, MINI boss Bernd Körber said at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show that he intended to shrink the 3-door, reversing the car’s massive growth spurt since the first-generation BMW-built model entered the scene 20 years ago. “When I say small, I mean I want to make a small three-door hatch again. Today there are some restrictions for pedestrian safety, but we would like to, in terms of design and exterior, make the three-door hatch as small as possible,” he told the publication last year.
From these images, the new 3-door appears to have shorter front and rear overhangs, further emphasising the MINI’s trademark squat wheel-at-each-corner stance – although it’s hard to say for certain without looking at the actual dimensions. What is certain is that the front windscreen has a far faster rake, again aping the Rocketman, making the car more aerodynamic and efficient.
Elsewhere, the disguise includes silver rings that make the headlights look ginormous, but the lamps themselves are likely smaller and they appear to feature a light bar running across. Other fake bits include the bonnet scoop and side scuttles, which will likely be removed on the final product in line with MINI’s latest reductive design language.
The new 3-door also looks to be cheaper to build than the previous model. Gone is the usual clamshell bonnet, with new shutlines cutting through the headlights and going across the front end above the grille. The side mirrors have also shifted from stalks on the doors and are now affixed to the A-pillar – exactly the opposite of what other carmakers are gravitating towards.