2998 Mini Cooper Base on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Question of the Day: What's the greatest British car ever?

The British automotive industry has produced everything from high-production econo-commuters to staggeringly luxurious oligarch-wagons, along the way winning plenty of races and building plenty of beautiful machines. The original Mini led directly to the past half-century of transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive cars built everywhere, the MGB put the sporty little convertible into everyone's reach, and the Morris Oxford became the most beloved motor vehicle in India. So many to choose from, but we want you to pick one. What will it be? Related Video:

Mini Cooper SE Convertible revealed for electric top-down motoring

The electric Mini Cooper SE Convertible is officially a production car! Sadly, that production is exclusively slated for Europe right now, but if we all yell loudly enough, maybe we can get Mini to send some across the ocean. In reality, the chances of the SE Convertible coming here are nearly zero, if not zero. Mini is only making 999 of them as a small series experiment of sorts. Its powertrain and battery pack is the same as the hardtop SE. That means it’s sporting a single front motor with 184 horsepower. The 0-62 mph time for the Convertible is 8.2 seconds, and the electrically operated soft top (with a Union Jack) can be deployed at speeds up to 18 mph. Range is just 125 miles on the optimistic WLTP cycle, which is considerably less than the hardtopÂ’s max of 145 miles. Here in the U.S., the Mini SE is only rated for 114 miles on the EPA testing cycle. If Mini ever brought it here, weÂ’d expect the Convertible to suffer a similarly proportioned range penalty. Mini applies a number of unique exterior appointments to the SE Convertible. For starters, itÂ’s only going to be available in either Enigmatic Black or White Silver. The door handles, side scuttles and light/grille surrounds are then finished in bronze. All of the logos and model lettering gets painted in a glossy black. Plus, the “E” logo is displayed across the front grille with a bronze finish. YouÂ’ll notice “1 of 999” lettering on the side scuttles, and if you open the door to look at the sills, the same “1 of 999” emblem is present again. The steering wheel gets an “E” badge, and the interior is only available in a single spec. Black leather and heated seats come standard, and the glossy black trim does, too. Yellow accents, the same as you get in the Hardtop, all emphasize the electric nature of the car. Production will take place in the Netherlands, and cars will begin shipping in April this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI Electric Pacesetter inside and out

Mini goes all Occulus Rift with Augmented Vision glasses [w/video]

If April Fools' Day hadn't already passed, this might have come off as a joke. For the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show, Mini has a prototype for an augmented reality system, and the tech looks absolutely bizarre. Developed in conjunction with Qualcomm, driver's don goggles that look like a cross between Google Glass and something a World War I aviator might wear, and being behind the wheel suddenly becomes almost like a video game. Called Augmented Vision, some of its features are similar to contemporary HUD systems, with displays of vehicle speed and navigation data, but this literally puts the info right in front of the driver's eye. There're sci-fi features too, like displaying floating arrows on the road to indicate where to turn to reach a destination, and perhaps coolest of all, the X-ray view lets you look through the car's doors and pillars to see outside. As a prototype, we wonder how much of this is nearly possible today and what's pure fantasy. See Mini's idea for the future of motoring for yourself in the clip below. Hopefully, we don't all have to wear such goofy looking glasses foe future tech, though. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI AUGMENTED VISION: A REVOLUTIONARY DISPLAY CONCEPT OFFERING ENHANCED COMFORT AND SAFETY. Exclusive prototype of augmented reality eyewear underlines the innovative flair and creativity of the MINI brand. Munich, Germany, April 9, 2015. MINI is revealing the shape of things to come at the Auto Shanghai show with a pioneering innovation. "MINI Augmented Vision gives an insight into how intelligent connectivity between a MINI car and eyewear into which relevant content is projected might work in the future," explains Dr. Jorg Preissinger, project-manager MINI Augmented Vision, BMW Group research and technology. "Working with several Qualcomm companies, we have created an interlinked system and augmented reality eyewear with a characteristic MINI design that revolutionise the experience both in and outside the vehicle. This prototype with its customised, interactive functions succeeds in fusing augmented reality with the brand's trademark sense of lifestyle." Using see-through technology, the AR eyewear shows relevant information in the driver's direct field of vision but without concealing other road users, thereby serving to increase safety and comfort while driving.