Mini Cooper Convertible Xenon Headlamps Cd Power Soft Top Low Miles! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2025 Mini Cooper and Cooper S hit the gas, raise the price

Mini's "Power of Choice" smorgasbord — its mix of gas, diesel, PHEV, and battery-electric powertrains — grows with these, the gas-powered 2025 Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. For the U.S. market S trim, we'll get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, able to get the hotter hatch from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.3 seconds. These numbers represent improvements of 21 hp and 15 lb-ft over today's Cooper S, and a 60-mph sprint that's 0.1 second faster. Mini's refusing to share output figures for the standard Cooper that will use the same engine with lower gumption, preferring to wait until closer to launch. Other markets will slot a base turbocharged three-cylinder engine into the lineup, that mill making 154 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The current turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder in the base U.S.-market Mini makes 134 hp and 162 lb-ft, so buyers are in for improvements no matter what market they're in and which engines they get. Outside of powertrain, the primary points line up with what we saw on the 2025 Mini Cooper E and SE, albeit with a touch more ornamentation because this hatch doesn't pray to the god of ultimate aero. That's how you get tweaks like curved door handles, a hem of black cladding that trims the wheel arches, and more texture applied to the rear bumper insert. The LED headlights and LED matrix taillights feature three customizable signatures called Classic, Favoured, and JCW, so you can choose your own adventure for your carÂ’s outward appearance and welcome illumination. Those are the three theme names for configuration, too. There will be three available roof colors, the Favoured theme adding the option of a multi-hued roof with a three-color gradient. Down low, Mini plans to offer 17- and 18-inch aero wheels in the U.S. Our 16-inch wheels, like the three-cylinder, won't make it to the new model year, although other markets will get them. The cabin in the photo car possesses a little less razzle dazzle than the bright or patterned multi-tone textures seen in other reveal models. That can be addressed in the configurator with colors or with the optional Mini Experience Modes. The Modes use two projector units in the cabin ceiling to flash designs onto the instrument panel, as seen here. Relocating the gear selector to a steering column stalk has opened up space for the Wireless Charging Shelf 2.0 for smartphone charging.

Mini celebrates 20 years in the U.S. with a special edition

Mini has been around for several decades, but its return to the U.S. was much more recent. The automaker is celebrating its 20th anniversary here, and to commemorate the occasion, it’s releasing the Mini 20 Years Edition based on the four-door 2023 Mini Cooper S Hardtop. Mini will offer the car in Chili Red, Pepper White, and Island Blue as a nod to both AmericaÂ’s and BritainÂ’s patriotic colors. Other exclusive accents include a silver roof, a red-white-and-blue hood and door stripes and unique 17-inch wheels. The MiniÂ’s cabin comes wrapped in black synthetic leather and features 20 Years badges throughout. A Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated seats and dual-zone climate controls are also standard. All 20 Years models get navigation with real-time traffic info, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and a digital gauge cluster. The Cooper SÂ’ powertrain remains in place, which includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. ItÂ’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Mini offers upgraded suspension for $500. If youÂ’re interested in a piece of MiniÂ’s U.S. history, the cars entered production in July and are due on dealersÂ’ lots this month. Pricing starts at $37,165. Related Video:   This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Meet Vini, the V8-powered second-generation Mini Hardtop

There are several ways to extract horsepower from a Mini Hardtop, and most are far more straight-forward than squeezing a V8 engine under the clamshell hood. And yet, at the request of a client, England-based EDM Racing is well into the process of doubling the retro-styled hatchback's cylinder count while making it rear-wheel drive. Amusingly called Vini, the V8-powered Mini started life as a 2007 Cooper S. It had a little over 100,000 miles on its odometer when David Power, the managing director of suspension bushing expert Powerflex, instructed EDM Racing to prepare it for an improbable engine swap. As mechanics stripped it to the bare metal, Power sourced a 4.0-liter, 415-horsepower V8 and a matching seven-speed automatic transmission from an E92-generation BMW M3 and began figuring out how to make it fit into a city-friendly hatchback delivered new with a 172-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Installing the new drivetrain directly behind the front seats would have likely been the easiest solution from a packaging standpoint, but the team decided to keep the front-engined layout. The conversion consequently required chopping out significant chunks of the Hardtop's firewall and floor, so EDM Racing started by designing and welding in a roll cage to maintain the car's structural integrity. The firm then installed modified front and rear subframes from a Subaru Impreza to keep the four wheels in their original position, or as close to it as possible. Power stressed he wants Vini to look nearly stock, especially when it comes to its track width, meaning punching out the wheel arches Renault 5 Turbo-style was out of the question.  The V8 fits surprisingly well in the Mini's engine bay, and it keeps the car's weight distribution in check. Power originally considered using a Subaru-built flat-four or a straight-six from an earlier M3, but both would have put too much weight ahead of the front wheels. Installing the automatic transmission was more difficult, however. "Making it all work in an OEM fashion will be a challenge for sure, but no more so than the most galling part of the project so far: Chopping out a transmission tunnel wide enough to accept the Getrag. I was aware of the dangers associated with cutting too much away and removing integral strength from the shell in the process, hence why we tackled the job in set stages and with the cage [installed]," EDM Racing's Elliott Dunmore explained.