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2023 Mini John Cooper Works 1 to 6 Edition priced at $46,295

In May, Mini showed the Mini John Cooper Works 1 to 6 Edition. It memorializes Mini racing and the "pure essence of motorsport" as a JCW with a six-speed manual transmission, hence the 1 to 6 name. Copying the formula for the Clubman Final Edition, the 1 to 6 is almost only special badges, colors and materials; there's little more to this than a retail Mini JCW with a stick shift and three more horsepower. For that, Mini has added a nominal premium of $2,500. However, product planners have made the John Cooper Works in Iconic trim the canvas for this art, so the base price starts at $43,795 before any additional treats. This brings the price before options to $46,295.  The good news after that is that there aren't many other options to add. The Iconic trim throws heaps of equipment at the car, the special edition layout locks in colors and fabrics. The hatchback comes in Midnight Black body paint ornamented with a black roof. Piano Black accents are found on the grille surround, side scuttles and waistline finisher. The 18-inch Circuit Spoke rims come in Jet Black. The gray bonnet stripe is composed of shift pattern line drawings, the same shift pattern showing up on the tailgate in black. Red, white and silver 1 to 6 badges appear on the side scuttles and C-pillars. The black and gray interior shows off an anthracite-colored headliner, illuminated red bezel for the instrument cluster, red ambient lighting, badged floor mats and, of course, the stick shift with special stitching. "One of 999" appears in places like the sunroof, steering wheel and instrument panel. If Mini will allow add-ons, the configurator on the retail site shows the only tweaks left are convenience features like adaptive cruise control for $500 and utilities like roof rails for $250. The 999 examples for global buyers are being served up on a first-come-first-serve basis. Preorders are open now, a $500 deposit holds a place in line. Deposits are expected to start in Q3 this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 28 Women Stuff Into a Mini, Set Guinness World Record! | Autoblog

Mini Convertible will reportedly close its top for the final time in 2024

Mini will cancel the droptop version of the Hardtop after three generations, according to a recent report. The Convertible competes in a shrinking segment of the market, so it's one of the brand's slowest-selling nameplates. Production of the current-generation Convertible (pictured) is scheduled to end in February 2024, Automotive News learned from unnamed supplier sources, and the model will not spawn a direct replacement. Mini hasn't confirmed the report, but it's credible because the firm sold only 4,031 units of the Convertible in the United States, one of the largest droptop markets in the world, in 2019, a 25% drop compared to 2018. Global sales totaled 30,426 last year, the publication reported, a not-insignificant 14% drop compared to 2016's results. Motorists who want a convertible Mini may not be entirely out of luck. While it doesn't sound like the head-turning Superleggera Vision concept unveiled in 2014 will reach production, the BMW-owned brand hasn't given up on the idea of launching a standalone sports car that could arrive as a mid-engined roadster. It would likely be electric, like we previously reported, and it hasn't been approved for production yet. Mini has more pressing issues to deal with. Global sales fell by 4.1% in 2019 as motorists in all markets flock around crossovers. As a remedy, executives confirmed they've delayed the launch of the next-generation Hardtop, which will again wear a retro-inspired design but rely largely on technology to offer motorists a simpler, cleaner-looking interior. In the meantime, the company is reportedly developing a pair of crossovers that will allow it to plant a stake in key segments of the market. One, which could revive the Paceman name, will arrive as an electric model developed jointly with China-based Great Wall Motors and built locally. Possibly named Traveller, the second will be a more conventional SUV aimed largely at the American market and neatly positioned between BMW's X1 and X3 in terms of size. It will ride on the German firm's modular CLAR platform, which underpins cars like the 3 Series. Expanding the range while investing in new technologies, like electrification and autonomy, requires a huge amount of resources. In turn, these expenditures make the Convertible's business case even more challenging. If the report is accurate, the Convertible will stick around for about 3 1/2 more years, so it might receive a handful of updates before it closes its top for the final time.

Mini Superleggera gets the green light

With the fairly lackluster designs coming out of Mini recently, leave it to a group from outside the company to get things right. The minds behind the Berlinetta Lusso and Disco Volante at Touring Superleggera did just that with the retro-inspired Mini Superleggera Vision Concept from last year's Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance. Now, according to Car in the UK, the droptop has a green light for production from the BMW board and could arrive in showrooms by 2018. The concept stole our hearts with its rounded shape, rear fin and Union-Jack-shaped taillights. Inside, the interior went for extreme minimalism with an aluminum dashboard that positioned just a simple tachometer and thin steering wheel in front of the driver. The production version reportedly rides on the third-gen Mini platform but retains all of the concept's major styling elements. In place of the electric motor, expect the current engine offerings with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder available under the hood. Patent documents might provide an even better hint at what to expect. They also show the design not changing much, other than the lights no longer in the grille, a framed windshield and slightly smaller fin. The Union Jack taillights remain, though. Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW Group member in charge of Mini, asserted the company was testing the waters for production shortly after the Superleggera's debut. At the time, the price was speculated to be around 35,000 euros if the car arrived on the market in Europe. Related Video: