There’s been no shortage of spy pictures of third generation Mini prototypes over the past year or so, but as we approach closer to the time the British automaker will reveal the car to the world, more layers of camouflage are peeled off its body.

While it’s an all-new model based on an all-new platform shared for the first time with a BMW model and in particular, the upcoming 1-Series GT, the Mini hatch will continue to look like a…Mini and most casual viewers will have an extremely hard time telling the differences between the first, second and third iterations of the series.

The model captured on camera by our spies is the Cooper S, which just like the current version, can be identified from the central mounted twin exhaust pipes, the vented lower parts of the front and rear bumpers, the larger alloy multispoke alloy wheels and the hood scoop.

What’s hiding under the hood of the new Mini Cooper S, remains a mystery for now, as we do not know whether BMW will continue to use a 1.6-liter turbo engine or if it will debut its new 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged unit that can deliver over 200hp in its top configuration.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS

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