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Mini takes center stage on the Sphere in Las Vegas

When media theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said that “the medium is the message,” he wasnÂ’t referring to The Sphere in Las Vegas, but it would have fit perfectly into his philosophy. For example, thereÂ’s this: to introduce its advertising campaign for the new 2025 Countryman Electric model, the folks at Mini will employ the 366-foot-tall and 516-foot-wide out-of-this-world Sphere to debut creative images and videos “revealing” the new vehicle. “We wanted to think of this campaign as an art piece, not as an ad,” said Rob Lambrechts, Chief Creative Officer at Pereira OÂ’Dell, MiniÂ’s ad agency on the project. “People are coming to Sphere to have fun and be entertained, so we needed to integrate MINI in the least intrusive way possible.” Least intrusive? McLuhan mightÂ’ve asked whether the idea would draw more attention to the medium or would it amplify the intended message. At any rate, the car rendered on the Sphere is pretty nifty. In Vegas, a town not lacking in spectacular landmarks, the free-standing Sphere has dominated the visual landscape since it opened in September. The structure was funded in part by James Dolan, who oversees a family empire that includes Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, the Knicks and the Rangers. DolanÂ’s over-the-top investment, with its 700,000 square feet of programmable video screens, cost $2.3 billion to build. As for the new Countryman, the all-electric SUV will start at $46,195, including destination of $995, when it goes on sale. Output is rated at 313 horsepower and 363 pound-feet of torque. Range on a single charge is estimated at 245 miles, and the 0-60 time is 5.6 seconds. It can be reserved now. The Countryman S All4 and JCW are expected to begin reaching dealers in the spring with the electric versions coming a few months later. Mini's takeover of Sphere will run until December 2, with a special four-hour takeover on December 1. McLuhan, to finish the thought, believed that people should observe not only the media itself but "the ways in which each new medium disrupts tradition and reshapes social life." Viva Las Vegas. Related video: Video Marketing/Advertising MINI Crossover SUV Electric

Mini Cooper Royal Wedding Edition: For the couple that literally has everything

As far as wedding presents go, it sure beats a hand mixer. Mini has created a one-off car to commemorate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The car won't be brought in and parked next to the gift table, however. Instead, it'll be given to a charity chosen by the royal couple, which will then auction it. Mini's design team has personalized a Mini Cooper 2-Door with a hand-made roof graphic and a special interior, which features 3D-printed parts and special embroidery. The idea behind the hand-applied multi-layer roof graphic is that it's a combination of the Union Jack and the Stars & Stripes, representing the couple's nationalities. As an extra touch, the opened doors will project a "Just Married" sign onto the ground. Small detailing around the car is also bespoke, from the chrome finish to the side scuttles. Inside the Crystal White car is a Satellite Grey leather interior, with a trim strip announcing the first names of the bride and groom, as well as the wedding date. There are also accents in the door cards that match the roof graphic's colors. And just in case you're digging the stylistic vibe of the Royal Wedding Edition (not really the official name, but let's go with it), some of the custom work on the car can be replicated with the Mini Yours personalization program. That includes the option of 3D-printed parts. After the wedding on May 19 , the car will go to The Children's HIV Association, or CHIVA, who will auction it. Here's hoping it commands a good price. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Royal Wedding View 13 Photos Image Credit: MINI MINI royal wedding meghan markle

The electric Mini SE crushes its EPA range estimate in our real-world test

The range meter of my fully charged 2020 Mini Cooper SE reads 110 miles as I fasten my seatbelt, which is hardly a surprise because that number matches the official EPA-certified range of this all-new electric car. But then I turn on the climate control system, at which point the range prediction promptly falls to 103 miles. “Uh-oh. This could get interesting,” I say to myself. My range test course, you see, is a vast loop that measures about 105 miles around. I donÂ’t really think IÂ’ll end up walking, though. I remind myself that most electric cars IÂ’ve tested — the Porsche Taycan among them — routinely outperform their rated range. But “most” is the operative word in this train of thought, so I ease out of my driveway to begin the test under a tiny cloud of uncertainty. Will the Mini Cooper SE prove to be one of the outliers? Will I encounter any low battery warnings? All will become clear in the next three and half hours. None of my initial hand-wringing should be taken to mean the MiniÂ’s rated range of 110 miles is somehow insufficient. ItÂ’s not, in my view. The length of my course has no special meaning. It doesnÂ’t represent the “right” number of miles. How the test was run My loop in Orange County, Calif., represents what I call typical suburban city driving. ItÂ’s not as dense as the notorious gridlocked areas found in West Los Angeles or certain big-city downtown environs, so itÂ’s applicable to the vast majority of drivers. It features suburban residential and arterial streets, with speed limits that range from 25 mph to as much as 60 mph. But thereÂ’s no pure freeway mileage, and the entire route is peppered with more than 310 signals. As for elevation, it ranges from sea level to just over 600 feet. I run with the automatic climate control system set within the range of 72 to 75 degrees, aiming to settle on one specific setting throughout that delivers adequate comfort. IÂ’ll try whatever Eco drive mode there is, but if throttle response is anemic IÂ’ll use the normal setting. Here, the default mode is the “green” mode, and IÂ’m sticking with it because the SEÂ’s driveability is totally agreeable. As for speed, IÂ’m running mid-pack between the leadfoots and the slowpokes. I wonÂ’t try to out-drag anyone leaving signals, and I look far enough ahead that I can choose the best lane and anticipate when the next signal is going to change. In short, IÂ’m aiming to land halfway between hypermiling and hyperactive.