Mini is in a unique position in the industry. On the plus side, the British automaker’s products are unlike anything else out there - a very good thing. On the not-so-plus side, even as consumers move increasingly towards SUVs and larger vehicles, the company continues to sell mostly, well, mini vehicles.
The company probably has little choice but to adjust. What will it do with its current models, or with those it plans to electrify? We may get our first answer to that question in October, because the company has just hinted unsubtly that it’s preparing “something thrilling”.
What is that something? For the moment, we have no idea.
In its announcement, Mini did share an image, a bird's eye view of what appears to be the front of a Cooper S hardtop version.
So what’s the big deal? It's hard to know until we have more details. It could be a special collector's edition of an existing gas-powered model to mark the coming end of an era. Remember that Mini plans to launch its last new combustion-engine model in 2025. The all-electric Minis are for 2030 and beyond.
The model shown could also be an upcoming model, let’s say for example a new electric Mini (that’s more efficient than the Cooper SE), one that will point the way to the future of the brand.
Mini is content to say for now that folks will have to “stay tuned”. And that's just what we'll be doing in October to learn what this BMW-owned brand has up its sleeve. Let's just hope it's not a dud firecracker; that’s been known to happen.