2012 Mini Cooper S Convertible W/ Only 257 Miles on 2040-cars

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KBB 2013 Brand Image Awards has some obvious and oddball winners

The sixth edition of the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards have crowned a wide range of winners - in a couple of cases the recipient of the laurels might say more about KBB users than they do about the actual winner. Compiled from the responses of more than 12,000 shoppers on KBB.com over the past year, there are 13 categories broken into non-luxury, luxury and truck segments "representing the combined wisdom of the American car-buying public."
The award categories have been revamped this year, with some dropping off, some new ones appearing and at least one other given a new term. What isn't surprising is that Honda won Most Trusted Brand for the second year running, Best Value Brand for the third year in a row and took Best Overall Brand, which wasn't on last year's list of awards.
On our own shores, in the non-luxury categories Chrysler got Most Refined Brand and Buick took Best Value Luxury Brand. Neither one of those marques won anything in last year's Brand Image Awards, while Cadillac, which won Best Interior Design Brand and Best Comfort Brand last year - those awards disappeared this year - went home without a single accolade.

Mini lifts veil on refreshed Countryman in New York

When Mini introduced the Countryman in 2010, it emerged as the brand's first crossover, its first five-door model and its first to offer all-wheel drive. It also arrived mid-lifecycle in the last generation of Mini Cooper hatchback, with which it shares little more than a passing family resemblance. Now that the Anglo-Saxon automaker is moving on to its third generation of retro hatch, it's given the Countryman a bit of a refresh to keep it current.
Unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, the new Countryman incorporates some very minor cosmetic tweaks to the exterior - so minor, in fact, that you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other even if viewed side by side. Some subtle enhancements have been implemented to the interior as well, where the large central speedometer remains where it was in the middle of the dashboard (unlike the new Cooper hatch that moves it to where you'd normally find the instrument cluster, behind the steering wheel). The rear seats, however, offer more adjustability.
Mini will offer the new Countryman worldwide in an array of powertrain configurations, ranging from the bare-bones Mini One Countryman with a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four offering just 98 horsepower all the way up to the twin-turbo John Cooper Works with 218 hp - North American customers will get the latter, but not the former. The mid-range Cooper S has been enhanced by seven horses to deliver 190 hp, while overseas-only diesel models range from 90 hp to 143. Buyers will be able to choose between a six-speed manual or automatic and front-or all-wheel drive. There are also some new colors on offer and a host of optional equipment, all of which you can read about in the press release below.

Mini delivers Paddy Hopkirk Edition car to the rally legend himself

Mini has given rally racing legend Patrick "Paddy" Hopkirk one of the first special edition Cooper S models inspired by his thrilling victory at the 1964 Rally Monte Carlo. The Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition has a production run of just 100 units in the U.K., with "a few hundred" more coming to the U.S. Fifty-six years ago, the original Morris Mini Cooper S achieved the unthinkable with Hopkirk and navigator Henry Liddon behind the wheel of a Mk I. It won the Rally Monte Carlo overall. The race snaked through the French Alps and ended with laps around the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, but the Mini's nimbleness and tiny size and proved to be advantages in the snowy and narrow mountain roads. It was a tremendous feat against more powerful competitors from Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Volvo, Citroen and Ford's V8 Falcon. Hopkirk calls it a "David and Goliath" victory, especially with the money other automakers were spending on the event. "We were beaten by the big American cars down the straights, but we would beat them on the twisty bits!" he reminisced upon taking delivery. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition sees no performance upgrades, keeping the turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder capable of 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. Both six-speed manuals and a 7-speed automatic are offered, but the thing that sets it apart are the Chili Red and white roof colorway with the number 37 on the doors, a tribute to the winning rally car's livery. An offset white hood stripe with the code "33 EJB" in it hearkens back to Hopkirk's car's registration number. "I’m so flattered to have a Mini named in my honor." Hopkirk said upon receiving the car. "Motorsport is long behind me now and for my win at the Monte Carlo Rally to be remembered in this way is a great thrill and honor." 2021 Mini Hardtop Cooper S View 15 Photos Related Video: