First photos of new Mini Cooper S

This is the new new Mini - the 4th generation of it. We talked about changes to the upcoming model not long ago and today we get to see the details for the first time - no more camouflage, this is a white Cooper S in its full glory.

Finally we get to see differences between the last model and the newcomer and some are quite distinctive - for starters, the windscreen is not as vertical as it was before, it has been moved forward even more and the angle is lower. It’s been done to increase the aerodynamic performance of the car and help it achieve higher electric range and make the hood even shorter. The wheelbase of the car is most likely the same but the overhangs are way shorter - it’ll be a real hoot to drive.

Talking about short - apparently the new Mini will be shorter than previous model, it’s a shocker, yes. With every new generation, Mini was getting bigger and bigger but with the new electric platform the company had the opportunity to shrink it without compromising interior space. It has been done to further differentiate between various models of the Mini, now the Countryman will be significantly larger.

Changing the angle of the windscreen created more room in the front of the car and clearly we can see the dashboard is deeper than on the outgoing model. The central screen has retained the iconic round shape and will be the first round touch screen in the industry. It’s large but not obtrusive and Mini keeps the toggle switches just below the screen. The steering wheel is small, sporty and right behind it we can see the head-up display for the driver.

The front of the car is not a surprise, the headlights are classic Mini items but now the DRL are made up of two horizontal LEDs. The big change happened at the back of the car - gone are the traditional round tail lights replaced by the new matrix LEDs. The lights are part of the hatch which means the trunk opening will be much larger than on the previous car. The trunk itself won’t be huge, this is MINI afterall but at least it’ll be more usable.

The tail lights will have different light signatures depending on the actual model of the car, the company is further differentiating between the cars and making sure each model cannot be mistaken for another. Thankfully Mini didn’t follow in the footsteps of other automakers (Toyota - we are looking at you) and retained the good old rear screen wiper. Simple $10 solution that's a million times better than $500 hydrophobic glass.

Mini is based on the new platform developed jointly by BMW and Great Wall and it will share many components with ORA Funky Cat. Electric motors and batteries will be shared between the two and the Mini will still come with petrol engines. The electric cars will be manufactured in China and the old-school powered ones will be made in the old-school England.

We can expect many models to be based on this new platform, there will be a Convertible which will join the lineup in 2025, there will be a new Countryman and we just may see the new Paceman. The best part probably will be the new electric JCW, a fully electric pocket rocket. The new platform is really flexible and it will bring us a first Mini Van based on the Vision Urbanaut concept, it won’t be a “mini” though, it’ll be the largest model in the lineup.

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