Road and Track Magazine has published a first look at the new MINI Countryman. Yes, this is the first 4-door vehicle to leave the Mini manufacturing plant in Oxford, England. Not sure what to make of it, so would love to hear what you think. You can read R&T’s full article on their site, here
.
Corporate Business
MINI Production Plan is Second Lift
A beleaguered British motor industry delivered its second boost to the economy in as many days yesterday as BMW announced plans to build its next generation Mini in country. The German car giant said it will make a fresh investment of £500 million to build the new Mini coupe and Mini Roadster models in the UK. The news followed an announcement on Wednesday by Nissan that it was investing £192m to build the next version of its Qashqai model in Britain. Both announcements safeguard thousands of jobs. Business leaders, unions and the government welcomed the development, which the Prime Minister said was a “tremendous vote of confidence” in BMW’s UK workforce. The Mini coupe will be launched later this year and the Mini Roadster in 2012, both produced in Oxford, where more than two million Minis have been built since […]
MG
MG SUV Crossover Pictures Leaked
The first pictures of the MG CS concept have leaked to the web, ahead of a possible debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. Designed to preview the company’s upcoming crossover, the model eschews the retro styling of last year’s Icon concept. As a result, it echoes the rest of the MG lineup with angular lines and a familiar grille. We can also see front fender vents, an upward sweeping beltline and blacked out A-pillars. There’s also a sporty rear bumper, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and a center-mounted dual exhaust system. Speculation suggests the CS concept is based on the MG5 and could use a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 135 bhp (101 kW). Nothing is official as of yet, but we should learn more later this month. Staff
MG
MG Icon Wins Design Award
The MG Icon has been awarded the ‘Best Concept’ title at the Beijing Motor Show, following its world debut in China. The MG Icon beat the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe and Honda Concept C in scooping the award. The MG Icon is the first SUV concept car from the company and was created by the MG global design team headed by British director Anthony Williams-Kenny. The designers are said by the company to have taken inspiration from some of the brand’s most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT. Williams-Kenny said: “The MG brand has a unique set of values and heritage and allows us to offer individual design values to our products. The MG Icon represents our vision of a modern MG and we feel that the small SUV canvas demonstrates MG’s capacity for progressive […]