MINI is making some changes to its production plans coinciding with the 2024 launch of its 4th generation MINI family. At the heart of this change will be MINI’s continued desire to make Oxford England the centerpiece of its production while producing cars in both China and Germany. However there is a major short term casualty in the current electric MINI.
One of the most intriguing bombshells sources are telling us are MINI’s plans to expand production of the next generation J01 electric MINI Cooper and J05 MINI Aceman to the Oxford Plant later this decade. This redistribution of production will not only help future proof the Oxford Plant but also allow BMW to avoid US tariffs on the cars paving the way for their introduction to the US market.
While many are reporting that this is the end of electric production at the Oxford Plant, our sources are telling us the opposite. According to those sources MINI is planning to bring a revised version of J01 all new electric hatch (initially built in China) to the Oxford Plant for global export in 2027. This could also point to the J02 Aceman following suit which would bring the entire MINI family into the UK or EU for easier export to the markets with large Chinese tariffs such as the US.
| Oxford, England | Leipzig, Germany | China (GWM) |
| F66 ICE Cooper 3 door | U25 ICE Countryman | J01 Electric Cooper 3 Door |
| F66 ICE Cooper S 3 door | U25 ICE Countryman S | J01 Electric Cooper S 3 Door |
| F66 ICE Cooper JCW 3 door | U25 ICE Countryman JCW | J01 Electric Cooper JCW 3 Door |
| F65 ICE Cooper 5 door | U25 Electric Countryman | J05 Electric Aceman |
| F65 ICE Cooper S 5 door | U25 Electric Countryman S | J05 Electric Aceman S |
| F67 ICE Cooper Convertible | U25 Electric Countryman JCW | J05 Electric Aceman JCW |
| F67 ICE Cooper S Convertible | ||
| F67 ICE JCW Convertible |
Additionally not all new MINIs will actually be new. A revised F56 (to be called the G56) MINI will form the basis of the “new” ICE (internal combustion engine) MINI Cooper and will be built at the Oxford plant. This revised car will be an extensively revised F56 that will affect not just the design of the car but the technology and even structure. The look of the car inside and out will nearly match that of the all-new electric MINI built in China. We say nearly because the footprint of the ICE car will be a bit larger and will still include a longer front overhang due to how ICE drivetrains affect pedestrian safety standards.
The 2024 U25 MINI Countryman will move to exclusively being produced in Leipzig Germany alongside X1 and X2 BMWs. Like those cars it will also grow in size to better serve the US market and make way for the smaller Aceman in the line-up. In total we expect the new Countryman to be about 200 mm (8 inches) larger – specifically in the rear. While MINI chose to modify the UKL chassis to shorten the rear giving the current Countryman slightly more MINI-like proportions, we believe this next generation car will more closely follow it’s BMW twins in overall size but lengthening the rear. This will allow for a full electric version of the Countryman for the first time.
