MINI auto news

Top Gear to recreate the Italian Job Mini sewer chase scene in Belfast?

It's been six years since director F. Gary Gray assembled an all-star cast including Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham and Donald Sutherland to recreate the Michael Caine classic The Italian Job. And though the remake bore little resemblance to the original, the one part which the modern pretenders made sure to include was a recreation of the famous Mini police chase scene. Leave it to the Brits, though, to reclaim their national treasure, as new reports indicate that the BBC's hit car show Top Gear is planning a reenactment of their own.

Both the 1969 original and the 2003 remake featured scenes where the protagonists evade police pursuit in the sewers hauling millions of dollars worth of gold bars. The original was set in Turin but shot in Coventry (whose sewer system was then under construction) while the remake was set in Los Angeles, but Top Gear is gearing up to shoot in Belfast. Okay, you figure, Top Gear has set up lots of off-the-wall races already, right? This segment was actually pitched to the TG crew by the local water company, eager to promote the £100m new works project that has been under way since 2005 to replace the Victorian-era plumbing system in the Northern Ireland. Thanks for the tip, Sam... this ought to be good.

Rumored Mini coupe to be dubbed Broadspeed?

Those folks concerned with All Things Mini over at Motoringfile have some more salacious gossip regarding the rumored coupe and speedster variants. A conceptual version of the fixed-head sportster is expected at the Frankfurt Motor Show this autumn, and according to the website, the model will carry the moniker 'Broadspeed Coupe.' (Quick history lesson: A team by the name of Broadspeed raced Mini Coopers back in the 1960's, and they even went so far as to produce a racier coupe version of the of the Mark 1 1275 S (shown above).

Regardless of what they end up being called, the Mini coupe and speedster are expected to be based on the current model - reportedly making them the last such iterations to be based on the R57 platform. An earlier report pegged the coupe model as being available exclusively in hardcore John Cooper Works spec, but now Motoringfile suggests that due to economic and regulatory pressures, both cars will likely be offered as complete families, with standard Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW flavors.

Mini launches entry-entry-level First Cooper abroad

A new MINI is rolling out in the U.K., and it is designed to be the brand's most affordable model. It's called the "MINI First," and the two-door is only available in hatchback form. The standard powerplant is a 1.4-liter, 75 horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Its claimed 0-62 mph time of 13.2 seconds won't make it first away from the light, but it will be passing quite a few petrol stations with a combined fuel consumption of 53.3 miles-per-gallon.

Starting at £10,950 (or about $17,950 USD unadjusted for Britain's costlier car market), the First is hardly entry-level when it comes to technology. Standard features - with fuel efficiency in mind - include auto start-stop, regenerative braking, variable valve timing, and a shift point indicator. There is no word on any plans to bring this model Stateside, but if you are interested, you can check out the car in the gallery below and read more in the full press release after the break.

Gallery: 2009 MINI First

Continue reading Mini launches entry-entry-level First Cooper abroad

BMW trademarks "Countryman" for Mini crossover name?

Thanks to a few eagle-eyed BMW fans with a handy penchant for tracking trademark filings, we may know the name of the upcoming and oft-spied Mini crossover: the Countryman. If this is indeed the case, the badge would go hand-in-hand with BMW's current naming convention for its Mini line, which includes the extended-length Clubman in addition to the standard Cooper and convertible. We're expecting the new CUV to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in production form as a 2011 model.

Interestingly, BMW also trademarked the name ActiveE, which some are speculating will be the moniker applied to the automaker's upcoming electric vehicles as it matches up quite nicely with BMW's present ActiveHybrid series. Last year, the German automaker reserved the name eDrive, and it seems the two labels could somehow be paired together as part of the company's Project I initiative.

Gallery: MINI Crossover Concept

Spy Shots: Mini Cooper Crossover spotted in California

Mini has been caught testing its upcoming Cooper Crossover in the deserts of California, and these two prototypes, despite their psychedelic paint schemes, provide the most clear view yet of the small soft roader. What's of particular note is that these two prototypes do not share the same front end, perhaps because one is the naturally aspirated model and the other turbocharged. The trailing Cooper Crossover prototype features a more typical Mini grille with horizontal slats and a fog light at each corner. The prototype leading the pack, however, features a mesh grille and lower air intake with two inlets.

Based on the Mini Crossover Concept that debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the production version appears to have more in common with the standard Mini Cooper than the extra large Clubman model. While it does sport an extra pair of doors like the Clubman, these prototypes appear to feature rear lift gates that swing up rather than being split vertically down the center. And while ground clearance does appear to be up relative to a standard Mini, these long-wheelbase, four-door Coopers are far from being rock crawlers.

Check out the rest of our latest spy shots in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Mini Cooper Crossover - spy shots

[Photos: KGP Photography]

Mini dealership network to expand by 20% to meet demand

The next 18 months will be huge for BMW's MINI brand. Execs are looking for big sales increases by 2011, and the fuel efficient little car company is adding 17 dealerships to its retail network in that time frame to help get the job done. The additional dealerships will predominantly go to urban areas that don't currently have a MINI presence, bringing the total figure to 100 dealerships in the States. MINI is looking for a "double digit increase" from 2008's record 54,077 U.S. sales by 2011; a number that is impressive considering the current state of industry sales, but more likely due to the addition of a new model line (Clubman) as much as anything else. With more dealers in the fold, the lofty sales goals ought to be attainable, though, provided the nation's economy improves.

The first new dealer network, which comes online later this year, will be in Birmingham, Alabama. The next 18 months will see still more openings in urban hotspots like Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington. For a complete list of new locations, hit the jump to read the press release.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

Continue reading Mini dealership network to expand by 20% to meet demand

VIDEO: Mini at 50 is Rebel Without Pause

While it's certainly fair to pick nits and say that Mini's revival under BMW has resulted in a markedly different product than Sir Alec Issigonis' original machine, it's also fair to say that the world has once again embraced the friendly-faced little guy with open arms like few other automobiles before or since. As it was in the beginning, the Mini is a bona-fide cultural phenomenon, effortlessly transcending social and economic classifications to become the darling of auto enthusiasts and trend setters everywhere. Critically, as before, it's a also great steer - a nimble, tossable car capable of running rings around bigger, more powerful machinery on-track and off.

Consider it fitting, then, that Issigonis' big little achievement celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new, nicely done short film called Rebel Without Pause. The video features both contemporary and classic Minis in both modern and archival footage, and conveniently, it's available after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: Mini at 50 is Rebel Without Pause

IIHS: Small car bumpers cost big bucks to repair

Driving a small car in the urban environs they're so well suited for can add up in big repair bills, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Low speed incidents in parking lots and on tight city streets are everyday occurrences that seemingly shouldn't cost a lot to set right, but they apparently wind up costing consumers many thousands of dollars each year. The smallest cars on the market also have tiny price tags, making the price of repairs a much larger percentage of what the vehicle cost in the first place. The IIHS recently evaluated the bumpers of some of the tiniest vehicles on the market in low-speed incidents, and the results dovetail with the agency's equally low impressions of vehicle-to-vehicle impact performance of small-segment vehicles. A new damage assessment criteria was used to more closely mirror reality, and the cars underwent four tests: two corner impacts and two full width impacts on the bumpers.

Of the seven cars tested, only the Smart ForTwo earned an "acceptable" rating, with most of the pack scoring "poor." Worst was the Kia Rio's startling $9,380 total damage tally, by far the most expensive showing in the test. The Honda Fit and Mini Cooper may be more highly regarded in the small car segment, but both of those models also score poorly.

In diametric opposition to what anyone might actually enjoy driving, the Smart ForTwo and the Chevrolet Aveo came out best in terms of repair costs, bashing their way to $3,281 and $4,490 in total damage, respectively. It's clear from the IIHS' testing where bumpers often failed to engage or slid under the test barrier, that the way improve on the tests is to pay closer attention to bumper position in all circumstances when designing a car. If the bumper doesn't match up properly, bodywork ends up bearing the brunt of the impact, making even low-speed collisions expensive propositions. Hit the jump to see a video and a chart of the results along with the full release.

Continue reading IIHS: Small car bumpers cost big bucks to repair

Officially Official: Mini Cooper JCW World Championship 50 details and photos released

Although it actually debuted at the Mini United Festival at Silverstone late last month, the special edition Mini Cooper John Cooper Works World Championship 50 (good luck getting all of that script on the hatch lid, gents) has finally received a full slate of details and press images.

The special edition was designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of the Mini's motorsports successes, as well as John Cooper's victory in the F1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship with Jack Brabham manning the controls. Limited to just 250 examples, the MCJCWWC50 features the standard JCW's 211-hp turbo four, along with a full slate of celebratory garnishes inside and out.

Available exclusively in Connaught Green (a new color for Mini), all examples receive Pepper White stripes down the hood and roof, a color scheme designed to invoke the livery of Cooper F1 cars. There are also cross-spoke Challenge alloy wheels finished in black, a bunch of carbon-fiber bits (hood scoop, rear diffuser, mirror caps, tailgate handle) and special numbering. The model was designed in conjunction with John Cooper's son, "John" Michael Cooper, whose signature appears on the hood stripe and on a special fascia plate.

Inside, there's carbon black leather with red piping and stitching throughout, along with more carbon fiber bits (fascia, door handles), an Alcantara steering wheel, and a six-speed manual gearbox - no torque converters allowed in this celebration.

All-in, this looks like a tidy package not just for collectors, but enthusiasts as well. No word yet on how much this limited-edition hatchback will cost, but if Mini's current pricing stratagem is anything to go by... it won't be cheap.

Gallery: Mini Cooper JCW World Championship 50

Continue reading Officially Official: Mini Cooper JCW World Championship 50 details and photos released

Little Schnitzer: German tuner tweaks the Mini Cabrio

AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper S convertible - Click above for a high-res image gallery

From the base model all the way up to the JCW, there's no shortage of trim levels available for the Mini and its various body-styles. But if you're looking for something a little different, BMW tuner par excellence AC Schnitzer has released a full tuning package for the latest R57 Mini Cabrio.

The treats start under the hood, where Schnitzer takes the Cooper S and pumps it up from 175 horsepower (good) to 208 horsepower for the domestic market (better) or 226 horsepower for export (booyah!). Not the kind of tuning house to tweak the engine and leave the rest untouched, AC's also offering a limited slip differential, an adjustable suspension setup, a sport exhaust. Naturally, the buyer can trim out their Cooper with manner of visual upgrades, too, from the aero package to the various rolling stock options and all the requisite decals and interior trim touches.

Gallery: AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper S cabrio