Category: MINI

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BMW MINI Motorsports Volkswagen

Dakar 2011 underway – follow it live

MINI Countryman Dakar promo

Dakar 2011 is underway and after Stage 1 it looks like business as usual with defending champion Carlos Sainz and his Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 in the lead, holding a 90 second advantage over the X-Raid BMW X5 of Stéphane Peterhansel.

Of course, X-Raid are the guys responsible for the MINI Countryman which is making its Dakar debut. So far things don’t appear to be going as smooth as their promo piece, with the big little MINI almost one hour behind Sainz.

You can watch the X-Raid MINI promo via Facebook. But, more importantly, you can keep up to date with Dakar 2011 via live timing on the official website and also with regular updates on twitter.

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E-Class surprise leader in “shaggin’ wagon” poll

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

A recent UK report has revealed that 54% of British motorists admit to having sex in a car. And it seems the older you are the more likely you are to find paradise by the dashboard light. Almost 40% of over 55s interviewed claimed sex in a car was fantastic, compared to just 13% of those aged between 18 and 24.

The raunchy research was carried out by the appropriately named Autoquake.com, an online retailer, and CEO Dermot Halpin says, “We’re surprised that so many of drivers have used their cars as mobile bedrooms, and impressed that the older generation are leading the way.”

A top 10 list of sexy cars was compiled as part of the study. The wide open spaces of the Mercedes E-Class Estate proved a worthy, if surprising, leader in the poll. Shaggin’ wagons have gone a bit upmarket since the 70s it seems. The full list is available after the break.

We’re sure readers won’t be surprised to learn no Toyota made the top 10. Which begs the question, just what is that feeling they keep going on about; loneliness, perhaps?

If you’ve enjoyed a few extra “services” between scheduled intervals, leave us a comment and tell us all about it!

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MINI

MINI Paceman Concept

MINI Paceman Concept

This is the MINI Paceman Concept. It’s just been revealed in picture form by MINI and will make its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Based on an all-wheel drive Cooper S Countryman, the Paceman is fitted with the 155kW JCW engine. It’s also the first Sports Activity Coupé in the small car segment, according to MINI at least.

It’s a nice looking car actually. Sure, it serves about as much purpose as tits on a bull, but as noted by MotoringFile, it’d make a ripping donor car for MINI’s WRC program.

We don’t know for sure if MINI will put the Paceman into production, although this concept probably does give us a few insights into future styling cues of other production MINIs. Notably the rear “baseball cap” style roof detail and spoiler that may be repeated on the MINI Coupé, which started production earlier this week.

Should the Paceman get the green light for production, expect a 2013 launch date, likely to be wearing a Canyon nameplate.

More pics and MINI’s desperate justifications for this attractive, but rather daft, concept after the break. Actually, we shouldn’t call it daft, don’t tell anyone, but we reckon one of these cars would look quite good in the garage at AUSmotive HQ.

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MINI Motorsports

MINI All4 Racing at Dakar

MINI All4 Racing

More detail on the MINI Countryman-based Dakar racer has come to light, including a handful pics of what we now know is called the MINI All4 Racing. The car is being prepared by the X-raid team, who have been competing in the Dakar since 2005.

They’ve just completed a couple of days testing in the Burgundy region of France with driver Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Michel Périn.

Chicherit, a four-time world extreme skiing champion, finished fifth at this year’s Dakar in January and said, “The handling is excellent, the engine is very responsive and it is well balanced at jumps because of the improved centre of gravity. The view out of the car is much better than we were led to believe when the car was being built. Visibility is good and there is no disadvantage compared to the BMW X3CC.”

There’s more pics after the break. You can also download the team’s press release HERE (290kb PDF).

[Source: x-raid via MotoringFile]

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MINI

MINI Coupé starts new life at Plant Oxford

MINI Coupé

Word from MotoringFile is the very much anticipated—by AUSmotive at least—MINI Coupé has started its new life at the Oxford production facility. Indeed the first pre-production example could be rolling down the line as we speak. It’s understood that while a few changes from the concept model will be made, the overall look and feel of the R58 Coupé model will be pretty much as we’ve already seen. Bravo!

[Source: MotoringFile]

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MINI

MINI all set to go mini at Detroit

MINI Cooper S

MINI will be showing off a new city car concept at the Detroit Auto Show next month. According to Dr Wolfgang Armbrecht, who was quoted in Financial Times Deutschland, “the next spectacular idea from the MINI brand” will be coming soon. Dr Armbrecht then added, “Keep a close eye on the coming months.”

It’s understood the mini-MINI will be based on a shortened R56 platform and will likely be the first car to employ BMW’s new three cylinder engine. Being positioned below the regular R56 models the new city car will also be the cheapest way to enter the MINI brand.

[Source: MotoringFile]

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MINI Motorsports

MINI Countryman preparing for 2011 Dakar Rally

MINI Countryman

First it was the WRC, now it appears as though MINI is building a Countryman to take on the toughest rally of all, the 2011 Dakar in Argentina and Chile.

That’s the word according to German website BigBlogg anyway—and also evident from the spy video after the break. They say approval for the project was given by BMW back in June. Development has been undertaken in partnership with Magna Steyr and the first tests are scheduled for next week. Understandably, things are getting a bit anxious as the race start, on 1 January 2011, is just a few weeks away.

The Dakar racer is a step removed from the WRC weapon being developed by Prodrive. Proof of this is given by the twin-turbo diesel engine found under the bonnet of the Dakar machine. With 310hp and a very healthy 710Nm of torque on tap it’s sure to be a blast.

[via MotoringFile]

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MINI Safety Issues

MINI Countryman granted 5-star crash rating

MINI Countryman

The love it or hate it MINI Countryman now has one less reason to hate it. It’s performance at the latest round of Euro NCAP testing saw the not-so-MINI awarded a 5-star crash rating. The Countryman scored 84% for the Adult Occupant category, 83% for Child Occupant, 63% for Pedestrian and 71% for Safety Assist.

Interestingly the model tested was a right-hand drive Countryman Diesel, so these results are directly relevant to the Australian market. Most cars tested by Euro NCAP are left-hand drive.

You can read the full Euro NCAP report HERE. After the break you can watch video footage of the Countryman’s test, as well as reading the press release from MINI PR.

[Pic: Euro NCAP]

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MINI

MINI refreshes local lineup

2011 MINI range

The faclefited MINI range is now on sale in Australia. It’s a pretty standard refresh with minor cosmetic changes, including front brake ducts, LED rear tail lights. MINI has also thrown a bit more fruit into the standard equipment, such as Bluetooth phone capability across the range. Mechanically, things are pretty much the same as before.

Full details, including pricing, can be found in the MINI Australia press release after the break.

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MINI WRC

VIDEO: Making of the MINI WRC

MINI Countryman WRC

After the jump you can see a brief “making of” video about the MINI Countryman WRC. Progress seems to have come along nicely following the official signing of documents with Prodrive in July. The MINI’s first race will take place in Italy next May.

Shame about super imposed type over the clip.

[Source: MotoringFile]

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MINI Motor Shows WRC

Paris 2010: MINI WRC

MINI WRC

MINI has just revealed its new Countryman-based WRC car in Paris. It looks pretty mean in that first pic, too. Will this be the coolest car in world rallying?

After the break you can see more pics, brief technical details and a couple of short interviews with Ian Roberston, Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW Group and David Richards, Prodrive Chairman.

Update 4 October: Extra pics from the Paris stand can be seen HERE.

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MINI WRC

MINI WRC prototype filmed in Portugal

MINI WRC prototype

Prodrive are are testing their new MINI WRC car in Portugal this week. Thankfully, some keen rally fans have been on hand to film the action. After the break you’ll see a selection of videos posted to YouTube which show, if nothing else, the turbocharged 1.6 litre engine sounds nuts as the car rips along the gravel roads. We can only hope, for the sake of the WRC, that Prodrive get this MINI thing right!

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