Long Term: 2011 Mini Countryman: January 2012

Filed under: Crossover, Mini, Long-Term Garage

Literally two days after my last update about our long-term Mini Countryman, I found myself trudging through a snowstorm at 30 miles per hour on Interstate 94 along Michigan’s west coast. I guess Mother Nature had heard my cries about not being able to test our Mini in the snow, [...]

Report: Next Mini to get rear-hinged Clubman doors?

Filed under: Hatchback, Mini

Much as we love the Mini Clubman and its rear-hinged, passenger-side door, this would be an incredibly stupid idea. Functionality is one thing, but ruining the design of the fetching Mini Cooper hardtop would be a downright shame.
Nevertheless, Autocar reports that a rear-hinged door could be in store for the next Mini. [...]

Official: Mini changes tracks with Prodrive WRC team

Filed under: Motorsports, Mini

The road taken by Mini to the World Rally Championship has been anything but smooth. After contesting a handful of rallies last season, Mini and Prodrive (the outfit running the team on the manufacturer’s behalf) was set to contest the full calendar this year. But then the team failed to register in [...]

Report: Mini accidentally names deadly European weather front after its cars

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Mini

The naming of a storm seems innocuous enough. After all, when some sort of weather event – be it a hurricane, tropical storm, blizzard or flood – comes along, we as human beings are going to talk about it, and having a name makes that a much easier process.
So, the [...]

Official: Mini drums up yet another special edition, the Highgate

Filed under: Convertible, Mini, UK, Specialty

We are more used to seeing this in the six-figure realm of the automotive world: a carmaker putting out one special edition after another. But both Mini and UK buyers love their specializations, so Mini has provided another one called the Highgate. It follows the Baker Street and Baywater editions [...]