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Mini Oxford gives birth to 3-millionth car [w/video]

With the latest generation of Minis having only recently launched a few months ago, the company's Plant Oxford has found another reason to celebrate as it reached two major milestones almost simultaneously. Since production of the new, BMW-revived version began there in 2001, the factory has produced 3 million of the retro-looking models and 2 million vehicles exported outside of the UK. Just four years ago, it was celebrating building 1.5 million of them.
The three-millionth model was a Mini Cooper S five-door hatchback with a special Union Jack paint job. At about the same time, the factory hit its two-millionth exported Mini to leave there, as well. It was a standard Mini hatchback in Volcanic Orange heading for a buyer in Japan.
UK Transport Minister Baroness Kramer attended the ceremony and said: "I congratulate the workers at Mini Plant Oxford on reaching this remarkable milestone. The Mini is a British icon and is a major part of a thriving automotive industry spearheading the growing British economy."

2015 Mini Hardtop 5-Door isn't for the country, man [w/video]

We've seen it in super high-res glory, and we can even build one on the automaker's website, but the Paris Motor Show marks the official coming out party for the new Mini Hardtop 4 Door (which is what it's called in the US, despite this Euro car having "5 Door" badging). It's a stretched version of the third-generation Mini Hardtop, but with an extra set of doors for rear seat passengers. Think of it as a more useful Clubman, but with a lower ride height and less rugged-ness than the Countryman. Got it? Good.
Engine options carry over from the normal Mini Hardtop range, with a 1.5-liter turbo-three and a 2.0-liter turbo-four offering 134 and 189 horsepower, respectively. The rest of the car is everything else you know and love from the Mini range, just with a more spacious rear bench. And as you'd expect, there's a nearly endless pallet of customization options.
The Hardtop 4 Door arrives at US dealerships just before the end of the year, commanding a roughly $1,000 premium over its three-door kin. Scope out our new live shots in the gallery above, and take in the extensive press blast, below.

2025 Mini Cooper E and SE fully revamped and revealed at Munich Motor Show

The 2025 Mini Cooper E and Cooper SE are here, and as you can tell by the names, Mini is starting with the electric models.  For better or worse, the new Mini Cooper design inside and out (no longer called “Hardtop") is one of the worst-kept secrets as of late. However, now we have all the official imagery of the 3-door EV, and we even got to see the car in person before the Munich Motor Show reveal. The Mini is thankfully still mini with an even shorter length than before, as the new Countryman is the one to get supersized. Its design slants toward minimalism, but it still highlights key features such as the round LED headlights, contrast roof and mirror colors and classic proportions. The lights – both in front and rear – even feature three customizable signatures, so you can choose your own adventure for your carÂ’s outward appearance. Other big changes include the deletion of chrome, flush door handles (like other new BMWs) and the lack of black cladding around the wheel arches. Mini improved the coefficient of drag with this new model to 0.28, and thanks to this, and to new battery and motor technology, the electric Mini Coopers are far more enticing than the first Mini SE. Two versions of the electric Mini Cooper will hit the market initially, with the base model being the Mini Cooper E. This model features a single electric motor making 184 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque, which Mini says does the 0-62 mph run in 7.3 seconds. It uses a 40.7 kWh battery pack that is good for 190 miles on the WLTP cycle, but expect that to be considerably lower for the EPA test. Meanwhile, the upgrade Mini Cooper SE ups output to 218 horsepower and 243 pound-feet, completing the 0-62 mph sprint in just 6.7 seconds. It also has a much bigger battery at 54.2 kWh, allowing for a range of 250 miles on the WLTP cycle. Charging speed is another big upgrade for these electric Minis, too, as the Cooper E can charge at speeds up to 75 kW, while the SE can do 95 kW. Mini says this gets both Coopers from a 10-80% charge in under 30 minutes. AC at-home charging maxes out at 11 kW. It also features a pre-conditioning program that will warm the battery pack in cold weather to ensure fast charging speeds when you arrive. This is part of a larger navigation system that will plan out your route to hit fast chargers as you go. As always, Mini is promising a fun-to-drive character from its entry-level hatchback.