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Mini Minor to be co-developed with Toyota

It was back in 2011 when Mini first showcased the prospect of an even smaller hatchback with the Rocketman concept at the Geneva Motor Show. In the nearly four years since, parent company BMW has hemmed and hawed on the possibility of putting it into production, but the latest word from Europe has it that the project is a go. According to Automobile magazine, Mini is realigning its product portfolio into five pillars: the essential hardtop we've already seen (available in two/three- and four/five-doors), the convertible, the upcoming new Clubman wagon (coming this summer with full-size auxiliary suicide doors on both sides), the next-gen Countryman crossover in 2016 and two new model lines. One will be the production version of the Superleggera roadster concept, earmarked for 2018. The other will be the Minor, a smaller city car reviving a long-gone model name and presaged by the aforementioned Rocketman concept. But for that last one, Mini won't go it alone. To develop the mini Mini, BMW will reportedly turn to its partnership with Toyota. The relationship is already set to yield a new Supra and Z4 and share fuel cell and other technologies. But this would broaden the partnership to include a small hatchback. However rather than use the existing (or next-gen) Aygo, which is already built under joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen (with which BMW previously had a joint engine venture), word has it that the BMW and Toyota will develop a new platform for the project – one that will be used by both partners. The new product plan doesn't leave much room for the Mini Coupe and Roadster (which have already been discontinued), for the Paceman three-door crossover (which will suffer the same fate) or for the projected seven-seater minivan. But the addition of the new Superleggera roadster and super-mini Mini aren't likely to leave us wanting for either. Related Video:

BMW reveals R NineT Scrambler at EICMA [w/video]

BMW Motorrad has rolled into the EICMA motorcycle show in Italy with a new version of the R NineT. While the existing version has proven a fast favorite among customizers with its cafe-racer style, the new version takes the classic Scrambler approach that recalls off-road dirt bikes from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. And it looks at least as hot as the existing Roadster. The new R NineT Scrambler is powered by the same 1.17-liter boxer twin as the Roadster, good for 110 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque. What separates it from the Roadster is the rest of its feature set. The exhaust is positioned higher alongside the swingarm and 17-inch rear wheel, while the front features an over-sized 19-inch wheel with a longer-travel telescopic fork. The seating position is more upright than the Roadster as well, with higher handlebars and foot-pegs moved slightly down and back - all for a more relaxed ride. Up front there's a circular headlamp, with analog instruments. Four-piston calipers grip 320-millimeter discs up front, with 2-piston calipers on 265-mm discs at the back. The Scrambler comes in a matte silver finish with a brown saddle, but like the Roadster, it's designed to be customized. So the accessories catalog is filled with parts to make it your own, and the modular frame is meant to be disassembled and reconfigured to the rider's specifications. BMW R NineT Scrambler debuts this week at the Milan fair grounds alongside the new single-cylinder G 310 R and the eRR electric sport bike concept. The new BMW R nineT Scrambler – a down-to-earth character beyond established conventions. They were ridden by action heroes on the screen and scores of hobby racers entered mountain and beach races on them: the Scramblers. With deep-treaded tyres, a raised exhaust, somewhat extended spring travel and a relaxed seating position, Scramblers offered their riders in the 1950s to 1970s not just motorcycling fun on winding country roads but also great off-road capability and therefore an extended range of use. Like the motorcycles themselves, the people who rode Scramblers were not bound by established conventions. And they could be seen virtually everywhere: on winding country roads, stony mountain passes and - where it was allowed - even on sandy beaches. The history of BMW Motorrad is also rooted in the Scrambler concept.

2016 BMW M2 First Drive

Don't skip down to the conclusions, because I'll save you the trouble and spell it out for you right here. The 2016 BMW M2 is superb. Lay out your criteria for a contemporary sport coupe. Then check all the boxes. There are gripes. We've gotten good at uncovering the little issues in an age where the difference between the best and worst car in a class is smaller than ever. But they're that: little. It's a small price to pay for a vehicle that delivers so much more to the driver than the M235i – engagement, performance, pleasure – that it seems a bargain at $52,695 to start. Moreover, it's the right-sized M car we've wanted since the M4 burst its chrysalis and turned into an extra-large, if not overweight, butterfly. BMW had us out to Monterey to sample two M2s: a 7-speed DCT on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and a six-speed manual on the fog-kissed Pacific Coast Highway. The formula here is old-school – thank heavens. It's a compact sport coupe with swollen wheel arches and a hot-rodded inline-six. The proportions are classic: longish hood, short rear deck, reasonably airy greenhouse in the tradition of sporting BMWs, and plenty of meat on the sticky tires. Long Beach Blue paint provides depth to the sheetmetal scalloping and contrast to the fender flares – and the M2 looked great in this bold color. I can't say the same for the less-exciting grey example parked in the hospitality tent. Like most modern turbocharged BMWs, the torque curve is fatter than an In-N-Out Double Double, Animal Style. The overall rightness of the proportions compensates for the more polarizing details. The dimples in the rear bumper, the "scoops" in the lower secondary air inlets, the obligatory fender vent (which is at least small). They're all intended to communicate aggressive sportiness, and succeed to varying degrees, but it's just jewelry. Inside, BMW's excised some of the cheapness that plagued the 2 Series' predecessors. The blue contrasting stitching looks great, the sport steering wheel is perfectly sized, and the carbon-fiber patterned accents at least provide a little texture to break up an unapologetically black interior. On the other hand, the door pulls are not only cheap-looking, but also so large they're impossible to ignore. It's a baffling misstep in an otherwise simple and classy interior. As a quick aside, the HUD is clear and functional – not a new feature for BMWs, but worth noting.