MINI News
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A new generation of the Mini Countryman is just around the corner and on Monday we received confirmation that the compact SUV will be the brand’s first hybrid. Mini says the arrival of the hybrid Countryman marks the start of a new phase for the brand, one that is electrified yet still centered on driving fun. The hybrid Countryman features a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Mini hasn’t provided details but we can confirm the setup is similar to the one found in the related BMW 225xe. The 225xe, which isn’t sold in the...
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BMW confirms plans for electric X3, Mini
BMW was one of the first mainstream automakers to make the foray into electric cars when it started leasing battery-powered versions of its Mini Hardtop and 1-Series Coupe last decade. However, the automaker's much-hyped i division, launched in 2013 as a sub-brand dedicated to eco-friendly...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Mini Clubman spawns 228-hp John Cooper Works model
Mini’s extra versatile Clubman was redesigned for the 2016 model year. For 2017 it spawns its high-performance John Cooper Works model. The car is a hot hatch that packs a turbo four, all-wheel drive and track-tuned suspension. In other words, it’s anathema to the boring buzz boxes you...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Mini Countryman spy shots
The Mini Countryman was updated for 2015 but development of a successor is nearing its final stages. A prototype for the new Countryman has just been spotted, revealing many of the details of the next-generation compact crossover. It appears designers have adopted a boxier, more rugged look for the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini design boss Anders Warming moves to Borgward
Danish designer Anders Warming has left the BMW Group where he worked for the past 16 years to join fellow German automaker Borgward. Borgward went out of business more than half a century ago but was recently revived by a descendant of the founder of the original company, as well as Chinese...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fuel tank fabrication and wheel widening: Project Binky Episode 13
Got a good half hour this Saturday morning to watch a couple of British guys entertain you while building one of the the world's fastest Minis? No, well make the time because you're in for some laughs and you might learn something, too. Project Binky is the work of Nik Blackhurst and Richard...
Kirk Bell -
No one is quite sure what came first: the automobile, or a name for it. Giving cars people's names is as old as carmaking itself. Sure, some cars already have a name (Civic, Elantra, Tacoma) but those are mostly boring. Other cars have alphanumeric mashups that defy logic (XT5, Q30, X4 M40i) and those are certainly boring. With their cute looks and gokart handling, Mini Coopers invite personification and additional names, in part, because they already have a person's name. The first ever Mini census held this month revealed that the world's most popular name for Cooper...
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Mini’s Vision Next 100 is your urban runabout of the future
Fellow BMW Group brand Mini has unveiled its own Vision 100 Next concept celebrating its parent company’s centennial this year. Previously we saw Vision 100 Next concepts from BMW and Rolls-Royce previewing the future of luxury and ultra-luxury, respectively. With Mini’s concept...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
An original Mini fits inside today's Mini Countryman
New vehicles are getting bigger, and no car brand illustrates this point better than Mini. Current Mini models are still smaller than most other new cars, but they're not exactly "mini," especially compared to the original version that debuted in 1959. On top of that, Mini keeps adding larger...
Stephen Edelstein -
Mini rolls out Seven special edition Hardtop
Mini has rolled out the first special edition version of its third-generation Hardtop, and the car features a name we’ve seen before. It’s called the Mini Seven, a name some readers will recall was last used for the first generation of the modern Mini back in the early 2000s. The name...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini launches new service to help owners rent out their cars
BMW's Mini division will not only gladly sell you a new car, it will also soon help you rent it out to other people. As part of BMW's ever-expanding ride and car-sharing initiative, Mini owners will be able to opt in to a BMW-run network that would make their cars available to registered members...
Andrew Ganz -
Mini sports car plans dropped in favor of sedan?
Last year, the boss of Mini Peter Schwarzenbauer started talking about a refocus of the brand around five core models or pillars. The pillars already include the new Hardtop (and Hardtop 4 Door), Convertible and Clubman. Later this year, the new Countryman will arrive as the fourth pillar. That...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI’s bigger, more premium second-generation Clubman that’s just gone on sale will offer the option of all-wheel drive starting this April. All-wheel drive, known as ALL4 in MINI-speak, will be offered on the entire range in the United States, which at present includes just the base Cooper and sporty Cooper S. The good news is that adding ALL4 won’t cost you any performance. The Cooper ALL4 Clubman still manages 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, while the Cooper S ALL4 Clubman and its turbocharged 2.0-liter...
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2016 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible debuts in New York
Mini has revealed the performance-oriented John Cooper Works version of its redesigned convertible, and announced pricing for the rest of the convertible lineup. The base Mini Cooper convertible will run $26,800, the Cooper S will cost $30,450, and the John Cooper Works model will be priced at...
Kirk Bell -
Hyundai & MINI Hire Some Big Names For Super Bowl 50: Video
When it comes to Super Bowl spots, animals and celebrities tend to be the two most popular options. We’ll be seeing both during Super Bowl 50, where on February 7 the Carolina Panthers will take on the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Yesterday, we saw...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Confirms Super Bowl 50 Spot
MINI is set to return to the Super Bowl after a five-year hiatus. The automaker has teamed up with advertising agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners to craft a 30-second spot that will feature in the third-quarter of the game. The information was confirmed by a MINI spokesperson to Advertising...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 Mini Clubman first drive review
MINI is now in its second decade under the BMW aegis, and apparently, it's time for some soul-searching. Breathe easy, now. The Cooper is fine. Even though it's bigger than ever, it's also a pretty nimble, fun-loving hatchback, even with a three-cylinder engine. It's unscathed by the reshaping...
Martin Padgett -
Brit Sets Two Tightest Parallel Park Records: Video
Alastair Moffatt is better at parking than you. Much better, in fact. He has the certification to prove it. You see, Moffatt is the Guinness World Records holder of the title "Tightest Parallel Parker." Now he's added a new title with the addition of "Tightest Reverse Parallel Parker." Yes, he is...
Jeff Glucker -
MINI’s second-generation Clubman goes on sale in January, priced from about $25k. However, at launch only the Cooper and Cooper S variants will be available. The one we’re most keen on is the high-performance John Cooper Works, which comes later in 2016. A prototype for the new John Cooper Works Clubman has just been spotted. We know this is the JCW variant because of the enlarged intakes up front, chunky roof-mounted spoiler, exhaust tips finished in chrome, and what appears to be a rear diffuser. Expect the same engine fitted to the latest JCW Hardtop to be nestled under the...
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2016 Mini Convertible debuts at 2015 Tokyo auto show
Set to join the latest Hardtop and Clubman in MINI showrooms next year is a new Convertible, revealed in full today at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The pint-sized drop-top is confirmed to go on sale in the United States next March, meaning it will most likely arrive as a 2016 model. At launch there...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible spy shots
A new generation of the MINI Convertible is just around the corner, and once again there will be all the separate variants such as the base Cooper, sporty Cooper S and high-performance John Cooper Works. It’s the latter that’s featured in our latest round of spy shots, with the car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 MINI Clubman Priced From $24,950
MINI’s bigger, more premium second-generation Clubman goes on sale in January and we can confirm that it will be priced from $24,950 for the base Cooper, including an $850 destination charge. That’s almost $2k higher than the starting price of the outgoing model, but the new Clubman...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Sports Car Based On Superleggera Concept Coming In 2019: Report
Remember that very un-MINI MINI concept? It seems the automaker is examining the idea of creating a production version. MINI recently confirmed it was moving to a lineup of five core models, and one of these is to be a sports car-like offering to fill the void left by the discontinued Coupe and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Confirms Five Core Models, Announces Radical Car Sharing Program
Coinciding with this week’s unveiling of its new, much more premium second-generation Clubman, MINI made a few additional significant announcements. One of these was confirmation of the oft-mentioned move to a lineup consisting of five core models, which will allow MINI to focus on building...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran