New evidence of MINI’s latest powerplay has been uncovered, with Cooper S versions of the MINI Cabrio and new five-door hatch snapped by spy photographers testing at the Nurburgring this week.
The MINI Cabrio Cooper S will appeal to outgoing types who want to make a statement, showing off a slightly longer, wider and sportier stance than its predecessor.
These spy photos, courtesy of Automedia, also show the new model adopting the same dramatic front end styling as the hatch, and will retain its folding cloth roof.
Both the Cabrio and the five-door hatch Cooper S models will be powered by MINI’s new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which pumps out 141kW/280Nm. Regular models will be powered by the company’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol and diesel engines, worth 100kW/220Nm.
MINI’s new five-door hatch meanwhile, will be an all-new model and like the Cabrio can been seen in these photos undergoing high-speed testing at the Nurburgring. It’s the first time MINI has offered a five-door hatch and this confirms it’ll get a hi-po Cooper S version too.
As previously reported, the new MINI five-door hatch will be launched before the cabrio, and will be a more popular model than the three-door hatch in many regions, Australia included.
It’s not clear when the new models will be officially launched, but the vehicles photographed here appear close to production readiness.
– with Automedia