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Mini pokes fun at Anthony Weiner using fake Twitter account

Mini, never one to pass on a marketing opportunity, has pounced on the plight of embattled New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, who seems to have an issue with sending pictures of his genitals to young women. Observers will notice that this is the second time the unfortunately named Mr. Weiner has been in the spotlight for his picture messages.
Capitalizing on Weiner's alias, Carlos Danger, Mini has created an account on Twitter - @CarlosDMotor. With a note on the profile page listing "Danger" as the account's middle name, it's sent out just one tweet, containing the message, "Wanna get your hands on my stick?" Attached to the Tweet is a scantily clad Mini Cooper S, with a towel around its "waist" snapping a picture. Too soon? To borrow the brilliant pun from AdWeek, the "auto erotica" was the idea of Mini's marketing agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. Click below for the full tweet.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

2024 Mini Countryman SE caught undisguised in spy photos

Mini’s security for its photo shoots of new vehicles is, in a word, poor. One of our spy shooters just caught the all-new Mini Countryman SE completely undisguised on what looks to be a shoot somewhere in Los Angeles. It was only a short time ago that the new Mini Cooper SE was caught in a similar manner, no camouflage to be seen whatsoever. ItÂ’s almost too coincidental to be true, frankly. Is Mini trying to drum up hype by “leaking” the designs before weÂ’re supposed to see them? Or is this just a factor of poor security as we originally surmised? Regardless, these photos mean that we get to see the bigger, new electric Countryman SE in all its glory ahead of the official reveal. The Countryman was never a small Mini, but it sure does appear to be getting bigger with this generation. Its windshield and rear window are more raked than before, but itÂ’s still retaining the boxy look weÂ’re accustomed to. Its front end features some bold, new headlights, and its grille wears the green “S” logo that the Mini SE also wears. The wheels, while not as wild-looking as the current Cooper SE, still feature some rather distinctive blade-like spokes that match much of the carÂ’s decorative trim. A silver blade with “ALL4” written on it sits in the window between the C and D pillars, and it cuts into the roof, accentuating the step down in the roof as it arcs rearward. A long spoiler hangs off the rear, and the hatch has a slab-sided appearance to it. The rear taillights are unique and stand vertically on the wraparound rear fenders. “Countryman” is spelled out in large letters, and since this is an EV, thereÂ’s no exhaust poking out the rear end. Other small touches weÂ’ll point out include the patterned fender cladding that adds some styling in a place that usually doesnÂ’t have much. ItÂ’s also sporting new door handles that sit flush with the doors as opposed to handles that poke out, similar to new BMW models and the Cooper SE spied a couple of weeks ago. Mini has already released a few powertrain specs, and since we know this car pictured is an ALL4 model, we already know itÂ’s sporting a dual-motor setup rated for 313 combined horsepower. Range is said to be about 280 miles on the WLTP cycle, but that will be less in EPA testing. A lower-power, single-motor FWD model called the Countryman E will also be available with 191 horsepower.