MINI News
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Mini on Thursday gave us our first look at some of the design of its electric Hardtop due in 2019. The vehicle was previewed as a concept at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, and judging by the latest teasers design elements from the show car will make it onto the upcoming production model. Specifically, the sealed-off grille with Mini's electric mobility logo and the unique four-spoke wheels from the concept will be faithfully transferred over to the production model. That accent bar running across the grille will actually light up. Mini is currently testing prototypes for the car, which is...
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2020 Mini Clubman spy shotsThe modern Mini's third-generation family is in the process of being updated. The first members off the line were the Mini Hardtop and Convertible, which were shown in January at the 2018 Detroit auto show. It looks like the Mini Clubman will be the next member to be updated, as evidenced by the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Classic Mini made electric for New York auto showMini didn't have a new car to present at the 2018 New York auto show. Instead, it had an old one. A very old one. The British brand unveiled a classic Mini on Wednesday in the Big Apple, one with an electric powertrain conversion. Why, you ask? Mini will launch an electric version of its Hardtop...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini plans to build electric vehicles in ChinaBMW Group, Mini's parent automaker, has signed a letter of intent to initiate a joint venture with China's Great Wall to produce battery-electric Minis in the country. Currently, the Mini plant in Oxford, England, is set to produce an electric Mini in 2019. The German automaker said production...
Sean Szymkowski -
Report: Next-gen Minis could come from China, ride on platform deveoped with Great WallThe BMW Group is in the requirements phase for its next-generation Mini family and options on the table reportedly include building the cars in China on a platform shared with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor. Bloomberg last October reported that BMW was in talks with Great Wall over plans to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Meet the new 2019 Mini Hardtop, same as the old MiniThe new 2019 Mini Cooper hatchback and convertible broke cover Tuesday, lifted straight from the pages of "If It Ain't Broke." Not much on the new model has changed, aside from small touches on the front bumper, Union Jack on the taillights outside, new logos, and bigger touchscreen infotainment on...
Aaron Cole -
Once strictly the domain of the ultra-luxury marques, Mini is now offering a high level of personalization for its cars. Under the banner of Mini Yours Customized, Mini owners from March will be able to personalize numerous areas of their cars including the dash trim, fender vents, puddle lamps and more. It’s all made economically feasible thanks to 3D printing and laser etching. A Mini owner simply designs the parts using a configurator on the automaker’s website, with a number of templates available to make things easier. The parts are then produced and delivered within a matter...
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2019 Mini Hardtop spy shotsMini’s third-generation Hardtop is encroaching on the midway point in its life cycle and will soon be updated to keep it looking and feeling fresh. A prototype for the updated model has just been spotted ahead of a likely debut early next year. We should see it arrive in showrooms as a 2019...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini adds dual-clutch transmissionMini is adding a third transmission option to its lineup in the form of a 7-speed dual-clutch unit that boasts faster gear shifts and improved efficiency compared to the manual and automatic transmissions currently on offer. Though yet to be confirmed for the United States, the DCT will be made...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW Group delivers over 100,000 electrified cars in 2017The BMW Group has reached its goal of delivering more than 100,000 electrified cars in 2017. The total includes hybrids and electric cars sold across the BMW and Mini brands. The 100,000th car was a BMW i3 finished in blue. It was handed over to its owner at the BMW Group headquarters in Munich...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini introduces new logoMini has revealed a new, more streamlined logo that will start appearing on the brand’s cars from March 2018. The new design does away with the three-dimensional, two-tone logo that has featured on every Mini since the brand was relaunched in 2000 under the guidance of the BMW Group. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mini John Cooper Works Buggy revealed for 2018 Dakar RallyMini and the X-Raid Team will head to the 2018 Dakar Rally with not one, but two rally racers. The Mini John Cooper Works Rally will return, but the all-new John Cooper Works Buggy also will tear up the terrain. Mini revealed the Buggy rally racer Tuesday and noted its rear-wheel-drive layout...
Sean Szymkowski -
Mini has taken to the 2017 SEMA show floor and brought with it a number of upgrade gifts. Owners of the Countryman and Clubman now have a foot in the John Cooper Works mod game thanks to a new kit. It's not just a looks upgrade either, as Mini is ready to unlock some more power as well. This is a proper use of SEMA for an automaker, one that's providing a little show and a dash of go. The JCW Tuning Kit includes a fresh exhaust system and a reflash of the engine management software. Thanks to the combination of reduced back pressure and a more eager ECU, the kit increases power output of...
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Your next Mini could come from ChinaYour next Mini could be sourced from a plant in China if a report from Bloomberg proves accurate. Mini’s BMW Group parent is allegedly in talks with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor over a deal to start Mini production in China, for local sale as well as export. The majority of Minis are...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant coming to BMWs and MinisThe BMW Group is the latest automaker to announce the addition of Amazon’s Alexa to its cars. The cloud-based voice activation system will start appearing in all BMW and Mini models from mid-2018. Voice activation has been around for years but most systems are still finicky things that more...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Concept hints at new Mini John Cooper Works GPMini is hinting at a new generation of its John Cooper Works GP with a concept on show this week at the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show. For those unfamiliar with the GP badge, it denotes a vehicle one step above the John Cooper Works grade. Mini tends to use it towards the end of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New concept previews Mini electric car coming in 2019BMW Group’s Mini brand was an early pioneer of mainstream electric cars. Some readers will recall the brand leased the Hardtop-based Mini E electric car on a trial basis late last decade to help gather feedback from the public. The BMW Group used the feedback for the i3 launched in 2014. But...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2019 Mini Hardtop 4 Door spy shotsIt was only in the past couple of months that we saw prototypes for updated versions of the Mini Hardtop and Mini Convertible. Now engineers from BMW’s small car brand are out testing a prototype for an updated Hardtop 4 Door. (Elsewhere the vehicle is known as the Mini 5 Door.) Since the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The BMW Group confirmed on Thursday that Oliver Heilmer will take over as the new design boss at Mini. Mini's last design boss, Anders Warming, left the brand last summer to join Chinese-backed automaker Borgward. Heilmer is currently head of BMW Group’s Designworks studio and will start his new role on September 1. He will report to Adrian van Hooydonk who heads the design teams for all BMW Group brands. Heilmer’s appointment ends speculation that Frank Stephenson, the designer of the first-generation Mini Hardtop, was about to return to the brand. Stephenson had been heading...
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How can the Nissan Titan brake quicker than a Mini?A Nissan Titan weighs 5,811 pounds. A Mini Countryman weighs 3,629. The former requires a shorter distance to reach a complete stop from 60. Sounds crazy, but it's true, and Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to, well, explain how the full-size pickup truck can out-brake a Mini...
Sean Szymkowski -
Fifth and final brand pillar at Mini will be upcoming EVPeter Schwarzenbauer, the boss of Mini, in 2015 started talking about a refocus of the brand around five core models or pillars. Since he made those comments, we’ve already seen four of those pillars introduced. They include latest versions of the Hardtop (and Hardtop 4 Door), Convertible...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
McLaren design boss Frank Stephenson rumored to rejoin MiniOwners of the first generation of the modern Mini should be doing a happy dance today, because if a certain rumor is true the man behind the iconic, retro-inspired design could be coming home to the brand. Motoringfile, a site exclusively focused on Mini-related news, is reporting a rumor that...
Brandon Turkus -
2019 Mini Convertible spy shotsIt was only a few weeks ago that we saw a prototype for an updated Mini Hardtop. Now engineers from BMW’s small car brand are out testing a prototype for an updated Convertible. Since the current Mini Convertible only went on sale a year ago, expect only minimal changes for the updated model...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
David Brown Automotive reveals the Singer of MinisMini is an iconic brand with a storied history in producing small economy cars beginning in the late 1950s. But, by today's standards, Mini isn't so miniature anymore. And while the brand keeps the Mini Rocketman in limbo, David Brown Automotive has returned with a modern take on the classic...
Sean Szymkowski