SPY PICS: 2013 MINI Cooper

The MINI Cooper has been a sales success since it was 'relaunched' by BMW in 2001, and an updated 2013 model is currently undergoing testing in Germany - as seen in this spy photos.

This is the first time we've been able to have a real look at the new MINI Cooper's metalwork and despite the psychedelic wrapping, it's clear the new model will be slightly wider and longer.

The not-so-mini MINI?

From what we can tell comparing the current MINI Cooper and this camouflaged 2013 MINI Cooper, the new model features a flatter front grille and what appear to be much larger headlight clusters.

Other exterior changes include a slightly longer bonnet and slimmer A-pillars.

By and large the design does not appear to stray too far from BMW's 2001 MINI Cooper, which took inspiration from Sir Alec Issigonis original Mini of the early 1960s, but it will need to be different enough to convince current owners to trade up.

With a minor increase in dimensions the new MINI will deliver slightly improved interior space to rival the likes of the Audi A1 -- and perhaps too the Opel Adam -- and the cabin will be new too, with earlier spy photos showing the 'love it' or 'hate it' large centre speedometer will be ditched.

The car in the photos appears to be a high performance MINI Cooper S model, with a low ride height, bold body work and the tell tale central twin exhaust outlets, but whether it gets the same engine as its predecessor is not yet known.

Minor power output improvements on the high performance models are expected, and it very likely that entry-level models will get BMW's new three-cylinder TwinPower turbo petrol and diesel engine types.

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