Ian’s closeup link…anyone have any ideas about the waffle-pattern snow melt on the hood where the current intercooler is? I wonder what that is.</p>
<p>It does look a tad massive to me. I don’t follow them, so I am not sure exactly which model, but this reminds me of a Chrysler.</p>
<p>It is sort of sad that one sees a Japanese car on the road and it looks very similar to a German car. At least the Swedes try to retain distinctive styling (although Saab is, for all intents and purposes, American, and it now looks like lowest common denominator material.)</p>
<p>What happened to a car pulling in the driveway and any old idiot could tell what it was?</p>
<p>I enjoy the distinct shape of MINI today. I realize, as said above, that probably only the grill is ‘real’ as it is functional, but it doesn’t really work for me.</p>
<p>My 02c.</p>
<p>Mike,
Thanks for the translation – enjoyed the “hotcakes” aside ;)</p>
<p>Wow, that front end will blind people if they chrome out both grills!</p>
<p>Overall, much better than shown in the previous spy shots.</p>
<p>-Erik</p>
<p>i’m feeling it!!!
i really like the way the front end looks much more like the classic! can’t wait to see shots of it from other angles..</p>
<p>Glad you liked it, Ian! I love an opportunity to flex my Dutch. The culture is so funny that there are always some funny translations to be had. ;)</p>
<p>Straight on The grill looks very original Mini. The rest I’ll wait on.</p>
<p>Nice to see some less vile comments.</p>
<p>Holland…one of my favorite countries…that is in summer, daughter lives in Hilversum.</p>
<p>+++RB</p>
<p>The grill kind of reminds me of an Aston-Martin. Not a bad upgrade. LOL</p>
<p>and when is this supposed to come out? for the 2007’s? so in like a year?</p>
<p>that bigger grille does remind me of the Aston Martin Vanquish lol</p>
<p>I’m thinking the <b>earliest</b> we’d see this in the US would be late 2007 as a 2008 model.</p>
<p>Gabe- You are most likely right but I got the idea from all the articles and rumors floating around that the next-gen Mini would most likely start production in late 06 and we would see them in the US around March/April 2007.</p>
<p>I could be wrong but that’s just my educateed guess from all the info I’ve seen. I’ve read several places that the next gen MINI won’t even debut at an autoshow until ’07.</p>
<p>Then there’s this bit of info that has been proven very reliable over the past year: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://motoringfile.com/2004/01/04/TheMINIGetsAPrince">The MINI Gets a Prince</a>.</p>
<p>According to “The MINI Gets a Prince” does that mean that we may see the current generation MC get a hp bump up to 140 and a 6 speed transmission in 2006? I’m assuming that would also mark the arrival of the new engine.</p>
<p>It looks like the next-gen MC would get a 140HP turbo with a six speed and the MC CVT would only have 115HP like the current car.</p>
<p>I would think if the standard next-gen MC has a 6-speed 140HP turbo I would suspect that it would be more expensive then the current MC.</p>
<p>Who knows maybe the next-gen MC CVT might become the cheapest car in the lineup priced @ $19,995.00 and positioned as the affordable commuter as the 6-speed 140HP MC moves up market to help offset the cost associated with the declining US Dollar vs. Euro.</p>
<p>….the 2007 has a strange resemblence to the new Audi and VW fronts…?!…</p>
<p>so big.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s quite <em>Audi</em> big!</p>
<p>BMW has done some doozies in the design area! That ugly looking back end on that high priced Bimmer. Only lasted one year and they revised it to make it look like part of the car. Heaven forbid if they bungle the MINI to look like everything else on the road.</p>
<p>There used to be a time when as a young child, I could tell you exactly the make, model, year, etc. of every car on the road in the US. No more! They all look the same, whether they’re Japanese, German, US, or any other country.</p>
<p>Could be because Ford, Chrysler, and big old GM own bits and pieces of every car on the road!</p>
<p>My wife has a Pontiac Aztek, which will be deleted from production because of its ugly look, that the Prius copied the rear of!</p>
<p>FYI – The 7 sieres rear wasn’t revised in it’s second year. In fact it went the normal 4 years (as all BMWs do) before being revised in 2006. During that time it has become the most successful selling 7 series ever.</p>
<p>While the 7 series doesn’t do it for me, I do like the 5 series.</p>
<p>While everyone gets so negative when they see testing-mules of the next-gen Mini, I’m willing to bet that it will look pretty good and wont deviate to far from todays design.</p>
<p>Take this for what it is worth. I understand that there is not a new body built for the new MINI. It only exists in drawings right now. There is still a lot of time for a body and frame to be built. We still don’t know if MINI will offer other styles yet.</p>
<p>Hang in a let’s see what happens.</p>