Brace yourselves, Mini fans: The Cooper Hardtop and Convertible are coming to the 2018 Detroit auto show with a slew of updates for the 2019 model year, and they’re more German British than ever before.

Off the top, new optional LED headlights help modernize the front end aesthetic and headlight performance of the Mini. The BMW-owned automaker didn’t stop with the front lights, however. No, it went and made the rear taillights light up in the pattern of the Union Jack. What’s next? Is a hologram of the Queen going to be projected into the sky soon?

Anyway, lighter wheels and a new barebones “Mini” logo round out the exterior adjustments made for 2019. The powertrain package carries over from before, so expect the same turbocharged three- and four-cylinder engines making 124 and 189 hp respectively -– the John Cooper Works version gets a brawnier 228 hp. There’s no indication of an electric version of the small Mini Cooper despite the Electric Concept it displayed at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. We might have to wait a while longer for that to become a reality.

An updated infotainment system with a 6.5-inch display makes its way to the interior, with an 8.8-inch touchscreen display as optional. Support for Apple CarPlay is there, but not Android Auto. Wireless charging is making its way into many new cars nowadays, and the Mini adds it as an option for 2019 as well. 

You’ll know it’s a 2019 Cooper Hardtop if its brake lights are screaming Great Britain at you.

Finally, more choices in appearance options for the already extremely customizable Minis should thrill the unique fan base. Customers can design side scuttles, decorative interior strips, LED door sills and LED door projectors to their choosing — yes, that includes text customization. Mini then uses 3-D printing and laser engraving to make the custom work come to life.

Zac Palmer – Editorial Intern Zac Palmer has probably spent more time in a car than any other 21-year old in the country. He likes anything that can go around a corner, and is surely talking about a car wherever he might be.
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