2020 Mini Cooper S on 2040-cars

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Lego Mini Cooper coming in August [w/video]

Lego isn't just for kids anymore. A while back, the company cleverly realized that adults liked its connecting blocks as much as kids but wanted a more sophisticated project to take on. It offers a whole set of Expert models, including a wickedly cool Volkswagen Bus from a few years ago. Now, it's taking aim at automotive enthusiasts again with the recently announced classic Mini Cooper set due to go on sale on August 1 for $99.99.
This is a seriously cool Lego model. At nine inches long, five inches wide and four inches tall, the car is certainly compact (as a Mini should be), but it contains 1,077 pieces. It's finished in the classic Mini look with a British Racing Green body with white roof, hood stripes and mirror caps. The doors, hood and trunk all open up, and there's even a little, simulated engine. The interior includes features like a turning steering wheel and movable gearshift and handbrake. In the boot, there is a cute picnic set, and even a spare tire hidden under the floor. If you want to show off your handiwork after it's built, the roof is removable to peer inside.
Expect dads around the world to be unwrapping these when the holidays roll around. Scroll down to watch one of Lego's designers detailing its latest set and read the full release about it, below. The gallery shows the Mini off from all of its blocky angles, as well.

New Mini Cooper only just now being delivered due to EPA certification

The Mini brand and its products have typically been a runaway success for BMW, but sales of the retro hatchback dropped a drastic 20.5 percent last month, and have been doing such pretty much all year.
The reason, according to Jalopnik, is that the new model has been held up due to EPA certification. Mini told our compatriots, "Sales have dropped because our supply has been so limited. MY 2015 Mini Hardtops have also not been able to go on sale pending the final results of federal fuel economy certification."
Mini goes on to clarify that "as of October 1st, three out of the four 2015 Mini Hardtop 2 door models, the Cooper with manual transmission, the Cooper with automatic transmission, and the Cooper S with manual transmission, have been released for retail sales and deliveries."

Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria