2011 Mini Cooper Panoroof Sports Pkg 33k Miles Auto Harman Kardon Leather Clean! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Mini E spy photos reveal its interior

The 2020 Mini E electric hatchback has been spied once again. It doesn't reveal much on the outside, in fact it actually shows less than the last time, since this one doesn't have the groovy concept-inspired wheels. But our spy photographer managed to get a good shot of the interior, which reveals some neat details. Chief among the interior's changes is the instrument panel on the steering column. While current gasoline-powered Minis have a typical needle-and-dial set of gauges on the column, those have been replaced by a thin screen. In an effort to keep it from looking too out of place, it has semi-circle ends and a chrome ring around the screen. Odds are that the actual screen will likely be in the middle, and additional warning and indicator lights will fill up the circular ends. Other than the screen, the only other major change is the shifter. Instead of the round leather knob of conventional automatic Minis, it has a more rectangular knob made entirely of plastic. The rest of the Mini's interior is like any other current model. The vents, controls and infotainment are all taken right from the other Minis. Interestingly, this Mini E has carbon fiber interior trim. This will probably be an option, not standard equipment. We expect the electric Mini Hardtop will make its debut sometime next year. If we're lucky, it may make the same 204 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque as the original Mini E and more than that car's 150 mile range. Related Video:

Mini confirms first plug-in hybrid and it looks like it's based on the Countryman

Mini confirmed Sunday it's developing its first plug-in hybrid model, apparently based on the Countryman. The hybrid will utilize an electric motor that works with a combustion engine, expected to be a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder unit. Though the actual name wasn't specified, Mini said the vehicle will have two driving modes. With Auto eDrive, it can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Switching into Max eDrive increases top speed to approximately 77 miles per hour. The electric motor sends all of its power to the rear wheels, while the combustion engine powers the front wheels. The engine only kicks on in certain situations. Mashing the throttle brings the engine to life, as does switching the car into "Save Battery" mode, which allows the engine to charge the hybrid's battery through a generator while powering the vehicle. The engine also comes on if the vehicle's all-wheel-drive-system senses a loss in traction. Inside, the changes include a yellow start/stop button (instead of red) and a power display in place of the traditional tachometer. Mini's previous electrification efforts included the Mini E, which had a range under 100 miles and was available for leasing in 2009. Expect the plug-in hybrid to debut in 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Plug-In Hybrid Related Gallery Mini Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Spy Shots View 13 Photos Green MINI Crossover Hybrid PHEV confirmed

Did BMW drag its feet on Mini recall?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening an investigation into BMW's reporting of a recall for 30,456 examples of the 2014-2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop, Cooper S, and the 2015 John Cooper Works. According to the government, "it appears from a review of NHTSA's databases that BMW may have failed to submit recall communications to NHTSA in a timely manner." The automaker issued the recall in July because crash tests showed the models didn't meet side impact requirements for passengers in the back seat. While there were no reported injuries at the time, the company decided to install energy-absorbing material in the space between the rear interior panels and the exterior. However, NHTSA has decided to investigate whether this campaign should have started much earlier, given the evidence the company had. According to the government's report, the Cooper Hardtop failed side-impact tests in 2014, although one of these tests was five-miles-per-hour faster than the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. The agency claims: "In January 2015 BMW verbally committed that it would conduct a service campaign to add padding to the rear side panels of MY 2015 Mini 2 Door Hardtop Cooper models. However, BMW did not initiate the service campaign and failed to inform NHTSA of its failure to do so." A subsequent crash test of an example with this fix showed it to make the vehicle compliant with the rules. Mini spokesperson Mariella Kapsaskis told Autoblog: "Regarding the NHTSA audit query, BMW Group is evaluating the request and will respond to NHTSA as appropriate." INVESTIGATION Subject : BMW Reporting & Timely Recall Execution Date Investigation Opened: SEP 24, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: AQ15004 Component(s): STRUCTURE All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MINI COOPER 2014-2015 MINI COOPER S 2014-2015 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS 2015 Details Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: NHTSA is opening this AQ to better understand and evaluate BMW's process(es) for its notification procedures and for timely and efficient execution of its safety recall campaigns. In mid-2014, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) had side impact moving deformable barrier (MDB) tests performed on two model year (MY) 2014 Mini 2 Door Hardtop Coopers. These two tests were performed at a speed 5 mph higher than required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 214, Side impact protection.