The Next Mini Cooper Might Be Switching to RWD 

As the BMW Group transitions into its Neue Klasse of electric vehicles, a recent tech workshop revealed more about the upcoming EV platform. One interesting takeaway was that no Neue Klasse vehicle would be equipped with a single motor up front. Translation: Front-wheel drive is dead, which is in the very DNA of Mini.

BMW announced that its sixth-gen eDrive technology will be lighter, faster, and cheaper while bumping up charging speed and range by 30%. Additionally, its modular manufacturing allows flexibility in vehicle production, which means customers will have a choice of vehicles featuring one, two, three, or four electric motors. What BMWBlog learned beyond the press release was that no motor would fly solo at the front axle. 

The reason for this is the limitations of the technology itself. BMW’s Gen6 EV powertrain will feature two motor types: asynchronous (ASM) and electrically excited synchronous (EESM). The compact and cost-effective ASM would be positioned at the front axle of future xDrive all-wheel-drive cars. BMWBlog reports that an ASM lacks integrated gearboxes and produces less power than the rear axle-positioned EESM. Essentially, ASM is only good enough as a supplemental power unit and not a standalone one.

No big deal, right? Rear-wheel drive is more fun, anyway, right? Mini fans may feel otherwise. Even as its physical footprint seems to grow year over year, front-wheel-drive Minis are still fun to drive. Understanding its demo, its sport drive mode is literally called “go-kart” mode. Currently, only the bigger Countryman variants are offered with AWD. All the other Minis are FWD fun machines. Would a switch to RWD change the essence of Mini?

Mini has been struggling. Sales slumped by 21.5% last year versus BMW, whose sales increased by 2.5%. Yes, BMW has a more extensive lineup, but it also seems solid in its identity, while Mini is slowly losing its own. The manual Mini used to be a sure thing. Then it went away, then came back, became the star of a stick-shift driving school, but then went away for good. This was followed by the discontinuation of the Clubman and its iconic barn-style split doors.

Mini was also set to be an all-electric brand, but that announcement is almost a decade old. Nearly all OEMs who’ve made similar headlines have since backtracked on EV timelines and model lineups. For now, the Countryman SE is the lone all-electric Mini available stateside.

BMWBlog suggests that Mini could split the difference by maintaining ICE FWD models for the purists and offering BEV RWD/AWD models as part of the Neue Klasse simultaneously. The latter could appeal to buyers who are not hung up on heritage and are looking for a BMW in Mini form. Christian Wehner, the former global VP of Mini products, had previously said that Mini EVs would retain the brand’s characteristic go-kart fun. But with Wehner returning to the BMW side a few months ago, who’s to say that’s still the driving force behind the Mini brand?

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