Spyshots: Next-generation 2013 MINI Cooper Mule Spotted Testing

This ugly little duckling covered in what looks like oil stains might not seem all that important, but it’s actually a test vehicle for the next generation of MINI Cooper. This is the first time a prototype of the new model has been seen out in public, and we can see the car is growing a bit.

The British brand may have just released the first official “spyshots” for the upcoming MINI Coupe that will arrive in Frankfurt, but our dedicated team of photographers have managed to score a set showing the next generation volume model that will arrive on a street corner near your in about two year’s time.

The next-gen Cooper will make use the all-new front-wheel drive platform which is being developed in part with MINI’s parent company BMW. The platform will also underpin a number of new compact and relatively affordable cars that wear the famous propeller badge.

The images reveal a more aggressive look for 2013 MINI Cooper, with a more sharply steeped A-pillar than the current model and a slightly wider front. The front grille also appears to be slightly wider and looks to be sitting lower to the ground. What we’re looking at is a test mule, so we can’t be sure what the production version of the car will look like. We are equally puzzled by the fact that what looks like a normally-aspirated Cooper sports the twin centrally mounted exhaust of the Cooper S.

Rumors have indicated that a new three-cylinder engine range will be arriving under the bonnet of the 2013 MINI Cooper, featuring BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology (direct fuel injection and solenoid injectors).