For the third year in a row Lexus has taken the top spot in J.D. Power’s annual Customer Service Index Study, which rates the satisfaction by owners and lessees of their dealership service department. On a 1,000 point scale, Lexus achieved 846 points, with Jaguar placing second at 837 and Cadillac third at 830 in...
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The MINI Countryman currently seats four, plus a whole lot of cupholders. But due to consumer demand, a rear bench option will be coming to America as early as July. The four-seater will be standard, but the bench seat will be an additional option. Current Countryman owners looking to squeeze their fellow countryman into the middle...
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Purists may scoff at the 4-door MINI Countryman and its betrayal of “brand values”, but BMW’s bean counters are laughing all the way to the bank as the company credits the newest MINI with helping profits surge 15-fold in 2010. BMW’s net income was recorded at 3.23 billion euros in 2010, up from 210 million...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the Mini Countryman its “2011 Top Safety Pick,” the first Mini to do so. The sort-of-SUV received “Good” ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear impact protection, ensuring that owners won’t get beat up if they ever take theirs rally racing. The Countryman comes with electronic stability...
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With the positive reception given to the very compact MINI Rocketman concept at this year’s Geneva Auto Show, MINI execs have given indications that the car will be produced sometime in the near future. “We are good at looking at history and interpreting a future for it,” MINI sales and marketing chief Kevin Robertson told...
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For those of you how really want the luxe treatment when you’re playing video games, do we have a seat for you – David Gawthorpe’s Mini Cooper gaming chair. When your butt demands the ultimate in comfort while playing hours upon hours of Grand Theft Auto, you need a seat like this one. And it...
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[vs-jwplayer movieid=”ccz-AfL_7To” width=”640″ height=”390″ autoplay=”0″] Looking to return to its roots in a high-tech way, the brand famous for thinking small has unveiled a new more-mini MINI at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the Rocketman concept, this isn’t a production car and it’s easy to see why, with a state-of-the-art carbon fiber spaceframe that allows...
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Diesel hot hatches have always been a bit of an oddity – one would think that a big, heavy diesel engine would throw off the superb balance and lightweight that are the hallmarks of most front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks, but the MINI Cooper SD is one diesel hot hatch that deserves the benefit of the doubt...
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If you’ve ever seen an original Mini (which may be unlikely if you live in North America) you might find it hard to wrap your head around just how small the car really is. The current MINI Cooper, while small by our standards, absolutely dwarfs the original car, but MINI’s new Rocketman concept should set...
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As part of MINI‘s 2011 Cooper lineup and debuts at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, an announcement has been made that a John Cooper Works Tuning Kit will be available for the MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper S Clubman and MINI Cooper S Convertible. The tuning kit will raise horsepower to 200-hp and torque to...
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When the new MINI Cooper debuted back in 2001, it was impossible not to note how much larger the car was than its classic predecessor. The less-than-mini size of the vehicle is even more obvious in Europe, where the majority of cars on the road share roughly the same dimensions. It comes as little surprise...
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MINI‘s rumored city car, set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show, now has a name. According to reports, the more mini MINI will be called the Rocketman and will make use of parent company BMW’s carbon fiber investments to showcase an entirely carbon fiber spaceframe chassis. This should give it an incredibly low curb...
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MINI will unveil a new city-car concept at the Geneva Auto Show next week as it continues to study the possibility of a smaller model to sit below the Cooper hard-top in the current lineup. According to reports, the car will be a 3 +1 layout, along the lines of the Toyota iQ and will...
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Despite rumors to the contrary, MINIs aren’t about to get any more or less mini. In a sit down interview with MINI USA boss Jim McDowell, at the Chicago Auto Show he dispelled rumors of a MINI-minor, as well as the possibility that the Countryman could get an even larger sibling. “I don’t anticipate a...
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If you still think that matte black paint jobs are just a fad, think again. MINI has decided to release a limited edition factory package that can be added onto any Cooper variant, turning it from a hip, trendy little car to a stealthy and sleek trendy little car. Dubbed the Mat Edition, MINI will...
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Have you ever said to yourself: “Gee, I wish my MINI matched my super cute Louis Vuitton hand bag”? And because too much of a good thing is never a bad idea, there’s a MINI that looks like the designer brand just puked all over it. CoverEFX, a German tuning company, has put subtly aside...
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MINI USA boss Jim McDowell sat down with AutoGuide at the Chicago Auto Show to talk about what might just be the most carefree car brand out there, complete with its own lexicon that includes things like bootgating – that’s tailgating in a Countryman, if you must know. Much of the conversation dealt with the...
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After teasing us with a hopped-up version at the Paris Auto Show, MINI has now revealed the official race-prepped Countryman WRC machine. Unveiled in Monte Carlo, MINI brought out drivers Dani Sordo and Kris Meeke, as well as the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally winning Mini Cooper and drivers Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk to celebrate....
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MINI has revealed the Clubman Hampton edition ahead of its planned debut at the Geneva Auto Show, announcing the special trim will be available on all four Clubman models – including the new Clubman SD. With a special Reef Blue paint color, the vehicle gets custom silver accents with the wheels available in either silver...
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MINI has confirmed the launch of a new SD line of performance diesels for all of its models. Using a new 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, the oil burner will deliver 143-hp and a significant 225 ft-lbs of torque at from 1750 rpm. This new diesel engine sits above the current Cooper D with 112-hp. The SD...
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Don’t believe everything you read. Or at least that’s what Andreas Muller might tell his lady friends after having ‘MINI‘ tattooed on his penis in order to win one of the fun British cars. The German man recently entered a contest held by a local radio station to win a new MINI Cooper. Rather than...
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With a huge gulf existing between the road-going version of the MINI Countryman and the WRC-ready version, a halo version that could bridge the gap between urban crossover and full-blown race car could be an asset for MINI, and help them leverage some of the image boost that their rally program will provide, especially in...
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The boys and girls over at MINI have been busy bodies in the last few years. While the company originally started making just one body style of car with two engine options, MINI has now grown and offers a whole line of vehicles. You still get the regular Cooper, but add to that the Convertible,...
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Now, it would appear that instead, future US bound Minis will get a line of 1.5-liter three-cylinder engines and possibly a plug-in hybrid powertrain. As far the latter is concerned, Mini will partner up with Getrag to produce it and this will likely be a plug-in system, designed to extend the vehicle’s range on electric...
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