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Mini Convertible will reportedly close its top for the final time in 2024

Mini will cancel the droptop version of the Hardtop after three generations, according to a recent report. The Convertible competes in a shrinking segment of the market, so it's one of the brand's slowest-selling nameplates. Production of the current-generation Convertible (pictured) is scheduled to end in February 2024, Automotive News learned from unnamed supplier sources, and the model will not spawn a direct replacement. Mini hasn't confirmed the report, but it's credible because the firm sold only 4,031 units of the Convertible in the United States, one of the largest droptop markets in the world, in 2019, a 25% drop compared to 2018. Global sales totaled 30,426 last year, the publication reported, a not-insignificant 14% drop compared to 2016's results. Motorists who want a convertible Mini may not be entirely out of luck. While it doesn't sound like the head-turning Superleggera Vision concept unveiled in 2014 will reach production, the BMW-owned brand hasn't given up on the idea of launching a standalone sports car that could arrive as a mid-engined roadster. It would likely be electric, like we previously reported, and it hasn't been approved for production yet. Mini has more pressing issues to deal with. Global sales fell by 4.1% in 2019 as motorists in all markets flock around crossovers. As a remedy, executives confirmed they've delayed the launch of the next-generation Hardtop, which will again wear a retro-inspired design but rely largely on technology to offer motorists a simpler, cleaner-looking interior. In the meantime, the company is reportedly developing a pair of crossovers that will allow it to plant a stake in key segments of the market. One, which could revive the Paceman name, will arrive as an electric model developed jointly with China-based Great Wall Motors and built locally. Possibly named Traveller, the second will be a more conventional SUV aimed largely at the American market and neatly positioned between BMW's X1 and X3 in terms of size. It will ride on the German firm's modular CLAR platform, which underpins cars like the 3 Series. Expanding the range while investing in new technologies, like electrification and autonomy, requires a huge amount of resources. In turn, these expenditures make the Convertible's business case even more challenging. If the report is accurate, the Convertible will stick around for about 3 1/2 more years, so it might receive a handful of updates before it closes its top for the final time.

Spectre Type 10 is a 230-hp, $180,000 mid-engined Mini restomod

Restomodded classic Minis are nothing new, right? A number of reworks swap the original 1.3-liter engine, Honda's VTEC K20 four-cylinder being such a popular replacement that Mini Mania makes a complete swap kit, but the 1.0-liter Ford EcoBoost gets love, too. Some mods replace the engine and move it behind the front seats, a popular option when using the four-cylinder from a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle. Some restomods don't do any of that, but just overhaul everything and charge a lot for it, like the David Brown Automotive Mini Remastered that costs around $100,000. As caught by Carscoops, Spectre Vehicle Design out of Vancouver, Canada has done all of the above with its Type 10 Mini restomod, raising the bar for conversions into another dimension. There will only be ten of the Launch Edition Type 10s, and about the only original part left from an original donor hatchback will be the bodyshell. These will be sourced in the same state as the buyer's residence in order to ease the process of vehicle registration. Into that bodyshell, the small Canadian team of enthusiasts has placed a Honda K20 mill with a Haltec engine management system behind the front seats. Shifted through a six-speed gearbox, we're told VTEC kicks in with 230 horsepower at the rear wheels, shunted through a limited-slip differential. In a vehicle reported to weigh 1,700 pounds wet, we're talking serious shove. Committed to keeping the Mini's ten-inch wheels, Spectre designed a new trailing arm suspension to make the package work. Those wheels are three-piece, six-inch-wide, CNC'd aluminum units with staggered offsets and directional spokes to usher hot air away from the four-piston disc brakes.  The cabin looks like a Japanese-infused Mid-Century modern living room, given a touch of carbon fiber and Monica Bellucci. Creative Director Marco Lii patterned the seating aesthetic off a genkan, the foyer area in a Japanese home where one removes ones shoes. The genkan floor is often recessed in relation to a home's main floor, and so it is here in the Type 10. There's a tatami-like mat on the cabin floor, the two interior seats placed on a dais a level above that. The copious light wood and leather interior with chrome accents is understated and gorgeous, everything so well integrated that it takes a moment to recognize the full-cabin roll cage wrapped in stitched leather. The padded center armrest on thin chromed legs looks like a piece in a high-end furniture store.

Mini Cooper SE ditches ‘Corona Spoke’ wheel name for obvious reasons

We’ve recently spent time in the all-electric 2020 Mini Cooper SE, and weÂ’ve found it to be plenty of fun. It packs all the Mini charm with none of the tailpipe emissions. Part of its quirky appeal is its styling, and the top Iconic trim has those funky 17-inch wheels that resemble a U.K. power outlet, ringed in a bright yellow circle. Those wheels, called “Corona Spoke,” are getting a name change. TheyÂ’re now called “Power Spoke.” As a Mini spokesperson told CarBuzz, “This was done to ensure Mini remains sensitive to all those experiencing the widespread impacts of Covid-19,” despite the naming coming long before the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, MiniÂ’s press release from last July applies the “Corona Spoke” name to the asymmetrical, “aerodynamically optimized” alloy wheels. The Monroney sticker for our recent tester also listed the "17" MINI E Corona Spoke 2-tone" wheels. The name change is a minor footnote in the saga of the coronavirus pandemic, but it's understandable. So with any handwringing over an unfortunate naming coincidence thwarted, we can get back to appreciating the electric Mini for the joy it is. We should note that in addition to being a fun little EV, we also discovered that the Mini SEÂ’s electric range is very conservative — we were able to handily best its 110-mile EPA rating. Related Video: