Mini Moke - 1965 on 2040-cars

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2016 Mini Clubman First Drive [w/video] [UPDATE]

UPDATE: After playing with the newly launched Clubman configurator, we've revised the as-tested estimate to what we think is a more accurate $40,250, based on how our Swedish tester was equipped. Mini had a good idea when it introduced the last-generation Clubman, offering a slightly bigger, more versatile vehicle, with its own unique styling traits. Sounds good, right? Well, as it turned out, that wasn't necessarily all for the best, and not because there was any problem with the car itself. Mini's fleshed out model range, which now includes both the all-wheel-drive, four-door Countryman and the new four-door Hardtop has rendered the original Clubman idea rather obsolete. Enter the new Clubman. Gone is its awkward club door, and in its place are an extra pair of real, traditional doors. But even more than changes to its body, Mini has taken the original Clubman idea – to build a more versatile version of the beloved Hardtop – to its logical extreme, going larger. More importantly, this 2016 model represents a more premium, comfortable direction for the Mini brand. But don't worry, loyalists, this is still very much a Mini. The 2016 Clubman is the longest vehicle Mini has ever made. As was the case with the previous Clubman, this new model rides on a longer wheelbase than the Hardtop's. The 105.1-inch span is arguably more maxi than mini, offering buyers anywhere from 2.9 to 6.9 inches of extra space between the axles. It also makes the Clubman the longest vehicle Mini has ever made. But at 168.3 inches in length, this new model is still significantly shorter than a compact wagon like the 179.6-inch Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, or even another C-segment hatch, like the five-door variants of the Ford Focus (171.6 inches) and Mazda3 (180.3 inches). On top of the extra length, Mini stretched the body by a full three inches, while the track has been increased by 2.4 inches at both ends of the car. Taken as a whole, the Clubman is exceptionally roomy, considering its footprint. The suspension, a multi-link rear with front struts, is softer than that of a Mini Hardtop, but that's not saying a lot – handling is significantly sharper than in the vehicles listed above. And we're betting it will stand out against the brand's intended targets – a list that ranges from the Volkswagen Golf to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Feedback through the wheel is on the low side for something wearing a Mini badge.

Mini's Oxford factory builds its 10 millionth car

Mini has a lot to celebrate in 2019. The original, pocket-sized city car that spawned the entire brand made its debut 60 years ago, and its historic factory in Oxford, England, made its 10 millionth vehicle in August. The zesty hatchback is already on its way to meet its biggest fans. Fittingly, the milestone car is a limited-edition 60 Years-badged model. It's based on the two-door Cooper S, so its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is turbocharged to 192 horsepower, and it receives several edition-specific touches like brown leather upholstery with green accents, an array of special decals and logos, plus 17-inch alloy wheels designed for the model. The 10 millionth Oxford-built car isn't destined for a life spent in a museum or in a private collection. At least not yet. It's already hit the road as part of a 61-car convoy making the 84-mile trip from the Oxford factory to Bristol to attend the International Mini Meet taking place August 11. The first Mini built, a white Morris Mini-Minor, is at the head of the pack. It's followed by an example made during every year of the model's unusually long production run. And what a run it was. There were 5.3 million examples of the original Mini made between 1959 and 2000, but not all of them were manufactured in Oxford, and none were sold under the Mini brand. Parent company BMW created Mini as we know it in late 2000 when it launched the first-generation Cooper (the car now known as the Hardtop). Its numerous predecessors were given more than a dozen names including Austin Seven, Austin Mini, Innocenti Mini, Morris 850, Riley Elf, and Rover Mini.

Mini John Cooper Works Paceman is a hot hatch crossover coupe

The Mini John Cooper Works Paceman, the seventh in the JCW line and called "the first Sports Activity Coupe in its class," is here. It takes its place at the top of the Paceman food chain with a 1.6-liter, twin-scroll turbocharged engine putting out 218 horsepower, with 201 pound-feet of torque on tap and 221 lb-ft available with overboost. Those numbers get the JCW Paceman from zero to 62 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds with either the six-speed manual or automatic transmission, but top speed with the automatic is one mile per hour shy of the manual's 140 mph. Fuel economy has been rated at a combined 35.8 US mpg on the EU cycle.
It earns its JCW stripes with a suspension that's been lowered by 10 millimeters over 18-inch lightweight alloys, Mini's ALL4 all-wheel drive, an aero kit to beef up its profile, plus a sports exhaust with dual chrome pipes. Inside, a sport steering wheel and plenty of contrasting materials represent the lineage, further emboldened by Chili Red accents to match the exterior.
The Mini JCW Paceman will say "'Allo, guv'nor" to the world at the Detroit Auto Show next month, then hit showrooms in March. The press release just below can tell you all you want to know about it until then.