2014 Mini Countryman S All4 on 2040-cars

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Mini boss contradicts reports on production Superleggera, says Minor unlikely

Mini has added to our green-beer-induced hangover with some disappointing news. The Mini Superleggera Vision Concept is not quite as confirmed as we had been led to believe. And making matters worse, the same high-ranking source that put the kibosh on confirmation of the stylish two-seater said he "doesn't see" a mini Mini. Mini boss Peter Schwarzenbauer contradicted yesterday's report in an interview with Automotive News, although he certainly doesn't oppose the idea of the Superleggera Vision. "I cannot confirm that it has been approved yet," Schwarzenbauer told AN, adding that it'd be a "great addition to the Mini range" and that he's "still pushing" for it to arrive in dealerships. That's good news for fans of yesterday's report. Schwarzenbauer is less of a fan of a small, entry-level mini Mini, based on the Rocketman Concept. "I don't see a smaller car than the current one," the exec said. It's long been rumored that Mini was readying a smaller, budget model that was more in line with the original Austin and Morris Minis, rather than the premium sub-compact model that BMW has been selling for the past 13 years. The company has even, allegedly, been in cahoots with Toyota to develop the new compact model. We reported as recently as January that the Anglo-Teutonic outfit and its Japanese partners would develop an entirely new platform for the Minor, although that certainly doesn't seem to be the case now. How do you feel about this? Does Mini need to get back to its roots with the affordable, Rocketman-based Minor, or should it keep on doing what it's doing? What about the Superleggera Vision Concept? Should Mini add it as a successor to the short-lived Roadster? Have your say in Comments. Related Video:

Mini apologizes with chocolate rose after spamming customer's inbox

If you're a manufacturer, there are only so many ways you can say "sorry" after your automated e-mail system goes berzerk and spams everyone on your mailing list with hundreds of the same message. Mini recently found itself in that very spot, and rather than respond with a sheepish mea culpa, the company's PR team took a different tack by sending owners a very unique gift box. How unique? Inside, one owner found a set of chocolate roses, a roll of duct tape and a genuine can of Spam.
In an accompanying note, the company said it hoped the sweets would help patch things up between the company and the victims of the e-mail barrage, but in the event that wasn't enough to do the trick, the duct tape was there to help out. And the can of Spam? That tagged along just for stress release. Apparently the canned meat is squeezable. We wouldn't know. You can check out full photos of the gift box here.

World record practice jump doesn't go as planned for Chicherit

French rally driver Guerlain Chicherit is a very lucky man. He had hoped to beat Tanner Foust's 332-feet car jump record (which nearly went awry itself) with a 360-foot leap in a specially built Mini to score a new Guinness World Record at the French ski resort of Tignes. However, things didn't go to plan, and Chicherit suffered a massive crash during the attempt. According to The Local, emergency services were on the scene immediately, and he was transported to the hospital by helicopter, but Chicherit is in better condition than anyone could have expected. He has been on Facebook since the crash and appears to be in great spirits. He wrote: "I have to stay to the hospital for the night just for safety, I'm all ok !!!" The jump was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 16, but heavy fog delayed it until today. Warning: The crash is quite graphic, but remember Chicherit wasn't seriously injured. Scroll down to see it all from multiple angles and in slow motion. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.