It’s hard to believe, but the Mini brand just turned 50. Nevermind the huge gap in new model production until BMW bought the pint-sized automaker in the early 2000s, but the name Mini as we know it has been around for half a century. It’s over the hill, though still looking good for its... 

7-07-2010

We’re all guilty of letting personal belongings pile up in our cars from time to time. And unless you’re a bona fide hoarder, most people excuse this clutter as a means to be well-prepared for any situation that may arise out on the road. Mini understands, and in fact, is now encouraging... 

21-05-2010

There were no surprises at the Mini press conference today in Geneva when the covers were lifted off the 2011 Countryman. We got our first look at the brand’s first crossover back in January, and we can now fill you in with the full details about the mini-ute. The Countryman is obviously Mini’s... 

6-03-2010

Minis deliver fun on a sliding scale. Lower budget? The Cooper’s a gas. Got more dough to play with? Buy a Cooper S, and wait for the turbo to paint a grin on your mug. Then there’s the John Cooper Works cars, which pack the strongest performance punch along with an assortment of visual... 

6-02-2010

Over in Europe, Mini has rolled out a thing or two to keep its offerings fresh. There’s some model jiggering and new colors, but the biggest news is under that peewee hood. The four-cylinder engine is receiving a displacement bump from 1.4- to 1.6-liters. In naturally aspirated and turbocharged... 

23-01-2010

The roof, too. That’s right folks, Mini rolled out a concept of a concept. The Beachcomber (see above) is based on the Mini Crossover. However, the Crossover is no longer just a concept, as it will be making its way to production soon. And it’s not alone, as Mini has also green lit the... 

12-01-2010

We still have few more months to wait before the production version of the new MINI Crossover arrives, but the folks in Oxford will be dropping a new concept in Detroit next month to tide us over. Think of the MINI Beachcomber as the melding of one of Alec Issigonis’ progeny with a Jeep Wrangler.... 

25-12-2009

The Mini Coupe and Roadster concepts have been making their way around the auto show circuit since Frankfurt in September, and when we saw the two vehicles at the LA Auto Show we got the impression that the high end micros were near production ready. If a story from MotoringFile is to be believed,... 

17-12-2009

Mini may be many things, but stuffy they’re not. When your business consists of selling tiny hatchbacks with sports car handling at a near luxury price, you really can’t take yourself too seriously all the time. Mini ad campaigns have capitalized on that cheeky spirit to great effect.... 

7-12-2009

Mini brought its birthday presents to itself out to the LA Auto Show for their North American debut today. The Cambden and Mayfair were there, but we spent a lot more time ogling the Coupe and Roadster. As you may recall, Mini created these two sports cars to celebrate its 50th anniversary and showed... 

6-12-2009

A couple weeks back, we told you that the unveiling of the production Mini Countryman may be delayed from the Detroit Auto Show in January to the Geneva Motor Show in March. The reasoning behind the move was reportedly due to the fact that Countryman production couldn’t begin at Magna International’s... 

21-11-2009

The BMW 3 Series, once the smallest car in the company’s catalog, has grown tremendously over the past few generations. So to meet demand for smaller vehicles, the Bavarian automaker has been continuously cranking out smaller models to slot in below it. Reports now indicate that BMW is preparing... 

13-10-2009