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Mini might build a sedan because it's running out of shapes

Rumors suggest we could soon see a Mini with a trunk to haul your junk. Autocar cites unnamed insiders who claim the sedan is part of the brand's plan for upmarket growth. There's even a possibility the new model could use the Riley moniker in reference to the Elf (pictured above) from the 1960s, which was a Mini with a tiny trunk. The Mini sedan would use BMW's front-wheel-drive platform that underpins the X1 and Clubman and might share the wheelbase and frontend styling with the Clubman as well, according to Autocar. Mini's execs think the four-door would perform especially well in North America and China, where there's less demand for hatchbacks. Ralph Mahler, vice president of Mini's product management, hinted at the possibility of the four-door to Autocar. "For example, in Asia and the US, the sedan segment is very big. This is very interesting to us, of course," he said. Mahler admits that many people don't know about the Mini-based vehicles with trunks from the '60s, like the Riley Elf, so it would be hard to market the new model on that heritage. This could be the perfect time to add a Mini sedan to the lineup, and it might not be a completely new idea for the brand under its BMW stewardship; a rumor from 2012 shows that Mini's bosses considered a four-door at least once before. The company launched new versions of its Hardtop, Convertible, and Clubman, and even added four-door and all-wheel-drive versions of the Hardtop to further blur the lines between that car, the Clubman, and the Countryman. The next-generation Countryman crossover should debut later this year, and the brand reportedly cancelled the Superleggera Vision roadster and Rocketman compact, as Mini has chosen to go big with its new models and its lineup breadth. There are only so many versions of a hatchback a company can make, and the short-lived Mini Coupe wasn't exactly a huge success. If Mini is going to try a new body style, a sedan actually makes some sense, even if we'll probably prefer the look and practicality of the hatches. Related Video:

BMW celebrates its awesome '80s M535i

BMW recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the M5 with a very limited, special edition of the super sedan. And even before the original version was transporting German executives at ludicrous speeds down the Autobahn, the folks in the M department tried their hand at improving the 5 Series with the M535i. Only offered in 1980 and 1981, the company made just 1,650 of these top-spec models, but they sowed the seeds for the future. In this video looking back at the M535i, you really see the automaker from a completely different era. As an outgrowth of the company's touring car racing efforts, the special model packs a 3.5-liter inline-six rated at 218 horsepower, a powertrain capable of accelerating the M535i to 62 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds via a dogleg five-speed gearbox. This take on the 5 Series is also a visual treat because it mixes the standard version's skinny A-pillar and thick C-pillar styling with some era-specific upgrades. The corduroy-covered Recaro seats and groovy multicolor stripes down the side, on the air dam and at the rear are especially fun touches. While the video's announcer is a bit dull, there's nothing boring about this rare, vintage BMW. Take a trip back in time with this clip, it's a nice bookend to the Petrolicious E28 5 Series family video we showed you yesterday. News Source: BMW via YouTube BMW Automotive History Performance Classics Videos Sedan

Excavator in China bashes BMW and Jeep out of the way

This Chinese construction site apparently has a zero tolerance policy towards obstacles getting in the way of work. When blocked by a Jeep and a BMW, the operator of this excavator pushes the two vehicles out of the way like they're toys. The Bimmer gets the brunt of the abuse, with the sedan getting lodged up against a fence. The exact context of this clip isn't entirely known, but The Mirror in Britain speculates the vehicles are illegally parked. But that doesn't explain why the excavator crashes through a gate later in the video. Also, this doesn't appear to be the case of a rogue operator taking out some frustrations, because a man with a walkie-talkie is leading the way and seemingly directing the destruction. Nonetheless, getting permission to knock these cars around was probably the highlight of this driver's day. News Source: The Mirror, AOL On BMW Jeep Crossover Videos Sedan