1971 Mini Cooper 1300 Innocenti Convertible on 2040-cars

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Mini locks out the podium at Dakar Rally

Motor racing is often overcome by dominant forces. In Formula One these days, it's all about Red Bull. Le Mans is absolutely dominated by Audi. Citroën devastated the World Rally Championship for years. And the Dakar Rally is no exception to that particular rule, either.
The Mitsubishi Pajero won the event seven years in a row and many times before that. Then Volkswagen took the lead, winning three years running with competition-spec Touaregs once the rally shifted from North Africa to South America in 2009. But these days it's Mini that dominates.
The Mini All4 Racing team won in 2012, again in 2013 and has just won it again for 2014. Not only did it win again, but it took a devastating 1-2-3 finish to lock out the podium. Over the course of 13 days, Minis won 11 out of 13 of the total stages that make up the grueling rally, at the end of which Nasser Al-Attiyah crossed the line in third, Stéphane Peterhansel finished second, and just five minutes ahead of him, Nani Roma crossed the finish line in Valparaíso in first place. (Of course it didn't hurt that there were no fewer than 11 Minis entered in this year's rally, but still.)

Mini reveals Untold, Resolute and Untamed special editions for 2023

Mini is aggressively stepping into the world of special editions for its 2023 model year lineup, and it’s revealing three of them today. They include the Untold Edition, Resolute Edition and Untamed Edition. Not all special editions are available on all models, but every model gets at least one special edition To our delight, all of these models are legitimately interesting in their appearance, so letÂ’s dive right into it. Mini Untold Edition The Untold Edition is specifically for the Clubman, and you can spec it on the modelÂ’s performance trims, including the S, S All4 and John Cooper Works. ItÂ’s the flashiest of the three special editions, and much of that can be attributed to the 18-inch “Refined Brass” and black two-tone wheels. This wheel is exclusive to the Untold Edition, and itÂ’s bound to turn heads. The exterior is done in Sage Green paint, but Mini has done something a little special to further separate the exterior from normal Clubmans by color-matching the plastic cladding to the exterior paint. This is done by dyeing it during production, and it visually lowers the ride height by giving the whole car a generally uniform color. Other trim pieces are done in either “Refined Brass” or glossy black to give a premium and sinister look. You get some intriguing hood and roof stripes, and the side scuttles are 3-D-printed with a unique pattern. Mini attacks the interior by installing leather seats in a paint-matching Sage Green with contrasting seams and piping. YouÂ’ll see Sage Green accents on the dash, and the air vents mimic exterior trim in Refined Brass. YouÂ’ll find “Untold Edition” logos in a few different places, like the steering wheel and side sills. The Mini Cooper S Clubman Untold Edition starts at $42,500. ItÂ’s based on the top-rung Iconic trim (just like the other special editions announced today), which means it comes loaded with most any option you might want. If you desire the JCW version, the price jumps to $49,750. Mini is allowing you to spec these special editions by just adding a separate option package onto the car. For example, a regular Clubman S is made into an Untold Edition via a $2,250 package. Mini Resolute Edition The Resolute Edition can be applied to the widest range of Minis, including the Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door, Cooper S Hardtop 4 Door, Cooper S Convertible and Cooper SE. Yes, this is the one you can get if you want the electric Mini SE.

BMW Neue Klasse X revealed, 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and SE driven | Autoblog Podcast #824

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. In the news, BMW revealed the Neue Klasse X EV, Jeep Wrangler drops the V8, Ford Mustang gets a 810-horsepower supercharger kit and Shell leans into EV charging. We look back on the life and designs of Marcello Gandini. We discuss the various automatic shifters that are now on the market. We talk about driving the Mercedes-Benz CLA, as well as the 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and the electric Countryman SE. Finally, we help a listener pick a newish truck or SUV for around $40,000 in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #824 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown BMW Vision Neue Klasse X Revealed: Looking to the past to build a better future Jeep Wrangler bids farewell to the V8 with 2024 Rubicon 392 Final Edition Ford Performance supercharger kit gets Mustang 810 hp with a warranty Shell to unload 1,000 retail locations in pivot to EV charging Marcello Gandini dies at 85. Here's a look at some of his famous designs A discussion on automatic shifters Cars we're driving 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4Matic 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and SE Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Design/Style Green Podcasts BMW Ford Jeep Mercedes-Benz MINI Electric Luxury Performance