Mini Cooper S Convertable on 2040-cars

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2015 Mini Cooper snapped uncovered on the road

The third generation of reborn Mini is nearly upon us. Just look at the trail of breadcrumbs the Anglo-Saxon automaker has been leaving us.
First we saw the upcoming new Mini Cooper, spied from above at a photo shoot, which Mini was quick to point out was not its best angle. Then BMW's retro-hatch division showcased the Mini Vision concept, and followed up just yesterday with details of the new engines and chassis that will underpin the latest model. And now we have the clearest batch of spy shots we've seen yet.
Not only were these shots taken from a better angle, but also show the new Mini in the more tempting Cooper S trim - complete with hood scoop, split-spoke alloys, roof spoiler and twin central exhaust tips.

Mini wins Dakar Rally for fourth year in a row

Motorsport in its various forms tends to be characterized by eras of domination: Red Bull in F1, Audi at Le Mans, Citroen and now Volkswagen in the WRC. That's certainly the case with the Dakar Rally. After years of domination at the hands of the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Volkswagen Touareg won the famous rally raid three years running. But these days, it's all about Mini. The Anglo-Saxon team won the Dakar three years running, locking out the podium last year in positively dominant style. And now it's won again. After some 5,600 miles spanning three countries across South America, the Mini All4 Racing machine piloted by Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, with France's Mathieu Baumel as co-pilot, has taken the top step on the podium in Buenos Aires. The duo won five out of 13 legs to claim the race, marking the first win for Baumel and the second for Al-Attiyah, who won with VW in 2011. It would have been a podium lockout again for Mini had it not been for Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz, who placed their Toyota Hilux in second, with additional Minis finishing in third, fourth and fifth. The troubled Peugeot 2008 DKR driven by Stephane Peterhansel ultimately finished in 11th place. American driver Robby Gordon finished first in his class, but 19th overall. Things were even more predictable in the other categories. The Kamaz team from Russia won the Truck category for the third consecutive year (and the twelfth since 2000). Spanish rider Marco Coma won the Motorcycle category on his KTM 450 Rally – his second consecutive win and fifth win overall. And Poland's Rafal Sonik won in the Quad class, which has been taken on a Yamaha ATV every year since the rally moved to South America and the category was instituted.

2020 Mini Clubman makes many mini changes

The mid-cycle refresh for the 2020 Mini Clubman brings small-scale cosmetic alterations from front to back. The new grille dominates the front end. It's no larger than before, but by getting rid of the black bumper shape for six horizontal bars optionally dressed in chrome, the opening looks bigger. Clubman S models still fit hexagonal mesh into the opening, smaller hexagons on the new model set off by the single chrome accent of the previous model. New standard halogen headlights house larger reflectors and a black shield, the fog lights in the lower bumper illuminating as DRLs. The first set of optional LED headlights are arranged in a new design and employ LEDs for high and low beams. On these, an LED ring lights up to act as the primary DRL and the turn signal. A more feature-filled LED option includes adaptive headlights that can turn and adjust their brightness and throw automatically, and auto high-beam dipping. If we get that latter option in the U.S., it won't be with full functionality. The new rear LED taillights come standard and illuminate in a Union Jack pattern. Three new colors join the palette: Indian Summer Red metallic, British Racing Green metallic, and Mini Yours Enigmatic Black metallic. Optional Piano Black exterior trim replaces chrome with the glossy black stuff, and an optional sport suspension lowers the ride height by 10 millimeters. Extra wheel choices come in 18-inch Multiray Spoke two-tone and MINI Yours British Spoke two-tone flavors, along with 19-inch John Cooper Works Circuit Spoke two-tone rims. The Mini Yours program collects a suite of new personalization possibilities such as a sports steering wheel and a Leather Lounge Carbon Black interior leather treatment with a perforated Union Jack pattern on the seat headrests. Mini Yours ambient lighting treatments highlight the door bezels, cockpit bezel, cockpit and center console trim in hues to match three themes: Piano Black illuminated, Frozen Blue illuminated, and Fibre Alloy illuminated. A Union Jack emblem on the side windows marks the choice. A Leather Chester interior in Malt Brown, Indigo Blue, or Satellite Grey provides a different kind of flair. The infotainment gains a permanent 4G-LTE SIM card for always-on connectivity and over-the-air updates. After debuting at Auto Shanghai, we await pricing before the model goes on sale later this year.