The Famously Front-Wheel-Drive Mini Cooper May Not Stay That Way for Long

BMW has taken Mini to some unexpected places since it resurrected the brand in 2000, stretching the iconic hatch into wagons and SUVs and even squishing it down to a “coupe” festooned with a backwards baseball cap. But new insights from the development team indicate that the next act could be even further afield from Mini’s past than any of those examples: It could go rear-wheel drive.

Yes, the famously front-wheel drive Mini—a vehicle intrinsically linked to that drivetrain and the space-saving benefits it afforded, especially when combined with a transversely mounted engine—could become a rear-drive car next go-around, based on comments that BMW officials have made to Autocar.

The reason is apparently down to the hardware BMW currently has on the shelf. According to the publication, BMW’s Gen 6 platform that supports the Neue Klasse models is based around a rear-axle drive unit with a gearbox. While there are dual-motor versions of the i3 and iX3 that add propulsion on the front axle, those motors are supplementary in nature.

Four generations of BMW-led Mini Coopers, with the China-built EV all the way to the right. According to design boss Holger Hampf, the next-gen model may pull from the proportions of BMW’s original “R50” generation, seen first on the left. BMW Group

BMW engineers reportedly told Autocar that they aren’t working on an equivalent main drive motor for the front axle, so the next Mini EV would likely end up flipping the script. In fact, the upcoming electric BMW 1 Series—formerly a front-wheel-drive car—has been rumored to do the same.

Now, none of that speaks to Mini’s future for internal-combustion cars. Fans will note that the current Cooper EV we don’t get in the States is actually a completely different vehicle from the gas-powered version that looks similar. Great Wall Motor in China produces the electric one, while the contemporary gas Mini is a comprehensive restyling of the previous-gen model.

Could BMW continue that strategy into the future, offering a front-drive, gas-powered Mini alongside a rear-drive, battery-propelled one? Or, will the company elect to offer a hybrid based on the EV? That would have to be all-wheel drive, theoretically, but it’d at least be slightly closer to tradition.

It’s worth stressing that these scenarios are merely speculation based on what Autocar’s heard from BMW brass, but after decades of seeing prominent nameplates trade rear- for front-wheel drive, much to the chagrin of enthusiasts, it’s strange to envision a world in which the opposite bears out. And it’s even stranger to imagine it happening to the Mini Cooper, of all cars.

Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com