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BMW i1 EV rumored, based on electric Mini

With just two BMW i cars currently available — and aging — we've been hankering to know what new EVs are coming down the pipeline for the Bavarian automaker. We've had news of the iNext and i4, caught wind of an iX3, and as BMW is in the early stages of a large electrification push, there has been a multitude of "i"-prefaced trademarks registered. The next we can expect, if the rumors from Spanish outlet Motor.es are to be believed, will be a diminutive i1 EV, based on the same platform as an upcoming electric Mini Cooper. As such, it would share the electric Mini's front-drive/front-motor configuration — previewed on the Mini Electric Concept, shown above, that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. It stands to reason that the i1 would be smaller than the high-roofed i3, possibly borrowing the five-door hatchback format from the 1 Series sold in Europe (which would be a long-awaited dream come true if it made its way to the United States). The electric car would be about a foot shorter than the 1 series, though, according to the report, at about 158 inches long. It would be built on an electric version of BMW modular UKL platform. Keep in mind, the BMW i1 is just a rumor at this point, with Motor.es keeping its sources unnamed. If true, though, it could replace the i3 in BMW's lineup five years from now, in 2023. Related Video: News Source: Motor.es via Motor1 Green Rumormill BMW MINI Hatchback Electric Future Vehicles bmw i mini ev mini cooper ev

Lots of Land Rovers, Jaguars and Minis actually survived that near-capsized ship

Despite a severe list to starboard, many of the 1,400 cars and SUVs aboard the 51,000-ton Hoegh Osaka are currently being recovered in salvageable condition, with video showing some of the vehicles from British brands Land Rover, Jaguar and Mini, being driven ashore under their own power. The car-carrying vessel developed a severe list on January 3 and was intentionally run aground on a sandbar between England and the Isle of Wight. It has since limped its way back to port in Southampton, where damage assessments are being conducted on both the ship and its $53-million in cargo. According to the company that owns the car carrier, the ship itself only suffered minor damage in the incident, while Car and Driver is reporting that many of the damaged vehicles will almost certainly be scrapped. Still, the fact that there are vehicles, some of which appear undamaged (look at that Defender at 0:50!), being removed from the Hoegh Osaka needs to count as a net win. News Source: Car and Driver, WonkaBar007 via YouTube Jaguar Land Rover MINI Coupe Crossover Hatchback Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Videos Sedan

Coming Mini Countryman JCW shows itself with new design and new logo

Mini clued us in that there'd be a John Cooper Works version of the all-new Countryman unveiled around the Munich Auto Show. We didn't get images of the go-faster Mini until now, Mini posting two exterior shots and two interior shots to its Instagram channel. As usual, Mini's made a number of subtle changes to the JCW that the average driver might not notice, but which brand fans and car spotters will quickly catch. The upper grille on the Countryman JCW is not only a different mesh pattern than the standard car, now done up like a checkered flag, it sits above a defined bumper structure bearing the same pattern graphic. The grille's set into a black surround, and above it, two faintly embossed channels lead to air outlets in front of the hood shutline. At the edges, breaks in the headlight DRLs turn them into a set of horizontal brackets. Further down, where the standard Countryman has small fog light recesses in the front fascia's corners, the Countryman JCW has a pair of tall intakes topped by the bumper and flanked by side curtains. Chili Red accents on the curtains match the same color on the mirror caps and roof. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The redrawn JCW logo appears on the plaque behind the B-pillar; Ford isn't the only one spiffing up its corporate identity. The previous logo spelled out the JCW name, with the "Works" bit set into a stretched, horizontal oval pendant. The updated logo sheds the pendant, placing the wordmark next to a checkered flag motif. Among the Instagram images, checkered flags appear again in the rear seatbacks and we have a feeling there are a few more around the cabin. Back outside, the Countryman JCW's taillights sport a stylized version of the Union Jack motif on the standard car above quad pipes poking through the rear bumper. This gas-powered Countryman JCW is anticipated to use the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the current car but with more output than the present 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. It's due sometime next year in all-wheel-drive form along with a gas-powered Mini Cooper JCW hatch. Mini product line chief Stefan Floeck told Autocar that come 2025, both the Cooper JCW and Countryman JCW will offer battery-electric versions.  Now that Mini has opened its BEV account, and by 2030 the automaker plans to go BEV-only, there might be a John Cooper Works GP sendoff at some point.