2013 Mini Cooper Hardtop (spice Orange) on 2040-cars

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Mini John Cooper Works GP coming in 2020, special editions in the meantime

Every once in a while, Mini releases a monster of a Cooper with the designation of GP. It created one in 2006, and another in 2013, and they both featured less weight, more power, a big rear wing and no rear seat. They were the hardest-core of hardcore Minis. And now a third GP is coming in 2020. The big little car brand announced the GP will return, but not much else. The only other detail shared was that it will have styling inspired by the Mini John Cooper Works GP concept shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. As seen above, it was a thoroughly over-the-top interpretation of the GP with huge fender flares featuring big trailing fins. The rear wing was also enlarged to near comic proportions. We'll see if Mini commits to the gonzo styling, or if it dials things way back. 2019 Mini John Cooper Works Knights Edition View 18 Photos To supplement the announcement of this new Mini, the company also announced a few special-edition Mini models on sale now or very soon. The most interesting of the three newly announced Minis is the Mini John Cooper Works Knights Edition. It's a Mini JCW Hardtop in black with a silver roof, mirrors and hood stripes. On the sides are silver and red stripes, and all around the car is black trim. The door handles, badging and grille surround are all painted black. It's a menacing-looking car, or at least as menacing as a Mini can look. It also gets the remote-controlled exhaust flap to go from mild to wild exhaust note at a push of the button. This model goes on sale in the first quarter of 2019. Next month, you'll be able to get your hands on the Mini Countryman Yin Yang Edition. This is a basic Mini Cooper S Countryman in either black or white, with the other color for the roof and hood stripes. It also gets a black grille and black light trim. Then there's the Mini Clubman Starlight Edition. This is a Cooper S Clubman in dark blue with a silver roof, mirrors and hood stripes. It's on sale now. Both special editions also throw in some luggage accessories as standard equipment. Related Video:

These vehicles are least likely to be recalled over their lifetimes

Recalls can be a real pain, especially if the vehicle has to be left with the dealer for extended repairs or parts delays. However, some models see far fewer recalls over their lifetimes than others, and as iSeeCars’ new study shows, some might almost never be recalled. iSeeCars analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create a model that predicts the likelihood of a recall over a 30-year vehicle lifespan. So, while the numbers are based on current recall data, they should be viewed as rough estimates rather than set-in-stone numbers. Still, the results are interesting, and they show that commonly held views on vehicle reliability and lifetime maintenance costs donÂ’t tell the whole picture. The 10 least-recalled vehicles: 10. Lexus IS 300: 0.7 recalls over a 30-year period 9. Mercedes-Benz GLC: 0.7 recalls 8. Mercedes-Benz GLA: 0.6 recalls 7. Hyundai Elantra GT: 0.6 6. Nissan 370Z: 0.5 5. Lexus RX 450h: 0.5 4. Mercedes-Benz CLA: 0.5 3. Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: 0.5 2. Lexus NX 300h: 0.3 1. Mini Convertible: 0.2 Seeing the Lexus name on the least-recalled list isnÂ’t surprising, but it might be a shock to see Mercedes and Mini so high on the list. In between several Japanese brands, five other Benzes, two Ford Fusion variants, and the Chevy Trailblazer ranked on the full list of 33 least-recalled vehicles. For every “best” list, there has to be a “worst” list, and in this case, iSeeCars found 25 models that take recalls to a whole new level. The Tesla Model Y is projected to rack up 62.4 recalls over its lifetime, followed by the Porsche Panamera at 61.8 and the Tesla Model 3 at 56.8. Luckily, many Tesla recalls are handled with an over-the-air update instead of a trip to the dealer, but the numbers are concerning. Plus, iSeeCars pointed out that Teslas buck the normal recall trends. Most new models tend to see fewer recalls over time, but some of the American EV makerÂ’s vehicles see consistent recall activity and even increases in the number of actions. Government/Legal Recalls MINI Ownership Safety

Mini might build a sedan because it's running out of shapes

Rumors suggest we could soon see a Mini with a trunk to haul your junk. Autocar cites unnamed insiders who claim the sedan is part of the brand's plan for upmarket growth. There's even a possibility the new model could use the Riley moniker in reference to the Elf (pictured above) from the 1960s, which was a Mini with a tiny trunk. The Mini sedan would use BMW's front-wheel-drive platform that underpins the X1 and Clubman and might share the wheelbase and frontend styling with the Clubman as well, according to Autocar. Mini's execs think the four-door would perform especially well in North America and China, where there's less demand for hatchbacks. Ralph Mahler, vice president of Mini's product management, hinted at the possibility of the four-door to Autocar. "For example, in Asia and the US, the sedan segment is very big. This is very interesting to us, of course," he said. Mahler admits that many people don't know about the Mini-based vehicles with trunks from the '60s, like the Riley Elf, so it would be hard to market the new model on that heritage. This could be the perfect time to add a Mini sedan to the lineup, and it might not be a completely new idea for the brand under its BMW stewardship; a rumor from 2012 shows that Mini's bosses considered a four-door at least once before. The company launched new versions of its Hardtop, Convertible, and Clubman, and even added four-door and all-wheel-drive versions of the Hardtop to further blur the lines between that car, the Clubman, and the Countryman. The next-generation Countryman crossover should debut later this year, and the brand reportedly cancelled the Superleggera Vision roadster and Rocketman compact, as Mini has chosen to go big with its new models and its lineup breadth. There are only so many versions of a hatchback a company can make, and the short-lived Mini Coupe wasn't exactly a huge success. If Mini is going to try a new body style, a sedan actually makes some sense, even if we'll probably prefer the look and practicality of the hatches. Related Video: