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Evo's Mini-focused tribute to Best Motoring is the best thing you'll see all day

Our friends at Jalopnik are absolutely spot on with their argument that "your life is shit" if you've never experienced Japan's outstanding Best Motoring. The show is easily one of the best car-related things on the Internet, taking the creme de la creme from what is now known as the Super GT series, as well as D1 drift and other disciplines, and plopping them in some of the finest cars of the 1990s and 2000s. Seriously, go and check it out. Back? Good. In honor of Best Motoring, Evo has put together its own tribute (some might call it a cover version) of the video series, assembling four drivers and four cars for an all-out track battle. The vehicles in question all sport the Mini badge, and they run the gamut from hot road cars to one-make racers. First, we have Andy Wallace and the best car of the bunch, a 2006 John Cooper Works GP (full disclosure: your author owns an R53 and will never be convinced that it isn't the finest example of the revived Mini, because supercharger). He'll be followed by Marino Franchitti in R56-based, 2013 John Cooper Works GP, while Dickie Meaden and Jethro Bovingdon are in the race-prepared, second-generation Mini Challenge JCW and third-generation Mini Challenge S275, respectively. Everything from the track action (which we won't spoil for you), to the camera work to the pre-race introductions is spot on, just like we'd expect from Best Motoring. It's outstanding, and you should be sure to take a look at it straight away.

Mini John Cooper Works GP coming in 2020, special editions in the meantime

Every once in a while, Mini releases a monster of a Cooper with the designation of GP. It created one in 2006, and another in 2013, and they both featured less weight, more power, a big rear wing and no rear seat. They were the hardest-core of hardcore Minis. And now a third GP is coming in 2020. The big little car brand announced the GP will return, but not much else. The only other detail shared was that it will have styling inspired by the Mini John Cooper Works GP concept shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. As seen above, it was a thoroughly over-the-top interpretation of the GP with huge fender flares featuring big trailing fins. The rear wing was also enlarged to near comic proportions. We'll see if Mini commits to the gonzo styling, or if it dials things way back. 2019 Mini John Cooper Works Knights Edition View 18 Photos To supplement the announcement of this new Mini, the company also announced a few special-edition Mini models on sale now or very soon. The most interesting of the three newly announced Minis is the Mini John Cooper Works Knights Edition. It's a Mini JCW Hardtop in black with a silver roof, mirrors and hood stripes. On the sides are silver and red stripes, and all around the car is black trim. The door handles, badging and grille surround are all painted black. It's a menacing-looking car, or at least as menacing as a Mini can look. It also gets the remote-controlled exhaust flap to go from mild to wild exhaust note at a push of the button. This model goes on sale in the first quarter of 2019. Next month, you'll be able to get your hands on the Mini Countryman Yin Yang Edition. This is a basic Mini Cooper S Countryman in either black or white, with the other color for the roof and hood stripes. It also gets a black grille and black light trim. Then there's the Mini Clubman Starlight Edition. This is a Cooper S Clubman in dark blue with a silver roof, mirrors and hood stripes. It's on sale now. Both special editions also throw in some luggage accessories as standard equipment. Related Video:

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.