Mini News

Mini will celebrate the 107th anniversary of the birth of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the original Mini, by unveiling the third generation of the modern MINI, the 2014 Cooper, at a special ceremony at the car’s plant in Oxford, England. That special ceremony will take place on November 18, after which Mini will make simultaneous presentations at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show and 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 20. We don’t have to wait until then to see the car, however. In addition to our numerous spy shots, of both the Cooper and sportier Cooper S, Mini has already previewed the new car’s design with its Mini Vision concept that’s set for a debut on September 10 at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. Key design elements expected for the 2014 Mini Cooper include a hexagonal radiator grille (inspired by the one on the 1959 original), ring-shaped daytime running lights integrated with the headlights, and jewel-like tail-lights. Completely new engines and a new platform will feature as well, and for the first time BMW models will share the Mini's technologies. Sales of the 2014 Mini Cooper are expected to start overseas early next year, and arrive here just a few months later. Just like its predecessor, the new Mini will be produced in Oxford in the UK. The oncoming start of production and the November 18 reveal will mark additional highlights in a jubilee year for the Oxford plant, where automobiles have been built for more than 100 years. www.motorauthority.com  

It means every Mini model including hatch, Clubman, Coupe, Cabriolet, Roadster, Paceman, Countryman and GP now includes a John Cooper Works, or JCW, variant.All are powered by a new generation 1.6 litre four-cylinder direct injection engine featuring twin-scroll turbo technology, variable valve control and a host of technical features.Highlights include reinforced cylinder head and pistons, sodium filled exhaust valves and lightweight crankshaft which help the excellent revving capability With a maximum output of 155kW and 260 Nm of torque (280 Nm with overboost), which increases to 160kW and 280Nm (300Nm with overboost) in the all-wheel-drive JCW Countryman and  JCW Paceman.The exhaust note is trumpeted through a JCW sports exhaust system, which produces a deliberately tuned raw note under acceleration, along with a symphony of burbles and crackles on over-run.In two-wheel drive variants, the drive is transferred to the front wheels via a  six-speed manual transmission. In the case of the JCW Paceman and JCW Countryman, power is channelled via the electromagnetic centre differential of the all-wheel-drive system between the front and rear axles to all four wheels.An optional six-speed automatic transmission is available for all JCW variants except the JCW GP limited edition model. JCW sports suspension, which comes as either standard or a no-cost-option depending on the model, has dynamically tuned dampers and anti-roll bars.  Stopping power is enhanced by a high performance sports-brake system.A Sports button in the centre console allows the driver to tweak the engine's responses and soundtrack, as well as the power assistance provided by the steering. In models fitted with automatic transmissions, pressing the Sport button also quickens shift times.

Mini purists will probably throw their hands up in the air with disgust, but yes Mini bosses have seriously considered offering ‘camper’ versions of the famous (not as small as it used to be) small car.Mini has just unveiled three concept ‘campers’ which could be the perfect home-away-from-home for car buyers looking to get out into nature on the weekends, but still have a fun and easy to drive city car on Monday morning.Now, the idea of whacking a big camper ‘pod’ onto the roof of a Mini may seem a bit weird but you can kind of see some logic beyond at least exploring the idea. The fact is most Mini owners are young well-to-do city-dweller types and having the versatility of a vehicle that couldsafely take them to areas out past the suburbs would probably be attractive to many of them.How comfortable the pods would be and what the driving dynamics of the Mini would be like with that extra weight up-top remain unknown however.Mini also hasn’t spoken about how easy, or difficult it might be to turn your Mini back into a regular car when your weekend escape is over!Never the less, in a statement Mini said the concept vehicles ‘reflect different aspects of the rise in popularity of camping and festivals, creating a choice of premium home-from-home options for the enthusiastic traveller.’The statement then went on to say that at this stage there are no plans to make the concepts a reality; some would say that’sprobably a good idea! In the meantime here’s how Mini described their three ‘camper’ concepts:The Mini Clubvan Camper is the world’s smallest luxury camper van, packed with practical solutions that make it ideal accommodation for an individual on a weekend away.The Mini Cowley is a compact yet comfortable caravan for two people, equipped with a twin-ring gas stove, fridge and sink.The Mini Countryman ALL4 Camp with its innovative roof-top tent is the getaway car for an adventurous couple, evoking images of African safari and expedition vehicles.Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au

The body is finished and only the swirly camouflage is protecting the final details on a car that is longer and wider with a longer bonnet and slimmer A pillars.

The camouflage is almost gone and the car is revealed as slightly longer and wider, although the big changes are in the cabin where the centre-mounted speedo is gone. 

A new world record for the tightest parallel park has been set, with Guinness World Records confirming that the new distance is a gap of just 13.1 cm. The new record was set twice, initially by John Moffatt and then a second time by Moffatt’s brother Alastair. The brothers accomplished the amazing stunt on December 10, 2012, during filming of a segment for the British television program Officially Amazing. And since they accomplished it on the same day, Guinness officials were happy to enter both their names into the record books. At the distances we’re talking about, the only way to parallel park a vehicle is by spinning it into the spot, rather than the conventional way of reversing into it. And in case you were wondering, the brothers used an original Mini Mayfair for the stunt. They certainly didn’t mind smashing the car on some of the attempts, which does partially diminish the incredibleness of the stunt. Others have done it with zero damage.  Who will be the next driver to break the record? Considering the gap is just 13.1 cm now, realistically, how low can the margin for error go?     www.motorauthority.com  

Two of a limited 55-car batch of the red-hot $56,900 Mini JCW GP Editions have set down in Australia.

We’ve seen quite a few outrageous car stunts lately, but they have all just been one-upped by the world’s first car backflip. French daredevil Guerlain Chicherit pulled off the feat overnight by flipping a Mini Countryman from a snow ramp in France. Chicherit is calling it the world's first "unassisted 360 degree backflip" in a car. Using a specially modified Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, Chicherit accelerated up a ramp and jumped to an estimated 12 metres during the stunt. The French driver reportedly spent four years training and preparing for the stunt, which saw him launch the Mini, flip through 360 degrees and land – right side up – on the eight-metre ramp. Details on the car modifications haven’t been revealed, but it was based on the JCW Countryman crossover powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers 160 kW of power and 300Nm of torque, making for a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 225km/h.  

MINI calls it "Not Normal." We've been known to call it "creepy." Wherever it lands on your personal spectrum, MINI's ad flavour is definitely unusual. The latest, for the new Paceman, is called "Street Attitude". Showing a guy that's in a hurry to grab some vinyl, pick up dinner, and flash his girlfriend--with his lights--as he pulls into his living room/garage, we're not entirely sure what's going on here. Par for the course with MINI. Three versions of the ad are offered, with the primary ad featuring a run-in at an intersection with another Paceman--later revealed to be the first driver's bird-flipping girlfriend. Not that it's the first time MINI has flipped us the bird. The second version has a happier ending, and the third version ends with a much lonelier scene. Almost loser status. So what do you think of these ad spots? Is MINI out in left field again, or do they resonate with you? If so, could you please tell us what sort of person you are, because we still can't figure out who the typical Paceman buyer is. Thanks.   www.motorauthority.com    

There probably isn't a huge market for a somewhat off-road-capable, three-door, sporty, compact hatchback. So what is the market for a more hardcore, sporty, less off-road-capable version of that same hatchback?We're not sure, but that's exactly what the MINI Paceman John Cooper Works is. This is our first look at the hot edition of the Paceman, courtesy of rampant leakage around the web today ahead of its official debut, expected sometime in the coming months.The 2013 MINI Paceman the John Cooper Works edition is based on was just unveiled to the public at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September, so the JCW is close on the heels of its more normal (though still somewhat oddball) counterpart.Leaked to the web without specs or information, the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman is already familiar--if not quite pleasing--to our eyes. But do the official details on MINI's latest car persuade us to want to like it?Close, but not quite. You see, this is arguably the most confusing and least attractive cut of MINI's one-sausage-many-lengths theory of design. Pairing the high-riding and soft-roading qualities of the Countryman with the enthusiast-focused John Cooper Works formula could have resulted in a three-door MINI Paceman Baja Edition--a sort of micro-Raptor.Instead, it leaves us with a John Cooper Works Paceman, good for 7 seconds to 100km/h from a 160 kilowatts turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine driving ALL4 all-wheel drive. Peak torque of 300 newton-meters is available from 1,700 rpm to 4,500 rpm with the Overboost function enabled--pretty stout for a smallish turbo four.A choice of manual or automatic six-speed transmissions is available, and it won't affect the 0-100km/h times. But as strong as that little engine is, the 7-second 0-100km/h time hints at the problems of going tall and off-road-ish: weight. The JCW Paceman is quicker than the JCW Countryman, but not by much.By way of contrast, the Scion FR-S manages a rather anemic 147 kilowatts from its boxer engine, with at most about three-quarters the torque of the MINI JCW Paceman's engine--and even then, it's all at the top of the tach--and yet it can dash to 100km/h in about the same time, with rear-wheel drive only.The comparison is apples to oranges on everything, and all of it should favour the MINI. But the clock doesn't. That spells a stout curb weight to us. MINI doesn't disabuse us of this notion with the official announcement--curb weight isn't anywhere to be found.www.motorauthority.com