2009 Mini Cooper S Hatchback 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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The 2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 is a hot crossover

With the introduction of the 2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4, Mini has both rounded out its JCW line-up, and created one of the fastest little crossovers out there. The model follows the recently released JCW Clubman, and like that car, the JCW Countryman has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That puts it solidly ahead of the next sportiest crossover, the 215-horsepower Juke Nismo RS, though it falls short of the monstrous Mercedes-AMG GLA45's 375 horsepower. The JCW Countryman's power is sent to all four wheels through either a standard 6-speed manual or optional 8-speed automatic transmission. Although the automatic has launch control, Mini claims both the manual and automatic JCW Countrymans will reach 60 mph in 6.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 145 mph. Comparing acceleration times, the Countryman comes up a tenth behind the JCW Cooper, and two tenths behind the JCW Clubman. On top of the extra power, the JCW Countryman gets improvements in the steering and stopping departments. We don't have much detail about the suspension at this point, but it says it has been changed for better handling. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo units, with the front calipers featuring four pistons. You'll be able to spot a JCW Countryman thanks to a few exterior and interior tweaks, too. JCW badges adorn each side of the car, the front bumper eschews fog lights for larger air inlets, and the grille gets a red surround. Mini also offers its Rebel Green paint as well as a Chili Red roof and mirrors, both options that are only available on JCW vehicles. The interior receives JCW sport seats, steering wheel, and shifters, too. The high-performance Countryman will make its public debut at the Shanghai Motor Show and should reach US dealers this April. Mini has not revealed pricing yet, but will likely present it closer to the on-sale date. Related Video:

Paul McCartney's Aston sells for $1.8M; Ringo Starr's old Mini goes to a Spice Girl

The Bonhams Bond Street auction in London was the place to be for fans of both The Beatles and automobiles as two cars once owned by former members of the band were up for auction. The first was an Aston Martin DB5 owned by Paul McCartney, and the second was a Mini Cooper owned by Ringo Starr. Both went for substantial sums, and the Mini went to an interesting owner. The Aston brought the big bucks, or pounds, since it was a British auction. The final price with premium was barely over $1.8 million, which fell smack in the middle of Bonham's estimate. It's an impressive price on its own, but more so when compared with its sale back in 2012. Back then it was painted in the same blue it had originally, and it only sold for $495,000, making this new sale more than three times higher. View 22 Photos The Mini went for much less, at just under $137,000 with premium. But the car went to an interesting owner, Geri Horner, nee Hollowell, whom you may know better as Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls. The Mini itself is interesting, too. Each of The Beatles owned a classic Mini at some point, but Ringo Starr's was unique because the flip-down tailgate was converted to a modern-style lift-up hatch incorporating the rear window. Reportedly the reason was so Starr could easily fit his drum kit in the back. It also featured a custom grille, driving lights, hood vents, and soft sunroof among other things. It even appeared on " Top Gear" in 2001. And before we forget, McCartney's DB5 also has " Top Gear" history in that it was owned by former host, Chris Evans. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1964 Aston Martin DB5 owned by Paul McCartney View 13 Photos Image Credit: Bonhams Celebrities Aston Martin MINI Auctions Coupe Hatchback Classics aston martin db5 the beatles

The UK votes for Brexit and it will impact automakers

It's the first morning after the United Kingdom voted for what's become known as Brexit – that is, to leave the European Union and its tariff-free internal market. Now begins a two-year process in which the UK will have to negotiate with the rest of the EU trading bloc, which is its largest export market, about many things. One of them may be tariffs, and that could severely impact any automaker that builds cars in the UK. This doesn't just mean companies that you think of as British, like Mini and Jaguar. Both of those automakers are owned by foreign companies, incidentally. Mini and Rolls-Royce are owned by BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors of India, and Bentley by the VW Group. Many other automakers produce cars in the UK for sale within that country and also export to the EU. Tariffs could damage the profits of each of these companies, and perhaps cause them to shift manufacturing out of the UK, significantly damaging the country's resurgent manufacturing industry. Autonews Europe dug up some interesting numbers on that last point. Nissan, the country's second-largest auto producer, builds 475k or so cars in the UK but the vast majority are sent abroad. Toyota built 190k cars last year in Britain, of which 75 percent went to the EU and just 10 percent were sold in the country. Investors are skittish at the news. The value of the pound sterling has plummeted by 8 percent as of this writing, at one point yesterday reaching levels not seen since 1985. Shares at Tata Motors, which counts Jaguar and Land Rover as bright jewels in its portfolio, were off by nearly 12 percent according to Autonews Europe. So what happens next? No one's terribly sure, although the feeling seems to be that the jilted EU will impost tariffs of up to 10 percent on UK exports. It's likely that the UK will reciprocate, and thus it'll be more expensive to buy a European-made car in the UK. Both situations will likely negatively affect the country, as both production of new cars and sales to UK consumers will both fall. Evercore Automotive Research figures the combined damage will be roughly $9b in lost profits to automakers, and an as-of-yet unquantified impact on auto production jobs. Perhaps the EU's leaders in Brussels will be in a better mood in two years, and the process won't devolve into a trade war. In the immediate wake of the Brexit vote, though, the mood is grim, the EU leadership is angry, and investors are spooked.