That is the question. Who knows the answer? I've seen it labeled either way throughout the interwebs. The My MINI Brochure reads 2012. Perhaps it is based on locale?
I'd say its a 2012. When you resell it people will typically refer to the date of manufacturing stuck on the sticker in the door. There's some sites that you can enter your VIN number and decode it's meaning. Here's one, give it a whirl Decoding your MINI's VIN.
Nice, thx! I never knew any of that. Now I just need my MINI to go into production so I can get a VIN.