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BMW's Mini plant closes for 4 weeks for the Brexit that didn't happen

LONDON — BMW's Mini plant in Britain is closing for four weeks starting Monday in a move planned over a half year ago to help the company deal with any disruption resulting from Brexit, which has since been delayed. The German carmaker, which builds just over 15 percent of Britain's 1.5 million cars, moved its annual summertime shutdown to April to "minimize the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit." But Britain's departure from the EU has now been pushed back from March 29 until at least April 12 or potentially much later, scuppering the timing of major contingency plans for some carmakers. Shutdowns are organized far in advance so employee holidays can be scheduled and suppliers can adjust volumes, making them hard to move. "This is what our company and our workforce have planned for over many months, and it is fixed into our business planning," said a BMW spokesman. It represents the latest headache for Britain's once roaring car sector which had been on track for record production but since 2017 has posted sharp falls in sales, output and investment. The overwhelmingly foreign-owned industry has become increasingly incredulous as a stable and attractive investment environment descends into one of its deepest political crises, risking the free and frictionless trade the sector relies on. BMW's Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood will close for two weeks whilst Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) three car plants and engine facility and Honda's Swindon facility will also shut for a few days this month as part of Brexit contingencies. It has been a turbulent few months for the sector after Nissan canceled plans to build a new sport utility vehicle at its English Sunderland plant and Honda said it would shutter its plant in 2021 in the biggest blow to the sector for years. Toyota provided a rare boost when it announced plans to build cars for Suzuki at its English car plant. BMW, which is also closing its central English Hams Hall engine facility and Swindon press shop and sub-assembly site for four weeks, has said it could move some engine and Mini output out of Britain if there is not an orderly Brexit. Carmakers face a number of risks if there is a disorderly Brexit, including delays to the supply of ports and finished models, new customs bureaucracy, the need to recertify models and an up to 10 percent tariff on finished vehicles.

2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP spied in clearest photos yet

We suspect we won't have long to wait until we see the new Mini John Cooper Works GP. Why? Well, it seems Mini isn't trying very hard to hide the car. One of our spy photographers caught a prototype testing at the Nurburgring, and the camouflage, while creatively using race track outlines for the pattern, was not particularly effective. As such, we get our best look at the super Mini, and it looks wild. Although they've been tucked closer to the body and shortened, the GP still sports some wild vented overfenders at each corner like the concept. We're very curious what kind of aerodynamic advantage they provide. The front fascia has been toned down substantially and is fitted with much shorter spoilers, but what's left still blends into the front fenders. The rear fascia is similarly toned down with a far less extreme diffuser. But the rear wing is still over the top. It's arguably more interesting than the concept's since the wing is split in the middle. It also has a big "GP" embossed on each side of the wing. Since the Mini John Cooper Works GP Concept made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, a production version's reveal at this year's Frankfurt show would be fitting. And considering how close to finished this prototype appears to be, plus Mini's announcement that it will go into production in 2020, a reveal in the early fall seems quite reasonable. It should be a monster of a hatchback, too, since Mini says it will have over 300 horsepower, challenging the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS.

Mini JCW E PROtotype is a full-fat electric John Cooper Works

Mini has been revealing or teasing or launching variants of its all-new lineup since last September. It's not too much yet, but there's a lot of Mini going on. Here's the latest, the camouflaged Mini Cooper JCW E Prototype that will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for a run up the hill, introduced to us six weeks after Mini showed us a camouflaged internal-combustion Cooper JCW. And, if you'll remember, Mini showed an electric version of the new Cooper SE JCW last December. This JCW is going to rock more juice down electric avenue, though, the automaker saying there's an "advanced electric powertrain ... with cutting-edge technology" hiding under the skin. The expectation is that the JCW E will use the same 54.2-kWh battery as in other Minis, but its front-mounted motor will make more than the 215 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque applied to the Cooper SE and Cooper SE JCW. Brand execs told Autocar that engineers worked to maintain a "go-kart feeling," imparting similar sensations to the gas-powered JCW, the electric version's greater weight getting necessitating larger wheels and wider tires to improve grip. A stiffer suspension and larger brakes should also be involved. And although the new architecture can support a dual-motor powertrain, there seems little chance of that happening.     Same as the gas-powered Mini, the red and white camo is an homage to the red and white color schemes used in the 1960s for Minis in motorsports. The "37" logo commemorates the #37 Mini Cooper winning the 1964 Rallye Monte Carlo. Across the windshield, "Bulldog Racing" touts the team that won its class in this year's Nurburgring 24-Hour race with a new camo'ed Mini.  After the Mini JCW E's Prototype's run up the hill next weekend, the automaker says the global reveal comes in autumn this year.