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Mini Countryman Panamericana PHEV will tackle 16,000-mile trek

In addition to the electric version of the classic Mini, the cheeky British BMW subsidiary has another battery-powered offering to electrify attendees of the New York Auto Show. This one is a special version of the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, slated for a particularly impressive journey. The Mini Countryman Panamericana Plug-In Hybrid — or, rather, three of them — will traverse the world's longest north-south roadway route, traveling from North America to Tierra Del Fuego, at the very southernmost tip of South America. The biggest Mini gets a just a couple of upgrades for the high-mileage adventure, including tires with "emergency running characteristics" and a roof rack to carry a spare. The trip is meant to serve as a demonstration of the plug-in Mini's durability and performance, highlighting the benefits of a car combining electric mobility with traditional gasoline versatility. Its electric and gasoline motors provide a total of 224 horsepower, putting power to the front and rear wheels as needed. Mini notes that the Pan-American Highway, or the Panemericana, covers a total of about 16,000 miles, and requires a boat ride to cross the incomplete inter alia near the border between Panama and Colombia. The journey covers a number of different climatic zones, mountains and jungle and a range of surfaces ranging from smooth highways to gravel roads. Mini will be documenting the journey to the bottom of the world on its Instagram account. We'll be watching. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Countryman Panamericana Plug-In Hybrid View 19 Photos News Source: Mini Green New York Auto Show MINI Crossover Hatchback Electric Hybrid 2018 new york auto show panamericana

BMW will show Mini EV concept at Frankfurt

A month ago, BMW announced that it would electrify all its brands and model lines, including the Mini hatchback. A forthcoming full-electric Mini will enter production in 2019 at the Mini plant in Oxford, England, where the production line would join a German-built electric drivetrain with a British-built body. BMW notes that this will happen exactly 60 years after the original Mini hit the streets. View 5 Photos As the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show is upon us, BMW has introduced the concept version of the aforementioned electric Mini. The manufacturer says the color scheme chosen for the concept matches the previous electrified Mini, the experimental Mini E of 2008. That car was produced in a trial run of 600 units, and it provided BMW with valuable data as it was developing the i3 model, currently on the market. The Mini Electric Concept is powered by a lithium-ion battery, but no numerical specifications or range figures have been announced. It will be interesting to see whether the driving fun inherent to Minis can be translated, as a battery electric vehicle will undoubtedly be heavier than a fossil-fuel hatchback. The closed front grille stands as testament for doing without pistons or a need for engine cooling. Related Video: Related Gallery MINI Electric Concept Image Credit: BMW Green Frankfurt Motor Show BMW MINI Technology Emerging Technologies Hatchback Concept Cars Electric Frankfurt 2017

Why BMW doesn't plan to integrate Apple's iOS in the Car

While watching Apple introduce iOS in the Car during its WWDC keynote on Monday, we wondered how automakers, even the 14 who've already signed up to integrate this new in-car functionality of iOS 7, will feel about having the Cupertino company's mobile operating system supplant their own in-car systems. After all, some OEMs like Ford, General Motors and many luxury automakers have sunk millions of dollars into developing their own advanced infotainment, navigation and communication platforms like MyFord Touch, CUE and older systems like iDrive.
One automaker has now spoken up. A BMW spokeperson was interviewed by someone in the news department of British auto dealer group Arnold Clark and confirmed that the company would not be getting in line to integrate iOS in the Car anytime soon. The reason, as we suspected, is that BMW believes its own products developed over the last decade are both plenty good and already so deeply integrated with other systems of the car that, as told to Arnold Clark, "it would not be that straightforward to start changing all of the architecture of a car as has been implied [by Apple]."
While BMW isn't interested in spending more money to integrate Apple's services and functionality over its own, it has spent a good bit already to integrate iPhone functionality in its cars, including the relatively rare ability to support iPod Out and display Apple's own interface on Mini models with the optional Mini Connected feature, as well as committing to integrate Siri 'Eyes Free' functionality.