Next year’s release of the MINI Cooper was recently snapped wearing some interesting camouflage. Sleuthing certainly paid off in this instance. Here’s one spy camera that you will be happy was on the road.
Everybody loves spy shots and the latest scoop made available concerns the 2014 MINI Cooper. In this revelation we are treated to some luscious shots of the next-generation of this epic small but super sports car.
Spotted in the flesh for the first time ever, the new MINI Cooper looked supremely muscular in its pocket packaging, despite the all over body camouflage. Expectation has been high amongst the worldwide fan-base of MINI lovers since March, when the final model from the last-generation Mini Cooper concluded their testing. Even more hype was created when the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP car saw the light of day. An anxious waiting game then ensued, as it could not be much longer until the cover was lifted on what has been dubbed the ‘F56’, after its internal model code.
The Mini Cooper prototype which was unable to escape this photographer’s lens was shot on the continent. Therefore the coupe was understandably left-hand drive, and was also wrapped in a lemon and black swirling paint job, but that did not stop some awesome shots of this dynamite little car being published online.
The rosettes did an effective job of disguising the finesse of the body work, but there was no mistaking the iconic road-racer. Overall, it looked as if the new Mini will grow up ever so slightly, whilst retaining its eternal youthful dimensions. Marginally longer and wider, the proportions are however immaculately preserved. The front windscreen and back screen also look to be at more acute angles. The front grill appears to be stockier, with the bonnet and distance from front axle to nose somewhat longer. This longer snout may however be due to the effectiveness of the camouflage. After all, the optical illusion created by the paint work is almost hypnotic. The smokescreen may just be very effective at its job, we will have to wait and see.
What is known however is that the new model will be powered by a suite of four-cylinder turbocharged engines and will be based on a chassis refined from the upcoming BMW 1-Series. There has also been speculation that a three-cylinder option may be made available. Production is planned to start in the first quarter next year. A convertible will follow on from the initial car in early 2014.