The BMW electric Mini Cooper is real: CAR has the first spy shots of the car that will help BMW meet California's zero-emissions requirement that first takes effect in 2012. Despite the fact that Mini Coopers are customized the world over, it was easy to spot this one: it has no exhaust pipes (see photo after the jump), and it has "hybrid" stickers all over it.

The magazine managed to snap off a few photos of the car during testing in Munich. BMW head Norbert Reithofer plans to officially unveil the electric Mini at the 2008 Los Angeles motor show in November. The mandate requires car manufacturers to build 7,500 non-polluting cars for California by 2014; anonymous sources say that BMW is going to build 500 electric Mini Coopers for 2012.