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2019 Mini Oxford Edition is the cheapest way to get a Mini, but only for college students, grads

Mini makes a play for young car buyers with its latest 2019 Hardtop model, the Oxford Edition. It's more on par with a new trim level, but it's a highly compelling one as it's the cheapest version of the Mini available, and it comes with even more standard features than the regular base Mini. The catch is you have to either be in college, or recently graduated, to get it. Specifically, you have to be a full- or part-time student enrolled in a 2-year, 4-year or graduate school program at an accredited college or university. You're also eligible if you've graduated from one of those programs within 12 months of buying the car. If this describes you, you can have a turbo-charged three-cylinder two-door Mini Hardtop for $20,600, or the four-door for $21,600. That's a $2,150 discount over a normal base trim Mini called Classic. Even better, the Oxford Edition is equipped much better than the Classic, with larger 17-inch wheels, heated seats and a panoramic sunroof as standard. There are even a couple more colors to pick from adding British Racing Green and Starlight Blue to the Classic's selection of red, white, black and silver. An automatic transmission is also standard, which is usually a $1,250 option on the Classic, but a manual transmission is still available. Mini says that all the features amount to a $6,900 value, though it's difficult to gauge that since features such as the sunroof aren't available on the Classic, but it's a standard feature on the roughly $26,000 Mini Signature. All-in-all, the Mini Oxford Edition is a great deal for a young buyer with a desire for a Mini. And that's easy to understand, since we've enjoyed the ones we've driven. Related Video:

BMW, Mini aim to sell million cars off new FWD platform

Mini sold 301,526 cars in 2012; BMW sold 1.54 million of its own models. According to a piece in Autocar, analysts say the coming UKL1 platform that will form the skeleton of the third-generation Mini Cooper and coming front-wheel drive BMW 1 Series could be responsible for "more than 900,000 cars per year" all by itself.
That sale fire is fueled by the UKL1 wearing up to twenty-three bodies in total between the two brands, 11 for Mini and 12 for BMW, rendering hatchbacks, sedans, coupes, convertibles, wagons, crossovers and people-haulers from about 12.5 feet to 14.5 feet. In April the VP of Mini USA said we might find some current models don't make it to a next generation, but a graphic accompanying the Autocar story has them all there. If it's correct, then those 23 models will only base model lines and don't account for different engines and four-wheel-drive options for each model.
The big changes that would perhaps mean big sales for the Mini line are a five-door hatch with two smaller rear doors for children, the sedan talked about last year for Asian markets and an MPV perhaps wearing the "Traveler" name that could send the Countryman in a more SUV-like direction.

Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria