To boost Mini's prospects of long-term profitability, parent BMW Group has decided the British brand needs to shrink its lineup to four nameplates from seven.
BMW also will simplify Mini's platform and plant lineup.
Mini is expected to discontinue three slow-selling nameplates -- the Coupe, Roadster and Paceman -- so it can concentrate on the four that accounted for about 95 percent of the nearly 325,000 vehicles it built last year, according to data from IHS Automotive.