MINI Cooper Facelift Photos Surface
Last week we told you about MINI’s 2011 refresh and what to expect. While we’ve seen photos of the Cooper S variants we have (until now) not see anything Cooper related. However that came to an end this week as spy photographer associated with AutoBilde snapped a silver Clubman with full refreshed front and rear bumpers.
Upfront it’s clear that the Cooper will get restyled foglight surrounds along with extra cooling ducts likely meant to take air into the braking system. You can clearly see the changes in the photo above as compared to this photo of the current Cooper Clubman.
Around back it’s hard to see much at this point with the except of the new rear lights. As we reported last week MINI will be moving to a combination rear light that features a combination of LED and traditional lighting. Like the R56 it looks like the running rear light will be a red LED circle that will also double as the brake light.
The refreshed 2011 line-up (including the R55, R56, and R57) will enter production in September of 2010.
<p>Back in 04′ it was reported with the tail light upgrade facelift we were suppose to get led then. It funny MINI is finally getting this. They must had problems with the manufacture of the taillights to be this long, or the cost maybe.
This should have been employed when BMW started doing it in the late e46 convertible.</p>
<p>Should have led red and yellow lights like the range rovers have had for some time, get a pic of that up and you can see the similar design.</p>
<p>The Clubman’s original rear lights are so ugly. I would love to retrofit mine if possible. At least I hardly ever have to see them on.</p>
<p>Very disappointing… I hope MINI’s interior refresh shows more of an effort than this has. :(</p>
<p>Ditto, Chad! I’m hoping I can retrofit the new lights on my Clubbie. That’s the only thing I really don’t like about the Clubman. I feel that the tail lights were rushed and could have been better. Hopefully this is my chance to improve!</p>
<p>Goat: I am excited for the interior too..! Can’t wait to see the refreshed MINIs in person. Not too long now…</p>
<p>They shaved the front bumper down to one piece, eliminating a seam. It might be for cost savings as well as styling.</p>
<p>Here on a Cooper, I’m not convinced that the tape is covering cooling ducts. I’m guessing that it is hiding a bulge along the opening, like at the fog lights.</p>
<p>I’m underwhelmed with the “spy shots.” The tape hides a nip and a tuck. To earn my dollar, the interior will need a substantial upgrade.</p>
<p>This screams: Let’s all run out and buy one…</p>
<p>I thought it was supposed to get the hood from the Mini D, I don’t see any difference.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t hold my breath for anything substantial for this refresh. The last mid-cycle one was negligible at best as well.</p>
<p>Actually… the 2005 MY R53 refresh (“impulse”, now that we’ve learned the BMW term!) was substantive, both cosmetically and mechanically. With that as precedent coupled with the kind of changes some of us believe the R56 desperately needs to restore its “desirability factor” <em>, was expecting more than just a tweaked bumper cover and new tail lights. Perhaps changes to the S will be more convincing.
<i></i></em>Anecdote ahead: a friend of mine just purchased a MINI today after some time looking at his options… he is a modded miata owner too and loves a nimble and quick car… but, curiously, when he started his search he told me he had zero interest in an R56 and so he sought out a low mileage near-new CPO.</p>
<p>So this WHOLE face lift that everyone is talking about is covered up with some gaffer tape over the side of the lower grille. If that picture is of the facelifted model, lets not get our hopes up, how much could have changed under that tape?</p>
<p>Looks like they havnt bothered . Lets hope the plastic fantastic interior get a huge make over.</p>
<p>Hopefully they changed the useless, single rear left foglight and single right backup light configuration. I never turn on the rear foglight, since it looks like I have a burned out right tail-light. It really only makes sense on the regular MINI where it’s located in the center. A complete waste of $100.</p>
<p>Actually, if you think the rear fog light makes your car look weird and that’s why you don’t use it, the rest of the drivers on the road thank you. People who use rear fogs to look cool are blinding all the people who happen to be behind them. It is a safety feature and shouldn’t be used otherwise and when you need it is well worth the $100. The front fogs don’t blind people because typically your headlights are on at the same time anyway and they’re blinding enough, but the rear fogs really are distracting.</p>
<p>jbkONE – I agree, though I admit to using my rear fog on limited occasions and each time I’ve been happy that I had it. Granted, I’m talking about the centrally located rear fog light on a 2006 R53. One situation where I usually use it is if I’m driving on the freeway through torrential rain and the road way is in that sort of fog-of-war like mist where nobody can see anything more than 10 feet ahead but they still drive 60 mph. I figure the rear fog light helps in that situation. The other great situation is to flip it on for a few seconds to get a tailgater off my back. Works every single time. But otherwise, yes, it’s really too bright to use frequently and I have to say I’ve never seen other MINI drivers driving around with their rear fog lights on.</p>
<p>It is only the Clubman that has rear fog on one side. The coupe and convertible have rear fogs on both sides for the S or in the middle for the Cooper. If you’ve ever driven in scary thick fog, you’d be glad to have rear fog light even if only on one side.</p>
<p>What bothers me more about the Clubman taillights is the backup light only on one side.</p>
<blockquote>I thought it was supposed to get the hood from the Mini D, I don’t see any difference.</blockquote>
<p>Hard to tell from this angle. Cooper hood has a narrow bulge that runs down the center, the D a wider one like the S. You can tell because on the cooper the washer jets are on either side of the bulge, on the D they are within the bulge.</p>
<p>Looking at the photo I’d guess that its a D hood.</p>
<p>I only remember the rear fog light as being the same intensity as the other tail lights, and not really “blinding”. I’ll have to check it out again to see how bright it actually is, and if that is true, then it would be very useful for foggy San Francisco. My main concern was some “bored” cop would stop and ticket me for burnt out tail light.</p>
<p>The front fog lights are great and I use them all the time at night. They really improve visibility when driving in our very narrow and congested residential streets.</p>
<p>As the mini gets older, from the 2nd gen models, i think the 2006 model yr is the best classical mini today, outside of the old austin mini’s. just my opinion.</p>
<p>The mini brand is going the wrong direction these. days. a mini+suv is synonymous to a hybrid+Peterbilt</p>
<p>Amazing how MINI has changed in the last 5 years…. And for the worst I am afraid. When MF announced the MY2005 facelift in late 2004, that made me get off my butt and go and test drive the fairly improved ’05 R53s. The changes (Both cosmetic and mechanical) were so impressive that a week after the test drive I had my 2004 MCS up in the sales chopping block.</p>
<p>I just don’t see the same level of enthusiasm and attention to detail with this “facelift”.</p>
<p>Peter de Lorenzo is right… BMW is a company in disarray and they no longer have their sh*t together as they once were.</p>
<p>Shaking my head in disbelief….</p>
<blockquote>I just don’t see the same level of enthusiasm and attention to detail with this “faceliftâ€.
</blockquote>
<p>Have you seen the final production car in person without camo? I haven’t, so I will reserve judgment until I see the cars with my own two eyes. Spy shots like this are nice. However, they certainly do not provide nearly enough information to make a useful conclusion.</p>
<p>Also, if you put the pre and post facelift R53s next to each other, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference with camo in the way. Of course that is the point of camo, isn’t it?</p>
<blockquote>if you put the pre and post facelift R53s next to each other, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference with camo in the way</blockquote>
<p>The R50 at least got restyled bumpers, but the R53… heck, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference even without camo! The cosmetic changes were very minor, inside and out.</p>
<blockquote>The R50 at least got restyled bumpers, but the R53… heck, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference even without camo! The cosmetic changes were very minor, inside and out.
</blockquote>
<p>That is exactly my point! C4 even said:</p>
<blockquote>The changes (Both cosmetic and mechanical) were so impressive that a week after the test drive I had my 2004 MCS up in the sales chopping block.
</blockquote>
<p>Were the cosmetic changes really that impressive, when most people would be hard pressed to point them out? From what I remember, they changed the style of the chrome trim around the front grille. The headlights changed to the reflector halogens and projector xenons. The tail lights were re-worked and the base of the antenna was re-shaped. Nothing I would use the word “impressive” to describe. They were just tweaks. That is exactly what we are seeing here. They are tweaking the look of small aspects of the cars.</p>
<p>Of course the refresh in 2005 was more than skin deep. From the information on previous articles here, I expect that the changes under the skin will actually be of a greater magnitude in this refresh than the last. For example the nav system and the motors. Even then, if you are looking for “impressive” changes, I predict those will truly come in 2013. If you are expecting them this fall, you will probably be disappointed.</p>