2004 Mini Cooper S Maddness Stage 3 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The 2017 Porsche 911 RSR goes mid-engine, purists be damned

Porsche unveiled its World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech Championship competitor with the 2017 911 RSR. And this 911 is different from the rest, as the 4.0-liter flat-six engine powering this beast is in front of the rear axle, not behind it. That's right, this 24 Hours of Le Mans competitor ditches the iconic rear-engine layout. Porsche isn't talking specifics on how exactly things are arranged back there. The engine is new, now based on the 991 911's block instead of the previous Mezger motor that's been used for years. The transmission design is new as well – it would have to be to accommodate the new location relative to the engine. The racecar has been engineered to meet the LM-GTE class, where it will go up against other mid-engine cars like the Ford GT and Ferrari 488 GTE. Moving the engine to the middle has given Porsche the ability to fit the 911 RSR with massive bits of aero, like the humongous rear diffuser that looks like it would be more at home on a machine of war. The only thing that can compete with the diffuser for size is the top-mounted rear wing, which shares a similar design to the one found on the 919 Hybrid. Going back to the engine, the direct-injected boxer motor, depending on the size of the restrictor, generates as much as 510 horsepower and sends all of its fury to the rear wheels. The engine is paired to a six-speed sequential gearbox, which drivers can employ through paddles on the steering wheel. The new engine doesn't have a lot of weight to push around as the 911 RSR, as required by regulations, weighs 2,740 pounds. Speaking of weight, the engine layout isn't the only change for the 911 RSR. For 2017, the car ditches its steel body for one that's made out of carbon fiber. The body attaches to the chassis via quick-release fasteners, making the vehicle easier to service as exterior elements can be removed with minimal effort. The racecar also gets a radar-based collision system – aptly named the "Collision Avoid System" – which is meant to limit the 911 RSR's encounters with faster LMP prototypes. Only time will tell if the new layout and aerodynamic components help the 911 RSR beat its competition. But there will be plenty of opportunities to see the racecar in action as Porsche plans to run the 911 RSR in 19 races during the 2017 season, the first of which will take place at the IMSA opener on January 28th at Daytona, where the racecar will make its track day debut.

Mini to skip 2016 Detroit, Geneva Auto Shows

Following a report from the team at MotoringFile, rumors have been swirling that Mini will join Jaguar Land Rover and abandon this year's North American International Auto Show. We can officially confirm that the BMW-owned brand will be passing on not only next month's Detroit show, but also Europe's flagship Geneva Motor Show. It all has to do with positioning. See, auto shows can be two things – they can be news events, or they can be consumer events. On the consumer side of the equation, we have the sprawling Chicago Auto Show, while both Geneva and Detroit lean heavily towards being a source of breaking news. Based on Mini's official statement, it looks like it was that positioning that led the brand to pass on two of the world's most important auto shows. "The BMW Group confirms it has decided Mini will not be represented at the shows in Detroit and Geneva. This decision reflects Mini's new product and brand strategy, which was presented to the public on June 24, 2015," Mini USA spokesperson Mariella Kapsaskis told Autoblog in an official statement. "Part of the new brand strategy is focusing on selected auto shows and an increased engagement with events that increase MINI's access to other relevant target groups." Max Muncey, PR manager for NAIAS, corroborated the statement from Mini. "The North American International Auto Show is one of the few shows to carry the international moniker. As such, we focus on making news with global media outlets rather than serving as a consumer show," Muncey told Autoblog. "Mini's decision reflects this positioning." According to Muncey, Detroit hosted 5,000 journalists last year, while its media coverage was roughly double that of LA, where Mini held the world debut for the new Convertible and the US debut for the Clubman last month. In our opinion, with both those debuts out of the way and not much else coming down the pipe in the near future, prioritizing auto shows based on consumer attendance rather than media attendance seems like a sound strategy. Here's hoping Mini returns to the frigid wastes of Detroit for the 2017 installment of the North American International Auto Show.

Mini Cooper Convertible Interior Review | Dissecting the oddball

Stepping inside any Mini product is going to throw you for a minute if you haven’t been in one before. ItÂ’s a combination of the odd proportions, weird sightlines and exceedingly quirky design for just about everything inside the cabin. This strangeness, of course, applies to the 2022 Mini Cooper Convertible, which is the subject of this review. Arguably, the Convertible is even weirder than the regular Hardtop, both of which were updated for 2022. It features a tailgate as a rear loading mechanism and a soft top that folds like an accordion on top of said tailgate, remaining out in the open and visible no matter its position — thereÂ’s simply no room for Mini to stow it out of sight in a trunk cubby hole. That gives the Mini Convertible an odd look with the top down, and due to the top having to rest on top of the tailgate, it also blocks the driverÂ’s view rearward. You can still see super-tall trucks in the rearview mirror, but putting the top down makes you largely reliant on the side mirrors to see whatÂ’s coming up behind you. To mitigate that, thereÂ’s a middle ground of top deployment that simply rolls the top part of the way back, effectively creating a roof-width sunroof. Those are all rather odd quirks, but our favorite convertible Mini quirk of old is nowhere to be found in the latest car: the Openometer. This little feature was a gauge that simply kept track of how long you spent driving around with the top down. ItÂ’s hard to think of a feature that is any more “Mini” than that one, which makes us all the more sad that the gauge no longer exists to shame those who donÂ’t drop the power-folding roof. Looking past the weirdness, thereÂ’s a regular car interior here that straddles the line between a premium and non-premium car. The $40,350 price of our Mini Cooper S tester signals that this is positioned as a small and sporty premium car, and there are some genuinely luxurious touches. The Chesterfield Brown leather seats with white piping and pretty quilting sure do scream luxury, while all of the weighty switches and nicely-damped buttons signal the same. The above said, the standard Mini interior is all leatherette, full of cheap-looking shiny plastic trim and is really slacking when it comes to many features weÂ’d expect would come standard. For example, a base Mini Cooper S Convertible at $28,750 doesnÂ’t have heated seats, proximity entry, auto climate control or an auto-dimming mirror.