2010 Used Certified Turbo 1.6l I4 16v Automatic Fwd Convertible Premium on 2040-cars

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Xcar takes the Mini Challenge, and it sounds awesome

The third-generation Mini is well and truly on sale in markets across the world. The new four-door model should be arriving soon, if it isn't already on sale in your neck of the woods, and the latest John Cooper Works model made its official debut just a few weeks ago at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. We aren't going to be talking about any of those right now, though. That's because our chums at Xcar took it upon themselves to sample the third-generation Mini Challenge racecar, a 275-horsepower, hardcore, fully committed competition version of the otherwise adorable Mini Cooper S. At roughly 30,000 British pounds (about $45,200 at today's rates) there's a lot to like about the Challenge car. Aside from a gutted cabin and aggressive aerodynamic kit, the racer has been fitted with slick tires, a Quaife sequential gearbox, adjustable dampers, Alcon brakes and a consequently lower curb weight – under 2,600 pounds with an average-sized driver. It's fair to say the Challenge driving experience figures to be unlike your typical road-going Mini. And considering that, we think the folks that built the car, Total Track, have fulfilled their promise of delivering a "touring car experience at a fraction of the cost." Have a look at the Xcar video and let us know what you think. Be sure to crank up your speakers, because the Challenge sounds excellent.

Next Mini Convertible spotted on flatbed truck

Mini is well underway testing the third-generation of its four-place Cooper Convertible, as evidenced by these photos, showing the new droptop riding along on a flatbed.
Codenamed the F57 - as opposed to the "F56" designation for the Hardtop - the Convertible will ride on the same UKL front-drive architecture that will underpin its hardtop brother, not to mention its German cousins, the BMW 1 Series GT and X1. According to our spies, it'll share more than a few of the BMW i's lightweight technologies and will include such advanced features as electronically adjustable dampers. That seems like some high-dollar tech for a droptop Mini, but we'd be quite happy to see it arrive all the same.
From the beltline down, we can expect the Convertible to feature almost identical styling to the Hardtop. Based on the spy photos, there's not a lot to see above the belt line, either. The roof carries roughly the same shape, and will probably fold in a similar Z-pattern to the current canvas top.

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.