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Mini Rocketman back on the table, might go aluminum

Mini just doesn't want its Rocketman concept to die. It unveiled the truly mini model at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and since then, there have been countless on-again, off-again rumors about the possibility of it going into production. If the latest talk proves true, a smaller vehicle like the Rocketman might make it into the automaker's lineup after all, as competitor to other stylish city cars like the Smart ForTwo.
According to the company's head of design, Anders Warming, speaking to Auto Express, Mini likes the idea of having a smaller model in its lineup, but it has to figure out a way of actually making it work. Warming is clear that the next iteration of the Rocketman concept (or whatever it's called then) won't be seen until a design is ready.
There are still plenty of challenges keeping a production Rocketman off of the city streets of the world, and chief among them continues to be finding a platform. But Mini is at least considering it. "At the moment, we don't have the right tech solutions, but we are working on it. We don't yet have a final solution, you could say," said Warming to Auto Express. He also thinks the final version would drop the concept's carbon fiber in favor of more aluminum components.

Mini expands All4 to non-turbo Countryman, Paceman models

Mini is giving buyers the chance to sink their teeth into all-wheel drive on more models than ever. The automaker has announced the Coper Countryman and Paceman can now be had with the company's All4 all-wheel drive system. Previously, the option was only available on turbocharged Cooper S and John Cooper Works versions of the high-riding Minis. Buyers will be able to chose between the standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional six-speed automatic gearbox, and Mini says the naturally aspirated Cooper Countryman All4 can pull to 60 miles per hour in a languid 11.9 seconds when powered by a 122-horsepoer 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.
We suppose what it lacks in speed it makes up for in determination. Likewise, the Cooper Paceman All4 does the deed in 11.8 seconds, though automatic models are somewhat quicker. Check out the full press release below for more information. Mini hasn't announced pricing for its new, less-powerful All4 models just yet.

Mini Superleggera Vision is the all-electric roadster Mini needs to make

It could be argued that Mini has not built a pretty car since the R53, the first of the reborn Minis, was put out to pasture at the end of 2006. I've owned two R53s, so yes, I'm horribly biased. The styling situation in Oxford hasn't improved much for 2014, either, as the bigger, more frightened-looking Mini begins to arrive in dealerships, boasting a very un-Mini-like front overhang. This, though, this works.
It's called the Superleggera Vision, and straight away, we should point out that it's not designed by Mini. It's a product of Touring Superleggera, whose other creations include the stunning Disco Volante. It's a darn nice piece of design, and we're especially fond of its tiny, Jaguar D-type-like rear fin. It's also perfectly designed for it's debut location - the Concours d'Elegance at Italy's Villa d'Este.
Despite being a Mini, the Superleggera still boasts a traditional roadster layout, with a long hood and a shorter rear deck. The front end boasts a pair of traditionally styled Mini headlamps, which sit above a version of the new Cooper's gaping grille. The profile is brightened by a pair of character lines, the most noticeable of which runs from ahead and over the front wheel wells toward the back of the diminutive droptop. Of course, we can't not mention that amazing fin. It should be fitted to every Mini Roadster posthaste. The rear of the car, meanwhile, almost reminds us of an old Aston Martin Vanquish, thanks to the shape of its taillights and their rounded rectangular enclosure. And yes, those are union jacks inside the taillights. God save the queen.