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Mini unveils new, stripped down logo

Quirky British marque Mini is going with a ... less-than-quirky logo redesign, unveiling a "flat design" that it says is intended to focus on the essentials. It replaces the three-dimensional white-on-black logo that first appeared in 2000. Gone are the three-dimensional style, shading, gray tones and gray-on-black name of the previous version in favor of a stark contrast of black lines and the all-caps Mini name against a white background. It keeps the wings, which first featured on the iconic cars in the early 1960s, according to the Logos History blog, which has a comprehensive collection of logos stretching back to the brand's origins in 1959 under the British Motor Corp. and the Austin and Morris brand names. It also bears a visual similarity to the logo introduced during the mid-'90s. We're not saying the new logo was designed on an old PC using MS Paint, but it looks like it could've been. Parent BMW Group says the new logo combines stylistic elements from the early phases of the classic Mini "with a future-oriented appearance that focuses on the essentials" and a two-dimensional look "allowing universal application." (Meaning, cheaper to produce?) It'll appear on all new Mini models starting in March on the bonnet, the rear, at the center of the steering wheel and on the remote control.Related Video: Image Credit: BMW Group Design/Style MINI Coupe Sedan branding logo bmw group

Mini forgets to bring car to LA, shows Citysurfer concept scooter

See that red thing? It's the Mini Citysurfer Concept. It is not, in case you were wondering, an automobile. Yet despite this apparent shortcoming, Mini has placed it on a plinth at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The electric scooter weighs in at 40 pounds, can hit 15 miles per hour, cover 10 to 15 miles and can be folded up and charged in the trunk of a Mini Cooper (or any other vehicle with a 12-volt outlet and a roomy enough cargo area). According to the British marque, these qualities will give the scooter's owner the "spontaneous and convenient mobility even in those sections of an urban area not accessible to motorized vehicles."
It's not terribly difficult to see the appeal, as Mini explains it. With urban congestion becoming an increasingly serious problem - and some cities beginning to ban cars outright - the idea of an easy to charge and easy to stow runabout is extremely attractive. That's doubly true in the case of the Citysurfer, which is rather well equipped, as far as scooters go.

Mini Clubman Bond Street inspired by London shopping

Mini again plucks a London landmark as the appellation for a special edition, the Mini Clubman Bond Street joining the Mayfair and Camden, and Bayswater and Baker Street editions of the recent past. You'll recognize the formula of primary color and polished contrasting color, in this case its Midnight Black Metallic for the main event and Cool Champagne for the highlights like the roof, mirror caps and trim rings on the 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside it's Carbon Black leather set off by surfaces in Deep Champagne and the Chrome Line package.
It will premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March before going into production for a limited run that same month. Four engines will be offered, with on-the-road prices ranging from 20,275 pounds ($31,961 US) in the UK for the 122-horsepower gas engine to 24,045 pounds ($37,918 US) for the 143-horsepower SD diesel version. A press release below will tell you all you wish to know.