IT may seem like the ultimate contradiction but there will soon be a Cooper version of the Mini with a diesel engine.
This will be the first time that the two badges have been put together on a Mini and will be the last thing that fans of the original could ever have envisaged.
How times have changed. Now it is possible to create a diesel-powered Mini with enough performance to rival the original iconic Cooper S.
In its latest guise the Cooper D uses a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine to generate 110bhp.
This can launch the car from rest to 60mph in less than ten seconds whilst guaranteeing average economy of almost 65mpg.
When the Cooper D is added to the Mini line-up in April at a cost of £14,190 it will be joined by another new version, the entry-level Mini One costing £11,595.
This model will have a 1.4-litre petrol engine with a power boost from 90bhp to 95bhp whilst somehow managing to achieve a significant improvement in economy from 42mpg to 50mpg along the way.
The new models will be seen for the first time at the Geneva motor show in March with the One being distinguished by its black painted grille, door mirrors and tailgate handle.
The Cooper D gets a pronounced power dome on the bonnet, a larger air intake than that of other Minis and a body-coloured crossbar on the lower intake.