Cooper Hardtop

Make
Mini
Segment
Hatchback

BMW-owned Mini is celebrating a milestone, with the one-millionth example of the Cooper Hardtop 3-door (F56) rolling down the assembly line in Oxford.

The current generation first entered production in 2014, and now, less than a decade later, one million examples have made their way to customers worldwide. The model in question, a Cooper Electric Hardtop, came off the line at a rather special time. This year, the Oxford-based Mini plant celebrates its 110th anniversary.

Even though the lineup has grown to include a 5-door, convertible, and crossovers, the 3-door is the quintessential Mini body style. Sir Alec Issigonis' creation first saw the light of day in 1959. The seemingly simple design was revolutionary then and dispelled the notion that small cars couldn't be practical and spacious.

The latest iteration may be larger and technologically advanced, but it carries the original's legacy by delivering an exciting, practical, and fun-to-drive experience in a compact package. The next generation, revealed only last week, appears even smaller than the existing model, bringing it closer in ethos to the original Mini.

Mini says the replacement model will debut as a 3-door, designed from the outset to deliver electric driving pleasure in a compact vehicle. According to the automaker, the new 3-door Mini will only be sold as an EV, but the convertible and 5-door models will be made available with traditional gasoline-powered engines.

Two models, produced in China, will offer up to 215 horsepower. The lesser "E" variant will deliver 181 hp and a 40 kWh battery, while the more potent SE will receive a 54 kWh battery. Mini says the new versions will have at least 240 miles of range, but these are likely WLTP estimates.

It's not the only all-electric Mini that will arrive in the coming months. The brand recently previewed the new Countryman, which will become the company's first all-electric, all-wheel drive vehicle. With up to 308 horsepower up for grabs, this battery-powered model will offer more space than its predecessor thanks to a larger body and clever packaging.

This vehicle will be manufactured at BMW's Leipzig plant in Germany, which, interestingly, also celebrated a production milestone. Earlier this year, the German automaker announced that the Leipzig facility had produced a staggering 3,333,333 BMW vehicles. The new Countryman will be the first Mini produced at this plant.

The new Countryman showcases Mini's sustainable future, with plenty of recycled materials used for the components. We expect environmentally-friendly materials to be used in the forthcoming Cooper Hardtop 3-door, which will almost certainly be as successful as the current iteration.

Here's to the next one million, Mini.