Mini Paceman photos leaked ahead of debut

In most cases, when a car is leaked by a manufacturer, it is done by accident. Say, a toy manufacturer gets ahold of schematics to make a replica, or perhaps it is inadvertently placed in the background of a promotional video. Either way, seldom does an automaker intentionally leak photos of an upcoming product on its own. But when it comes to the Paceman, it looks like Mini has been going in the other direction.

According to a MotoringFile.com report, Mini's own fan magazine, cleverly-named Mini Space, was responsible for leaking fully uncloaked images of the new crossover-coupe in a story about a pair of foodies eating their way through London's gastro scene. Not your typical product release to say the least.

From what we can see, the Paceman has elements of the Countryman crossover, including the tall front end, higher ground clearance and chrome signal accent at the base of the A-pillar. There are also visual cues that point to the all-new Mini Cooper Coupe, in the form of the raked rear window and elongated roof spoiler- though thankfully not as large as that of the Coupe.

Be sure to sift through our gallery of images, which appear to be scanned from the print version of the magazine. The online post which contained these images appears to have since been taken down. We will have more on the Mini Paceman when it officially bows in Paris later this month.