2012 Mini Cooper S Convertible on 2040-cars

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Cars selling highest above MSRP and lowest below MSRP

Automakers have returned to offering incentives and promoting new vehicles after a few years of tight inventory and elevated prices. Despite that, prices are still higher than they should be, as a new iSeeCars study found that the average new car is priced above MSRP, though they’re slightly less painful than they were a year ago. iSeeCars found that the average new car price has been marked up to 7.2 percent above MSRP, down from 8.9 percent a year ago. Interestingly, the five most overpriced cars came from two premium brands, while four of the five priced the lowest below MSRP were EVs. New cars selling highest above MSRP Mini Hardtop: 25.5% above MSRP Porsche Taycan Sedan: 23.1% Porsche Cayenne: 21.9% Porsche Macan: 21.3% Porsche Taycan Wagon: 20.9% Cadillac CT5-V: 20% Porsche 718 Boxster: 19.9% Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid: 19.4% BMW X3 M: 19.4% Cadillac CT4-V: 19.3% Porsche, Mini, and Genesis were the three most overpriced brands overall, with Buick, Acura, and Infiniti landing as the lowest-priced brands. Electric vehicles dominated the list of the 10 most-discounted vehicles: New cars selling lowest below MSRP Hyundai Kona Electric: -4.6% VW ID.4: -3.6% Ford F-150 Hybrid: -3.3% Kia EV6: -2.5% Hyundai Ioniq 6: -2.4% Nissan Maxima: -2.2% Chrysler Pacifica PHEV: -2% Nissan Ariya: -1.9% Hyundai Ioniq 5: -1.9% VW Arteon: -1.8% Those numbers align with what we saw in the market last year, as EV sales grew, but far slower than many had hoped. iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said. (For a sense of that, you can look back at our coverage of most marked-up cars and most discounted cars from 2023.) “The market appears to have reached a saturation point for electric vehicles," Brauer said, "with both prices and sales struggling compared to a year ago. The high cost of full-size trucks and SUVs, along with the cost of fueling them in the face of inflation and reduced consumer spending power, has dampened demand for these notoriously pricey vehicles.”

Mini Countryman Rooftop Tent | Autoblog Minute

Never sleep on the ground again when you camp with your Mini Countryman. A new tent from the Italian maker Autohome has teamed up with Mini to create a custom rooftop tent. Mattress Included. MINI Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

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.