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Mini's Super Bowl ad stars Serena Williams and Tony Hawk

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what kind of car a Mini is, and what it says about its driver. For many, it seems, buying one is as much a fashion statement and lifestyle choice as it is anything else. And Mini is out to face those notions head-on in its latest Super Bowl ad. Set to air during the third quarter of the big game on the 7th, the spot brings in a star-studded list of celebrities. Tennis great Serena Williams, soccer player Abby Wambach, hip-hop star T-Pain, major-league pitcher Randy Johnson, skateboard legend Tony Hawk, and actor Harvey Keitel all feature in the 30-second spot dubbed "Defy Labels." The ad was produced by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and shines a spotlight on the new Mini Clubman. But you don't have to wait until Sunday to see it: you can watch it right here, and scope out the additional behind-the-scenes video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI DECLARES DEFIANCE IN STAR-STUDDED GAME DAY AD Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 1, 2016... As more than 100 million viewers around the world prepare to tune into the big game on February 7, MINI USA is unveiling its star-studded 30-second spot today, set to air in the third quarter of the year's biggest night in television advertising. The ad, created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), embraces many of the labels the brand has experienced over the years with a very powerful message: it doesn't care what you call it. "Defy Labels," has its roots in the fact that everyone and everything is labeled but how you handle those labels is what matters. With defiance at its core, the campaign inspires people to shed the labels society has placed upon them and instead define themselves. "Ever since the first Mini was built in 1959, it has been labeled as one thing or another. It's small. It's cute," said Tom Noble, department head, MINI Brand Communications. "This campaign acknowledges those labels in a very authentic way while simultaneously showing people MINI is more than that. With the launch of the new Clubman, our brand is growing up, our products are more sophisticated, and its time to reset the conversation." The brand worked with an ensemble cast of athletes and celebrities to help start that conversation.

Meet the Mini Urbanaut concept: an autonomous Mini minivan

If car designers are to be believed, the future of fully-autonomous electric vehicles is the box. Whether it's squared-off or rounded, it seems many autonomous concept vehicles are vans meant to efficiently carry people and stuff, or be a new living space. And that's the case with the Mini Urbanaut concept, just on a smaller scale. The Urbanaut measures in at 14.6 feet long, which is a little more than 2 feet shorter than a Toyota Sienna. But if it were put into production, it would be the biggest Mini on sale at roughly half a foot longer than the Countryman, and easily as tall if not taller (Mini didn't provide an exact height). It takes the one-box shape close to its extremes, similar to a VW Bus, which itself is seeing an electric revival. At the front, an aluminum grille inspired by the current Mini grille hides LED lights for illumination and communication, and taillights get similar aluminum coverings. The wheels are translucent and illuminated. There are cutouts that are inspired by the Union Jack flag. The Urbanaut features two particularly unusual design choices, though. The first is that it has a single sliding door for interior access. The second is that one of the C-pillars is actually a sort of display case that can store a variety of souvenirs or other trinkets. Isn't that cute? The interior has seating for four, with a rear bench and conventional bucket seat at the front for the driver next to a sort of jump seat. The driver seat can swivel to face the front for manual driving, or to face the middle for parked or autonomous modes. In between the rows of seats is a table with a decorative plant as well as the main instrument display and infotainment interface. The screen is round, a callback to old Mini instruments and the current cars' center infotainment binnacle. The idea is that the Urbanaut would primarily be used in autonomous or parked modes with occupants facing toward the middle. There is, however, a secondary display that activates at the front when the car is in manual driving mode. The interior has a number of nifty party tricks. There's a ceiling section above the rear seats called the "Loop" that has animated illumination behind a fabric covering. The dashboard lowers at the front in the stationary mode to create a daybed. The windshield can open up, too, when parked. Different vehicle modes are accessed by placing the key fob, called the "Mini Token," in the corresponding slot.

David Brown's most powerful Mini Remastered has racing in its genes

David Brown Automotive detailed its latest Remastered build, which explores the Mini's vast racing heritage. Created jointly with Oselli, the resto-modded city car gains a more powerful engine, a long list of updates that racers in the 1960s could only dream of, and a handful of styling tweaks that set it apart from an unmodified Mini. Most of David Brown's builds have focused on adding luxury, comfort, and convenience to one of England's best-known cars. With decades of experience in building race cars, Oselli brings a healthy dose of performance. The transformation starts under the hood, where power comes from a twin-carbureted, 1.5-liter four-cylinder tuned to develop 125 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. David Brown quotes a 7.8-second sprint to 62 mph. Context is useful: the original Mini retired in 2000 with a fuel-injected, 1.3-liter version of this engine (called A Series) rated at 62 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque. Many examples built in the 1960s and the 1970s got an 848cc four rated at a measly 34 horsepower, and the modern-day Hardtop's entry-level engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged triple that puts 134 horses under the driver's right foot. Put another way, 125 is a lot of horsepower for an old Mini. Oselli dropped the 1.5-liter engine on top of (and not next to; it's one of the Mini's quirks) a redesigned five-speed manual transmission that spins the front wheels. AP Racing four-piston front brake calipers and aluminum rear drums keep the power in check, while Bilstein struts amplify the go-kart like handling the old Mini is known for. Subtlety isn't part of the Oselli's vocabulary. Its free-flowing exhaust system makes it louder than a standard Mini, and it turns heads with black exterior accents, racing stripes, LED headlights, and a mesh grille with integrated driving lights. 13-inch alloy wheels come standard; they're available in either graphite or gold. Inside, David Brown added sport seats for the front passengers, an Alcantara-upholstered Sabelt steering wheel, and a Pioneer infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity. Power steering, USB ports, air conditioning (which, oddly, blows through vents that look like they're from a Mercedes-Benz), and power-operated windows are standard.  David Brown will make only 60 numbered units of the Oselli Edition, and deliveries are scheduled to start in early 2022.