2015 Mini Cooper 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

The Mini Clubman club is too small, so it's reportedly on the chopping block

The Mini Clubman, the company’s wagon-ish entry into a range that includes two-door versions, four-doors, convertibles and small SUVs, is reportedly about to get its club membership revoked. Some published reports say that the cult favorite, which has seen its sales drops to less than 2,500 units last year, will be discontinued in just about a year, likely with a special last edition. A spokesman for Mini USA did not confirm or deny the report, but in an email said that it was “speculative.” Clubman sales have been on the decline since the model's peak in 2016, when the second generation was introduced. The first-generation Clubman stood out from the pack with its suicide rear doors and barn doors instead of a traditional hatch; it later matured into a more conventional shape. The larger, more utilitarian Countryman bit into sales of the Clubman, and now a larger version of that SUV is in the works. Mini has also shown its Aceman concept, an electric crossover that could eventually join the brand's lineup slotted between the Cooper and the Countryman. Earlier this month, the company, which is part of BMW, detailed that some Hardtop and Convertible models can be ordered with stick shifts going forward. There was no mention of the Clubman. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Upcoming Mini 5-door hatch spied in the snow

We are about to get a flood of new Mini models now that the new 2014 model is officially out. In just the past few months, we've seen spy shots of the next-generation John Cooper Works and so-called Traveler crossover, and here we have the upcoming five-door hatchback in Cooper S form, a model that, like the Traveler, is expected to effectively obviate the need for the slow-selling Clubman.
Mini is not exactly hiding that this is a new five-door model, even with its camouflage - the rear door line and handle are clear as day. Also, compared to the three-door Cooper Hardtop, there appears to be an added pillar and additional length at the rear. The hatch also appears to be mounted at a steeper angle than the standard Mini. Also, you have to admit that the Mickey-Mouse-ear fog lights are cute, even if Mini would never actually sell it that way.
Expect to see even more variants soon, if BMW and Mini want to reach their goal of selling over a million front-wheel drive vehicles - an earlier report indicated there could be as many as 23 front-wheel drive cars from the brands in the coming years.