2007 Mini Cooper on 2040-cars

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Mini Clubvan ready for boutique chic delivery duty from $25,985

The light commercial vehicle market has exploded in recent years. With a too-large full-size van no longer the only option for small businesses looking for an enclosed cargo carrier, options like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit Connect and now this, the Mini Clubvan, are now available to suit every size need.
Unveiled at last year's Geneva Motor Show, the Clubvan will soon be on sale here in the US and we finally have details about what that transaction will cost you. Motoring File reports that the Clubvan's price will be $25,985, which includes the so-called "chicken tax" and a $700 destination and handling charge.
Other questions that were answered include whether or not the Clubvan can be ordered as a Cooper S or even John Cooper Works model, and the answer is no (why do need to deliver cakes that fast anyway?). Also, Mini has confirmed you can't take the shortcut of creating your own Clubvan by purchasing a standard Clubman and removing the rear seats. The factory Clubvan features steel side panels instead of vinyl coverings over the rear windows, as well as a fully flat load floor and a safety cage protecting front seat occupants.

Mini may have overexpanded, some models may not be replaced

Surprise, surprise. According to Edmunds, Mini may be looking to reduce the number of vehicles in its range, which has recently expanded to include a total of seven offerings (not to mention the copious varieties of configurations found within each line). When Mini relaunched in the early 2000s, it did so with one model, the Cooper Hardtop, and has since added the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster and Paceman. It looks like those ambitions of expanding the range to include up to 10 models may have been a bit optimistic.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly," Jim McDowell, Vice President of Mini USA, told Edmunds in an interview. The brand's core models right now are the Hardtop and Countryman, and of the roughly 66,200 vehicles that Mini sold in the United States last year, these two vehicles accounted for some 75 percent of total sales.
McDowell declined to mention any specific models that may not be replaced in the lineup's next generation, though our best guess is that ultra-niche vehicles like the Coupe (pictured) or Clubman. As for replacing some of the current models with new products, the only clear gap we can see in the brand's lineup is a smaller car like the Rocketman concept, though we've been told several times that a mini-Mini isn't going to happen. Be sure to let us know what Mini models you'd like to see kept or axed in Comments below.

Mini Aceman concept previews a funky, flashy EV below Countryman

Mini has big plans for its future, and it all revolves around electrification and fun, funky design. Some of that has been shown with ambitious concepts such as the Mini Urbanaut micro-van, but now we're getting a look at what's coming soon with the Mini Aceman (a name curiously similar to the ill-fated two-door Paceman). It's still very much a show car at this point, but it does hint at a production electric SUV. The overall shape is clearly Mini. It's a boxy little thing with a contrasting roof, wraparound glass, fender flares, big headlights and a big grille. But everything is now beveled and angular. The grille has distinct sides, as do the headlights, which match the angles. The wheel arches are squared off, and the whole body has more chiseled panels. It gives the whole thing a more rugged shape than the usual Mini, which fits its crossover bodystyle and mission. And because it's an EV, it has a filled-in grille and flush door handles. All of these aspects are likely to show up in a production Aceman. Probably not appearing in the production model is the flashy LED grille that can display all kinds of colors and patterns. It's also matched with similarly animated puddle lights. We also doubt the production model will feature the bright orange covers over the external speakers that provide safety sounds but also welcome sequence sounds. The Union Jack taillights, though, those are probably happening, since they're already on the current production Mini lineup. That Union Jack roof rack wouldn't be out of the question either. Mini also noted that the production Aceman will slide between the Mini Hardtop and the Mini Countryman in the lineup. The size seems to back that up. It's about an inch longer than the four-door Mini Hardtop and about six inches taller. And all those numbers come in well below the bigger Countryman, save for height, which is similar. The interior is even more interesting than the exterior. Mini says they've applied the idea of "Charismatic Simplicity" to the car, and this is where it really shows. It has just a simple dash pad ahead of the funky green velour steering wheel, and mounted to it is a circular OLED touchscreen infotainment display. It continues the design idea laid out by the original Mini revival of the early 2000s, but very decluttered.