One last hurrah for the combustion engine. MINI intends to go purely electric at the end of this decade. It can only mean the recently launched ICE cars are the last, with everything coming from 2030 to be EVs. Before the gas engine retires, the Oxford-based marque sells hot hatches with three and five doors. The latest Cooper S has now touched down in Bulgaria. Say hello to the F66 and its more practical F65 sibling.
Although we’re happy MINI is still putting a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine under the hood, there’s a problem. The BMW-owned brand has waved goodbye to the manual gearbox. It’s also gone from the F66-only John Cooper Works model and won’t be coming back. Time is running out for the stick shift at the parent company as well. Before the end of the decade, there won’t be a BMW with three pedals.
The size difference between the two is not negligible. The five-door is 172 millimeters (6.7 inches) longer and has had its wheelbase stretched by 72 millimeters (2.83 inches). Go for the bigger Cooper S, and the luggage capacity maxes out at 925 liters (32.6 cubic feet) with the rear seats folded. If the bench is up, volume is limited to 275 liters (9.7 cubic feet).
A convertible (F67) is available alongside the pair of hatchbacks for unlimited headroom. It, too, utilizes the venerable BMW B48 engine with 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet (300 Newton-meters) of torque. Output is routed to the front axle through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.
All three cars are made in the UK, but we can’t say the same for the fully electric Cooper (J01). The EV is made in China alongside the Aceman crossover (J05). However, the electric duo will also be assembled in Oxford from 2026. Until then, the zero-emission models are unlikely to be offered in the United States where they’d be hit hard by tariffs.
Source: MINI Bulgaria
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
Source: BMW BLOG
