2017 Mini Cooper Countryman Automatic Sunroof on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Mini Superleggera decision delayed, Denza begins production

A decision on whether or not to build the Mini Superleggera has been pushed back. Earlier this year, Mini's Peter Schwarzenbauer hinted that the electric roadster concept could eventually make its way to production. Now, Schwarzenbauer is saying that a possible call is still at least six months away. "To really investigate seriously," Schwarzenbauer says, "you look into several different options, you come to the question: do we produce it ourselves, do we give it to somebody else?" Mini is considering whether or not to expand its seven-car lineup to 10 models, or scale it back to five "superheroes," which still wouldn't rule out more models. Read more at Reuters. The first EV from Daimler and BYD's joint venture, Denza, is set to go on sale this month, with production already starting. The 50/50 partnership said earlier that it was "well on track" to begin sales in September 2014. Now, Daimler has announced that the first Denza has rolled off the production line. According to Daimler, the cars will be sold through an independent dealer network. The Denza, which has a range of about 186 miles, will start at about $60,000. China's generous subsidies could help bring that cost down quite a bit (by nearly $20,000) for customers. Read more at Want China Times, or in the press release from Daimler, below. Local Motion wants to help organizations pool their transportation resources through fleet-sharing, with a focus on EVs. The company uses software to manage and track vehicle use, diagnostics, energy consumption, vehicle reservations and the like. The keyless technology allows employees to reserve and use the right vehicle for the job, and allows companies to save on vehicle ownership and maintenance. Local Motion is working with companies like Nissan to encourage the adoption of emissions-free driving, as well. Read more in the press release below, or at the Local Motion's website. DENZA rolls off production lines in China marking another key milestone for Daimler - Daimler's joint venture with Chinese partner BYD is the first Sino-German joint venture dedicated to electric vehicles in China. - Hubertus Troska: "DENZA is by far the most serious local electric vehicle effort in China, and a key pillar of our electric vehicle strategy in the country." - DENZA is manufactured at a modern production line that follows Daimler's proven production management system.

Mini is sending some buyers a car-sized puzzle to apologize for delivery delays

The ongoing chip shortage has wreaked havoc on automotive supply chains around the world, causing a diverse selection of side effects including long delivery delays. Mini has found a clever way for some of its customers to pass the time: It's sending them a giant Mini puzzle. Created by advertising agency Pereira O'Dell, the puzzle's full name is the "we're-working-hard-to-get-you-your-car, waiting-is-the-worst, in-the-meantime-happy-puzzling Mini puzzle." It sounds like the company has created several designs, though the only image it published shows a red hatchback with white stripes on a red background. It's huge; the dimensions weren't published, but it looks like it takes up a car-sized spot in a garage. The pieces look relatively big, but completing the puzzle will likely require several days of trial and error. Mini notes that not every buyer who is waiting to take delivery of one of its cars will receive a life-sized puzzle; only "select new customers" will get one. It's sending normal-sized puzzles to some of its other customers, however. There's no word on how recipients are selected. Delays have plagued nearly every carmaker in the past few months, so Mini isn't alone. The company has temporarily stopped building cars equipped with a manual transmission to simplify its range. While it hasn't revealed precisely how long customers need to wait before taking delivery, its consumer website warns that "due to increased customer demand, production availability of model year 2023 Mini models is limited." It adds that the estimated delivery time for custom-built orders varies "depending on trims, packages, options, and location." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Supply chain issues force stick-shift out of Mini lineup

Mini has temporarily stopped building cars equipped with a manual transmission due to supply chain-related issues. The company decided to prioritize production of automatic vehicles, which outsell stick-shifted models by a wide margin, and the move might be permanent. "Current circumstances, including the war in Ukraine and semiconductor shortages, are causing supply chain restrictions across the global automotive industry. In order to secure maximum production output to meet increasing customer demand, our product offer needs to be simplified," a representative for the BMW-owned firm told British magazine Autocar. Mini added this is the best way to avoid delivery delays. Affected models include the two- and four-door variants of the Hardtop, the Convertible and the front-wheel-drive Cooper S Clubman. This isn't the first time that Mini goes automatic-only; it temporarily stopped importing stick-shifted cars in early 2019 due to calibration-related issues. While the manual quickly made a comeback, whether Mini will resume building cars with three pedals this time around is unclear. Similarly, what effects this decision will have on the American market (beyond the obvious lack of a manual transmission option) remains up in the air. There may be pricing implications. Adding a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to the 2022 Hardtop Cooper two-door cost $1,500, while the Cooper S model's automatic was priced at $1,750, so it's not unreasonable to assume that pricing will go up. Autoblog has contacted Mini to learn more about this decision, and we'll update this story if we hear back. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.