Mini’s redesigned Cooper hatchback starts sales next year as a 2025 model, though the company has only shown the electric version at present, which the U.S. will miss out on, at least initially.
The range will also include gas options, which the U.S. is likely to receive from launch, and a prototype for a redesigned Cooper with a gas engine has been spotted again. This time the prototype is for the high-performance John Cooper Works variant.
Clear giveaways that this is a JCW we’re looking at are the extra intakes in the front fascia, the front splitter, chunky side skirts, and roof-mounted rear wing. There’s also a rear diffuser with a single exhaust tip exiting out of the center.
The electric Cooper will also receive the JCW treatment, with a prototype for this model having previously been spotted testing.
2025 Mini John Cooper Works spy shots – Photo credit: Baldauf
Electric versions of the redesigned Cooper are based on a newly developed dedicated EV platform, while the gas versions will essentially be a major update of the outgoing Cooper. This means the gas model should feature the outgoing JCW’s 2.0-liter turbo-4, perhaps with a bit more horsepower than the outgoing model’s 228-hp rating.
Drive should be to the front wheels only, via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Don’t plan on a manual option. Mini has confirmed the 2024 model year as the last for the manual. The limited-edition 2024 JCW 1to6 Edition launched in May marked the end of the transmission’s run at Mini.
Look for gas versions of the redesigned Cooper, including the JCW, to reach the U.S. next year as 2025 models, in both two- and four-door body styles. They will be sourced from Mini’s plant in the U.K. Electric versions should arrive once Mini starts production of them at the U.K. plant. That’s currently scheduled for 2026. Electric versions are currently built exclusively in China, and importing them would attract steep tariffs.
A redesigned JCW Countryman packing 312 hp will also arrive as a 2025 model. It debuted in November and is confirmed by Mini to reach dealerships next May.
