MINI

MINI Brand Sales For June, MINI USA reported 4,146 vehicles sold, a decrease of 6 percent from the 4,410 sold in the same month a year ago.  MINI sales in June were led by the MINI Countryman (1,471 vehicles).  Year to date, MINI sales remain up 1.9 percent. MINI Pre-Owned Vehicles MINI Certified Pre-Owned sold 1,554 vehicles in June, an increase of 74.6 percent from June 2017. Total MINI Pre-Owned sold 3,435 vehicles in June, an increase of 38.5 percent from June 2017. Note: Press release courtesy of BMW Group.

Word is in on this year’s Auto Express Magazine awards, and Aston Martin, MINI, and Jaguar have all done quite well. Aston Martin Awards In addition to the cars themselves, Aston Martin President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Andy Palmer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award – which was presented to Palmer by Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler – represents an appreciation for his efforts during his long and successful career in the automotive industry.

With just two weeks to go until Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018, MINI UK is excited to confirm two concept vehicles making their UK debut. MINI will offer a glimpse into the future direction of the brand with the MINI Electric Concept showcasing its design vision for a fully-electric model. Also a UK first, and inspired by the carmaker’s legendary motorsport heritage, the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept will be on display as part of MINI’s activation at the 2018 festival. The MINI Electric Concept features an iconic design with clean-cut surfaces for a minimalist impression and will be the first fully electric MINI. The concept offers a thrilling preview of the all-electric production vehicle due to be unveiled in 2019.

MINI USA announced today that the 2019 MINI Hardtop 2 Door has earned a “2018 Top Safety Pick” award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The MINI Hardtop earns this designation when equipped with Active Driving Assistant and newly available LED headlights. The 2019 MINI Hardtop 2 Door received a “Good” rating across a wide range of crashworthiness tests, including “driver-side small overlap front”, “moderate overlap front”, “side, roof strength” and “head restraint” tests.

MINI USA today announced the official list of sponsors for MINI TAKES THE STATES (MTTS) 2018. The biennial road rally for MINI owners will take place from July 14 – 22, starting simultaneously from Orlando, Fla., and Portland, Ore., and ending at Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo. Earlier this year, MINI USA announced that Feeding America is again the Official Charity Partner of MTTS 2018. This summer’s rally will see the return of several sponsors from the 2016 rally, Shell V-Power ® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline,  Pennzoil with PurePlus™ Technology motor oil and Pirelli®, which offers MINI approved star marked tires. New sponsors to the MTTS rally include KIND® Snacks, MapQuest, who will for the first time bring a custom turn-by-turn navigation application to MTTS, and Harman Kardon.

That there was a pent-up demand for a replacement MK1 Mini bodyshell was not in doubt, but British Motor Heritage (BMH) has nevertheless been stunned at the scale of orders since first displaying its prototype shell at the 2016 NEC Classic Motor Show. Dramatically rising values are at the heart of the demand Commented BMH’s Managing Director John Yea: A few years back, though values of good Mini-Coopers were climbing steadily, the limited worth of their 850 cousins made comprehensive restorations hard to justify. The picture is now very different, and enthusiasts are busy rejuvenating all versions of Issisgonis’ immortal baby at an ever-increasing rate. As a result we are constantly having to raise our production targets, and that’s without taking into account the shells we are creating for David Brown Automotive’s impressive Mini Remastered programme. At just £9,950 inc. […]

The MINI JCW Team and MINI USA continued to show their dominance in the quest for a series championship in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series during this weekend’s Mid-Ohio 120 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The series last visited the track in 2013, creating a unique opportunity for a level playing field for the two hour endurance race. This was also the first time the MINI JCW Team had ever raced at the 16-turn, 2.4 mile race track 60 miles north of Columbus. The team successfully navigated a number of challenging blind turns and elevation changes to bring home the 1 – 2 finish over the very competitive Porsche and BMW teams. Nate Norenburg continued his excellent qualifying form, putting the #37 MINI JCW on the front row for the third straight event. Norenberg showed that […]

MINI UK is celebrating a key milestone with the 25th anniversary of the MINI Convertible, first on sale in 1993. The iconic vehicle is similarly celebrating another ground-breaking landmark as the bestselling convertible model in the UK. 1993 Mini Cabriolet The Rover Mini Cabriolet was introduced in June 1993, following a previously successful UK trial of the Mini Lamm Cabriolet in 1991. During the trial, German-based Lamm Autohaus removed the roof of the vehicle prior to sale in the UK and it was an instant hit with all 75 vehicles selling immediately – making it one of the rarest Minis ever produced. At launch, Mini Cabriolet cost almost double that of the 1993 Classic Mini and was available in two colors, Caribbean Blue with a Grey hood and Nightfire Red with matching hood, and featured new 12-inch diameter Revolution wheels […]

MINI is proud to announce their support non-profit Best Friends in its mission to save animal lives. To date, MINI has loaned four MINIs to help Best Friends transport animals to vet appointments, pick up supplies for the clinics, even drive once homeless pets to their new homes. In 2017, MINI USA donated four fully leased MINI Countryman cars for use in the Best Friends program cities of Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City and Atlanta. Since the day the cars arrived in the respective cities, they’ve been turning heads and safely getting pets from point A to point B. In Atlanta, the MINI might get a dog or cat to a vet appointment one day, and to a television appearance the next. It’s also a quick and efficient ride for staff to run errands or travel to a […]

An exclusive version of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 kicks off a long-haul journey from North America to Tierra del Fuego, unveiled at the 2018 New York International Auto Show. At the New York International Auto Show (March 30 through April 8, 2018), MINI-style electromobility will conquer new terrain with the presentation of an exclusive model specially designed for extremely challenging routes. With its underpinnings taken from the brands first plug-in hybrid vehicle, the MINI Countryman Panamericana has been designed for a long-distance tour from North America to Tierra del Fuego, showcasing the power and durability of the brand’s largest model.

The MINI John Cooper Works Team and MINI USA left no doubt about their desire for a series championship during today’s Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla. The race was dominated by the MINI JCW race cars, with Mark Pombo and brother Mat Pombo, battling for the 1 – 2 positions in the final hour of the race. When the checkered flag waved Mark Pombo was in the lead in the #52 MINI JCW with Mat right behind him in the #73 MINI JCW. Teammate Derek Jones did an outstanding job recovering from earlier contact while leading the race to drive an injured #37 MINI JCW to a fourth-place finish.

Sing for Hope, the nonprofit arts organization, and MINI USA today announced #DrivingHope, a partnership motivated by both organizations’ passion for bringing creativity to communities. MINI USA will join the country’s largest recurring public arts project, the Sing for Hope Pianos, by creating a mobile piano inside a MINI Countryman. From June 4-24, the 50 Sing for Hope Pianos will be located throughout the five boroughs and the #MINIPiano will act as a traveling piano, driving music directly to additional underserved communities. Sing for Hope uplifts individuals and communities by mobilizing artists to bring the power of the arts to those who need it most. Each year, the Sing for Hope Pianos are designed by local artists, celebrities, and casts of Broadway shows.

MINI Plant Oxford has received a top visitor attraction award from the official national tourism agency for England. The plant, which builds more than 1,000 MINIs each day, has been recognized by VisitEngland with a ‘Best Told Story Accolade’ for its factory tour, which gives visitors a behind the scenes look at how this iconic British car is made. Introduced by VisitEngland in 2014, the accolades are available to attractions that are part of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and are allocated through a scoring system based on an annual unannounced assessment. They recognize attractions that ‘go the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out.’

MINI USA today announced that Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks, is again the Official Charity Partner of the legendary MINI owners road rally, MINI TAKES THE STATES. Similar to the MTTS 2016 partnership, a portion of the proceeds from each registration fee will be donated to Feeding America. In addition, MTTS 2018 participants will have the opportunity to personally raise money and awareness for hunger in America. The legendary rally for MINI owners, which runs from July 14 – 22, will start from two separate locations on opposite sides of the country and meet in the middle for a weekend celebration of everything MINI. The starting cities will be Orlando, Fla., and Portland, Ore. The final destination is Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo., approximately 75 miles west […]

MINI UK is proud to announce the return of MINI CHALLENGE for 2018, bringing packed grids and spectacular racing to fans across the UK. Packing 49 thrilling races, across four different classes into 13 all-action weekends, the MINI CHALLENGE will once again visit legendary race circuits including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Donington Park. Confirming the status of MINI CHALLENGE as one of the premier single-make race series in the UK, the top level John Cooper Works class will support the British GT and BRDC British Formula 3 championships for the second year in succession and, for the first time, the series will be supporting DTM at Brands Hatch on 11-12th August 2018.

The MINI JCW Team and MINI USA will start their fourth full season in the Street Tuner class of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series this weekend at the famous high banks of the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. The MINI JCW Team kicked off last season by showing the rest of the field that they were a force to be reckoned with after Mat Pombo and co-driver Derek Jones drove the #73 MINI JCW to victory lane at the track known as the “World Center of Racing.”

New technology, cutting-edge connectivity, standard-fit front and rear LED lights across the range and an advanced dual-clutch automatic gearbox are just some of the features in the new 2018 MINI 3-Door Hatch, MINI 5-Door Hatch, and MINI Convertible, which will launch at MINI retailers across the UK on 17 March 2018. The changes are focused on driver appeal and core new technologies, including MINI Connected Concierge services, wireless smartphone charging and first-in-class options such as new anti-dazzle adaptive headlights with Matrix high beam. MINI 3-Door Hatch, MINI 5-Door Hatch, and MINI Convertible Overview of new features. New design standard-fit front and rear LED lights for the UK market. First-in-class – new optional adaptive headlights with Matrix high beam. Unique individualization with MINI Yours 3D printed parts. 6.5-inch color infotainment screen, USB and Bluetooth connectivity and multifunction steering wheel fitted as […]

Let’s look at Minis. Our Video of the Week this week is a brief history of the Mini Cooper. And in this case, we mean the class Mini Cooper, not the more modern version from BMW. The video comes from the guys over at Donut Media and is, shall we say, irreverent. To quote Donut: It’s the most Iconic British car of all time: The Mini. It was an engineering marvel that revolutionized economy car design and became a motorsport legend along the way. Join us as we explore the Mini’s rich history and design quirks that made it one of the best selling cars in the U.K.