MINI News
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So-called "extreme" sports--whether on skateboards, bicycles, or motorcycles--have made the backflip so commonplace we expect them to throw in a twist or some other flourish just to hold our interest. Not so with backflipping cars. In fact, not many have ever been done in any form. Here, MINI claims to attempt the first-ever "unassisted" backflip in a car--a heavily modified MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, to be exact. So--aside from the backflip itself--what makes this attempt so special? The lack of assist. People like Rhys Millen have done automotive backflips before (sometimes miffing...
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MINI Lays Out 2013 Detroit Auto Show Plans
We’re now just a few weeks out from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and in the lead up to the event a number of automakers are starting to preview their cars and concepts set for debut. Just yesterday we saw Cadillac tease its new 2014 ELR as well as BMW announce its full Detroit lineup, and now...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Prices The Paceman And The John Cooper Works GP
If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on a MINI Cooper Paceman, the coupe variant of its Countryman crossover, here’s what you need to know: the Paceman will go on sale on March 16, 2013, priced from $23,900, including the required $700 destination charge. That money buys you the...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Shows Off Cooper Countryman Dakar Rally Support Vehicle
Last January, MINI surprised the racing world by taking first place honors in the grueling Dakar Rally. Even more surprising was the fact that 2012 represented MINI’s very first attempt at the event, a testament to the preparation and planning of the X-raid Team, as well as the durability of...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Sets Another Pair Of Oddball World Records
Automakers used to strive for world records in categories like maximum distance traveled over a 24 hour period, or maximum average speed over time, or even maximum distance traveled on a single tank of gas. These days, however, world records set by automakers seem just a bit less... substantial...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Sets Off On An Expedition For The Record Books
MINI, it seems, is going to great lengths to stay in the public eye these days. YouTube is filled with videos showing MINI in increasingly-odd and vaguely-disturbing scenarios, such as its “Not Normal” series. If there’s a point in showing a guy dancing in a bear costume, or a...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI’s first offering with available all-wheel-drive, the Countryman crossover, enters its third year on the market in 2013. That means it’s time for a bit of a refresh, though those expecting significant differences between 2012 and 2013 models will likely be a bit disappointed. New exterior colors, including Brilliant Copper metallic and Blazing Red metallic, hit the order sheet, and MINI says that restructured equipment packages will make configuring the Countryman even easier this year. Inside, trim features now include air vent and speedometer trim rings in Carbon Black, or...
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MINI’s John Cooper Works Previews 2012 Essen Motor Show Lineup
The opening day of the 2012 SEMA show has just passed but in just over a month the German equivalent, the 2012 Essen Motor Show, is about to kick off. Only yesterday BMW revealed some of its lineup planned for Essen’s annual tuner event, and today it’s MINI’s turn. When it comes...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Ends Its Involvement In WRC Competition
Citing “a very difficult commercial environment,” BMW Senior Vice President MINI Business Coordination and Brand Management, Dr. Kay Segler, has announced that MINI will end its factory involvement in the FIA World Rally Championship at the end of the 2012 season. The announcement comes...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 MINI John Cooper Works GP Live Photos: 2012 Paris Auto Show
MINI revealed the 2013 John Cooper Works GP back in May, but we haven't seen it in in the metal until now. We spent some time at the MINI stand at the Paris Auto Show and let's just say we really like what we see. Why are we already in love with the new MINI JCW GP? Aside from the adjustable race...
Joel Feder -
Close Look At BMW’s New Three-Cylinder Engine Family
BMW has finally taken the wraps off its new three-cylinder engine family, which is expected to debut in the production version of the recently revealed Concept Active Tourer, and even reach the U.S. where it will be offered in the third-generation MINI Cooper. Eventually, it’s likely that...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 MINI Paceman Preview: 2012 Paris Auto Show
MINI has revealed the seventh addition to its ever-expanding lineup, the all-new 2013 MINI Paceman. Essentially a coupe version of the Countryman crossover, the new Paceman makes its official world debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show before--hopefully--hitting showrooms in the not too distant future...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI’s latest effort, the Paceman Coupe, is set to be revealed in production form at this month’s Paris Auto Show. The automaker also featured the upcoming Countryman-based coupe in an online article on the London food scene, inadvertently releasing this particular cat from its bag earlier than intended. Motoringfile, a site dedicated to all things MINI, was the first to (unofficially) post the photos, which it believed were fair game after having been shown on MINI Space, an official MINI site. “Not so fast,” said MINI, requesting that Motoringfile remove the images...
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MINI Talks Development Of Its John Cooper Works GP: Video
MINI has already made it perfectly clear that its new MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP will be the fastest production car its ever built, and a new series of videos gives us a good idea of how much MINI is sweating the details. While the original MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP, sold only in 2006...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 MINI Paceman Spy Video
MINI is set to reveal the seventh addition to its ever-expanding lineup, the all-new 2013 MINI Paceman. Essentially a coupe version of the Countryman crossover, the new Paceman is expected to be revealed in full in the coming months, with some tipping a debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show at the end...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Debuts New Electric Car At The London 2012 Olympic Games
MINI’s parent, BMW, is trying to put its best environmental foot forward in its support of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In addition to supplying low-emission vehicles for the games, BMW has also provided a fleet of 160 1-Series ActiveE models, used by broadcasters and...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Leaks Its New Paceman On Facebook
Not to be outdone by the legions of spy photographers who’ve captured the upcoming MINI Paceman and Paceman S in testing, MINI has posted these “spy shots” on its Facebook page of the Paceman (in all-wheel-drive, apparently) undergoing on-the-road testing. The Paceman, previously...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP Laps 'Ring In 8:23: Video
If MINI Cooper models were Mexican food, the Cooper would be mild, the Cooper S would be spicy, and the Cooper S John Cooper Works (JCW) would be extra-spicy. The limited-edition MINI Cooper JCW GP would be “Diablo,” with a heat level that required the signing of a liability waiver...
Kurt Ernst -
In today’s retail-driven world, vehicle manufacturers can make a significant amount of money selling branded goods like clothing and accessories. Ford, for example, makes an average of $1.5 billion per year selling swag, and it’s been said that Harley-Davidson makes more selling t-shirts and leather jackets than it does selling motorcycles. For any brand with loyal followers, there’s good money to be made by licensing its logo to sportswear manufacturers. PUMA, the German sportswear giant, has a long-standing co-branding relationship with Ferrari, co-sponsors a Global...
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MINI John Cooper Works Coupe GP Canceled?
Just two months ago, we brought you the first spy photos of the MINI John Cooper Works Coupe GP in all its compact, be-helmeted, sporty glory. Now it may be canceled. Why would MINI put the 215-ish-horsepower hotted up, trackday-ready Coupe GP on ice? That's not clear, aside from possible fears of...
Nelson Ireson -
2013 MINI Paceman S Spy Shots
MINI is readying the seventh addition to its burgeoning lineup, the all-new Paceman. And just like the rest of the MINI range, the Paceman will also have its sportier S and John Cooper Works trims. Today we have spy shots of the mid-level Paceman S, which should join the regular Paceman in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
What It's Like To Work At MINI USA: Video
The secret to a healthy work environment is getting along with your co-workers, since nothing hampers productivity quite like office discord. One way to ensure on-the-job tranquility is to unite employees with a common goal, no matter how daunting the task may be. At MINI USA, that task may be as...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Picks Paceman Name For New Countryman Coupe
Contrary to previous reports, the name of the two-door MINI Countryman first previewed as a concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show will keep its original “Paceman” title when it goes on sale early next year. The information was confirmed by the boss of MINI, Kay Segler, who was in the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
For Sale On Ebay: A 170 Horsepower Pro-Motive Mini
The idea of stuffing a big motor into a small car is nothing new, and the recipe has been tested by both tuners and manufacturers for decades. Sometimes, as with the original Shelby Cobra, the result is a car that’s fast, nose-heavy and utterly puckering to drive anywhere near its limit...
Kurt Ernst