2014 MINI Cooper Spy Photos Show Radical Redesign
Even icons need to stay fresh, and for the 2014 model year a major redesign is coming to the classic look of the MINI Cooper.
Our spy photos show a prototype MINI already out cruising on public roads, dressed in full car camo to try and skew our look at the the most radical design change to ever come to the little British car.
The headlights are the first major noticeable change, moving away from the circular look to a slightly more raked back German luxury car feel. Adding aggressiveness to the car was a benchmark for the designers, which can be seen in the slightly more raked back look of the windshield, and the larger front wheel haunches.
As a result of the new MINI Cooper sharing a platform with the BMW 1-series, it will grow slightly in both length and width. Under the hood will be a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, with roughly 120 hp in the base Cooper and 180 hp in the Cooper S. Larger four-cylinder engines will also likely be available for high-end MINIs as well as the eventual John Cooper Works version, which will no doubt recive a turbocharged four-cylinder and probably a different one than the rest of the line at that.
The MINI is slated to begin production in early 2013, and should be available sometime later in the year.
GALLERY: 2014 MINI Cooper
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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This is a radical change? All I see are new headlights and the same styling everywhere else.