The MINI has disc brakes all round, ventilated at the front. The front disc brakes measure 276x22mm, while those at the rear are 259x10mm. The braking system, with a diagonal dual-circuit arrangement, includes four-sensor ABS plus EBD and CBC as standard.

ABS or Anti-lock Braking System helps you maintain control and direction of the vehicle during an extreme braking maneuver.

EBD or Electronic Brakeforce Distribution controls the distribution of the hydraulic braking force between the front and rear wheels, ensuring the optimum braking power distribution between axles at all times and under different load conditions. If the car's rear axle is under heavy loading, a higher braking force than normal can be safely applied to the rear wheels, greatly improving the vehicle's braking abilities. The EBD mechanism is automatically activated under average braking pressure, long before the ABS would be required.

CBC or Cornering Brake Control tempers the natural tendency for a car to become unstable at the rear if the brakes are applied heavily while cornering. The system recognizes that the car is cornering and feeds more braking force to the outside front wheel and counteracts potential oversteer. This also means that more braking force can be fed to the rear brakes and the car is slowed down as fast as possible with maximum stability.

Two systems which provide stability and traction control are also offered for the MINI. Either of these systems, if fitted, can be deactivated by a toggle switch.

ASC+T or Automatic Stability Control plus Traction effectively prevents front wheel spin and guarantees stability. This smart electronic system uses the ABS sensors to detect any wheel slippage. When the system does so it automatically cuts power to the spinning wheel until it grips again.

It also works under deceleration on a slippery surface, if a wheel approaches lock-up due to engine braking. In this instance power is gently fed to that wheel to get it rolling again and so control is regained. A warning light comes on when the system is activated.

DSC or Dynamic Stability Control is an expansion of ABS and ASC+T. DSC monitors lateral and longitudinal forces on the car as well as throttle and steering inputs from the driver and any wheel slippage. Thus it determines the intended trajectory of the car and compares it to its actual course. If necessary, it can adjust the dynamic attitude of the car by applying braking forces to individual wheels and controlling throttle inputs.

If it detects oversteer, DSC applies the brake to the outer front wheel. If the driver is already braking, the computer increases the braking pressure on this wheel and reduces the pressure on the inside wheels. In the case of understeer, DSC applies braking force to the rear wheel on the inside of the bend. If the driver has already started braking, the braking pressure on the wheel on the inside of the curve is increased, whilst the pressure on the outer wheels is reduced.