The front of the Mini had to be restyled to conform to more rigid European restrictions on exterior panel shapes for pedestrian safety, as well as to adapt to the shape of the new engine.

Then the remainder of the car was restyled as well to better blend with the new front end.

Park two examples side-by-side and you'll see immediately that the headlights of the 2007-08 model are rounder, the hood flatter, the grille more prominent than those on the 2000-06 version. Turn signals are now integrated into the headlight clusters, and bigger foglights (when ordered) are set into a simplified bumper where the turn signals used to be. Around back, wider tail lights and a wider trim strip on the hatch echo the changes up front. The beltline rises faster, too, giving the rear end a more tapered look. In general, the latest Mini seems broader-shouldered and more aggressive than the last, and so departs even further from the narrow and square original. It is a little larger, too, measuring 2.36 inches more in length. But we doubt most modern Mini buyers will mind or even notice.

In any case, close inspection of the exterior shows that in almost all areas, design and execution is upgraded from the 2006 model. One notable example is how the headlamp clusters are now firmly attached the front fenders while fitting through openings in the hood; where in the previous model the headlamps were built into the hood itself.