2019 Mini Countryman Countryman All4 on 2040-cars

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500-hp Acura V6 turns this classic 1974 Mini into a mid-engined sleeper

Originally designed on a napkin, the world-famous Mini launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959 was envisioned as a cheap, practical city car for families on a budget. Now, 61 years later, it's a sought-after classic that many aftermarket companies hail as the ideal foundation on which to build their wildest dreams. Gildred Racing thought further out of the box than most by turning a Mini into a mid-engined, 500-horsepower sleeper. Starting with a 1974 model, the California-based firm removed the original four-cylinder engine (and the four-speed manual transmission bolted right under it, where you'd normally expect to find the oil sump) and completely stripped the interior. Only the front seats ended up going back in; the space occupied by the tiny rear bench is now home to a 3.2-liter V6 that started life under the hood of an Acura CL Type S from the early 2000s. It's mounted transversely, and it spins the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Acura quoted the six's output at 260 horsepower, which would be a healthy upgrade for the little Brit, but Gildred tuned it to 500 horses and 383 pound-feet of torque by making a long list of modifications (including, significantly, adding a supercharger). That's a 466-horse increase compared to a stock 1974 Mini 850, so the scope of chassis upgrades is long. It includes bigger brakes made by Wilwood, and a fully redesigned suspension. And, although packaging a V6 in a small, front-wheel drive car like the Mini was as challenging as it sounds, Gildred pulled it off admirably. The engine bay is now home to the fuel tank and the radiator, while opening the trunk reveals a huge exhaust. The trade-off, of course, is that there's no longer a trunk, but it's a sacrifice we'd happily make. Performance specifications haven't been released yet. Gildred simply said its 1,400-pound Super Cooper is "quite impressive," which we believe. The original wasn't; it took 34 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop. Gildred also made several changes in the name of modernity. It added a 9.7-inch iPad where you'd expect to find a touchscreen for the infotainment system in a modern car, an Alpine sound system, a push-button ignition, power locks and windows, LED headlights, plus automatic A/C. We imagine the whole cabin gets hot when the V6 works up a sweat. The passengers sit on leather- and suede-upholstered Recaro bucket seats that are heated and cooled.

2025 Mini Countryman S All4 will start at $39,895

Mini uploaded a bit more information on the 2025 Countryman S All4 to its retail web site, including output figures and price. For now, this is the least pricey trim in the new Countryman lineup, powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder used in its sibling, the BMW X1 xDrive28i. It’s making the same 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, too, which Mini says this is enough to get the all-wheel-drive SUV from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds, 0.3 second behind the time BMW claims for the X1.  The automaker calls this "a super-sized sequel to our original Countryman." It will come with a substantial price increase that one might also call super-sized, although it's difficult to line up this variant of the new Countryman with the current range. The 2025 model is going to cost $38,900 before a $995 destination fee, totaling $39,895 not counting options and the rest. ThatÂ’s about $6,000 more than the starting point of todayÂ’s three-strong range, the $33,645 134-hp non-S Countryman. The 2024 Countryman S makes 189 hp and 207 pound-feet of torque and starts at $33,895. For comparison, the price difference between the 2024 Countryman JCW and the 2025 version is $4,095. The additional cost of the new model will buy a larger car with 20% more cargo space, almost 30% more power and more than 40% more torque, the latest tech, and some snazzy two-tone, 19-inch wheels.  We've got a price on the battery-electric 2025 Countryman SE ALL4 as well: $46,195, according to the web site. This represents the upper trim with 313 hp and 363 lb-ft when using the boost function, able to hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and go an estimated 245 miles on a charge. Along with the other variants mentioned above, it can be reserved now. The Countryman S All4 and JCW are expected to begin reaching dealers in the spring with the electric versions coming a few months later. We're still waiting for price, powertrain, and range details for the entry-level battery-electric 2025 Countryman E coming next fall. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Automotive April Fools' joke roundup [w/videos]

Happy April, everyone. And we all know what this first day of the month means: April Fools' Day. Today is a national holiday for pranksters with the Internet acting as a serious enabler, and it's always fun to see what kind of vivid imaginations exist out there in the automotive world. The abundance of fake news gets a little old as the day rolls on, but we did manage to get in a few chuckles thanks to a handful of major automakers and automotive news outlets that got into the pranking spirit this year
Some of our favorites this year includes Subaru showing what happens when you combine a bunch of rumors, a Corvette some may have already thought was a joke or Honda providing some in-car innovation circa the late 1980s. Honestly, we're still waiting for official confirmation from Mitsubishi that the recently introduced 2014 Mirage is an elaborate April Fools' joke using a failed design intended for the 1995 Geo Metro. We dug up as much "official" OEM foolishness we could find, as well as some of our other favorites, and posted them all below.