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2017 MINI Model Year Preview and Updates

The team at MINI, BMW's small car subsidiary, is taking its minimalist approach to motoring and – with the launch of the all-new Countryman (pictured above) – maximizing it. Built atop the same basic architecture as BMW's X1 crossover, the newest Countryman is larger in every dimension than its predecessor. And with the stretch, it becomes fully competitive in both space and performance (at least in Cooper S guise) with virtually all of its competition, including Audi's Q3, BMW's own X1 and Mercedes' GLA. Beyond the new crossover, for 2017 it's a proliferation of John Cooper Works performance models and the intro of Mini's first plug-in hybrid. It, too, plugs into the new Countryman, and is on showrooms in June, 2017. Finally, don't forget the countless ways you can personalize your Mini – or the countless costs when you've added that personalization to the window sticker. MINI HARDTOP: Mini's Media package is now standard on all Hardtops, while some packages previously standard – such as Mini Driving modes and Excitement lighting – are now optional within package groups. CLUBMAN: A high-performance John Cooper Works Clubman is where, according to MINI, 'race-inspired performance meets grown-up motoring'. It is also the first Mini to combine a JCW performance pack with Mini's ALL4 all-wheel drive. CONVERTIBLE: All-new in 2016, the new model year brings another application of John Cooper Works performance. This is the same 228 horsepower available in other JCW models; with the top dropped, however, it feels much faster. COUNTRYMAN: To hear Mini tell it, this is the biggest, most adventurous Mini ever. As noted, it's a stretched variant – in every direction – of its predecessor, and with the larger size comes more refinement. Also noteworthy: All trims and drivetrains include an expansive menu of standard equipment. Cooper and Cooper S versions are on showrooms in March 2017, while the plug-in hybrid – Mini's first in the US – arrives in June.

Mini Cooper SE Convertible wheels made entirely from recycled aluminum

Mini has revealed an interesting fact about its limited-run Mini Cooper SE Convertible: It's the first production car with wheels made from 100% recycled aluminum. Despite sharing the same look as wheels available on the regular SE hatch, they're actually much more environmentally friendly. The wheels were developed with Swiss wheel manufacturer Ronal. The company sells aftermarket wheels under the Ronal and Speedline brands, and it supplies OEMs. And it's no stranger to more environmentally-friendly wheel production. It supplies wheels for the Audi E-Tron GT that are made using a smelting process that produces oxygen rather than carbon dioxide, and it now has a line of claimed carbon-neutral aftermarket wheels. But back to the Mini's wheels. Using all recycled aluminum has the obvious benefit of not requiring new aluminum to be manufactured. But the benefits are greater than just the raw material use. Mini points out that a major improvement in carbon emissions comes from being able to skip the electrolysis process for new aluminum manufacturing. Pure aluminum is extracted from aluminum oxide (which is in turn taken from the mineral bauxite). To do this large amounts of electricity are passed through molten solutions of aluminum oxide and cryolite (which takes energy to heat) across graphite cathodes and annodes. Not only does this use a lot of electricity that has its own carbon costs, the oxygen that separates from the aluminum bonds to the graphite annodes, yielding more carbon dioxide (which is why the production of those Audi wheels is also interesting). In total, Mini says the recycled wheel production reduces carbon emissions by 75%. More specifically, it estimates about 0.16 kilograms (0.35 pounds) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of aluminum used. Mini also stresses that this process still maintains all the strength of conventional wheels, just in a greener way. And of course, the wheels themselves are recyclable again. Mini, and BMW more broadly, are looking at ways to upscale the process and to source suitable recyclable products, likely other old wheels from cars no longer on the road. Though neither company said anything about when we'll see fully recycled wheels more widely available. Related Video: MINI Electric Pacesetter inside and out

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