Autoblog

Now that the 2009 Mini Cabrio has been unleashed onto the interwebs, expect to witness a full-court advertising press as the automaker tries to keep up the positive momentum in sales over last year. MINI has always had clever ads for its retro hatches, and that trend will continue with the latest 2009 Cabrio, which is officially set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Previous marketing attempts have humorously suggested that it's never a good idea to lower the top, and a similar theme is being used again, except in a much more eye-catching manner. Seriously, how disturbing is the ice-covered guy? That's the stuff of nightmares.

Besides print materials, some screen captures of upcoming UK commercials indicate that lowering the soft top is never permissible, even in the face of freezing temperatures, monumental rain puddles or, um, the occasional Ninja attack. Take a look for yourself in the gallery below.


[Source: MINI Forum]

Well, here's one car we'll all be able to cover in Detroit come January. BMW has officially announced that the second-generation MINI Cabrio will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show. No need to wait to place orders; you can do that now. The Cooper ragtop is priced at $24,550 while the Cooper S convertible costs $3,000 more. Customer delivery kicks off on March 28.

So, what's new? Well, for one, the new Cabrio looks like the current-gen Cooper. Likewise, it shares the hardtop cars' 1.6L engines -- 118 hp NA for the Cooper, and 172 hp turbo for the Cooper S. The Euro-market cars get BMW Efficient Dynamics features including brake regeneration and stop/start. The U.S.? Not so much. Out back, the fold-down tailgate's hinges are now internal, giving the car's tush a smoother look. The fixed roll hoops of the current car have been replaced by a pop-up system behind the back seat. This makes for a good-looking, clean top-down profile and should improve rearward visibility for the driver. Speaking of the top, it can be operated at speeds up to 20 mph or so, and it fully disappears in just 15 seconds. The sliding sunroof feature can be utilized at even higher speeds -- up to 60 mph or so. Stability control is standard equipment.

Inside, the current MINI instrument panel is employed, and drivers with a hankering for extraneous gimmickery can order up the "Openometer", a secondary gauge that mounts next to the tach. It monitors how much time you clock with the top down. Yeah, yeah -- useless. You know people are gonna eat it up. Follow the jump for a video and MINI's full PR (now updated with the U.S. version).


[Source: MINI]

BMW board member Dr. Friederich Eichiner unveiled the first MINI E this afternoon at a press event in Beverly Hills, California. The company has built 500 of the battery-powered cars that will be leased to customers in Southern California and the New York City area starting in January. Each car is equipped with electric drive systems and battery packs provided by California's AC Propulsion. The 35 kWh packs are expected to provide a range of about 125-150 miles on a charge and accelerate the car to 60 mph in an very reasonable 8.5 seconds. BMW is using the MINI E as the first step of its Project I, which is focused on developing new innovations for urban mobility. A web site will be launched in the next couple of days where people will be able to officially apply for the program. For those who get selected, the MINI E lease will cost $850 /month and only last one year. Check out ABG for more information on the car and what BMW is trying to achieve with it.


[Source: AutoblogGreen]

European MINI dealers are being asked to distinguish their stores from the BMW brand by creating a separate showroom for sell the British/Bavarian small-car. This entails new main entrances, and dedicated reception and service desks. While most of the dealers in the United States currently operate in this manner, most European retailers still share space with BMW. If dealers don't move enough volume to justify the investment, they will be dropped. In 2007, there were about 750 MINI retailers in Europe. That number is expected to fall to about 650 by the end of this year (worldwide, MINI has about 1,500 dealers in 70 countries). Unlike nearly all other automakers who are experiencing a sales slump, MINI's global sales are reportedly up more than 12 percent for the first nine months of 2008 -- no doubt credited to their diminutive size and fuel efficient engines.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

The crew from KGP have finally caught the MINI Crossover/Crossman/Maxi undergoing testing and its acid-inspired duds aren't the only things BMW is employing to confuse our shooters.

The cloaked headlamps hide a new set of eyes inspired by the Crossover concept that bowed in Paris, while the funky side door arrangement has been dropped in favor of a more traditional set of hinged openings. On first glance, the rear appears to mimic the barn door arrangement fitted to the Clubman, but closer inspection reveals that the hatch is only bisected by some well-placed vinyl, giving the illusion of two doors. Looking at the tail lamps and crease ahead of the spoiler, it appears that the MINI CUV will be using a traditional top-hinged hatch – a welcome addition considering the compromised rear view of the Clubman.

Expect naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.6-liter engines pulled from the standard MINI to be offered, along with all-wheel-drive, when the MINI Crossover hits the market late next year.

BMW has finally unleashed some information and photos of the much anticipated MINI E set to debut next month at the LA Auto Show. For those who haven't been paying attention, late last spring BMW announced plans to build and lease a fleet of 500 battery powered MINIs starting sometime in 2009. The front wheels of the MINI E receive torque through a single speed gearbox from a 204 hp, 162 lb-ft electric motor. Those numbers are rather unusual for an electric drive system which usually has much more torque. Nonetheless, the MINI E can hustle to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and, according to BMW, can cover about 150 miles on a full charge of its lithium ion battery pack.

Anyone who has driven a MINI knows that the back seat is for small kids or occasional use only. For the purposes of this electric version, that is no longer an issue as that area has been completely consumed by the battery pack. The pack itself has a capacity of 35 kWh and judging by the description the company has used a similar set up to the Tesla Roadster. Instead of larger cells specifically designed for automotive applications, this pack uses 5,088 cells arranged in 48 modules. As always, charging time depends on the current and voltage of the outlet the car is plugged into. MINI will be supplying a high current charging station with the cars that can be installed in the driver's garage to facilitate quicker charges, providing a full charge in 2.5 hours. The regenerative braking system can provide three-quarters of the braking requirements when running in urban stop and go driving. Aside from the battery pack replacing the rear seat and the yellow trim, the main change inside is a battery meter that replaces the tachometer in front of the driver. BMW will be leasing the 500 cars to commercial and private customers in California, New York and New Jersey starting early next year. They may eventually expand the program to Europe as well.


[Source: MINI]

Beneath all that ridiculous (though pretty darn effective) yellow and black paisley camouflage sits the new MINI Crossover. First shown in concept form at the Paris Motor Show, at 162-inches long, the new MINI CUV is quite a bit larger than its other older stablemates. At what point is a MINI not so mini any more? This could be it, as the spy photographers point out that it appears larger than the BMW 1-Series that shares a number of parts with. Lost in the translation from show car to test mule are the unique doors, which appear to have been replaced with a standard, run-of-the-mill four door body style. The rear hatch also opens from the top instead of sideways like on the concept, though it's been taped-up to appear like the barn-door style portals from the Clubman. The whole shebang's been lifted a bit and all four wheels are driven. Expect both gasoline and diesel four-bangers under the pointy-snouted hood.

[Source: NextAutos.com]

Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Alan Aldridge MINI

The perpetual motion machine that is 1960s pop culture will once again reminisce about its faded relevance by rehashing something a Baby Boomer did back before they all became cokehead yuppies driving E30s. This time, the victim is an R56 MINI. Alan Aldridge, an artist and designer responsible for album art for some of the biggest names in the 1960s and 70s, in addition to illustrating children's books and serving as Art Director for Penguin Books, has whipped up a recreation of a project originally done in 1965 for a magazine cover. A MINI has been divided down the middle and painted with a male theme on one side and a female theme on the other. This retreading of past work is to kick off a retrospective display of Aldridge's work called The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes, and MINI's 50th birthday conveniently arrives in 2009, as well. Overall, artwork that appeals to hippies isn't really our thing, but at least it's for a retrospective, rather than just a man running out of original ideas. Press release after the jump.


[Source: MINI]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the MINI Crossover Concept

Some concepts are purely design exercises, while others serve as previews of upcoming production models. It's rare for one show car to serve as both, but then MINI is unique in the business. The Crossover concept that the BMW subsidiary unveiled here at the Paris Motor Show has a bit of a Dark Knight villain thing going for it. On one side it's got an unusual door configuration, big show-car wheels and a decidedly conceptual turquoise-highlighted paint scheme. On the other it's more staid, with conventional doors, a more conventional color palette and an altogether more production-feasible appearance. Up top and inside everything's all fantasy, however, with the cloth roof and trick glass infotainment system we reported on earlier. Click the thumbnails below to see the MINI Crossover Concept live from the Paris show floor, and the gallery below that for the factory studio shots, and let us know what you think of the two-faced concept car in our comments section.

MotoringFile, ground zero on the web for all things MINI, has the scoop on the long-awaited 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible. Someone slipped MF seven official shots of the Detroit-bound R57 Cooper ragtop along with some additional inside information. Obviously, it's based on the current chassis and powertrains, so you know what you're going to get there. Additionally, the JCW package is supposedly going to be available at launch as well.

One of the most obvious visual changes in the new convertible is the use of pop-up roll hoops instead of the fixed units featured on the old car. This, in addition to looking cleaner, should improve rearward visibility with the top down. Speaking of the top being down, the new car includes a cutesy little gimmick called the 'Always Open" gauge. Located next to the tach housing, it tells the driver the percentage of miles driven with the top open. Look also for new paint and top colors outside, plus a new black chrome interior trim package inside. MotoringFile says we'll see the car in showrooms come Spring 2009. Look for more info on the new MINI convertible as we get closer to the Detroit Auto Show. In the meantime, hit up MotoringFile for their full preview report. Thanks to Gabriel for the heads-up.


[Source: MotoringFile]