2012 Mini Cooper S Panoramic Sunroof, Tech Pkg, Harman/kardon Sound, on 2040-cars

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Lego Mini Cooper coming in August [w/video]

Lego isn't just for kids anymore. A while back, the company cleverly realized that adults liked its connecting blocks as much as kids but wanted a more sophisticated project to take on. It offers a whole set of Expert models, including a wickedly cool Volkswagen Bus from a few years ago. Now, it's taking aim at automotive enthusiasts again with the recently announced classic Mini Cooper set due to go on sale on August 1 for $99.99.
This is a seriously cool Lego model. At nine inches long, five inches wide and four inches tall, the car is certainly compact (as a Mini should be), but it contains 1,077 pieces. It's finished in the classic Mini look with a British Racing Green body with white roof, hood stripes and mirror caps. The doors, hood and trunk all open up, and there's even a little, simulated engine. The interior includes features like a turning steering wheel and movable gearshift and handbrake. In the boot, there is a cute picnic set, and even a spare tire hidden under the floor. If you want to show off your handiwork after it's built, the roof is removable to peer inside.
Expect dads around the world to be unwrapping these when the holidays roll around. Scroll down to watch one of Lego's designers detailing its latest set and read the full release about it, below. The gallery shows the Mini off from all of its blocky angles, as well.

BMW's new strategy: Electric everything

Mercedes isn't the only car maker determined to beat Tesla before it gets huge. Sources speaking to German business daily Handelsblatt claim that BMW is in the midst of planning an executive shuffle that will also include a big shift in its electric vehicle strategy. While the company would still offer ground-up EV designs like the i3, the new strategy would greenlight electric versions of some of BMW's most important vehicles, including the 3-series sedan, X4 crossover, and iconic Mini. If the leak is accurate, management is likely to approve the change at the end of September. We've asked BMW for its take on the report, although it declined to comment to Handelsblatt. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Munich crew change tack, though. While Tesla has received hundreds of thousands of Model 3 pre-orders, i3 sales dropped in 2016 – the upscale (if oddly-shaped) EV just isn't as hot as it once was. If BMW electrifies some of its most popular cars, you wouldn't have to choose between a super-efficient, eco-friendly EV and the familiar designs of the brand's mainstream driving machines.The story originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life.Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Vision Next 100 Concept View 38 Photos Green BMW MINI Electric Hybrid engadget

2024 Mini Hardtop has fun in the snow before its unveiling

Mini is nearly ready to unveil the first member of the next-generation Hardtop family. It will introduce the two-door hatchback variant in 2022, and it released official spy shots showing a test mule in a frozen part of Sweden to give us a better idea of what to expect from the car. The BMW-owned firm stresses that the prototype shown on frigid Swedish roads is fully electric, though it stopped short of publishing any technical details. We're expecting that the plucky little hatchback will offer users more horsepower and more range than the current Cooper SE. And, there's no word yet on whether the line-up will include versions powered by an internal-combustion engine for buyers who are not interested in going electric. We've reached out to the company for more information, and we'll update this story if we learn more. It's clear that the next Hardtop’s proportions havenÂ’t significantly changed; it remains recognizable as a member of the Mini line-up, but designers have reimagined many key styling cues. Spy shots of a completely camouflage-free prototype taken in December 2021 reveal evolutionary updates made to the front end and a reimagined rear end characterized by angular lights connected by a black piece of trim. At first glance, it looks like the modern-day Mini is in for the biggest makeover since BMW rebooted the model at the turn of the millennium. More details about the next-generation Mini Hardtop will emerge in the coming months, and we expect to see the model make its debut before the end of 2022. It will later be joined by a four-door hatchback and a two-door convertible (Mini has confirmed it wonÂ’t leave the drop-top segment). Meanwhile, the company is sending off the current Hardtop by releasing a number of design-led limited-edition models. While the Hardtop stands proud as the car that MiniÂ’s image is pegged on, the segment of the market that it competes in is shrinking on a regular basis. Buyers prefer crossovers to hatchbacks, even across the pond. To that end, Mini is also working on the next-generation Countryman — which could be its biggest and most powerful model — and it announced plans to show a new crossover concept in 2022. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2024 Mini Hardtop, official spy shots View 23 Photos Green MINI Hatchback Electric