2011 Mini Cooper Countryman Turbo Charged on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2023 Mini Convertible Seaside Edition touts 30 years of Mini soft tops

There have been specialty vehicle shops creating convertible Minis since the 1960s. Heinz had Crayford Convertibles make 57 Mini droptops as part of a competition in 1966. But Mini didn't produce a factory-backed convertible until 1993, when parent company Rover sent cars to one of its German dealers that had already been producing its own soft tops for two years. BMW wouldn't buy Rover until 1994. That hasn't stopped the Munich firm from celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first official Mini 'drophead' with this, the 2023 Mini Convertible Seaside Edition. If you like your special editions to scream about their special-edition-ness, this one's for you — it's awash in graphics. Outside, the front bumper gets the special multihued blue graphic featuring a stylized number 30 created for this model. That graphic appears again on the side vent along with the word "Seaside" in orange. A twin coach line runs from that vent to the rear. The word Seaside appears again next to the passenger's side brake light, and yet again on the door sills with the twin pinstripe. The center caps? They say Mini. But they get the 30 graphic, and a newly available 18-inch wheel design meant to be "reminiscent of pulsating waves in the water." Even the key gets the special edition treatment as half of the fob is a deep blue, reworked into a thalassic-themed bit of sculpture that has the word Seaside hidden behind it. Inside the Carbon Black leather interior, Seaside shows up in orange on the sport steering wheel. The 30 graphic's been embossed into the instrument panel, accompanying the words "30 years of convertible" on the passenger's side. And a badge with the graphic adorns the floor mats,   The 2023 Mini Convertible Seaside Edition will be available from February of next year on the Cooper and Cooper S, and can be optioned in Nanuq White or Caribbean Aqua. 

BMW chooses Tesla's Supercharger network for its future EVs

BMW, following the lead of many other automakers, has confirmed this week that it will adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS), delivering EV drivers in the U.S. and Canada access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. The move goes a step further in cementing NACS as the universal system of choice. The conversion to Tesla plugs will begin formally in 2025 for BMW, as well as its Mini and Rolls-Royce brands in the U.S. market. Those marques now use the Combined Charging System (CCS) for EV charging. “It is our top priority to ensure that our drivers have easy access to reliable, fast charging," said Sebastian Mackensen, President & CEO, BMW of North America. NACS, which began as began as TeslaÂ’s proprietary charging connection, rapidly has become the new standard in its native land after Ford announced it would adopt it this past summer. This was quickly followed by General Motors. Since then, brands including Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Polestar, and Jaguar have climbed d on board NACS. Earlier this month, the Hyundai Motor Group announced it would also provide customers with the NACS connector across its namesake, Kia, and Genesis marques. BMW says it will work across its three marques in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition to TeslaÂ’s charging network by early 2025, and owners will be able to pay for charging using their respective vehicle brandÂ’s own app. Related Video: How to charge a non-Tesla on a Supercharger

Mini may have overexpanded, some models may not be replaced

Surprise, surprise. According to Edmunds, Mini may be looking to reduce the number of vehicles in its range, which has recently expanded to include a total of seven offerings (not to mention the copious varieties of configurations found within each line). When Mini relaunched in the early 2000s, it did so with one model, the Cooper Hardtop, and has since added the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster and Paceman. It looks like those ambitions of expanding the range to include up to 10 models may have been a bit optimistic.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly," Jim McDowell, Vice President of Mini USA, told Edmunds in an interview. The brand's core models right now are the Hardtop and Countryman, and of the roughly 66,200 vehicles that Mini sold in the United States last year, these two vehicles accounted for some 75 percent of total sales.
McDowell declined to mention any specific models that may not be replaced in the lineup's next generation, though our best guess is that ultra-niche vehicles like the Coupe (pictured) or Clubman. As for replacing some of the current models with new products, the only clear gap we can see in the brand's lineup is a smaller car like the Rocketman concept, though we've been told several times that a mini-Mini isn't going to happen. Be sure to let us know what Mini models you'd like to see kept or axed in Comments below.