2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible - Immaculate, 6 Speed Manual, Rebuilt Title Look on 2040-cars

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Car designer Frank Stephenson wants to show you something ... smaller

Influential car designer Frank Stephenson has often thought small. Now he’s thinking smaller. Throughout the past three decades, he has shaped — literally — some of the most indelible designs in automotive history: the modern Mini, the Ferrari FXX track star, the Maserati Gran Sport, a range of stunning McLarens and down to the funky 21st-century version of the Fiat 500. Now heÂ’s turned his pen to fashioning watches. His Cosmos analog piece, made to mirror “a black hole in space” and detailed “with an orange pinstripe which simulates the supernova glow of a neutron star,” features a Japan-built quartz movement and was created in concert with the Time Concepts company. “ItÂ’s the age-old adage ‘car people are watch people,Â’ so it was a natural step for me to get creative with timepieces too,” Stephenson said in a statement. “The collection showcases the love I have for exceptional and emotionally charged design, just like what is required in designing world class cars.” While Stephenson, who is 64, may be best known publicly for his vision of “affordable style” with the Mini and the Fiat, his ethos also translated to the utilitarian. In the case of BMW in the mid-1990s, the company was hustling to market an SUV, and turned to him for inspiration. His team had six months to complete the project. The result was the high-end X5, which Stephenson sketched during a two-hour flight. In 2018, Stephenson established the independent design company, Frank Stephenson Design, based in London. Related video: Design/Style BMW Ferrari Fiat Maserati McLaren MINI Gadgets watch frank stephenson

Oscar Mayer plumps up Wienerfleet with Wienermini, Wiener Rover, Wienercycle and Wienerdrone

Contrary to popular belief and the song that's now going to be stuck in your head the rest of the day (you're welcome), not everyone loves an Oscar Mayer wiener. But everyone, bar none, loves the Wienermobile. And that's why we're so happy to see that Oscar Mayer has expanded its fleet of wiener-inspired vehicles to include a downsized wiener car, a scooting wiener, a radio-controlled wiener, and, perhaps most inspiring of all, a wienerdrone. Can a wiener-shaped Power Wheels be far behind? Before we get to the hovering coup de grace, let's dissect the other wieners on wheels. The Wienermini, quite obviously, is built atop the chassis of a Mini Cooper. It can surely go places the larger OG-Wienermobile simply can't due to its massive dimensions. Then there's the Wiener Rover, which, despite its name, was not built to introduce Martians to the joys of processed meats. The third new wiener is a Vespa in orange and yellow with a wiener-shaped sidecar. Here's hoping those wieners don't stink of two-stroke. And finally there's the Wienerdrone. In retrospect, it's amazing that it has taken this long for someone to invent the world's most perfect hot dog delivery system. We imagine hundreds of these wiener-shaped copters autonomously delivering wieners at sporting events all across the country. Make it so, Oscar Mayer. Only then will everyone truly love an Oscar Mayer wiener. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2025 Mini Cooper and Cooper S hit the gas, raise the price

Mini's "Power of Choice" smorgasbord — its mix of gas, diesel, PHEV, and battery-electric powertrains — grows with these, the gas-powered 2025 Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. For the U.S. market S trim, we'll get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, able to get the hotter hatch from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.3 seconds. These numbers represent improvements of 21 hp and 15 lb-ft over today's Cooper S, and a 60-mph sprint that's 0.1 second faster. Mini's refusing to share output figures for the standard Cooper that will use the same engine with lower gumption, preferring to wait until closer to launch. Other markets will slot a base turbocharged three-cylinder engine into the lineup, that mill making 154 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The current turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder in the base U.S.-market Mini makes 134 hp and 162 lb-ft, so buyers are in for improvements no matter what market they're in and which engines they get. Outside of powertrain, the primary points line up with what we saw on the 2025 Mini Cooper E and SE, albeit with a touch more ornamentation because this hatch doesn't pray to the god of ultimate aero. That's how you get tweaks like curved door handles, a hem of black cladding that trims the wheel arches, and more texture applied to the rear bumper insert. The LED headlights and LED matrix taillights feature three customizable signatures called Classic, Favoured, and JCW, so you can choose your own adventure for your carÂ’s outward appearance and welcome illumination. Those are the three theme names for configuration, too. There will be three available roof colors, the Favoured theme adding the option of a multi-hued roof with a three-color gradient. Down low, Mini plans to offer 17- and 18-inch aero wheels in the U.S. Our 16-inch wheels, like the three-cylinder, won't make it to the new model year, although other markets will get them. The cabin in the photo car possesses a little less razzle dazzle than the bright or patterned multi-tone textures seen in other reveal models. That can be addressed in the configurator with colors or with the optional Mini Experience Modes. The Modes use two projector units in the cabin ceiling to flash designs onto the instrument panel, as seen here. Relocating the gear selector to a steering column stalk has opened up space for the Wireless Charging Shelf 2.0 for smartphone charging.