All New Electric MINI Cooper SE Revealed In Best Photos Yet

DimON · April 11, 2023

Since the first photos leaked in 2021, the all new electric J01 MINI Cooper SE has been an open secret. Last week we got another early look at the car courtesy of a photoshoot in California. But the problem is none of these photos give us an accurate look – until now. Today we have the first clear, undisguised photos of the J01 MINI Cooper and in turn MINI’s new design language destined for all models.

Like the leaked shots last week, these photos show is a J01 MINI Cooper SE finished in Indigo Sunset Blue and 18” Night Flash Spoke 2-tone wheels. It’s a classic combo of blue and white that harkens back to the early 60’s which we absolutely love.

The Design of the all new Electric MINI Cooper SE

The design itself pays off what Head of MINI Design Oliver Hiemler has been hinting towards; minimalism and simplicity that is inspired by the original Mini. There is almost a stark minimalism compared to what we’ve seen over the last decade. In short there’s no faux vents or busy creases to be found. In fact there’s really not a single design elements that doesn’t have purpose functionally. That in itself is a massive departure from most modern MINI’s save the original R50.

While it’s decidedly not a retro design, there are countless philosophical links to the past.

Now let’s discuss that front overhang. While slightly reduced, it’s still a little larger than we’d hoped despite the fact that this is 100% a EV. We had expected MINI would have been able to package the small electric motor back far enough to allow for the impact zone to be further set-back.

Yet there’s a lot to like in these first photos. The front is particularly striking with smaller, more proportional details than the F56 generation. What we see here are the standard lights and not the adaptive LEDs that will be optional. The lights are small as is the entire scale of the front-end. While it’s hard to tell without the F56 (or forthcoming F66 next to it), the J01 feels a bit more subtle and sophisticated than the current MINI. Also note the large, centrally located radar module there to support L2 autonomy features.

Around back things get interesting. For us that’s a good thing but we’re sure a few of you won’t like the departure. Leveraging LED technology, an owner of the new J01 or F66 Cooper can change how their front and rear lights look when on and active. Want Union Jack tail lights? Or how about something more minimal? MINI will offer a number of different designs that will help owners differentiate their cars. Does it work and do you mind the radical departure from MINIs past? Let us know below.

2025 MINI Cooper SE Range & Performance

The all new electric MINI Cooper will come in two flavors; the Cooper E and the Cooper SE. The E will have a 40kWh battery driving the front wheels and should see a range of around 200 miles on the WTLP testing cycle. The Cooper SE (also FWD) will have a larger 54kWh battery and should see a 240 mile range with WTLP testing. Our sources have told us that these figures are relatively conservative (as is BMW’s typical position). An important note for those comparing this to the current electric MINI hatch – that car has a 110 mile range and a 28.9kWh battery.

	2025 J01 MINI Cooper E	2025 J01 MINI Cooper SE	2023 F56 MINI Cooper SE
Horsepower	181 hp	215 hp	181 hp
Range	200 miles (WLTP)	240 miles (WLTP)	125 miles (WLTP
Battery Size	40kWh	54kWh	32.6 kWh

Performance is also up with the Cooper E offering 181bhp – similar to the traditional Cooper S performance. The hotter Cooper SE will have 215bhp and should have JCW levels of performance.

Theres also a JCW version coming. MINI is developing a full JCW version that it will feature the same 54kWh battery as the SE, arriving in mid-2025 with a focus on power over range. Expect an output around 250bhp.

How Big is the J01 2025 MINI Cooper SE?

Despite this clean-sheet design MINI kept the overall size extremely close to the current F56 MINI Cooper – and in fact went about 1.5” longer overall thanks to a longer wheelbase. It’s also almost an inch taller – likely due to the batteries sitting across the entire floor. However the key thing for the classic MINI Cooper are the dimensions. Here’s a quick view of how it stacks up against the last two generations of MINIs

	R56 MINI Cooper	F56 ICE MINI Cooper	J01 2025 Electric MINI Cooper
Length	3698 mm / 145.6 in	3850 mm / 151.57 in	3860 mm / 151.91 in
Height	1407 mm / 55.4 in	1414 mm / 55.67 in	1435 mm / 56.49 in
Wheelbase	2467 mm / 97.1 in	2495 mm / 98.23 in	2525 mm / 99.40

Will The 2025 Electric MINI Cooper (J01) Come To The US?

Given that the J01 is made in China, it will see a 25% tariff added to it. That’s a massive amount for a small car intended to be affordable. How could MINIUSA overcome the 25% tariff on a small car with razor thin margins? Luckily MINI seemingly has a strategy in place.

BMW is to secure UK production for the all new J01 electric MINI Cooper. We first reported the rumors of BMW building the J01 in Oxford last fall. But since that time there appears to be multiple points of confirmation that point to China being only one part of the production strategy. And perhaps more importantly the move would clear the way for the all new J01 electric MINI Cooper to eventually come to the North American market.

Recently Sky News reported that BMW has secured UK government funding to help expand the Oxford Plant for the new range of electric MINIs. While an official announcement won’t likely come until late this spring, it’s believed that the investment package will be worth close to £500m – £75m of which would be from the UK Government.

Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI, has previously hinted that some new generation electric MINIs will be assembled at Plant Oxford beginning in 2027. We’ve also had a source confirm that timing saying it would coincide with a refresh of the model planed in the middle of its lifecycle. This would make it an ideal time to refine the J01 and introduce it to North America, perhaps even with more range and performance.

J01 2025 MINI Cooper SE Launch Dates

The J01 MINI Cooper will debut at the Munich Motorshow this September. While production was to start later this year in China, rumors are pointing to it being delayed until May of 2024. Once it does start, expect sales to begin in the UK, Europe and Asia shortly after. As we mentioned above, expect a refreshed version to hit North America and other markets in 2027 and be made in the UK.