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2016 Mini Convertible puts the tanning salon on wheels

Here's a basic tenet of the Mini product schedule – a new generation Mini Hardtop debuts and then, within a year or two, it's followed by a convertible variant. Considering this, the debut of the third-generation Convertible – less than two years after the third-gen hardtop – is right on schedule. Slated to arrive in dealers right in time for the start of the 2016 convertible season, the latest Mini Convertible doesn't really shock. It takes the same basic look below the beltline, and pairs it to a power-folding softtop that does a much better job of maintaining the Hardtop's iconic silhouette. That said, the size of that "C-pillar," for lack of a better phrase, is immense. We doubt this new model will do anything to improve on the last Convertible's awful blind spots. Mechanically, the soft top can be raised or lowered in just 18 seconds and at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour. Like the two generations of Convertible that came before it, this latest droptop uses the same engine lineup as the three-door model. For the standard Cooper, BMW/Mini's 1.5-liter, turbocharged triple is still offering up 134 horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 time of 8.2 seconds with the automatic and 8.3 seconds with the manual. For the Cooper S, the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder dishes out 189 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, along with 0-60 times of between 6.7 and 6.8 seconds, depending on the transmission. Those gearboxes have also been plucked from the Hardtop models, with standard six-speed manuals and optional six-speed automatics, regardless of engine. Yep, that's right, the excellent eight-speed auto from the Mini Cooper S Clubman isn't being offered on the Cooper S Convertible. We've got a huge array of photos of the new Mini Convertible, which puts a particular emphasis on the handsome, droptop-specific Caribbean Aqua of the base Cooper. Check out the photos, and then scroll below for the official press release from Mini. Related Video: OPEN DRIVING EXCITEMENT: INTRODUCING THE NEW MINI CONVERTIBLE Open Driving Excitement: Introducing the New MINI Convertible Newest member of MINI lineup goes on sale in U.S. in March 2016 First open top MINI powered by BMW Group engine technology and architecture Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 22, 2015 – MINI USA introduced today the newest addition to its iconic product line, the new MINI Convertible.

Psychology can wipe out 20-25% of your EV's range

There are two primary takeaways from a recent study of electric-vehicle driving habits in Germany. One: an electric vehicle with 25 percent of its battery charge left creates the same reaction in drivers as the fuel needle on "E" in a gas-powered car. Two: familiarity breeds comfort. The study, conducted by Germany's Technische Universitat Chemnitz and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, put some real numbers on the concept of "range anxiety." According to Green Car Congress, that anxiety truly kicks in when there's less than a quarter of the driving range left on an EV's battery and the study found that a typical car's range is "shortened" by a 20 to 25 percent "psychological safety buffer." If we take the popular Nissan Leaf as an example, the official 84-mile single-charge range is really closer to 63 miles in the head of the driver. The longer the driver spent in the EV, the shorter his mental buffer became. The study was culled from data involving just 79 drivers who tooled around Berlin in Mini E EVs for about six months, collectively putting a quarter-million miles on the electric vehicles. The good news is that the longer the driver spent using the EV, the shorter his mental buffer became, which meant he could comfortably get more miles from the car. So, to all you EV advocates out there, know that once drivers spend some time with an EV, they get more and more used to what the car can do. It's a lesson we've learned before. Just remember that to new EV drivers, the single-charge range is a lot smaller than the one old-timers see.

Mini reveals new John Cooper Works concept ahead of Detroit

BMW effectively hit the reset button when it unveiled the new Mini at the LA Auto Show last month, opening the door to a whole raft of new variants to follow - and this is the first.
Set to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next month is the new Mini John Cooper Works Concept, a show car that previews the next hot hatch from the Anglo-Saxon automaker. Mini isn't saying much about what makes it tick, focusing instead of the design that sets it apart from the standard version we've already seen.
This JCW concept features a lustrous grey paintjob with bright red accents, 18-inch alloys and an upgraded aero kit, all aimed at making the Mini look that much sportier. It's got bigger air intakes where the fog lights would be, LED headlamps, a black grille frame, side skirts, a rear bumper with diffuser insert and a roof-mounted spoiler.