2003 Mini Cooper - White Color And Automatic Transmission on 2040-cars

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Coming Mini Countryman JCW shows itself with new design and new logo

Mini clued us in that there'd be a John Cooper Works version of the all-new Countryman unveiled around the Munich Auto Show. We didn't get images of the go-faster Mini until now, Mini posting two exterior shots and two interior shots to its Instagram channel. As usual, Mini's made a number of subtle changes to the JCW that the average driver might not notice, but which brand fans and car spotters will quickly catch. The upper grille on the Countryman JCW is not only a different mesh pattern than the standard car, now done up like a checkered flag, it sits above a defined bumper structure bearing the same pattern graphic. The grille's set into a black surround, and above it, two faintly embossed channels lead to air outlets in front of the hood shutline. At the edges, breaks in the headlight DRLs turn them into a set of horizontal brackets. Further down, where the standard Countryman has small fog light recesses in the front fascia's corners, the Countryman JCW has a pair of tall intakes topped by the bumper and flanked by side curtains. Chili Red accents on the curtains match the same color on the mirror caps and roof. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The redrawn JCW logo appears on the plaque behind the B-pillar; Ford isn't the only one spiffing up its corporate identity. The previous logo spelled out the JCW name, with the "Works" bit set into a stretched, horizontal oval pendant. The updated logo sheds the pendant, placing the wordmark next to a checkered flag motif. Among the Instagram images, checkered flags appear again in the rear seatbacks and we have a feeling there are a few more around the cabin. Back outside, the Countryman JCW's taillights sport a stylized version of the Union Jack motif on the standard car above quad pipes poking through the rear bumper. This gas-powered Countryman JCW is anticipated to use the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the current car but with more output than the present 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. It's due sometime next year in all-wheel-drive form along with a gas-powered Mini Cooper JCW hatch. Mini product line chief Stefan Floeck told Autocar that come 2025, both the Cooper JCW and Countryman JCW will offer battery-electric versions.  Now that Mini has opened its BEV account, and by 2030 the automaker plans to go BEV-only, there might be a John Cooper Works GP sendoff at some point.

Mini unveils new, stripped down logo

Quirky British marque Mini is going with a ... less-than-quirky logo redesign, unveiling a "flat design" that it says is intended to focus on the essentials. It replaces the three-dimensional white-on-black logo that first appeared in 2000. Gone are the three-dimensional style, shading, gray tones and gray-on-black name of the previous version in favor of a stark contrast of black lines and the all-caps Mini name against a white background. It keeps the wings, which first featured on the iconic cars in the early 1960s, according to the Logos History blog, which has a comprehensive collection of logos stretching back to the brand's origins in 1959 under the British Motor Corp. and the Austin and Morris brand names. It also bears a visual similarity to the logo introduced during the mid-'90s. We're not saying the new logo was designed on an old PC using MS Paint, but it looks like it could've been. Parent BMW Group says the new logo combines stylistic elements from the early phases of the classic Mini "with a future-oriented appearance that focuses on the essentials" and a two-dimensional look "allowing universal application." (Meaning, cheaper to produce?) It'll appear on all new Mini models starting in March on the bonnet, the rear, at the center of the steering wheel and on the remote control.Related Video: Image Credit: BMW Group Design/Style MINI Coupe Sedan branding logo bmw group

Mini Superleggera Vision Concept keeps us hangin' on [w/video]

Mini's Superleggera Vision Concept may not be a Paris Motor Show debut, but this is the first time we've seen this stunning all-electric roadster in the metal, having been first shown on the tony shores of Lake Como at Villa D'Este in May. While it's small in stature, it's still big on both presence and detail, from its overall stubby yet sleek proportions to its Union Jack taillamps, Jaguar-esque rear fin and elegant rearview mirrors.
We still don't know much more about what powers this Touring Superleggera coachbuilt showcar, as any powertrain specifics are conspicuous by their absence, but we'd welcome both a pure electric version and something powered by the BMW/Mini turbocharged three-cylinder currently making the rounds in the new Mini Cooper.
Last we heard in September, any decisions on a production future for the Superleggera Vision have been tabled, with word being that a further six months of study is planned before Mini decides to greenlight or nix the project. We'd love to tell you that the fact that it's here in Paris is a great sign, but we wouldn't believe us, either.