But wait, you say; isn't that what the first ever five-door Mini hatchback that we showed you on Thursday is for? Well, the new Clubman will be the longer estate version of the third generation Mini lineup, and to further differentiate it from the 5-door car, it will retain the current model's split rear-door (hinged on the sides) format
It remains to be seen how much more room or practicality the Clubman will add over its hatchback brethren with which it will share the same interior, platform and range of turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines.
The Clubman will be the third model to be added in range after the three-door hatch, and the upcoming five-door and soft-top convertible editions.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
Now, you can get ready for another extension to the range as Mini is readying a lengthier five-door version of its new generation hatchback, which was revealed in three-door form earlier this month at the Tokyo and Los Angeles motor shows.
Mini's first ever five-door variant of the hatch (the Countryman is considered a crossover) was captured by our spies in Cooper S trim. It comes with regular rear doors as well as a longer wheelbase to improve rear passenger space and practicality.
Besides the bigger body, everything else will be shared with the 3-door Mini hatch, including the brand's new range of three- and four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.
We should see the production car debut at one of next year's international motor shows.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
The culprit responsible for these photoshops is the Hungarian designer over at X-Tomi who imagined the 2015 Mini Convertible together with the 2016 Mini Coupe and Roadster.
Even though the first car (the soft-top version of the hatch – see it in these spy shots) is a given, we're not so sure that the Coupe and Roadster will live to see another generation, as recent reports citing company insiders have stated that the BMW Group isn't really pleased with the duo and is contemplating their replacement with a completely different, stand-alone sports car.
Photo Credits: X-Tomi
Official photos of the 2015 Mini hatch were leaked online today ahead of the car's premiere during a special event tonight in London at 9:00 PM GMT (4:00 PM EST) and its exhibition premiere in front of international audiences at simultaneous unveilings at this week's Los Angeles and Tokyo Motor Shows.
The design of the new Mini hatch is an evolution of Frank Stephenson's 2001 model and to be frank, most people will have to really pay attention to details in order to tell apart the three generations of the 21st century model.
While the eye may see familiar design treats reminiscent of the past, the Mk3 is really new where it matters, from the BMW Group's bigger front and all-wheel drive UKL1 platform, to the engine range that welcomes new 1.5-liter 3-cylinder and 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged units and a fresh assortments of driver assist systems.
A report from Bangkokpost, goes into more specifics stating that the new Mini benefits from a 28mm longer wheelbase length and a 51-liter increase in boot capacity.
It also mentions that the 136hp 1.5-liter Cooper that replaces the 122hp 1.6-liter model reduces 0-100km/h (62mph) from 10.4 seconds to 7.8 seconds. The Cooper S' new 192hp 2.0-liter turbo that replaces the 184hp 1.6-liter turbo unit cuts the same acceleration time from 7.2 seconds to 6.7 seconds. Both units are said to offer improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions figures.
More to come later today.
The two Mini models are virtually the same from the waist down, with the Convertible keeping the same setup as the current version with an electrically operated cloth roof and hidden rollbar hoops that only pop up in the event of an accident.
While the engineering minds in Germany and England have founds ways to cut pounds here and there, the Convertible will likely weigh more than its coupe counterpart due to the folding roof mechanism and strengthened chassis.
Mini has already confirmed that the new hatch and convertible will be offered with the BMW Group's highly anticipated, new turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, with precise details to be announced in LA.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
