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David Brown Automotive remasters classic Mini at maxi price

Just days ago, we reported that the British small-scale maker of luxurious, Aston Martin inspired coupes, David Brown Automotive, was about to introduce a new, cheaper vehicle positioned under its exquisitely priced Speedback GT model. Since the Jaguar-based Speedback GT costs a significant $753,000, there's quite a bit of room underneath it to introduce a more modest means of transport, without cheapening out. Now, details of the car, dubbed "Project 2," have surfaced, and it's quite a surprise. What David Brown Automotive has come up with is a "remastered," rethought classic Mini. While the car looks just like a Mini at a passing glance, the body panels along with the chassis are new, and the car has been given a smoothening. All the body seams that were commonplace on the classic original have been rounded off, and the interior is a custom job complete with plentiful leather and Pioneer touchscreen. The new dashboard is a little closer to Japanese retro cars than either the classic Mini or the current, BMW-made equivalent. The drivetrain remains the trusted 1,275cc original along with a four-speed gearbox; both are reconditioned units instead of box-fresh ones, but they feature brand-new parts. There's 79 horsepower on offer, which is plenty of poke for a Mini. Each of the cars will take about 1,000 hours to make, by hand. The plan is to build 100-200 of these Mini re-creations per year, at David Brown's new facility in Silverstone, England. In two years, only 11 Speedbacks have been built, so the Mini should create a bit more buzz at the workshop. But the price? Starting from $62,000 at current rates, going all the way to $86,000 if you want one with all the trimmings. A lot for a Mini, but it's going to be special. Related Video:

Mini's not-so-mini Urbanaut minivan concept comes to life

BMW-owned Mini showcased one way it could branch out into new segments when it unveiled the Vision Urbanaut concept in late 2020. At the time, the design study existed merely in a series of digital renderings. It hasn't been approved for production yet, but it was recently transformed into a real concept car that people can experience. Executives argued the idea of an electric Mini minivan isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. "We have developed an idea of how we can take the Mini attributes — as here, with the focus on the clever use of space — into the future of mobility and interpret them in a typically Mini way," said company boss Bernd Korber. Clever use of space was the original Mini's claim to fame thanks in part to an ingenious drivetrain layout, and the Urbanaut takes it to a new level. Longer than a Countryman and shaped like the box it came in, it offers a lounge-like cabin that can be configured in a variety of different ways depending on the number of passengers it's carrying, and whether someone is driving. Mini created three profiles called Chill, Wanderlust, and Vibe, respectively. Chill lets the passengers relax, work, or sleep with minimal distractions while the Urbanaut drives itself. In this mode, the instruments and switches on the dashboard are hidden out of sight to make users feel like they're in a living room, not in a car. Wanderlust allows passengers to choose whether they want to drive or be driven. Vibe may as well be called Party; it configures the Urbanaut's lights and screens to make users feel like they're in a club. Alternatively, users can configure their own driving profile thanks to a feature named My Moment. While the Urbanaut doesn't look like a traditional Mini, it will (hopefully) smell like one. For the first time, Mini is linking its brand identity to a fragrance. We can't convey a smell over the internet, there's not an app for that yet, but we're told it is refreshing and discreet. It's accompanied by a welcome sound that greets users as they enter the cabin. Mini will present the Urbanaut concept to the public for the first time at the Digital-Life-Design (DLD) Summer Conference opening July 1 in Munich, Germany. What happens next hasn't been revealed yet. While we'd be surprised to see it land in showrooms, something like it could zig-zag across major cities in the coming years. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mini JCW GP to be hatchback only, no 'Ring record attempt in sight

The 2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP is dropping weight and lowering its lap times, but one thing it won't be losing is its flat roof. Like the original JCW GP package, Evo says that despite the fact that sportier Mini Coupes have been caught testing, the new GP will only be offered in the three-door Cooper hatchback body style. And that's perfectly fine with us.
Evo spoke with GP development chief Jorg Weidinger who said that as a part of the car's history, "It was a hatch, it is a hatch and it should stay a hatch." Weidinger also said that Mini is not planning to set any Nürburgring records with the new JCW GP even though earlier reports indicate that the car is a full 20 seconds faster around the 'Ring than its 2006 predecessor.
The new Mini John Cooper Works GP weighs 121 pounds less than the John Cooper Works Hardtop, offers a fully adjustable coil-over suspension and it will have a starting price of $39,950, (including $700 for destination) when it goes on sale later this year.