MINI model codes: every chassis code from R50 to J01 and U25

First-generation MINI model codes: R50, R53 and R52

BMW’s first MINI hatch ran from April 2001 to August 2006. The One and Cooper carry the code R50, and the supercharged Cooper S is the R53. The R52 convertible followed from 2004 to 2008.

The first generation used the Tritec petrol engine that Chrysler co-developed with BMW. The One D had a Toyota 1ND-TV 1.4 diesel instead. The last supercharged Tritec car was the Cooper S with the John Cooper Works GP Kit, hand-finished by Bertone in Italy.

The R generation after 2006

The second generation spread the R codes across new body styles. The R55, R56, R57, R58, R59 and R60 petrol cars use the Prince engine BMW shared with PSA Peugeot Citroën, which our post on the MINI Cooper Peugeot engine covers. The years below are production years.

• R56: 3-door hatch, July 2006 to November 2013
• R55: Clubman, 2007 to June 2014
• R57: convertible, 2009 to 2015
• R58: Coupé, 2011 to 2015, and R59: Roadster, 2012 to 2015
• R60: Countryman, 2010 to 2016, built by Magna Steyr in Graz
• R61: Paceman, 2012 to 2016, also from Graz

Third-generation F codes, 2013 to 2024

The F generation dropped the Prince engine for BMW’s own. The Cooper has the 1.5-litre B38 three-cylinder and the Cooper S the 2.0-litre B48 four-cylinder. The range also included the electric Cooper SE with a 135 kW motor.

• F56: 3-door hatch, November 2013 to 2024
• F55: 5-door hatch, sold in the US as the 4-door
• F57: convertible, 2015 to 2024
• F54: Clubman, 2015 to 2024
• F60: Countryman, 2016 to 2023

Fourth generation: J01, F65, F66, F67 and U25

The letters stopped following the generation. The fourth-generation petrol hatch is an F, the electric hatch a J and the new Countryman a U.

The F66 sits on BMW’s UKL1 platform. Its Cooper C has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder with 156 PS and the Cooper S a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 204 PS. The J01 is a separate electric car from a different plant, so check parts by VIN even between two fourth-generation Coopers.

• J01: electric Cooper, 3-door only, built by Spotlight Automotive in Zhangjiagang, China, since October 2023
• F66: petrol 3-door, F65: petrol 5-door, F67: convertible, all built in Oxford since March 2024
• U25: Countryman, built in Leipzig since November 2023
• J05: the electric Aceman

The model code decides the parts

Take two Coopers. A 2012 R56 Cooper has the 1.6-litre Prince N16, and a 2016 F56 Cooper has the 1.5-litre B38 three-cylinder. Most engine parts differ between the two, though the badge on the tailgate reads the same.

Registration year can mislead you. R56 production ended in November 2013 and F56 production started the same month, so a car first registered in early 2014 can be either. US model years add another offset: the F60 Countryman went into production in 2016 and was sold as a 2017 model.

The Countryman name alone covers three cars: the R60 from Graz, the F60 from Born and the U25 from Leipzig. All three generations were also assembled in India and Malaysia for local markets.

Reading the model code from the VIN

The VIN never spells out R56 or F56. The free VIN decoder gives the maker, country and model year, and the parts catalog translates the VIN into the chassis code along with the engine, gearbox and production date.

The plant makes a useful first check. A Countryman from Graz is an R60 and one from Leipzig a U25, as our MINI VIN decoder guide explains. VINsearch opens MINI parts in BMW ETK by VIN, from $5 for a Day Pass.