Custom Mini Cooper Clubman Owned By Celebrity Nick Offerman (ron Swanson) on 2040-cars

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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.

BMW shuffles chairs in its design department

BMW Group has made some changes to its design team since August 1, and has shuffled top personnel to different positions at BMW Design, Mini Design and Rolls-Royce.
The BMW Design team led by Karim Habib (middle, right) gains a new head of Exterior Design in Domagoj Dukec (right), who has worked for the exterior design team since 2010 and shaped the Concept Active Tourer.
Oliver Heilmer (left), who has worked for BMW's interior design unit since 2000 and designed the 5 Series interior, replaces Marc Girard as head of Interior Design BMW Automobiles. Marc Girard goes to manage BMW's subsidiary design group, BMW DesignworksUSA.

Mini Superleggera patent renderings suggest production prospects

Mini impressed us all when it revealed the Superleggera Vision concept at the Paris Motor Show a couple of months ago. But even before the little roadster concept debuted, there were already rumors of its production potential. And those rumors are only being further entrenched by the emergence of a series of patent renderings. Bearing much more than a passing resemblance to the concept, these images show what could be a revised, production version of the Superleggera, though not without its concessions to reality. For one thing, it looks like it's got a proper framed windshield, but it's hard to tell with the roof in place – something we never saw on the concept, either. It's also got more substantial wing mirrors, but the fin on the rear deck is still there, as are the extractor vents on the hood. We also note that the grille openings are the same shape as the concept's. Of course, the emergence of these images and their filing with the relevant authorities doesn't necessarily mean that Mini is moving ahead with the roadster's production. But if it did, it would likely ditch the concept's electric powertrain, and could stand to fill the void left by the discontinuation of the maligned, outgoing Mini Roadster that was essentially a scrunched Cabriolet with a cowling where the rear seats and stacked roof would be. Parent company BMW is likely taking into account that its rival Daimler didn't have much luck when it slotted a unique roadster of its own into the Smart lineup, so here's hoping that if it does give the Superleggera the green light, it'll have more success in the marketplace.