The MINI Cooper 3 Cylinder Engine is Dead in the US

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Last fall we wrote about how it appeared MINI’s 3 cylinder engine was soon to be eliminated from the line-up. Since then we’ve seen that same engine launch with the Cooper C and Countryman C in the UK and Europe. However our sources were clear – the 3 cylinder was being eliminated in some markets. We now know where and why. And perhaps more importantly what it could mean for an entire new world of upgrades.

Where & Why the B38 3 Cylinder Is Being Eliminated

The B38 3 Cylinder engine is being eliminated from the North America. Sources are also telling we’ll see it eliminated countries with similar emissions regulations such as South Korea and a few others that (oddly) seem more aligned with the EU.

Why has MINI made this change? It’s unclear but we can guess that it has something to do with the complexity and cost associated with getting so many engines and configurations engineered and approved for different markets.

How This Could Completely MINI Cooper Change Performance Upgrades

The result are two very different versions of the MINI Cooper C. The UK and EU’s 3 Cylinder version of the Cooper C will get 115kW (154) while the four cylinder US version will see 120kW (161 hp)

But the big difference isn’t the extra 7 hp. It’s the fact that under the hood of the US spec MINI Cooper is the same exact B48 engine that powers the 204 hp Cooper S – down to the engine code. That could open up a completely new world of tuning the base MINI Cooper to a much higher power output. And that could be a complete game change in the world of MINI tuning.

We’ll be following this closely as the same arrangement will apply to the F65 five door and F67 Convertible Cooper as they are go into production later this year in July and November.

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