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60 Minis will race in the Silverstone Classic for Mini's 60th anniversary

It was just 60 short years ago when Mini established itself as a manufacturer of small cars as part of the British Motor Corporation. Over the years, the Mini became popular among the British people and beyond, not just as a car but as a cultural icon. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Mini is taking over Silverstone Circuit in England. The racetrack announced that 60 classic Minis will be racing in the Silverstone Classic outing, July 26-28. Back in May, Silverstone sought pre-1966 Mini Cooper S models to participate, and the APB received an overwhelming response but fell just short of the 60-car goal. But with the help of Motorsport UK, Britain's motorsport regulatory council, Silverstone was able to find two additional Mini Cooper S models to participate. "It only seems right and proper that we mark the Mini's 60th milestone with a 60-car grid, so we are really grateful to those at Motorsport UK and Masters Historic Racing, who are organizing these anniversary races, for securing this special permission," said Nick Wigley, Silverstone Classic's CEO. "As well as being a sixties fashion icon, the Mini's reputation was built on some wonderful motorsport successes, so there could neither be a better, nor more appropriate, way to celebrate its 60th anniversary than with an incredible 60-strong grid at the world's biggest classic motor racing festival." The Mini first received world recognition as champion of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally with Paddy Hopkirk and co-driver Henry Liddon. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Hopkirk will be present for 60-year Mini tribute and will be reunited with his original winning car, Cooper S #37 with license plate 33 EJB. Hopkirk will lead the Silverstone Classic's Diamond Anniversary track parade with his Cooper S. "I'm really flattered to have been asked to front this fantastic parade," Hopkirk said. "It's great that I'll be back in my old car, and I'm going to be bringing the Monte trophy along, too. It was presented to me by Princess Grace.The Classic is such a brilliant event and, oh my goodness, it will be absolutely amazing to see 60 Minis altogether on the track at the same time." All of the Mini Cooper S models invited are powered by the same race-prepped 1.275-liter inline-four, so it'll be an adorable and exciting race and a pure test of driver skill.

2025 Mini Countryman First Drive Review: Mini no more

CASCAIS, Portugal — LetÂ’s cut straight to the issue of size. If the original Mini was a sporting beagle ready for the hunt, the reborn version that hit the world stage in 2001 may have been an English bulldog, albeit bred in Germany, its parents being the engineers and coffers of BMW. From there, the Mini brand has grown in size in regular increments, culminating with the 2025 Mini Countryman thatÂ’s the subject of this review. The first Countryman that we first tested in 2011 was comparatively large for the brand, but was suitably mini by SUV standards. Its stocky proportions moved it well into the working dog class. And then the second-generation Mini Countryman debuted for the 2017 model year, gaining 8 inches in length and more than 5 inches of width over its predecessor. We described it as “still in keeping with the brand's ethos from the very beginning when Alec Issigonis created a car that was microscopic on the outside but disproportionately spacious inside.” Nevertheless, it was starting too look a little husky, if you catch our drift. Consider the 2025 Mini Countryman a mastiff, then. Compared to the second-gen Countryman it replaces (which, as we already pointed out was much larger than the first edition), the new version is 5.1 inches longer, 2.4 inches taller and 0.8 inch wider. This translates into additional interior space for passengers and cargo, but adds an awful lot of visual and physical girth to something wearing a badge that literally calls out a diminutive size. The proportions are well considered, but parked next to the old car, the new Countryman sticks out like a sore thumb. Literally, like one thatÂ’s swollen post-accidental-hammer strike. When the full Countryman model lineup is available Stateside, a base model may well be included, but at least for the start of 2025 production the lineup will start with an S edition for $39,895 that will have 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. WeÂ’re not driving that today. Instead, the subject of this review will be the only other gas-powered Countryman: the high-performance John Cooper Works edition or JCW. The new Countryman JCW starts at $47,895 and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that spins out 312 ponies (up from 301) and 295 pound-feet of torque (unfortunately down from 331) to all four tires through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and MiniÂ’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

2016 Mini Convertible puts the tanning salon on wheels

Here's a basic tenet of the Mini product schedule – a new generation Mini Hardtop debuts and then, within a year or two, it's followed by a convertible variant. Considering this, the debut of the third-generation Convertible – less than two years after the third-gen hardtop – is right on schedule. Slated to arrive in dealers right in time for the start of the 2016 convertible season, the latest Mini Convertible doesn't really shock. It takes the same basic look below the beltline, and pairs it to a power-folding softtop that does a much better job of maintaining the Hardtop's iconic silhouette. That said, the size of that "C-pillar," for lack of a better phrase, is immense. We doubt this new model will do anything to improve on the last Convertible's awful blind spots. Mechanically, the soft top can be raised or lowered in just 18 seconds and at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour. Like the two generations of Convertible that came before it, this latest droptop uses the same engine lineup as the three-door model. For the standard Cooper, BMW/Mini's 1.5-liter, turbocharged triple is still offering up 134 horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 time of 8.2 seconds with the automatic and 8.3 seconds with the manual. For the Cooper S, the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder dishes out 189 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, along with 0-60 times of between 6.7 and 6.8 seconds, depending on the transmission. Those gearboxes have also been plucked from the Hardtop models, with standard six-speed manuals and optional six-speed automatics, regardless of engine. Yep, that's right, the excellent eight-speed auto from the Mini Cooper S Clubman isn't being offered on the Cooper S Convertible. We've got a huge array of photos of the new Mini Convertible, which puts a particular emphasis on the handsome, droptop-specific Caribbean Aqua of the base Cooper. Check out the photos, and then scroll below for the official press release from Mini. Related Video: OPEN DRIVING EXCITEMENT: INTRODUCING THE NEW MINI CONVERTIBLE Open Driving Excitement: Introducing the New MINI Convertible Newest member of MINI lineup goes on sale in U.S. in March 2016 First open top MINI powered by BMW Group engine technology and architecture Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 22, 2015 – MINI USA introduced today the newest addition to its iconic product line, the new MINI Convertible.