Mini Cooper S Turbo Blk Leather 30,000 Mi Clean Non Smoker Theft Recovery on 2040-cars

Auto blog

This Mini just set a very long Nurburgring lap record

The video above is 45 minutes long. You probably won't watch the whole thing. It documents what is possibly the least visually exciting and most impressive Nurburgring record ever, with a Chinese driver keeping a Mini Cooper on two wheels for the entirety of a Nordschleife lap. That's 12.9 miles at a blistering average speed of 17 mph. The number of support vehicles seen on track, some of which pass the Mini at various points, highlights just how nonstandard this lap is. A Mercedes van trailing behind stops at one point and then catches back up shortly after. This is an endurance run more than anything. Credit of course goes to the skilled driver, who had to balance the car on its left wheels while enduring the pain of leaning at a steep angle. For 45 minutes. The car was specially prepped, with things like a welded diff and an airless left front tire (it looks like something off a fork lift) helping it steer, propel, and support the car. Bridge to Gantry's Dale Lomas was there to witness the leisurely event, and he has all of the details, including what was done to the car and what it was like to travel from viewing location to viewing location to witness the same lap. The driver, Han Yue, is an expert at manhandling Minis. He's the guy with the Guinness record for the tightest parallel-parking job (not to be confused with the tightest reverse parallel park) and also set with a driver in an M4 doing donuts around his up-on-two-wheels Cooper. We find it extremely fitting that the car for this latest record was plastered with Red Bull decals. You know, the wings? News Source: Bridge to GantryImage Credit: Nurburgring / Facebook Motorsports MINI Hatchback Racing Vehicles Performance nurburgring record

2020 Mini Countryman Review & Buying Guide | The big Mini is still fun

The 2020 Mini Countryman manages to keep most of the fun character of the regular Mini Hardtop, but with the practicality and style of a small crossover. How small, though? It's definitely among what we'd classify as subcompact models, but given its level of engineering, interior quality and, perhaps most obviously, its price, the Countryman fits well above mainstream models like the Hyundai Kona or Kia Soul, but doesn't quite reach the luxury rungs where the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, BMW X1, and the Audi Q3 reside. Given that in-betweener status and its quirky design aesthetic, the Countryman is bit hard to classify or stack up with competitors on an apples to apples basis. Best to think of it as an alternative, then, and focus on the things it does well. Most of all, it’s one of the best handling, and most fun-to-drive subcompact crossovers on the market – luxury or otherwise. It can be had with a number of peppy turbo engines, including a certified hot hatchback-grade 301-horsepower engine for the John Cooper Works. It also has a roomy interior with solid quality and characterful details. And although it's very expensive when compared to the Souls of the world, with a base price of just under $30,000, it starts at thousands less than those luxury models. So it may be tough to classify, but it's still worth a look.  What's new for 2020? Two of the more niche Countryman models see significant updates. The John Cooper Works model gets the aforementioned new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 301 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The Cooper SE Countryman plug-in hybrid gets longer electric range, going from 12 miles to 18 miles thanks to a higher capacity 9.6-kWh battery. Fuel economy with a drained battery also rises from 27 mpg to 29. On other Mini Countryman models, the manual transmission has been dropped altogether, leaving two different automatic transmission choices. What's the Countryman's interior and in-car technology like? The Mini Countryman has a cabin with as much whimsy as you would expect for the brand. Though the speedometer has long since moved to the steering column, the dash continues to have a giant center circular motif as a tribute to past models. Vents, door handles and more have funky shapes, and Mini employs a wide array of plastics of different grains and colors to keep things interesting and looking premium, even if the plastics themselves feel average to the touch.

Help Mini decide on its next limited-edition Cooper

Mini likes to make a big hullabaloo about the number of ways its cars can be configured, which currently stands at 10 million. While that figure is impressive, the BMW-owned brand is always looking for new and unique design variations, a trend that has seen a number of special-edition Minis pop up over the years boasting unique color and trim items.
For the new, third-generation F56 Mini, the British brand is at it again. Only this time, the cars are designed and chosen by Mini's fans in a new contest. Called "The New Originals," Mini teamed its 10 Final Test Test Drive winners with an illustrator to design their perfect Mini, one of which will become the next special-edition model.
The ten cars are currently being voted on by the brand's fans on the Mini USA website, with the winner set to be announced at the 2014 New York Auto Show in April. A total of 56 examples of the winning entry will then be put on sale, making this one of the most limited of Mini's many limited editions. Voting closes on February 19, so hop over to the page and vote for your favorite.