A 3-Door BMW X2 Might Happen And Other Extremely Confusing Mini News

BMW has big plans for the UKL platform, a front-wheel drive architecture that underpins the 2014 Mini Cooper. Next up from the company that will Leave No Niche Behind: the BMW X2! And it might have three doors!

We've heard lately that the next generation Mini-based BMW X1 will also spawn a "sportier" X2, and now a BMW insider over at the Bimmerpost forum has reported confirmation of this.

The OP says the X2 is set for a 2017 debut and will be all-wheel drive only, have a five door AND a three-door version, and have the "Sport Activity Coupe" roofline, which is Bimmerspeak for the slopey roof of the X6 and the 2015 BMW X4.

So basically, it's a smaller X4. That sounds kind of dopey in principle, but the three-door version is intriguing, and it may be appropriate for what that car is trying to be.

Now, the second part of this is the extremely confusing Mini speculation. It is extremely confusing, friends! Last we heard, Mini was trying to pare down its lineup on the heels of not-so-great sales of cars that aren't the Cooper hatchback and Countryman, but this indicates the Mini Paceman might survive after all.

In name, anyway. The insider claims the next Countryman will be influenced by Mini's Dakar rally car and be a larger, more practical, "proper go-anywhere SUV than before." He says more buyers would consider a Mini if it offered more practicality and flexibility, and that's in line with what the people at Mini have told me as well.

As for the next Paceman, it's going to be "sportier," but it will have five doors, if this report is accurate.

To recap: three door X2, five door Paceman. I don't know what's happening anymore!