2004 Mini Cooper S Hatchback 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Mini Yours parts-ordering service lets you personalize your car

Mini is stealing a page from more upmarket luxury brands by offering customers the opportunity to add individualized parts starting next year. The Mini Yours Customised service will let owners create and order customized side scuttles, dashboard trim panels, and LED-projected door sills and door projectors that illuminate a welcome design or message or their choosing, all via a configurator on an Online Shop. Customers will be able to choose different colors, patterns, surface finishes, icons, texts and even their own signature into the designs. Imagine customizing your Hardtop to read "Melissa's Mini" or maybe "Willyz Wheelz." The custom parts will be manufactured in Germany using 3D printing and laser etching, then delivered within a few weeks. They can then be installed either by the customer or a Mini dealer. If the vehicle is sold to someone else, the new owner can order new custom designs. Mini says the service will be made available over the course of 2018 "in Europe and other large markets," presumably including the U.S., though Autoblog is seeking clarification on that point. Mini says the move is in keeping with the spirit of individualization the brand is known for. "This unparalleled freedom of design allows customers to transform their Mini into a unique special defined by their personal style and their own creativity," the company said in a release.Related Video:

2021 Mini Cooper S Sidewalk Edition priced just under $40,000

Earlier this year, Mini announced the return of the Sidewalk Edition visual package for the 2021 Mini Convertible, one that appeared way back in 2007 with the first drop-top Mini. Now pricing has been announced at a base price of $39,250, and it will arrive at dealer lots in April. While the number of examples is limited in some markets, 150 in the U.K. for example, Mini hasn't announced a cap for American sales. Part of the high price is due to the fact that the special edition is only being offered on the Cooper S trim level, whereas in Europe, it will be available on various trims down to the entry-level Mini One. That means the U.S. version comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. It will come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, but a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic will be available for an additional $1,500, pushing the price past the $40,000 mark. The package is available with either a dark metallic blue or a black paint job with a dark gray top. European models get a few more color options. All models come with custom wheels, badging and a leather interior to match the top. It also includes several optional features as standard including a heads-up display, 8.8-inch infotainment system, heated seats, automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirrors, upgraded sound system, LED headlights and fog lights and proximity locking and unlocking. Related Video:

MINI Cooper SE Convertible concept is a one-off EV for sun worshippers

Mini rummaged through its parts bin to create a new concept called Cooper SE Convertible. As its name implies, the electric ragtop was built by dropping the Cooper SE hatchback's battery-powered drivetrain into the body of a gasoline-powered Cooper S Convertible. Visually, the Cooper SE Convertible stands out from its gasoline-powered sibling by adopting some of the Cooper SE's defining styling cues. It wears a plastic panel instead of a grille, an array of powertrain-specific emblems, yellow accents, and 17-inch Power Spoke wheels. Mini also added a handful of "THIS TOY IS ELECTRIC" decals, and it kept the power-operated soft top that opens or closes in 18 seconds. Power comes from the Cooper SE's electric drivetrain, which consists of an electric motor that draws electricity from a 28.9-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack to zap the front wheels with 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. The hatchback's maximum driving range checks in at about 110 miles, which is hardly a stellar number, and we don't know what effect chopping off the top has on that figure. Mini stresses that the Cooper SE Convertible is not a production model. We're not surprised: the current-generation Hardtop is at the end of its life cycle and its successor should make its debut in the not-too-distant future. However, the concept suggests (though nothing is official yet) that the next-generation Convertible will be offered with an electric powertrain. And while drop-top sales are dropping around the world, but Mini said in 2021 that it won't leave the segment. The next Mini Convertible is tentatively scheduled to make its debut in 2025. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.