2006 - Mini Cooper S on 2040-cars

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2025 Mini Countryman E makes U.S. debut, arrives fall 2024

The 2025 Mini Countryman was revealed in electric SE ALL4 form at this year’s Munich Motor Show, but now itÂ’s time to see the base E version of the next-gen Countryman make its debut in the U.S. As you can see from the photos, the base E (painted in green) looks notably different from the SE ALL4. All of the gold-tinged accents are replaced with glossy black, and the distinctive panel aft of the C pillar nearly disappears into the design because it blends into all the other black-painted trim. The front grille design is similar, but it doesnÂ’t have the matte gold surround or the side intakes on the corners of the lower bumper. Of course, the green “S” isnÂ’t present either, and the look in general is far less sporty. Perhaps the most jarring of all the changes is the different (and much smaller) wheel design. Instead of the 20-inch flashy blades seen on the SE model, this Countryman E is rocking much more sedate 18-inch wheels in a traditional bright alloy appearance. All that extra sidewall makes the Countryman look more like the larger crossover that it is, and ultimately, our eyes tend to favor the larger wheel option. The Countryman EÂ’s rear design is largely the same as the SE, though the lower bumper features a painted insert instead of brushed brightwork. MiniÂ’s bright side sills are deleted on the E, as well, replaced by a simple, black plastic sill. Unfortunately, this reveal is largely just a reveal in photos. The only nugget of information Mini had to add is that this electric Countryman will arrive stateside in the fall of 2024. Basically, youÂ’ve got at least another year to wait until you can put one in your driveway. More specs and details for the U.S. market will be released in due course. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2025 Mini Countryman E View 12 Photos Green MINI Crossover SUV Electric

KBB 2013 Brand Image Awards has some obvious and oddball winners

The sixth edition of the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards have crowned a wide range of winners - in a couple of cases the recipient of the laurels might say more about KBB users than they do about the actual winner. Compiled from the responses of more than 12,000 shoppers on KBB.com over the past year, there are 13 categories broken into non-luxury, luxury and truck segments "representing the combined wisdom of the American car-buying public."
The award categories have been revamped this year, with some dropping off, some new ones appearing and at least one other given a new term. What isn't surprising is that Honda won Most Trusted Brand for the second year running, Best Value Brand for the third year in a row and took Best Overall Brand, which wasn't on last year's list of awards.
On our own shores, in the non-luxury categories Chrysler got Most Refined Brand and Buick took Best Value Luxury Brand. Neither one of those marques won anything in last year's Brand Image Awards, while Cadillac, which won Best Interior Design Brand and Best Comfort Brand last year - those awards disappeared this year - went home without a single accolade.

Why the 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP doesn't have a manual

LOS ANGELES — The 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP is an interesting machine. While it shares a lot in common with its predecessors, such as the big rear wing, no rear seat, four-spoke wheels and other aggressive design cues, it has a number of distinct differences. In particular, it has a massive amount of power relative to old models, and it doesn't have a manual transmission. This all left us with some questions that we brought to some Mini representatives. We'll start with the big one: "Where's our manual?" The representatives said a lot about how manual take rates are declining, and the smooth, quick-shifting automatic transmission fits a track-oriented car. But they also eventually admitted that they don't have a manual transmission available that would be strong enough to handle the turbo 2.0-liter engine's 301 horsepower and prodigious 332 pound-feet of torque. On the other hand, the engine, which is also used in the John Cooper Works Countryman, Clubman, and small BMWs, already has an automatic developed. And obviously, the company didn't feel it was worth it to develop a stronger gearbox for a run of just 3,000 cars. At the very least, having experienced Mini automatics in the past, they are good, and to make the experience a little more engaging, Mini has custom 3D-printed aluminum alloy shift paddles for the GP that do feel good. Another thing we were curious about was the disappearance of the Nurburgring lap time from the dashboard. Spy shots showed a time of 7:56.69 on a 3D-printed dash panel. The 3D-printed dashboard remains, but it will now have each model's production number instead. The display car uses 2020 as an example. The Mini representatives said that past customers cared more about which number of car they had, rather than a lap time. This is also in keeping with past GP models that all displayed their production numbers somewhere in the interior. The new GP's most striking features, though, are its carbon fiber fender flares. They serve a couple of purposes, such as accommodating the car's wider track and tires. According to one of the representatives, they also help direct airflow and reduce drag, but she didn't say by how much. Then there's the appearance, which is unusual at the least, looking almost like vertical wings, and it's inspired by the outrageous concept. Although they're made of carbon fiber, it's more of a molded style than the woven variety seen on many cars.