Mini Clubvan Concept Takes Clubman to Cargo Town [Geneva Auto Show]

Mini’s lineup is more expansive than you might think. The basic Cooper three-door hatch currently shares showroom space with the four-place convertible, the extended-length Clubman, the high-riding Countryman, and the two-seater Roadster and Coupe. Mini will debut yet another (potential) derivative next month at the Geneva auto show, the Clubman-based Clubvan commercial van concept. (The Paceman, a three-door Countryman, is on the way, too.)

The Clubvan’s transformation to micro cargo hauler is pretty simple, as it’s essentially a Clubman with no rear seats. It uses the same body as the Clubman—which is a longer-wheelbase Mini Cooper with split rear barn doors and a third door on the passenger’s side—and gets opaque rear side window coverings and heavily tinted rear-door glass.

Mini didn’t just rip the back seats out, tint the windows, and call it a day, though. The aft space is made more cargo-friendly through a completely flat and cloth-upholstered load floor, six tie-down hooks, and a fixed partition between the front seats and the rear stowage area. The partition is a particularly trick-looking piece; the top features stainless-steel grating, while the bottom is finished in solid aluminum. Our only gripe, we suppose, is that the partition appears to intrude into the opening created by the third side door, limiting its usefulness.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/mini-clubvan-concept-takes-clubman-to-cargo-town-geneva-auto-show/

First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster

If you're puzzled, as we are, by what the new Mini Roadster is supposed to be that the existing Mini Convertible is not, the folks from Mini offer this explanation: "It's the return of the British roadster."

Uh, we know it's been a while since actual British roadsters -- MGs and Triumphs and the like -- zipped along America's back roads (and broke down on their shoulders), but we remember them as quite a bit different than this Mini. The slender sports cars followed a classic formula seemingly laid down at the dawn of time, with a longitudinally mounted engine up front driving the rear wheels. The Mini Roadster, on the other hand, follows the formula of other Minis, with a transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel drive.

Soft-top sibling to the hardtop Coupe The Roadster is essentially a softtop version of the two-seat hardtop Coupe, which went on sale last fall. In both cars, the back seat area is given over to a bulkhead that has a lockable, 14-by-8-inch pass-through to an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk -- which betters the 6.0 cubic feet you get in the Convertible. As in the Coupe, the deck lid here incorporates a pop-up rear spoiler that deploys automatically at 50 mph to provide additional downforce (or flip it up manually with a switch on the windshield header). The Roadster also has the Coupe's reinforced body structure, lower ride height, and deeper front spoiler.

Yep, it drives like a Mini

These are not exactly transformative changes. And indeed, the Roadster drives pretty much like any other Mini. Mostly, of course, that's a very good thing. The Roadster will be available from launch in all three strengths: 121-hp Cooper; turbocharged 181-hp Cooper S; and full-tilt-boogie, 208-hp John Cooper Works. We drove the Cooper S version, and it is a lively performer (6.7 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, according to the manufacturer). Turbo lag is not an issue, and this engine gleefully zings the Roadster down urban freeways and rural two-lanes, accompanied by a snarling exhaust note -- and the occasional racy popping through the exhaust on throttle lift-off.

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1201_2012_mini_cooper_roadster_first_drive/index.html#ixzz1lzuitqlF

Green Car Reports - MINI Cooper Diesels May Be U.S. Bound: Report

Contrary to the myth that U.S. buyers don’t want diesels, MINI head Dr. Kay Segler reports that diesel MINI models are the most common request from its U.S. customers.

Segler told Car and Driver that, “We’re delighted to hear it,” before confirming that the brand is seriously looking into the possibility of importing diesels into the United States.

Don’t expect this to happen with the current, second-generation MINIs, since Segler admits that U.S. diesel models are a “medium term” consideration, not a short term one.

If that sounds vaguely ambiguous, there’s probably a good reason for it. At the moment, emission standards for diesel passenger cars differ between the U.S. and the E.U., but that changes in 2014 when the E.U. adopts the current (stricter) U.S. standard.

It’s not economical for manufacturers to certify diesels just for the U.S. market, especially when they won’t sell in the same volume as gasoline-powered equivalents. That changes in 2014, which is why we expect to see more diesel options in the future.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1072250_mini-cooper-diesels-may-be-u-s-bound-report

Confirmed: Mini Planning Another John Cooper Works GP Model

We’ve learned from a Mini executive that the company will build another hard-core John Cooper Works GP variant. The first GP model, sold in limited numbers for the 2006 model year, was more powerful and lighter than the contemporary Cooper S JCW on which it was based; these traits likely will carry over to the new one. (The first-gen car is pictured above.)

Figure on a very modest bump in output to 220 hp or so from the 208 on tap in the current JCW. It’s possible that the GP’s amped-up 1.6-liter turbo four will be tuned identically to the one scheduled for the upcoming John Cooper Works Countryman, as we were told that the mini-SUV will offer a touch more than 208 hp, too.

The original GP also featured an extensively revised suspension; the weight savings came through the removal of the rear seats and air conditioning. Similar modifications probably will be made to create the new car.

There was no word from Mini on timing, but we expect it to appear within the next year.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/confirmed-mini-planning-another-john-cooper-works-gp-model/

2013 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman Driven: The Un-Mini Gets Un-Screwed Up

At the Geneva auto show in March, Mini will unveil the John Cooper Works Countryman. But this week, high in the Austrian Alps, the company gave us the opportunity to try one ahead of its official debut. After flogging it through ice- and snow-bathed roads winding through the mountains, we have good news to report: This is the best Countryman by far, and it may very well be the best John Cooper Works Mini.

Something Old, Something New

Much of the John Cooper Works Countryman is carried over directly from the Cooper S Countryman with the Sport package. The ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, which drives the front wheels under normal circumstances but can direct up to 50 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels, is identical here. ALL4 is also will be the only powertrain offered in the JCW model—unlike lesser Countrymen S, which are available with front- or all-wheel drive. The Sport-packed Cooper S Countryman already is 0.4 inch lower than the regular Countryman, and as we've experienced in our long-termer, rides plenty stiffly. With this in mind, we're relieved that Mini didn't give the JCW version an even harsher suspension setup. Our dental plan only covers so many repairs per year for chipped teeth.

A JCW aero kit adds a sportier front fascia and a new rear bumper. The snout is big in person, but when paired with the JCW Countryman’s lower stance, it removes some of the hatchback-on-stilts look of lesser models. Score one for the styling team.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-mini-john-cooper-works-countryman-drive-review

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2012 Mini Cooper Roadster Priced: Base, $25,050; Cooper S, $28,050; JCW, $35,200

Mini recently revealed its new 2012 Roadster, a convertible version of its rakish Coupe, and now it has announced pricing. The base Cooper Roadster starts at a fairly reasonable $25,050. Next up is the turbocharged Cooper S, which rings in at a pricey $28,050. Finally, the range-topping John Cooper Works version will set you back an eye-watering $35,200. Those prices are between $2750 and $3300 more than an equivalent Mini Coupe.

The two-seat Roadster’s pricing is actually $600 cheaper in each spec than the Mini Convertible (which has two vestigial rear seats); we’d have expected it to cost more, given that Mini charges between a $1300 and $1800 premium for a Coupe over the standard Hardtop. Plus, the Roadster looks way cooler than the conventional Mini Convertible, so we’ll award points for avoiding a style tax. It must be noted, however, that a 412-hp, rear-drive 2012 Ford Mustang GT convertible costs just $305 more than the 208-horse JCW. If you prefer your top-down motor to be tiny and front-wheel drive, though, your first opportunity to purchase a 2012 Mini Roadster will be in February.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/2012-mini-cooper-roadster-priced-base-25050-cooper-s-28050-jcw-35200/

www.automobilemag.com: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe

Well, what do you get when you leap $10K in price from the Hyundai Veloster and the Volkswagen Beetle? You get a much sportier chassis, for sure, a much more energetic powertrain, and the best steering of the trio. You also get an incredibly harsh ride and lots of torque steer. This car scores high on performance and style, very low on value and utility. The equivalent Mini Cooper hardtop (the original, base car) is just as good to drive but has enough room for four people in a pinch or, say, four wheels and tires so you can drive to track day and swap them out. That said, I just checked the trunk again and this Mini does actually have a decent amount of cargo room.

Is the toggle switch new with this car? I don't recall using it on my drive in Vienna, but that was all on the track and we really didn't use many secondary controls. In any case, it's intuitive and it reminds me of similar multi-layered menus in other BMWs.

Harman Kardon stereo is great. Seats are great.

While sitting in the coupe on the first floor of the parking structure, I've just been accosted by an AATA bus driver, who loves this thing, says "they got it right. it's very sporty." Plus a woman and a couple who just got out of their stock Mini hardtop. The woman part of this couple asked, "Is it a convertible? Does the top come off?" It's interesting that this is her perception. The man was impressed that there's a movable rear wing "Oh, that's like on Porsches!" I told them that there is a roadster version coming next year and that I think it will be more popular.

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1110_2012_mini_cooper_s_coupe/viewall.html#ixzz1ckRiG6eV

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