John Cooper Works Jcw, Leather, H/k Audio, 6-speed, Turbo, 208hp, Black Wheels on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini hops on the rooftop tent craze

Among the many changes ushered in by the pandemic year, has been an explosion in the popularity of camping. But even more so than camping trailers and RVs, rooftop automobile tents seem to be having their moment. Everyone, it seems, suddenly wants to sleep on the roof of their car. Most often, we see these tents perched atop some tricked-out overlanding rig or at the very least, a factory offroader like the Land Rover Defender or Ford Bronco. But how about a more earth-friendly option? Like, say, getting back to nature in a battery-powered Mini? Both the battery-powered Mini Cooper SE and the plug-in hybrid Mini Countryman SE offer roof rails, a key foundation for a rooftop tent. Taking advantage of that feature, Mini offers two different rooftop tents as factory accessories, as seen here. Unfortunately, as of now, they're only available in Europe. The intrepid nature-lovers better not go too far from civilization in the Cooper SE, since it has just 110 miles of range (according to the EPA) — although Mini optimistically suggests that many campgrounds now have EV charging points, so you can power up while winding down. For its part, the plug-in hybrid Countryman SE claims 17 miles of EV range before the gasoline engine fires up. Should the rooftop tent craze continue even after people once again feel safe checking into a Ritz-Carlton, it would be great to see more offerings that are designed for smaller host vehicles. After all, eco-friendly cars would seem to be thematically aligned with the nature appreciation that's inherently a part of camping. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

These are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond

While we get new and updated car models every year, its inevitable that we'll need to say goodbye to some nameplates as well. This time around, it feels like we have confirmation or reports of an unusually large number of vehicles being discontinued in 2024 and the coming years.  We shouldn't be surprised. A large number of automakers are approaching their various target dates for electrification of their fleets. As such, some beloved internal combustion cars are going away, sometimes with appropriate fanfare like special editions. Others are slinking away quietly, killed by slowing sales and changing consumer trends. Of course, the end of production doesn't necessarily mean permanent death. Some of these models could be resurrected in later years ... and probably as an EV. With that in mind, here are the vehicles that are being discontinued in 2024 and beyond.   Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Alfa Romeo ended the production of its combustion-only Quadrifoglio models in April 2024 as the Italian automaker moves toward an electrified future. This isn't the end of the Quadrifoglio entirely, though, with Larry Dominique, Alfa Romeo senior vice president and head of North America, writing, "I look forward to presenting the next chapter in the four-leaf clover’s journey."   Chevrolet Camaro GM is ending production of the Chevy Camaro after 2024, but is sending it off in style with a CollectorÂ’s Edition. WouldnÂ’t it be cool, though, if Chevy brought it back as an EV?   Chevrolet Malibu Rumors of its demise have been around for a while, but now itÂ’s official. GM will end production of the Chevy Malibu in November of 2024. The assembly line in Kansas will be retooled to build the replacement for the Chevy Bolt.   Dodge Durango The three-row Durango is slated to be replaced by the Stealth nameplate after 2024. The Durango name could make a comeback later, according to rumors, on a body-on frame SUV based on the Jeep WagoneerÂ’s platform.   Ford Edge This is the last year for the Edge in the U.S., with the final unit rolling off the assembly line in April. On sale since 2007, the Edge topped 100,000 sales in all but three full years of production.   Ford Escape Newly refreshed for the 2023 model year, FordÂ’s popular Escape compact SUV is reportedly taking its leave in 2025 in order to usher in — you guessed it — an EV in its place.

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