It's been confirmed for awhile now, but the big question is price.
It's almost definite that it will NOT be AWD, the car testing on the ring is FWD with a tricked out traction control. They will be tough to get though, and probably will be sold at a premium above MSRP. Frustrating, as I had an in on one at a dealership at MSRP if they ever came stateside, but that dealership was sold to another group and I'm on the outside looking in.
I can't wait to see this. MINI is in a bit of a bind, as the Golf R and the RS are light years ahead in performance. What remains to be seen is how close they are in price, and there's a pretty good chance both the Golf and Focus will be a tier above in that regard which may save MINI's bacon at least slightly.
There is nothing more fun than passing a Mustang, M3, Cayman S, etc. on the track in a MINI, especially when you have to work for it. But the other manufacturers have upped the ante, and the MINI is no longer the media darling of the hot hatches--mainly because the MINI has been surpassed by VW and is about to be eclipsed by Ford. They are going for more precise steering, more feedback, less body roll, much improved brakes, where MINI is going in the opposite direction--lighter steering, more understeer, more body roll, but adding slightly to HP. So it's the exact opposite direction of tossability versus power that people are clamoring for.
Yes, I've driven all three in the S forrm (finally). All of them understeer, (welcome to front wheel drive) but the R53 has the least amount, and is easiest to fix it also has the most direct steering feel. The F56 actually plows a bit, a first for a MINI hatch. The F56 is the most comfortable on the road of the three. That's what BMW is after, a fun car that is civilized. What's happened is the bar has slid more toward comfort at the expense of razor sharp handling, while other hatches are taking the opposite tack, similar to what BMW did in the beginning with the MINI.
That's the frustration. Many of us are willing to sacrifice a bit more comfort for a bit more performance, and the F56 is going in the exact opposite direction. That VW has come out with a smoking hot Golf R that will be selling soon only adds salt to the wound. If MINI would come out with a model in the F56 line that looked to push performance as its primary goal, rather than making a slightly faster relatively luxurious F56, I'd take another look. The last hope is the F56 GP, because the F56 JCW is a money grab only. And after what BMW did with the GP2, where the biggest improvement in performance arguably came from the sticky tires, I'm skeptical.
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