2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Mini may have overexpanded, some models may not be replaced

Surprise, surprise. According to Edmunds, Mini may be looking to reduce the number of vehicles in its range, which has recently expanded to include a total of seven offerings (not to mention the copious varieties of configurations found within each line). When Mini relaunched in the early 2000s, it did so with one model, the Cooper Hardtop, and has since added the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster and Paceman. It looks like those ambitions of expanding the range to include up to 10 models may have been a bit optimistic.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly," Jim McDowell, Vice President of Mini USA, told Edmunds in an interview. The brand's core models right now are the Hardtop and Countryman, and of the roughly 66,200 vehicles that Mini sold in the United States last year, these two vehicles accounted for some 75 percent of total sales.
McDowell declined to mention any specific models that may not be replaced in the lineup's next generation, though our best guess is that ultra-niche vehicles like the Coupe (pictured) or Clubman. As for replacing some of the current models with new products, the only clear gap we can see in the brand's lineup is a smaller car like the Rocketman concept, though we've been told several times that a mini-Mini isn't going to happen. Be sure to let us know what Mini models you'd like to see kept or axed in Comments below.

BMW, Sixt carsharing making money most places

The DriveNow carsharing service, which is a partnership between BMW and Sixt, is growing quite rapidly. "We've been surprised about the explosion of new subscriptions, which has helped boost revenue," says Sixt CEO Erich Sixt. The number of DriveNow users has increased from 215,000 at the end of last year to 300,000 today. Sixt says that DriveNow has been profitable in cities in which it has been established for over a year. Perhaps encouraged by its unexpected success, DriveNow is set to expand even further. The service is currently available in five German cities, as well as in San Francisco, California, and the involved parties are considering a five-year plan to expand to 25 more cities in Europe and the US. Still, Sixt expects DriveNow to report a "small-to-medium, single-digit" loss for this year, according to Sixt CFO Julian zu Putlitz. It's no big deal, just the result of startup costs in new areas. Sixt, which is Germany's largest car rental company, also reported that its own second-quarter income rose 12 percent to $37.7 million, while sales rose 7.6 percent to $585.78 million. DriveNow uses a membership and pay-per-minute model that allows customers to rent BMW and Mini vehicles as they need them. The service also acts as a way to let potential customers try out the vehicles and familiarize themselves with the brands before they buy cars of their own at some point. Depending on the location, DriveNow's fleet includes the BMW 1 Series, ActiveE and X1, as well as several Mini vehicles like the Cooper, Clubman and Countryman. Featured Gallery 2012 BMW ActiveE: First Drive View 31 Photos News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Copyright 2014 AOL Green BMW MINI car sharing profit revenue drivenow sixt

2021 Mini Countryman shows off its fresh face

The 2021 Mini Countryman has been spied once again, and it has shed some of its camouflage. We get a really good look at what appears to be the base Countryman's new front and rear fascias, updated taillights and interior. Otherwise, the little crossover is mostly unchanged. Up front, the bumper changes from three large grille openings to one standard one, and it gets the same slats as the grille between the headlights. On either side are big, round fog lights, which are themselves flanked by openings that probably create wind curtains around the wheels. Looking at the headlights, they have new internals with more squared-off projector surrounds. We also get some good looks at the John Cooper Works model. The shots of it at the Nurburgring give us a good look at the front, which looks generally unchanged with the same front bumper as the current car, but possibly with a new grille and headlight design. At the back, the car reveals new Union Jack taillights similar to those introduced on the Mini Hardtop and Clubman. Another photo shows what seems to be a John Cooper Works Countryman with part of a cloth cover lifted. This shows the rear bumper is mostly the same, but it gets a new mesh grille pattern over the rear diffuser area. Finally, we get a look at the interior. Most of it is the same, but the instrument cluster loses the analog dial of the current model. In its place is the oval-shaped cluster from the Mini Cooper SE electric car, which likely combines analog dials on either side with a screen nestled between. These changes are all relatively minor, and seem to be production ready. As such, we would expect the changes to be introduced for the 2021 model year. The reveal could be later this year. Of course, it's also possible the changes could be pushed back in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Related Video: