Is MINI Cooper to get All-Wheel Drive Option?

According to insiders at Getrag, the prototype Cooper S 4x4 is about ten percent quicker around the firm's test track than

The prototype Cooper S 4x4 is about ten percent quicker around the firm's test track than the standard front-wheel drive Cooper S. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the standard, front-wheel drive Cooper S, with even better results in slippery conditions. With more neutral handling characteristics, the car is said to be easier to pilot at the limit - an impressive statement considering the Cooper S is already a sublime vehicle to drive, with handling characteristics that can humble some sports cars.

Should we be expecting an all-wheels-driven MINI anytime soon? The answer is unclear, and will probably be undecided for quite some time.

On the one hand, the cutting-edge system would help give more powerful MINIs, such as the Cooper S and Cooper S Works, the upper hand over even more powerful competitors, turning them into practical, four-season vehicles. According to Getrag, BMW's product

While the performance boost would be great, BMW has to consider that the all-wheel drive Cooper would bring the MINI uncomfortably close its own rear-wheel drive hatchback, the 1-Series. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

development leader Burkhard Göschel rode in the prototype Cooper S 4x4 and was 'impressed'.

The flip side of the coin has much less to do with driving performance and more to do with marketing. An all-wheel drive Cooper with a rear-wheel drive bias would bring the MINI uncomfortably close to BMW's own rear-wheel drive hatchback, the 1-Series.

Further complexities arise when factoring in development and equipment costs, which will likely be high enough to cause pricing conflicts between MINIs and the 1-Series.