1972 Classic Mini Cooper on 2040-cars

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Mini Clubvan axed after just 50 sales

Well, that didn't last long. According to Green Car Reports, Mini has discontinued the Clubvan from its model range in the United States.
Nathalie Bauters, Mini's US communications manager, cited "relatively low demand and the effect of an excessive 25-percent tax on vehicles for commercial use (known as 'the Chicken Tax')" as the key reasons for axing the Clubman from our market, GCR reports. The 2013 Clubvan launched in the US earlier this year, and to date roughly 50 examples have been sold.
The Clubvan, based on the Clubman model, features a flat load floor behind the two front seats, with blacked-out (well, body-colored) side windows. This nifty little cargo wagon could carry up to 33 cubic feet of goods, which while useful, pales in comparison to more capacious offerings like the Ford Transit Connect van.

2017 MINI Model Year Preview and Updates

The team at MINI, BMW's small car subsidiary, is taking its minimalist approach to motoring and – with the launch of the all-new Countryman (pictured above) – maximizing it. Built atop the same basic architecture as BMW's X1 crossover, the newest Countryman is larger in every dimension than its predecessor. And with the stretch, it becomes fully competitive in both space and performance (at least in Cooper S guise) with virtually all of its competition, including Audi's Q3, BMW's own X1 and Mercedes' GLA. Beyond the new crossover, for 2017 it's a proliferation of John Cooper Works performance models and the intro of Mini's first plug-in hybrid. It, too, plugs into the new Countryman, and is on showrooms in June, 2017. Finally, don't forget the countless ways you can personalize your Mini – or the countless costs when you've added that personalization to the window sticker. MINI HARDTOP: Mini's Media package is now standard on all Hardtops, while some packages previously standard – such as Mini Driving modes and Excitement lighting – are now optional within package groups. CLUBMAN: A high-performance John Cooper Works Clubman is where, according to MINI, 'race-inspired performance meets grown-up motoring'. It is also the first Mini to combine a JCW performance pack with Mini's ALL4 all-wheel drive. CONVERTIBLE: All-new in 2016, the new model year brings another application of John Cooper Works performance. This is the same 228 horsepower available in other JCW models; with the top dropped, however, it feels much faster. COUNTRYMAN: To hear Mini tell it, this is the biggest, most adventurous Mini ever. As noted, it's a stretched variant – in every direction – of its predecessor, and with the larger size comes more refinement. Also noteworthy: All trims and drivetrains include an expansive menu of standard equipment. Cooper and Cooper S versions are on showrooms in March 2017, while the plug-in hybrid – Mini's first in the US – arrives in June.

2015 Mini Hardtop 5-Door isn't for the country, man [w/video]

We've seen it in super high-res glory, and we can even build one on the automaker's website, but the Paris Motor Show marks the official coming out party for the new Mini Hardtop 4 Door (which is what it's called in the US, despite this Euro car having "5 Door" badging). It's a stretched version of the third-generation Mini Hardtop, but with an extra set of doors for rear seat passengers. Think of it as a more useful Clubman, but with a lower ride height and less rugged-ness than the Countryman. Got it? Good.
Engine options carry over from the normal Mini Hardtop range, with a 1.5-liter turbo-three and a 2.0-liter turbo-four offering 134 and 189 horsepower, respectively. The rest of the car is everything else you know and love from the Mini range, just with a more spacious rear bench. And as you'd expect, there's a nearly endless pallet of customization options.
The Hardtop 4 Door arrives at US dealerships just before the end of the year, commanding a roughly $1,000 premium over its three-door kin. Scope out our new live shots in the gallery above, and take in the extensive press blast, below.