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Mini Clubman All4 Scrambler Concept | Autoblog Minute

This is the Mini Clubman All4 Scrambler, a concept from Mini of Italy built for the 2016 Valentino Park Motor Show. Inspiration for this tough-looking Mini is the BMW R Nine T Scrambler motorcycle. MINI Motorcycle Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video mini clubman all4 scrambler

U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.

Mini Yours parts-ordering service lets you personalize your car

Mini is stealing a page from more upmarket luxury brands by offering customers the opportunity to add individualized parts starting next year. The Mini Yours Customised service will let owners create and order customized side scuttles, dashboard trim panels, and LED-projected door sills and door projectors that illuminate a welcome design or message or their choosing, all via a configurator on an Online Shop. Customers will be able to choose different colors, patterns, surface finishes, icons, texts and even their own signature into the designs. Imagine customizing your Hardtop to read "Melissa's Mini" or maybe "Willyz Wheelz." The custom parts will be manufactured in Germany using 3D printing and laser etching, then delivered within a few weeks. They can then be installed either by the customer or a Mini dealer. If the vehicle is sold to someone else, the new owner can order new custom designs. Mini says the service will be made available over the course of 2018 "in Europe and other large markets," presumably including the U.S., though Autoblog is seeking clarification on that point. Mini says the move is in keeping with the spirit of individualization the brand is known for. "This unparalleled freedom of design allows customers to transform their Mini into a unique special defined by their personal style and their own creativity," the company said in a release.Related Video: