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Despite Mini's woes, Clubman sales surging

The Mini Clubman has a polarizing design, but those who like it are snapping it up. According to Automotive News, the Clubman is on pace to become Mini USA's best selling model. Almost 1,700 vehicles were sold during the first quarter of 2016, and the vast majority – 1,037 units – were sold last month alone. These facts are made all the more noteworthy because Mini's sales fell 15 percent during the first quarter. The surging sales of Mini's newest model are especially good news for the brand's coffers. The Clubman is the most expensive non- John Cooper Works model you can get, aside from the upcoming Convertible. It doesn't sound like there are too many Clubman models going for the $24,950 starting price, either. According to Mini Dealer Council Chairman Michael Vadasz, dealers are doing solid business on customized orders, which, he tells AN, "is what Mini is all about." About one in four Minis built today are custom orders submitted by consumers, who love taking advantage of the Porsche-like breadth of a la carte options, no matter what it does to the final price. The fact that Mini is seeing so many custom Clubmans, then, is a very good thing. As for why the Clubman is doing so well, Mini USA Vice President David Duncan says it's because the car just isn't so Mini, moving the brand beyond its traditional subcompact class to the compact segment, where it can challenge cars like the Audi A3. "We see that as a fast growing segment, so having an entry in there gives us that opportunity," Duncan told Automotive News. "And then when you look at the car itself, it's got a premiumness about it that really takes us to the next level and allows us to compete against brands that we weren't typically competing against." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2021 Mini Countryman shows off its fresh face

The 2021 Mini Countryman has been spied once again, and it has shed some of its camouflage. We get a really good look at what appears to be the base Countryman's new front and rear fascias, updated taillights and interior. Otherwise, the little crossover is mostly unchanged. Up front, the bumper changes from three large grille openings to one standard one, and it gets the same slats as the grille between the headlights. On either side are big, round fog lights, which are themselves flanked by openings that probably create wind curtains around the wheels. Looking at the headlights, they have new internals with more squared-off projector surrounds. We also get some good looks at the John Cooper Works model. The shots of it at the Nurburgring give us a good look at the front, which looks generally unchanged with the same front bumper as the current car, but possibly with a new grille and headlight design. At the back, the car reveals new Union Jack taillights similar to those introduced on the Mini Hardtop and Clubman. Another photo shows what seems to be a John Cooper Works Countryman with part of a cloth cover lifted. This shows the rear bumper is mostly the same, but it gets a new mesh grille pattern over the rear diffuser area. Finally, we get a look at the interior. Most of it is the same, but the instrument cluster loses the analog dial of the current model. In its place is the oval-shaped cluster from the Mini Cooper SE electric car, which likely combines analog dials on either side with a screen nestled between. These changes are all relatively minor, and seem to be production ready. As such, we would expect the changes to be introduced for the 2021 model year. The reveal could be later this year. Of course, it's also possible the changes could be pushed back in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Related Video:

Mini John Cooper Works gets ready to rumble

Mini gave us our first taste of its next-generation John Cooper Works Hardtop in concept form at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. And in fact, we already know that the production version will make its debut at the 2015 Detroit show in January. Fitting, then, that this most recent round of spy shots shows a JCW that's pretty much ready to roll - peel back that yellow swirly paper, and you've pretty much got the final deal.
It's easy to make out the final design for the revised front and rear fascias, and we can clearly see a more robust brake package nestled behind those alloy wheels. Speaking of, we must admit, the wheels here look rather pedestrian for a JCW model, but they could just be prototype rollers and not indicative of the final rolling stock. We expect the flashy red decals of the concept to be offered on the production model, as well, though they could be optional kit.
As reported earlier, power is expected to come from a 230-horsepower turbo-four - a modest increase over the 208 hp from the outgoing Mini JCW. Expect that to route through a six-speed manual transmission, sending turbocharged oomph to the front wheels.