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Mini expands All4 to non-turbo Countryman, Paceman models

Mini is giving buyers the chance to sink their teeth into all-wheel drive on more models than ever. The automaker has announced the Coper Countryman and Paceman can now be had with the company's All4 all-wheel drive system. Previously, the option was only available on turbocharged Cooper S and John Cooper Works versions of the high-riding Minis. Buyers will be able to chose between the standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional six-speed automatic gearbox, and Mini says the naturally aspirated Cooper Countryman All4 can pull to 60 miles per hour in a languid 11.9 seconds when powered by a 122-horsepoer 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.
We suppose what it lacks in speed it makes up for in determination. Likewise, the Cooper Paceman All4 does the deed in 11.8 seconds, though automatic models are somewhat quicker. Check out the full press release below for more information. Mini hasn't announced pricing for its new, less-powerful All4 models just yet.

Mini Countryman Boardwalk limited edition strolls into the 2021 lineup

Mini released several limited- and special-edition variants of the Hardtop for the 2021 model year, but it's not forgetting about the bigger Countryman. It announced a new version of the crossover named Boardwalk that stands out with an eye-catching shade of blue borrowed from its smaller sibling, among other visual tweaks. If the Boardwalk looks familiar, it's because the metallic Deep Laguna blue was inaugurated by the Convertible Sidewalk edition (pictured in the gallery) introduced for the 2020 model year and sold globally in limited numbers. It was added to the Countryman lineup by popular demand, according to the BMW-owned firm, and its leap from the Sidewalk to the Boardwalk was accompanied by black paint on the roof and on the door mirrors. Mini pointed out its stylists drew inspiration from a boardwalk's wooden planks to design the emblems they put on both fenders. Edition-specific logos also appear on the roof, on the sill plates, and on the dashboard. Globally, the edition can be paired with the Cooper and the Cooper S. Mini confirmed to Autoblog that the Boardwalk will be sold in the United States, but it hasn't revealed how many examples it will send here, or how much the model will cost. We've asked, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Updated for the 2021 model year, the Countryman won't remain Mini's only crossover for much longer. Executives announced plans to realign the model range during the 2020s by putting a bigger emphasis on crossovers. One of the two upcoming high-riding cars will be a Countryman-sized electric models, while the other will arrive as a bigger people-mover that will allegedly ride on BMW's modular CLAR platform. Related video:

Mini attempts first-ever backflip in a car

Not too long ago, the idea of doing a backflip seemed almost impossible on two wheels let alone four, but now the stunt is routinely performed using everything from dirtbikes to monster trucks. Now Mini is getting into the game by attempting to perform a backflip with French stuntman Guerlain Chicherit behind the wheel of a highly modified Countryman, which it claims is the first-ever attempt at doing so with a car.
Another unique element of the jump that Mini is claiming is in regards to the ramp. Past automotive backflips, including Rhys Millen's 2009 jump to ring in the New Year, have used special ramps that help rotate the car, but the ramp Chicherit uses is "unassisted" and the backflip is attempted using only "a gas pedal and a prayer" according to a Mini spokesman for the event.
The video posted below is only a teaser showing the car launch up into the air, but while we have to wait until February 10 to see the final result, it sounds like the landing was a success. According to the Chicherit's Facebook page, practice for the stunt took 18 months of work with "lots of crashes."