Great Mini Cooper Clubman S on 2040-cars

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Mini recalls select 2015 Cooper Hardtops over seats

The new Mini Cooper Hardtop only recently reached the market, but already BMW is having to recall a limited number of the hatchbacks. The problem revolves around the front seats, whose adjustment mechanism may not fully lock into place. In the event of an accident, that could lead to the seatback folding unexpectedly, which carries with it an increased risk of injury for the driver and front passenger. The issue only affects the new 2015 Mini Cooper, specifically two-door Hardtop models manufactured in the short window between August 12 and September 2, 2014. That amounts to only 846 units, according to the notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which you can read below. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified to bring their Minis into their local dealership to have the seatback adjustment mechanisms realligned and tightened to remedy the problem. RECALL Subject : Seatback may Fold in Rear Impact Crash Report Receipt Date: NOV 10, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V721000 Component(s): SEATS Potential Number of Units Affected: 846 Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seatback adjustment mechanism may not be fully engaged. CONSEQUENCE: If the seatback adjustment mechanism is not fully engaged, the seatback may fold during a rear impact collision, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. REMEDY: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will re-align and re-tighten the seatback adjustment mechanisms, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in December 2014. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2017 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 | Pint-size performer with a premium price

Last September, Mini revealed the Clubman John Cooper Works (JCW). It applied the same general JCW formula used on the regular three-doors to the longest Mini by giving it even sportier suspension and the potent 228-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. But from there, Mini gave the Clubman JCW even more torque than other JCW models, and the most of any Mini model, with a total of 258 pound-feet. It also fitted standard all-wheel drive. On paper, it sounds like the ultimate performance Mini, and it doesn't hurt that it's about the most practical model. So how did it hold up in practice? First of all, this Mini has a serious weight problem. You might be tired of alarmist auto journalists whining about the increasing size of vehicles, but it's a major issue with this Mini. It actually weighs more than a V6 Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro weighs 3,435 pounds, and the Mini weighs 3,450. That's for the manual transmission version, too. Our automatic-equipped test car weighed more than that. As a result, it feels noticeably slower than the competition, despite making 228 horsepower and the aforementioned torque. There's an area in which the Clubman JCW could easily lose some weight, and that's in the all-wheel-drive system. It's a Haldex-style system that only kicks in when the front wheels start to slip, so it's only beneficial for traction in bad weather, not for improving the driving experience by, say, reducing the car's understeer. That's fine for more mainstream Minis, but the JCW line is all about performance and speed, so if the all-wheel-drive system doesn't improve the driving experience, it should simply be dropped to make the car lighter. Despite the Mini's prodigious portliness, there are good points. The engine is very smooth, and power comes on almost instantly. In more aggressive driving modes, the exhaust pops and burbles almost every time you lift off the gas pedal. T he eight-speed automatic paired with this engine was equally up to the task. Shifts were fast and smooth. And it even worked well leaving it in automatic mode. It held gears smartly, and it would downshift while braking to ensure you had the right gear when taking off again. The Clubman JCW also has the brand's trademark corner-carving skills. Body roll is nearly absent in the normal driving mode, and what little was evident is removed when switching to Sport mode. The car responds immediately to each steering input, and it has tenacious grip through corners.

2020 Mini Cooper S E electric car's reveal date announced

Although we've pretty much seen the production 2020 Mini Cooper S E electric hatchback, we've been in the dark about when the car, and more importantly its specifications, will officially be revealed. But now the company says we'll see it on July 9, just a few weeks away. As you can see above, the car pulls many design cues from the Frankfurt concept such as the mostly filled-in grille with a yellow-green stripe and the nifty four-spoke wheels. Of course it's also clearly and closely based on the regular Mini Hardtop, and it even features the Mini Cooper S hood scoop. That's another indication that Mini intends for it to be comparable to a sporty gas-powered model. We're most anxious for confirmation on performance specifications. In our prototype drive, we learned that the motor is based on the one from the BMW i3S, so it should make about 181 horsepower, just 8 shy of the gas-powered Mini Cooper S. But the range estimate given during the prototype drive was a rather low 120 miles. That's actually a little less than the 150 miles of the prototype Mini E from about a decade ago. More finalized numbers should be available after the official reveal.