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Mini pokes fun at Anthony Weiner using fake Twitter account

Mini, never one to pass on a marketing opportunity, has pounced on the plight of embattled New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, who seems to have an issue with sending pictures of his genitals to young women. Observers will notice that this is the second time the unfortunately named Mr. Weiner has been in the spotlight for his picture messages.
Capitalizing on Weiner's alias, Carlos Danger, Mini has created an account on Twitter - @CarlosDMotor. With a note on the profile page listing "Danger" as the account's middle name, it's sent out just one tweet, containing the message, "Wanna get your hands on my stick?" Attached to the Tweet is a scantily clad Mini Cooper S, with a towel around its "waist" snapping a picture. Too soon? To borrow the brilliant pun from AdWeek, the "auto erotica" was the idea of Mini's marketing agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. Click below for the full tweet.

Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria

2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door will have new head- and taillight designs

Squint hard and you'll still probably see the exact same car. Squint really hard, then pull up multiple side-by-side photos on multiple screens, call in a buddy, and then you just might be able to see how the 2019 Mini Cooper will differ from the current model year. This is a midcycle refresh of a Mini - if you were expecting something different, we don't like your odds in Vegas. But, let's take a look at what is clearly new on the test mules spotted by spy photographers in Germany. Although the camo is doing a bang-up job, the taillights are different than the circular, bubble-like elements that are currently on the Cooper and that we saw in our last 2019 Cooper spy photos. The reverse light seems to be in the same position, but the bold horizontal LED strip could indicate the Cooper will be adopting the Union Jack-inspired taillights from the Mini John Cooper Works GT Concept unveiled at Frankfurt in September. On the other hand, those concept taillights did not have the large vertical element of this camo'd test mule, nor can we see any evidence of diagonal elements. Maybe they're just going with an English flag homage, to hell with the rest of Britain? Maybe not. Up front, the headlight clusters are also different, but they do seem to be the same upgraded headlights we saw on that Mini test mule back in May. There is without question a visual similarity between these and the JCW GP Concept - albeit without the red color. We're not sure what the rest of the camo might be hiding up front, but it doesn't seem to be anything major. Back at the rear, there seems to now be a bit of a lip built into the trim piece above the license plate. As for mechanical and interior changes, we wouldn't expect anything big on that front, either, as Mini has rarely made noteworthy updates mid-way through a generation. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door: Spy Shots View 9 Photos Spy Photos MINI Hatchback mini cooper s