MINIS to the Max 65 Years of Spirited Adventures

MINIs to the Max Open House – Greer, South Carolina

The MINIS To The Max exhibit will open its doors at the BMW plant in Greer, SC, on May 1st. 30 inspirational examples of the history of MINI will be on display and will walk you through the Heritage years, Motorsports versions, quirky and unusual examples and even the newest vehicles from MINI USA. […]

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Corporate Business

The Modern MINI – 20 Years in Production

The MINI brand and BMW Group’s UK manufacturing plants in Oxford and Swindon are celebrating twenty successful years of MINI production. In early 2001, production began for MINI body parts in Swindon and on April 26 that same year, the first new MINI rolled off the line in Oxford. […]

Celebrating 60 Years of an icon - the MINI 60 Years Edition 2
Classic Cars

MINI 60 Years Edition – Celebrating 60 Years of an Icon

On 26 August 1959, British Motor Corporation (BMC) proudly revealed a car that captured the imagination of the world and revolutionized the compact car segment. Six decades later, in 2019 MINI marks the brand’s 60th birthday and the extraordinary story of a British innovation that went on to achieve iconic status. To kick-start this anniversary year, MINI is introducing a limited run of 500 very special vehicles for UK customers. MINI is kicking off its 60th anniversary year with the introduction of a limited edition model celebrating the best of MINI. Just 500 examples of this worldwide edition will go on sale in the UK. The car features a new British Racing Green exterior paint finish, black contrast roof, exclusive 17-inch light alloy wheels, and a unique interior.

EURO Auto Fest

EURO Auto Festival, Greenville, SC

The EURO Auto Festival is a place for car enthusiasts to gather at the largest European-only automotive festival on the East Coast. Car enthusiasts view 400+ cars each year. The 2016 show is more exciting than ever! We are seeing great growth allowing us to have a better show for our sponsors, vendors, and spectators. In order to accommodate a larger number of entries, we are moving our show from the BMW Zentrum  to Embassy Suites & Verdae Greens. Vehicles entered in the show will be displayed on the fairways of The Preserve at Verdae golf course. The show, amenities, and host hotel will be in one location, making it easier for our entrants and attendees to enjoy the full experience of the EURO Auto Festival. Embassy Suites is the upstates newly renovated all-suite golf resort just minutes from Downtown […]

Highlands Motoring Festival car

Highlands, NC, Motoring Festival 2016

The 2016 Highlands Motoring Festival with many of the popular events from previous years. This year’s festival will be held June 9-12 with festivities occurring on all days. Being only one week before the Summer Solstice the days are expected to be adorned with plenty of daylight and cool mountain air. Highlands is generally 10-15 degree cooler than the surrounding areas. Welcome Party at the Ugly Dog Pub. Thursday, June 9th (evening) Entertainment for the evening featuring WellStrung, a popular Highlands bluegrass band. This event is open to the public. No cover charge, however, donations may be made to this year’s charity, The Literacy Council of Highlands. This event is being hosted by The Literacy Council of Highlands. One Lap of the Mountains (Day-long drive) Friday, June 10th (day) The annual One Lap of the Mountains Cruse will be held this year on June 10. This very […]

MINI Plant Oxford - 15 years of production
MINI

Oxford MINI Plant Celebrates 15 Years of Production

The MINI plant in Oxford today celebrates 15 years since the first new MINIs rolled off the production line on 26 April, 2001. The BMW Group, which is marking its centenary year in 2016, acquired the plant in 1994 and relaunched the brand in 2001 with the debut of the new MINI Hatch.

New MINI Clubman
Corporate Business

New MINI Clubman

Another new chapter has opened in the regeneration of the MINI model family, with the launch of the new MINI Clubman. Following the success of the re-energised MINI 3-door Hatch and the successful launch of the MINI 5-door Hatch, the new model offers customers a premium vehicle featuring the highest level of ride refinement ever seen in a MINI. The car’s much-loved signature design feature – its split rear doors – are retained, while accessibility and everyday usability are further enhanced thanks to four full-sized side doors. The resulting car is a powerful fusion of sleek lines, innovative touches and first-rate materials with generous space for five occupants, excellent luggage capacity and classic MINI driving characteristics. With a more mature and sophisticated design, the new MINI Clubman’s dimensions are larger than those of the previous generation MINI Clubman. It’s also […]

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Corporate Business

Dates Announced For MINI TAKES THE STATES 2016

It’s one year away but start planning now! MINI USA today officially announced the dates for the popular cross-country owners’ rally, MINI TAKES THE STATES (MTTS). MTTS 2016 will kick off on Saturday, July 9, 2016, and finish on Saturday, July 23, 2016. The route will be announced at a later date. In 2014, MINI owners and MINI USA team members motored into Boston’s Back Bay after completing a 5,142-mile journey from San Francisco that covered 15 cities and 18 states in 14 days. A portion of that year’s event registration fees were donated to Best Friends Animal Society, the charity partner for the rally. A charity partner for the 2016 event will be announced at a later date. “MINI TAKES THE STATES 2014 was such an amazing experience that we couldn’t wait to announce the dates for 2016,” said […]

New MINI John Cooper Works Clubman to Premiere at SEMA
Highlights

New MINI Clubman Design Announced

As the latest addition to the MINI family, the new Clubman, unveiled today, has grown up in both size and maturity compared to its predecessor launched in 2007. Completely redesigned and engineered from the ground up, the new MINI Clubman features premium quality and craftsmanship in every detail, creating a sleek and sophisticated interpretation of the brand’s iconic style. In fact, for the first time since the Clubman name was introduced in 1969, the new MINI Clubman has been developed as a separate model from the iconic MINI Cooper Hardtop, taking the legendary MINI sporting feel into a larger class of vehicle. The new MINI Clubman continues in the tradition of renowned British estate cars, offering a rare combination of passenger comfort and elegant styling while being fun to drive.

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Corporate Business

Oh Really? MINI Gentleman’s Collection

We am just going to leave this here without comment, although we guess that is comment enough. To drive a MINI is to make a statement. To wear MINI is now equally so. On the occasion of the 88th Pitti Uomo, MINI got together with six talented young Italians and the heads behind the Pitti Uomo gentleman’s fashion fair to design the first MINI Capsule Collection. The upshots are six premium accessories that combine Italian craftsmanship with creative and innovative details – inspired by the new MINI Clubman. Tradition meets cutting edge. They’re young, they love unconventionality and they are masters of their art: in a symbiotic partnership the creative personalities behind the brands SuperDuper, TYG Spectacles, Alberto Premi and Pijama, along with perfumer Paola Bottai and the Proraso team with illustrator Pietro Nicolaucich, joined forces with MINI to design […]

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Corporate Business

MINI Going Back To Its Roots With Minor

According to Car Magazine, BMW is planning to take Mini back to its small-car roots – with a Mini Minor. This is great news for fans of the historic British baby, which has grown podgy under German ownership, and shows that the shrunken Mini Rocketman concept car wasn’t in vain. But it’s also an intriguing industrial development: BMW is planning to co-develop the baby Mini with Toyota. Product planners in Germany acknowledge that the Mini has grown tubby in recent years, stretching to 4005mm in five-door hatchback form. Hence the desire to surf the downsizing trend with a new smaller model, scheduled to stretch just 3450mm long. For reference, that’s the same footprint as the new Smart Forfour. The Mini Minor is likely to come to market in late 2018 or early 2019, CAR can reveal. ‘It’s still early days […]

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Aston Martin

A Mercedes Takeover of Aston Martin?

Stories come and theories go, but according to the website Complex Rides, this one seems to have some teeth to it. Could it be that Mercedes will soon be driving Aston Martin? And with companies like VW and BMW taking control of other prime British marques, who can say it isn’t a valid supposition? To quote CR, “It all started  when Aston Martin announced that it would be using engines co-developed with AMG, using a lot of AMG technology in its next generation of cars. When this happened, Mercedes got to take home a five percent non-voting stake in Aston Martin. More deals were later struck for use of Mercedes’ next gen SL and SLK platforms, as well as for the GL’s platform for the upcoming Lagonda SUV. That’s in addition to the whole suite of Mercedes electronics, from active […]

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Corporate Business

Over Half-A-Million MINIs Sold in US

It may seem like only yesterday when Mini entered the US to sell its cars, but it’s been 11 years since the car maker began selling its vehicles in the states. In that time frame, Mini has sold 500,000 of its cars in the US, marking a new milestone for the British car manufacturer, which is owned by BMW. Mini has increased its US sales from 24,590 units in 2002, to 66,123 units last year. The Mini Cooper has easily been one of the company’s most popular vehicles, but they also have a small selection of variations of the popular car, including the Hardtop, Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster, and Paceman. As for Mini dealership around the US, there are currently 116 locations spilled out over the states, but the car maker plans for a total of around 130 locations […]

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Corporate Business

MINI Factory Workers Risk Repeating History

The curse of the British tea break strikes again. Just as BMW announces record sales, its Mini factory in Oxford is threatened by a first strike since 1984 over alleged incursions into workers’ break times. The renaissance of volume British car making is well known. Likewise that of America’s car giants Ford and General Motors. The reasons for the two countries’ re-emergence as global automobile powers are different but, one way or another, they have dealt with their common problems of structural decline in the face of fierce overseas competition. BMW’s experience in the UK captures much of why we are once again a leading exporter of cars – and the risks of losing that status. First the UK has great car brands – Mini and Rolls-Royce owned by BMW, MG Rover by the Chinese SAIC, Jaguar Land Rover owned by […]

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Corporate Business

Two Millionth MINI Rolls Off the Line

Mini has celebrated the two millionth car rolling off the production line with prime minister David Cameron driving the vehicle at the car’s Oxfordshire plant. The iconic British vehicle began production ten years ago following a successful relaunch and a large amount of public anticipation. Over 1.5 million cars have been exported by Mini, owned by BMW, while the company’s latest expansion plans to cater for the latest generation of the vehicles takes it total UK investment to £1.5 billion. “The two millionth Mini to be made here in Oxford is a fantastic symbol of the UK’s strength in the global automotive industry,” said the prime minister, adding that the car represents a great British manufacturing success story. Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW board member responsible for production, added: “The most essential factors in the success of Mini are the skills, passion […]

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Corporate Business

Only 140 Goodwood MINIs to be Sold in USA

The Mini, inspired by Goodwood, is an exclusive special edition that adds another layer to the MINI brand experience with a generous dose of automotive luxury and exclusivity in its highest form. The MINI, will have only 140 vehicles coming to the United States. The Goodwood MINI has had a close collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team at the development center of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, and has produced a limited-run special edition MINI, whose exterior and interior design is inspired by fine materials and the British luxury car marque’s commitment to absolutely flawless workmanship. “The Mini, inspired by Goodwood is a limited edition model that will combine typical Mini driving fun with discerning craftsmanship,” said Darren Richie, Irvine, Calif., Mini’s General Manager. “We’re excited for its arrival to the U.S and we’re excited to see our Mini […]

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Corporate Business

10-Strong MINI Model Lineup Coming

According to AutoEvolution.com, despite being ideal vehicles for hairdressers and looking like retro hatchbacks, we actually like the cars that MINI makes. However, there’s always that nagging thought in the back of our minds that they are as British as a bratwurst. There’s still hope though, as MINI recently announced a big investment plan in its plant in Oxford, UK to prepare for production of its third-generation Cooper model, a test mule of which was recently spotted while undergoing road trials. The new model, will be based on a new front-wheel drive platform dubbed UKL, which will be used by BMW for its own range of entry-level hatchbacks. A new Cooper isn’t the only kind of ammo that MINI has ready to load, as the company boss Norbert Reithoffer has revealed to What Car? that a 10 model lineup is […]

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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 […]

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New Cars

2011 Mini Countryman – Road & Track

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 .