2005 Mini Cooper Hardtop S on 2040-cars

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2017 MINI Model Year Preview and Updates

The team at MINI, BMW's small car subsidiary, is taking its minimalist approach to motoring and – with the launch of the all-new Countryman (pictured above) – maximizing it. Built atop the same basic architecture as BMW's X1 crossover, the newest Countryman is larger in every dimension than its predecessor. And with the stretch, it becomes fully competitive in both space and performance (at least in Cooper S guise) with virtually all of its competition, including Audi's Q3, BMW's own X1 and Mercedes' GLA. Beyond the new crossover, for 2017 it's a proliferation of John Cooper Works performance models and the intro of Mini's first plug-in hybrid. It, too, plugs into the new Countryman, and is on showrooms in June, 2017. Finally, don't forget the countless ways you can personalize your Mini – or the countless costs when you've added that personalization to the window sticker. MINI HARDTOP: Mini's Media package is now standard on all Hardtops, while some packages previously standard – such as Mini Driving modes and Excitement lighting – are now optional within package groups. CLUBMAN: A high-performance John Cooper Works Clubman is where, according to MINI, 'race-inspired performance meets grown-up motoring'. It is also the first Mini to combine a JCW performance pack with Mini's ALL4 all-wheel drive. CONVERTIBLE: All-new in 2016, the new model year brings another application of John Cooper Works performance. This is the same 228 horsepower available in other JCW models; with the top dropped, however, it feels much faster. COUNTRYMAN: To hear Mini tell it, this is the biggest, most adventurous Mini ever. As noted, it's a stretched variant – in every direction – of its predecessor, and with the larger size comes more refinement. Also noteworthy: All trims and drivetrains include an expansive menu of standard equipment. Cooper and Cooper S versions are on showrooms in March 2017, while the plug-in hybrid – Mini's first in the US – arrives in June.

Mini considering sports car replacement for Coupe and Roadster?

The next-generation Mini lineup could see some big changes, according to a report from Australian site CarSales. Starting with the debut of the third-generation Mini Hardtop at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, we could see a regular string of Minis on the stages of the world. But the bodystyles we see might not be what we've grown used to.
A four-door sedan could eventually arrive, while the polarizing Mini Coupe and Roadster are likely to be replaced by a dedicated sports car with unique sheetmetal and uprated engines. While the rest of the line is switching to three-cylinder, turbocharged engines, the new sports car, which will be available in both soft- and hardtop variants, will use some version of BMW's 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. The Aussie site also claims that the interior treatment could take inspiration from the Mini Vision concept car, while showing off the know-how BMW gained when working carbon fiber into the i3. The new model(s) would likely arrive in late 2015 or early 2016.
According to CarSales, we'll see the three-door Hardtop at the 2013 LA Show, along with a five-door hatch that is different from the Clubman at the 2014 Paris show. The Clubman, meanwhile, will arrive in Geneva in 2015, while the Convertible is slated for later that same year. The current Countryman and Paceman are expected to be around for some time, before being joined by an MPV. Eventually, the larger Minis will share their architecture with the BMW X1.

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.