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Mini Countryman Boardwalk limited edition strolls into the 2021 lineup

Mini released several limited- and special-edition variants of the Hardtop for the 2021 model year, but it's not forgetting about the bigger Countryman. It announced a new version of the crossover named Boardwalk that stands out with an eye-catching shade of blue borrowed from its smaller sibling, among other visual tweaks. If the Boardwalk looks familiar, it's because the metallic Deep Laguna blue was inaugurated by the Convertible Sidewalk edition (pictured in the gallery) introduced for the 2020 model year and sold globally in limited numbers. It was added to the Countryman lineup by popular demand, according to the BMW-owned firm, and its leap from the Sidewalk to the Boardwalk was accompanied by black paint on the roof and on the door mirrors. Mini pointed out its stylists drew inspiration from a boardwalk's wooden planks to design the emblems they put on both fenders. Edition-specific logos also appear on the roof, on the sill plates, and on the dashboard. Globally, the edition can be paired with the Cooper and the Cooper S. Mini confirmed to Autoblog that the Boardwalk will be sold in the United States, but it hasn't revealed how many examples it will send here, or how much the model will cost. We've asked, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Updated for the 2021 model year, the Countryman won't remain Mini's only crossover for much longer. Executives announced plans to realign the model range during the 2020s by putting a bigger emphasis on crossovers. One of the two upcoming high-riding cars will be a Countryman-sized electric models, while the other will arrive as a bigger people-mover that will allegedly ride on BMW's modular CLAR platform. Related video:

Color me electric: a nine-year-old designs a crayon-colored Mini wrap

Perhaps one is never too young to help design the look of a car … with the help of a box of crayons. DonÂ’t tell nine-year-old Oliver Gorrod, who lives in Oxfordshire in England, that it canÂ’t be done. Young Oliver has finished first in a contest sponsored by MINI Electric in the U.K. and crayon-maker Crayola to create an exterior color wrap for the EV that “champions nature.” “I like the idea of all cars being electric, as they are better for the environment, animals and the planet. My car is designed as camouflage, so it blends into natural environments,” said the young man, who was among hundreds of entrants aged from four to 10 years from the U.K. Oliver wins the honor of his design being featured as a vinyl wrap for a car (he only wins the wrap) and a bundle of Crayola art materials for himself and his school. Oliver will also get an invite to visit MINI Plant Oxford for a private tour. “The creativity of the designs were fantastic," said Federico Izzo, director for MINI UK & Ireland. "We are excited to bring OliverÂ’s design to life and hope he will continue to innovate and dream big in the future.” Added Jade Childs of Crayola, “We are delighted to share Crayola art materials with Oliver and his class as part of the competition prize, and we hope they will continue to be inspired and express themselves as they explore, discover, play, pretend, and dream.” Design/Style Green BMW MINI Green Culture Hatchback Electric

Mini hops on the rooftop tent craze

Among the many changes ushered in by the pandemic year, has been an explosion in the popularity of camping. But even more so than camping trailers and RVs, rooftop automobile tents seem to be having their moment. Everyone, it seems, suddenly wants to sleep on the roof of their car. Most often, we see these tents perched atop some tricked-out overlanding rig or at the very least, a factory offroader like the Land Rover Defender or Ford Bronco. But how about a more earth-friendly option? Like, say, getting back to nature in a battery-powered Mini? Both the battery-powered Mini Cooper SE and the plug-in hybrid Mini Countryman SE offer roof rails, a key foundation for a rooftop tent. Taking advantage of that feature, Mini offers two different rooftop tents as factory accessories, as seen here. Unfortunately, as of now, they're only available in Europe. The intrepid nature-lovers better not go too far from civilization in the Cooper SE, since it has just 110 miles of range (according to the EPA) — although Mini optimistically suggests that many campgrounds now have EV charging points, so you can power up while winding down. For its part, the plug-in hybrid Countryman SE claims 17 miles of EV range before the gasoline engine fires up. Should the rooftop tent craze continue even after people once again feel safe checking into a Ritz-Carlton, it would be great to see more offerings that are designed for smaller host vehicles. After all, eco-friendly cars would seem to be thematically aligned with the nature appreciation that's inherently a part of camping. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.