This might be the best manufacturer promotional video we've seen all year. It was obviously shot last winter around the time Mini launched the new Cooper convertible in the southern Austrian Alps. Veteran racers Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen each won Monte Carlo in a Mini Cooper S back in the 1960s, and here they're retracing their old route in a John Cooper Works convertible.
But they're not just out for a boring cruise -- they're pushing the car a bit, comparing it to the old Mini rally car, using the handbrake to get the JCW convertible turned in. Interspersed in all this is 1960s' footage of them doing the same with the old Minis. This video is really well edited.
In celebration of Mini's 50th anniversary, one of the races at last weekend's 2009 Goodwood Revival consisted entirely of original Group 2 Mini Cooper S hatchbacks, all of which raced prior to 1966. Roger Phillips was among the racers in the 30-car grid, and he had a camera and Vbox mounted in his car. So you can get a feel for the sounds, sights and modest speeds of wheel-to-wheel racing in classic Minis.
If your attention span lasts that long, part 2 of the video is after the jump.
It's called the Mini Roadster Concept, but this two-passenger soft top will make its way to showrooms soon. That was the big announcement at today's press conference in Frankfurt. It followed a presentation that was largely billed as a celebration of the brand's 50th anniversary, complete with confetti, cheerleaders and cake.
Like the Mini Coupe concept that was revealed earlier this month, the Roadster concept rides on a slightly modified Cooper platform and is powered by the turbocharged engine found in the current John Cooper Works model.
Mini officials said little about the intended specifications for the production model, as they seemed happy enough just to have found a way to get it to production in the first place. Expect to see both the coupe and the roadster some time in 2011.
We've never been able to put our finger on it, but the four-seat Mini Cooper Convertible doesn't sit quite right on the eyes, particularly with its top up. Seeing these first photos of the Mini Roadster Concept, which will be unveiled later today in Frankfurt, we wonder if maybe the rear seats were the problem all along. With just two seats, the Roadster concept makes for a more natural-looking Mini convertible.
It also looks sportier than the four-seat convertible, so to emphasize that angle, Mini went ahead and specified the 175-hp, turbocharged version of its 1.6-liter engine from the Cooper S. Check our full story for more details, and check back on Straightline later today for photos and details from the show floor.
Remember the creepy twin girls from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining? Well, if not, there's a clip of that scene after the jump. So Mini's strange, Facebook-based Frankfurt Auto Show marketing campaign continues. The latest installment in the "Two Untamed" series is called "Shine," and it owes a heavy debt to the late Kubrick's genius.
We're almost possibly certain we'll see the connection to the Mini Concept Coupe and the production version of the Mini Crossover once we get on the show floor.
We never quite get the point of viral marketing, but in this case, we might be overthinking it. Mini has started a sort of ad campaign on its Facebook page called "Two Untamed." So far it has released two short films -- this one called "Same." and another after the jump called "Mirror."
Ostensibly, they're advance promotion for Mini's press conference at the Frankfurt Auto Show on Tues. Sept. 15. There the company is expected to show the Mini Concept Coupe and the production version of the Mini Crossover. No word on whether the talent from "Two Untamed" will be in the booth as well.
We certainly didn't think the Mini Coupe Concept was a sure bet for production. But BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer essentially confirmed that the coupe is a go for production in a Financial Times article published this afternoon.
"I am pleased to announce the Mini coupe concept car and another new Mini model will both be built at Oxford," he said.
This is good news for UK autoworkers, as BMW cut 850 temporary workers at the plant in February. Although today's announcement should lead to new jobs and investment, Reithofer wouldn't get specific about numbers or timetables.
The Mini Coupe Concept will debut later this month at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The production version of the Mini Crossover is also expected to debut here, so most likely, that's the other half of the deal.
This long list of events is your chance to throw away your inhibitions and lay down some rubber. Some of the track days make you bring your own vehicle, while others provide you with a machine to pilot. Either way, find the right event and brush up on your driving skills by booking some track time at the links below.
Yes, it's yet another Mini concept. This time, however, the company has gone smaller instead of bigger.
The Mini Coupe Concept, which will make its world premiere at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in a few weeks, was dreamed up by Mini's designers as a 50th birthday present of sorts for the brand.
It started life as a standard John Cooper Works Mini, but the designers hacked up the roof section to create the unique profile you see here. All the rest of the dimensions - width, wheelbase, length -- remain the same. An interesting result for sure, although not necessarily one that will make its way to production. For the full story, see our feature linked below.
According to a report in the Financial Times, BMW has been talking seriously with Renault about sharing a small car platform for future Mini models.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer wouldn't offer up any comments on the matter at a shareholder's meeting yesterday, but the FT's report says that industry insiders claim that talks are well under way already.
In addition to sharing a platform for future Mini products, BMW and Renault are also discussing the shared use of smaller parts modules that could be used on BMW's core model lineup.
Mini likes to be a little smug, and usually it gets away with it. In today's installment, the manufacturer has announced that it will be distributing these bumper stickers to dealers as part of a new marketing package.
Well, no need to wait if you don't mind that it's an old Mini stripped of all interior carpeting and accessories. Video of this project car from Super Fast Minis has been floating around for months. Now the car is finished. It combines an old Mini chassis with a VTEC version of Honda's B-Series inline-4 i-VTEC 2.0-liter inline-4 and Honda CR-V drivetrain bits.
So it's effectively an all-wheel-drive Mini -- but just a little bit different from the new-gen Mini Crossover. And we're guessing this car might just be a little more fun at a track day.
The 1.5 millionth Mini, a Chili Red Clubman, recently rolled out of the Oxford, England plant. The automaker is also celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and, since production of the new Minis started in 2001, the vehicles have sold throughout 80 countries. In the 41 years between 1959 and 2000, 5.3 million classic Minis were built -- making 6.8 million the total number that have ever been sold.
"This is a great day for the plant and a wonderful milestone to reach in the 50th birthday year of MINI. The very first classic Mini rolled off the production line here at this plant on 8 May 1959," said Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW AG.
Currently, you would think Mini would also be experiencing the consequences of our global economic downturn; however, Mini U.S.A. reported strong sales of 4,105 last month and 20,885 vehicles sold year-to-date. These consistent sales numbers have influenced Mini to expand its 83-strong dealer network to 100 during the next 18 months.
Mini also has plans to hop on the EV bandwagon with its all-electric Mini E, which should hit American roads within a year.
