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Mini 'Takes the States' is ready to rally again this summer

The Mini brand has gone to great lengths — literally — during the past two decades to embrace and entertain its loyal following by sponsoring cross-country caravans to celebrate its products and customers. This summer, the caravan reforms once again. Officially called “Mini Takes the States,” the rally in mid-July is scheduled to embark from Albuquerque, N.M., and finish eight days later in Seattle. Visiting five states and nine cities, several hundred drivers and their passengers are expected to join the caravan for part or all of the journey. MTTS, as it's become known as to Mini fans, first rolled out in 2006, with Mini USA using it as a way to celebrate the introduction of the first, hardcore GP edition of its high-performance John Cooper Works model. It has since become a biennial event, with each rally taking a different route around the U.S. It's not competitive. The idea is to connect Mini owners and let them share their enthusiasm about the brand and their experiences with it. Mini plans festivities along the route and usually a “Rally Finale” on the final evening. As far as expenses — hotels, most meals — participants are on their own, although breakfasts and some evening events with food are provided by Mini. The idea is to create positive publicity and “good feelings” for the brand, and to sell more Minis. Since Minis are, at the end of the day, automobiles, service may be required along the MTTS route. Technicians are on hand to perform repairs like engine computer diagnostics, light bulb replacements, tire changes, and other non-major work. Participants will initially head north from New Mexico through Colorado and Utah to Salt Lake City. Continuing through Big Sky country, MTTS 2024 will stop in Bozeman and Missoula, Mont., then head west to Spokane, Wash. From there, drivers will cruise southwest through the scenic mountains and valleys of Yakima, Wash., winding up in Seattle. “WeÂ’re excited to reconnect with our Mini owners nationwide to foster current relationships, forge new friendships and make lasting memories, this time in some of our incredible and majestic western states,” said Mike Peyton, vice president and "chief motorer" for Mini of the Americas, in a press release.

Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.

Mini would still like to make a standalone sports car

The head-turning Superleggera Vision concept Mini unveiled in 2014 will remain a one-off model, but the BMW-owned company affirmed it still has its sights set on a standalone, range-topping sports car. It's understandably not a priority, and there's a chance it won't arrive with a turbo four if it receives the green light for production. Mini's current flagship is the limited-edition John Cooper Works GP, a 301-horsepower hot hatch that sounds as angry as it looks. It's based on the Hardtop, but there's space in the Mini range for an even more hardcore sports car that's not built on an existing architecture. Andreas Lampka, the head of the company's communications department, shared what's on his team's wish list while talking to Australian website Motoring. "If we give our engineers some more spare [time and resources], they'll come up with a mid-engined car," he explained. If launched, it would stand out as the first series-produced mid-engined model in the Mini's 61-year history; every single Mini-badged car built has been front-wheel drive, and we doubt engineers are giving the mid-engined layout a lustful look just to channel the power back to the front wheels. It'd likely be rear-wheel drive. Lampka suggested a range-topping sports car could arrive with an electric powertrain, like the Superleggera Vision (pictured), rather than with an evolution of a gasoline-powered engine currently found in the company's arsenal. While a head-spinning, instant torque-fueled zero-to-60-mph time is difficult to argue against, the executive didn't explain how engineers will offset the weight added by the battery pack. It's too early to provide concrete details. Though this is pure speculation, it could share parts with future electrified JCW models. Similarly, there's no word on when we might see Mini's halo model. The company has more pressing issues to solve; global sales fell by 4.1% in 2019, and executives recently confirmed they've delayed the next-generation Hardtop. If the model does arrive, we don't expect to see it until about halfway through the 2020s at the earliest. Related Video:     Featured Gallery Mini Superleggera Vision Concept View 27 Photos Green MINI Convertible Coupe Electric Performance