2008 Mini Cooper on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini wins Dakar Rally for fourth year in a row

Motorsport in its various forms tends to be characterized by eras of domination: Red Bull in F1, Audi at Le Mans, Citroen and now Volkswagen in the WRC. That's certainly the case with the Dakar Rally. After years of domination at the hands of the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Volkswagen Touareg won the famous rally raid three years running. But these days, it's all about Mini. The Anglo-Saxon team won the Dakar three years running, locking out the podium last year in positively dominant style. And now it's won again. After some 5,600 miles spanning three countries across South America, the Mini All4 Racing machine piloted by Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, with France's Mathieu Baumel as co-pilot, has taken the top step on the podium in Buenos Aires. The duo won five out of 13 legs to claim the race, marking the first win for Baumel and the second for Al-Attiyah, who won with VW in 2011. It would have been a podium lockout again for Mini had it not been for Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz, who placed their Toyota Hilux in second, with additional Minis finishing in third, fourth and fifth. The troubled Peugeot 2008 DKR driven by Stephane Peterhansel ultimately finished in 11th place. American driver Robby Gordon finished first in his class, but 19th overall. Things were even more predictable in the other categories. The Kamaz team from Russia won the Truck category for the third consecutive year (and the twelfth since 2000). Spanish rider Marco Coma won the Motorcycle category on his KTM 450 Rally – his second consecutive win and fifth win overall. And Poland's Rafal Sonik won in the Quad class, which has been taken on a Yamaha ATV every year since the rally moved to South America and the category was instituted.

Mini's Super Bowl ad stars Serena Williams and Tony Hawk

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what kind of car a Mini is, and what it says about its driver. For many, it seems, buying one is as much a fashion statement and lifestyle choice as it is anything else. And Mini is out to face those notions head-on in its latest Super Bowl ad. Set to air during the third quarter of the big game on the 7th, the spot brings in a star-studded list of celebrities. Tennis great Serena Williams, soccer player Abby Wambach, hip-hop star T-Pain, major-league pitcher Randy Johnson, skateboard legend Tony Hawk, and actor Harvey Keitel all feature in the 30-second spot dubbed "Defy Labels." The ad was produced by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and shines a spotlight on the new Mini Clubman. But you don't have to wait until Sunday to see it: you can watch it right here, and scope out the additional behind-the-scenes video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI DECLARES DEFIANCE IN STAR-STUDDED GAME DAY AD Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 1, 2016... As more than 100 million viewers around the world prepare to tune into the big game on February 7, MINI USA is unveiling its star-studded 30-second spot today, set to air in the third quarter of the year's biggest night in television advertising. The ad, created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), embraces many of the labels the brand has experienced over the years with a very powerful message: it doesn't care what you call it. "Defy Labels," has its roots in the fact that everyone and everything is labeled but how you handle those labels is what matters. With defiance at its core, the campaign inspires people to shed the labels society has placed upon them and instead define themselves. "Ever since the first Mini was built in 1959, it has been labeled as one thing or another. It's small. It's cute," said Tom Noble, department head, MINI Brand Communications. "This campaign acknowledges those labels in a very authentic way while simultaneously showing people MINI is more than that. With the launch of the new Clubman, our brand is growing up, our products are more sophisticated, and its time to reset the conversation." The brand worked with an ensemble cast of athletes and celebrities to help start that conversation.

Mini stretches out with new Hardtop 4 door [w/video] [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Information on US availability, specification and nomenclature added to the updated text below.
Few automakers have managed to spin off as many variants of essentially one vehicle as Mini has. The second generation produced even more versions than the first, and now that the third generation is upon us, the process is starting all over again. The jury may still be out on whether parent company BMW will roll out as many body-styles of this latest Mini as it did with the last, but here's our first indication.
Following the introduction of the new three-door Mini hatchback at the LA Auto Show, the Anglo-Saxon marque has introduced a new five-door model. Or four-door, depending on which Mini office you're speaking to: while this new model - an addition to the lineup and not a direct replacement for anything previously offered - is called the Mini 5 door by the factory, here in the US it's called the Mini Hardtop 4 door. Whatever you call it, though, this new Mini is essentially the same as the three-door model (or two-door model with a tailgate), only with - you guessed it - two extra doors. The new Clubman will be a separate model altogether.