Photo: newminiclub.nl
We’ve been getting used to the Mk3 MINI hatch in production form for quite a while now but the 3-door version is about to get a 5-door brother. According to our spyshots, the bigger hatch is close to production form, showing the exact same overall design with the added practicality of more doors.
The reveal date of this version is an extremely hush-hush subject at BMW and MINI but one of our insiders tells us that the new hatch is set to start production in July with dealerships receiving it towards the end of the year.
That puts the Brits on the spot, for now, because there are only 2 major auto shows scheduled between now and July and they are happening at the same time. We’re talking about the New York and Beijing Auto Show that are set to take place nearly at the same time, with a slight advantage for the American one, set to open 3 days earlier.
Since the F55 Cooper hasn’t been presented to the public in production form up until now, we have a feeling that it will be unveiled at New York as a surprise for the American market that has grown into the second biggest for the British brand over the years.
Of course, there’s another possibility on the table, one that involves revealing the car outside of a major auto show and bringing it out online before deliveries can begin. That’s highly unlikely though as MINI will surely want to observe the people’s live reaction to the car prior to sending it out to dealerships.
Either way the F55 5-door MINI hatch will share the platform with all new models in the British line-up and a couple BMWs. The engines will be the same, ranging from 1.2-liter petrol units for One versions up to 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder B48 variants for the Cooper S and JCW versions making in excess of 192 HP and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque.
That puts the Brits on the spot, for now, because there are only 2 major auto shows scheduled between now and July and they are happening at the same time. We’re talking about the New York and Beijing Auto Show that are set to take place nearly at the same time, with a slight advantage for the American one, set to open 3 days earlier.
Since the F55 Cooper hasn’t been presented to the public in production form up until now, we have a feeling that it will be unveiled at New York as a surprise for the American market that has grown into the second biggest for the British brand over the years.
Of course, there’s another possibility on the table, one that involves revealing the car outside of a major auto show and bringing it out online before deliveries can begin. That’s highly unlikely though as MINI will surely want to observe the people’s live reaction to the car prior to sending it out to dealerships.
Either way the F55 5-door MINI hatch will share the platform with all new models in the British line-up and a couple BMWs. The engines will be the same, ranging from 1.2-liter petrol units for One versions up to 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder B48 variants for the Cooper S and JCW versions making in excess of 192 HP and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque.
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