Mini Cooper Could Ditch Front-Wheel Drive, Reports Suggest

BMW has taken the Mini brand in many directions since reviving it in 2000, from wagons and SUVs to a coupe with a backward baseball cap look. But recent comments from BMW officials suggest the next Mini EV might break with tradition entirely by going rear-wheel drive.

According to reports from Autocar. BMW’s next-generation platform, called Gen 6, is built around a rear-axle drive unit with a gearbox. While dual-motor versions of the i3 and iX3 add front-axle motors, those are only supplementary. BMW engineers reportedly told Autocar they are not developing a main drive motor for the front axle, meaning the next Mini EV would likely switch to rear-wheel drive.

The upcoming electric BMW 1 Series, also previously front-drive, is rumored to do the same.

This news applies only to electric Minis. The current Cooper EV, made in China by Great Wall Motor, is a separate vehicle from the gas-powered Mini, which is a restyle of the previous generation. BMW could continue offering a front-drive gas Mini alongside a rear-drive electric one, or possibly a hybrid based on the EV, which would theoretically be all-wheel drive.

These scenarios remain speculation based on what Autocar heard from BMW executives. Still, after years of cars shifting from rear- to front-wheel drive, the idea of the opposite happening, especially to a Mini Cooper, is surprising.