MINI News

The world of automotive news isn't quite the same as, say politics. In politics, you usually have a Story of the Week that continues on for most of the week. For example, a politician will say something stupid. Next, you'll have the offended group drum up some (false) umbrage. Then ...    Read more

This beat up, rusted, undriveable Mini was sold at auction in the UK for $65,100. You're not alone if the first thought in your head is "Why?" But there's a pretty reasonable explanation, aside from "old cars are cool." You see, this 1959 Austin Se7en De Luxe is believed to ...    Read more

Though small in dimensions, automaker Mini has made it a big mission to raise money for HIV and AIDS prevention in Africa and developing nations since the brand's 2001 relaunch. Sponsoring the Life Ball, which Mini says is an annual gala featuring some of the world's most prominent celebrities, the automaker ...    Read more

In the world of online publishing, there is something called "click bait." It is broadly defined as something so compelling, so interesting, so intrinsically fascinating that readers must, MUST, click the link. Of course, what that click bait is depends on the site, and oftentimes isn't something we can talk ...    Read more

As a last hurrah of the 2006 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works before undergoing a full redesign, Mini  made a little-known version called the GP that lightened the hatchback, upped the horsepower ever-s0-slightly, and infused it with a better suspension and tires. The results were dramatic, with the car's performance ...    Read more

Months away from hitting European streets, and a debut on these shores slated for sometime in the fall, Mini is busy coming up with ways for you to pay attention to its latest John Cooper Works model, in the form of a 2013 Countryman. Apparently, it's not up for trying ...    Read more

The British are an anachronistic sort. When it comes to automotive brands, they let Jaguar linger with designs that dated back decades until Ford, and subsequently Tata, acquired the storied luxury make. Same with Land Rover. Same with a number of other brands you may or may not have ever ...    Read more

Like something conceived on Jackass, Mini and the Red Bull Crashed Ice team recently partnered up to tear up a perfectly frozen lake. Coincidentally, someone was there to capture all the raucous behavior as the Mini can be seen drifting on ice, towing hockey players nimbly around obstacles, and generally holding its own. Mini ...    Read more

Since its 1990 inception, Lexus has won over customers not only through its high-quality vehicles, but also in customer service at dealerships. It forced other automakers, whether Japanese, German, or American, to pick up their game. And it hasn't really slowed down, evidenced by the brand ...    Read more

BMW had planned to reach worldwide car sales of 2 million by 2020. Now, it's readjusting those numbers to reflect it likely reaching its goal by 2016. Oh, the tribulations of a luxury automaker in a recession... BMW has found solace in sales that are still annually increasing in "high single digits" ...    Read more

We're not sure what we just watched. We know it's a YouTube clip for the 2013 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works, a high-performance version of the first all-wheel-drive vehicle from BMW's small-car brand. We know there's a guy driving it all through the desert—and then snow-capped mountains—and then the desert again. ...    Read more

Mini's least-mini vehicle, the Countryman, is getting a John Cooper Works infusion of power and fun upgrades to match its sporting aspirations in the brand's lineup. Called, appropriately enough, the Mini Countryman John Cooper Works to match the rest of the compact brand's vehicles, the crossover is getting a 211-horsepower ...    Read more

The Geneva Auto Show is chock full of future cars we're falling over ourselves to drive eventually. This is not one of them. Because, quite frankly, it's not for us. Called the Mini Clubvan, it's based on the Mini Clubman, minus a row of seats. In the place of where rear ...    Read more

All three Toyota brands—Toyota, Lexus, and Scion—dominated research firm J.D. Power and Associates dependability study for 2009 model year vehicles. Toyota's luxury brand Lexus sat on top of J.D. Power and Associates' U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) for 2012 with 86 problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100. Adding an additional feather ...    Read more

Intellichoice has released its annual list of cars it considers a Best Value of the Year. Analyzing every new car for the 2012 model year, Intellichoice applies cost analysis to determine cars that have low total ownership  costs as well as lower than expected costs over time. Looking beyond the initial ...    Read more

Another day, another Mini special edition to slowly milk the United Kingdom of all of its Britishisms for its new products. It was the Baker Street and Bayswater coupes. This month, it's the 2012 ...    Read more

A tumultuous year that ushered in sweeping change, 1959 saw the U.S. recognize the Castro government, the Soviet Union launch the Luna 1 spacecraft, Alaska became a state, and Charles de Gaulle was a president— not yet an airport. Amid all of this, a sprightly little car, the Mini, was ...    Read more

A quintessential British roadster has two seats and an optional top, and the latest round of Mini Coopers are taking note. Mini has announced pricing for its Mini Roadster lineup for 2012 and as expected, if you want more fun, you're going to have to pay for it. Three models will ...    Read more

The mini Mini is no more. It's a curious time we live in when a car named the "Mini" is large enough to have another car slot underneath it in size. But regardless of what corporate overlord BMW thinks of the Mini Cooper's (relatively) prodigious plump, it has quashed any ...    Read more

Because bringing out one Olympics edition Mini Cooper wasn't enough, Mini is sending out another pair of special editions to satiate our need for meat pies, tea and crumpets, jolly good motoring, and a bloody good time. Enter ...    Read more

Turbochargers and tire pressure monitors are at the core of two separate, unrelated recalls announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today. Mini is recalling 88,911 of its turbocharged models over concerns that the circuit board for the turbocharger's water pump could overheat, potentially smoldering and causing a fire. Affected ...    Read more

Zee German automakers and Chinese-owned Volvo all posted year-to-date double-digit sales for the month of November. Volkswagen took the lead with an increase of more than 25-percent compared to November 2010, with most of the sales drawn from the all-new 2012 VW Beetle and 2012 VW Passat sedan. The "newest" ...    Read more

Owners of the Chevrolet Volt have latched on to their cars and helped push the innovative plug-in hybrid to the top of Consumer Reports’ Owner Satisfaction Survey. The annual survey takes owners of cars made in the last four model years—in this case 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012—and asks them ...    Read more

The first commercial for the 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster has hit the internet, and we fancy it to be a Turkish delight, indeed. Called “Another day. Another adventure.,” the 30-second spot was presumably filmed on a Saturday in Istanbul. It features two men driving around in a ...    Read more

All European automakers except Porsche posted strong sales numbers in October compared to last year’s figures. For the first time in a while, the Mercedes-Benz brand outpaced BMW on the month with 22,637 vehicles sold, not including the Sprinter commercial van. The three-point-star brand led with a strong performance lead ...    Read more