2007 Mini Cooper, Redbull Promo Car. Unique Find! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Get lost in Evo's sublime 2013 Car of the Year testing

Every year Evo stages its Car of the Year test, bringing the best performance cars in the world to one location for an epic shootout. This year the magazine pitted eight CotY finalists against each other on Route Napoleon in Southern France - Evo claims it's the "best road in the world" - and then proceeded to nitpick the smallest of faults on each car until the winner could be named. You see, this year's lineup of machines was just so good that only one car obviously wasn't CotY material from the get-go. Can you guess which one judging from the list below?
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
- Audi R8 V10 Plus

2025 Mini Cooper SE spy photos give us our best look yet

We've seen 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtops under heavy camouflage for a couple of years now, and even got a look at an undisguised one. But a spy photographer came across an uncovered example at a photo shoot in Los Angeles, and it's our best look at the little hatchback. This particular one is the Mini Cooper SE, which will be among the first of the new generation since it's electric. Like the current SE, it has a lime-green "S" badge. It seems like one of the few obvious cues that it's the sporty electric model, since the hood scoop has vanished. It retains a version of the extra large front grille surround of the current cars. The whole shape of the car, including the wraparound glass and contrasting roof, are very obviously Mini. There are interesting detail changes along the sides. The door handles are flush-fit like new BMWs. And the contrasting black plastic fender flares are gone, a trademark cue of Minis since their reintroduction to the U.S. in the early 2000s. There isn't even a nod to a front fender vent or badge, either. It's been simplified significantly. The tail also has big changes. The rear hatch encompasses the rear taillights. Those lights are triangular and still feature a Union Jack motif, but it's a little more obscured. A band with the model name joins the two across the hatch. This new Mini is expected to launch in May of next year. A base version with 181 horsepower and the SE with 215 horsepower are reportedly on the way, along with two battery packs with either 40 or 54 kWh. And there will be gas-powered versions, but they'll arrive a little later. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Next-generation Mini Clubman could morph into a crossover

Mini knows selling station wagons in a market dominated by crossovers and SUVs is easier said than done. Since it can't beat them, it's considering joining them by making the next-generation Clubman more crossover-like than the current model, which proudly embodies its station wagon heritage. Oliver Heilmer, the BMW-owned firm's chief designer, broke the news to British magazine Autocar. The publication pointed out the current-generation Clubman (pictured) is about as long and as wide as the Countryman, and the two models occupy the same price bracket, but it's outsold by its taller sibling. Making it an SUV would certainly give sales a significant boost, but where would this strategy leave the Countryman? Launching a smaller soft-roader is off the table, so one nameplate would grow in size. The Clubman might take the Countryman's spot in the range, allowing it to move up. Nothing is set in stone yet, though putting the Clubman on stilts would better align it with the tastes of motorists in America, one of the brand's key markets. While Mini's sole wagon looks ready for a growth spurt, Heilmer stressed the retro-styled Hardtop — one of the brand's pillars — will remain true to its tiny roots when it enters its fourth generation in the coming years. Keeping the hatchback relatively small while carving out an acceptable amount of interior space and making it compliant with safety regulations around the globe is a huge challenge for Mini's vehicle development team. And, contrary to some industry rumors, going electric doesn't instantly solve the problem. "It's not necessarily the internal combustion engine that needs the space. Even with an EV, which has a smaller motor, you still need a crash box. Crash performance is the bigger issue," the designer explained. He's hopeful his team will solve this problem in 2020, but he warned keeping costs in check is another priority. Clearly, designing a city-friendly car is more difficult than it used to be. New technology might come to the rescue. Energy-absorbing foam could notably take the brunt of an impact, and allow designers to reduce the Hardtop's overhang. Other models would likely receive it, too, but Heilmer's team is primarily concerned about keeping the Hardtop's footprint in check. The rest of the range can — and, probably, will — continue to grow in the coming years. All told, the Hardtop will remain the foundation the rest of Mini's range is built on.