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Mini reveals Untold, Resolute and Untamed special editions for 2023

Mini is aggressively stepping into the world of special editions for its 2023 model year lineup, and it’s revealing three of them today. They include the Untold Edition, Resolute Edition and Untamed Edition. Not all special editions are available on all models, but every model gets at least one special edition To our delight, all of these models are legitimately interesting in their appearance, so letÂ’s dive right into it. Mini Untold Edition The Untold Edition is specifically for the Clubman, and you can spec it on the modelÂ’s performance trims, including the S, S All4 and John Cooper Works. ItÂ’s the flashiest of the three special editions, and much of that can be attributed to the 18-inch “Refined Brass” and black two-tone wheels. This wheel is exclusive to the Untold Edition, and itÂ’s bound to turn heads. The exterior is done in Sage Green paint, but Mini has done something a little special to further separate the exterior from normal Clubmans by color-matching the plastic cladding to the exterior paint. This is done by dyeing it during production, and it visually lowers the ride height by giving the whole car a generally uniform color. Other trim pieces are done in either “Refined Brass” or glossy black to give a premium and sinister look. You get some intriguing hood and roof stripes, and the side scuttles are 3-D-printed with a unique pattern. Mini attacks the interior by installing leather seats in a paint-matching Sage Green with contrasting seams and piping. YouÂ’ll see Sage Green accents on the dash, and the air vents mimic exterior trim in Refined Brass. YouÂ’ll find “Untold Edition” logos in a few different places, like the steering wheel and side sills. The Mini Cooper S Clubman Untold Edition starts at $42,500. ItÂ’s based on the top-rung Iconic trim (just like the other special editions announced today), which means it comes loaded with most any option you might want. If you desire the JCW version, the price jumps to $49,750. Mini is allowing you to spec these special editions by just adding a separate option package onto the car. For example, a regular Clubman S is made into an Untold Edition via a $2,250 package. Mini Resolute Edition The Resolute Edition can be applied to the widest range of Minis, including the Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door, Cooper S Hardtop 4 Door, Cooper S Convertible and Cooper SE. Yes, this is the one you can get if you want the electric Mini SE.

Mini testing new JCW on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

Mini fans have had plenty to chew on lately. In the past month alone, the Anglo-Saxon automaker revealed its quirky, one-off Paceman Adventure pickup and dazzled showgoers over the weekend at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este with the Superleggera Vision concept. But what enthusiasts (to say nothing of dealers) have been really waiting for since the debut of the new Mini hatchback late last year has been the new John Cooper Works performance model. And that's just what we have here.
Spied undergoing testing at the Nürburgring, this JCW prototype looks about ready for production, but is still keeping its front end under wraps. We can still discern the larger front intakes and bigger brakes with red calipers front and rear, and while the rear bumper is still stock, the wheels are definitely JCW: similar to those worn by the John Cooper Works Concept unveiled in Detroit a few months ago, they look more like five-spoke versions of the outgoing GP model's four-spoke units than the BBS-style alloys of the last John Cooper Works hatchback.
The new JCW is still probably a few months away from debut, but we're expecting around 230 horsepower under the hood when it does arrive.

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.