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David Brown's newest Mini Remastered is a tribute to James Bond's Lotus Esprit

England-based David Brown Automotive introduced a one-off version of its restomodded Mini Remastered built as a tribute to the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by James Bond. It's a unique, unabashedly British creation that shares very few parts with the city car it started life as, and nothing but looks with the sports car that inspired it. Think of David Brown Automotive as the Singer of the classic Mini world. Its cars aren't cheap, especially when customers commission a one-of-a-kind build, but collectors get what they pay for. Its latest project resembles the Esprit Turbo that starred in the 1981 movie For Your Eyes Only thanks to a orange paint job with copper stripes above the rocker panels and gold-painted 13-inch alloy wheels shaped like the BBS units worn by the Lotus. The front end receives Cibie driving lights, while black paint on the wheel arches and the roof completes the look. The retro-flavored Hollywood inspiration is only skin-deep. Inside, the Mini gained white leather upholstery, walnut inserts on the dashboard, plus a 7.0-inch touchscreen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Thicker carpet, more sound-proofing material and a push-button ignition integrated into a redesigned center console also appear on the build sheet. The extra equipment inevitably adds a little bit of weight. The average Mini Remastered tips the scale at approximately 1,630 pounds, which represents a 200-pound increase over a stock 1275 GT model, but it's nonetheless about 700 pounds lighter than a fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. Don't pay much attention to the turbo stickers on both sides; they were added to create an additional visual link between the Mini and the Esprit that inspired it. Lifting the tiny hood reveals a 1,330cc evolution of the Mini's naturally-aspirated four-cylinder tuned to 83 horsepower. It spins the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. It's bigger than the engine that powered the standard Mini, whose displacement never exceeded 1,275cc, and it receives a generous 20-horsepower bump that accentuates the go kart-like feeling. David Brown Automotive published a photo of television personality Simon Cowell behind the wheel of the Lotus-inspired Mini, which seemingly confirms he's the lucky enthusiast who commissioned it.

Junkyard Gem: 2011 MINI Cooper Clubman

The original BMC Mini changed the automotive world forever in 1959, staying in production in essentially the same form all the way through 2000. Its innovative transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel-drive transaxle became the layout for most cars built in the world today, and its cheap price tag put millions of new drivers on wheels for the first time. Like the Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500, it was inevitable that the shape of such an iconic machine would be applied to a modern platform for the retro-ization craze of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and that's just what happened when BMW ended up owning the Rover Group. The BMW-built MINI Hardtop first appeared on our shores for the 2002 model year, and used-up examples of these cars are now extremely plentiful in self-service wrecking yards across the continent. The Cooper Clubman, which debuted here for the 2008 model year, has been a rare sight during my junkyard travels, and so I documented this one in Denver a few weeks ago. The Clubman wasn't quite as nimble and easy to park as the regular Cooper, but its increased cargo capacity and split rear doors made it a lot more useful for trips to the big-box store. It also offered more space for rear-seat passengers, and the right-side suicide rear door made it much easier to get into the back seat (on that side). The new MINI started out much larger than the clown-car-tiny old Mini, anyway. The added usefulness and more recent release of the Clubman have made it an uncommon sight in American car graveyards. This one was uncrashed and still had the original manuals inside, which suggests that some owners of first-generation (2008-2014) Clubmen are no longer willing to pay for major mechanical repairs when needed. We'll see how this sorts out during the next few years. As the owner of a 2000s wagon with a manual transmission, I applaud the original purchaser of this wagon for the choice of three-pedal setup. The interior looks to have been fairly tidy before junkyard shoppers tore it apart. The Colorado toll-road transponder suggests that this machine was a well-cared-for commuter for its decade on the road, but proved to be not worth repairing when some major component failed. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The future will look exactly like the MINI CLUBMANIA human-scale pinball machine. This content is hosted by a third party.

Mini celebrates 20 years in the U.S. with a special edition

Mini has been around for several decades, but its return to the U.S. was much more recent. The automaker is celebrating its 20th anniversary here, and to commemorate the occasion, it’s releasing the Mini 20 Years Edition based on the four-door 2023 Mini Cooper S Hardtop. Mini will offer the car in Chili Red, Pepper White, and Island Blue as a nod to both AmericaÂ’s and BritainÂ’s patriotic colors. Other exclusive accents include a silver roof, a red-white-and-blue hood and door stripes and unique 17-inch wheels. The MiniÂ’s cabin comes wrapped in black synthetic leather and features 20 Years badges throughout. A Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated seats and dual-zone climate controls are also standard. All 20 Years models get navigation with real-time traffic info, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and a digital gauge cluster. The Cooper SÂ’ powertrain remains in place, which includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. ItÂ’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Mini offers upgraded suspension for $500. If youÂ’re interested in a piece of MiniÂ’s U.S. history, the cars entered production in July and are due on dealersÂ’ lots this month. Pricing starts at $37,165. Related Video:   This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.