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Hands on with the 2016 Mini Clubman

When the original Mini Clubman debuted, it was marketed as a bigger, more versatile version of the popular Hardtop. But over the years, the British brand's lineup has grown both in terms of vehicle size and number of models on offer, leaving the original car's formula by the wayside. There are now two five-door models, in the form of the Countryman and Hardtop, both of which offer more versatility than the four-and-a-half-door Clubman ever could. For 2016, Mini has transformed the Clubman, making it once again the brand's most versatile model. To familiarize ourselves with the new six-door model – yes, there really are six doors – ahead of the car's official debut in Frankfurt next week, Mini USA's product planning manager, Patrick McKenna, walked us through both the interior and exterior changes for the brand's newest model. As McKenna tells it, the BMW-owned company has gone to great lengths to make the Clubman more than just a long-wheelbase car with barn doors. There are changes both inside and out that not only serve to better distinguish this new model from the brand's other five-doors, but from anything else in Mini's lineup. Check out our chat with McKenna at the top of the page, and stay tuned for more Clubman news next week.

2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP spied in clearest photos yet

We suspect we won't have long to wait until we see the new Mini John Cooper Works GP. Why? Well, it seems Mini isn't trying very hard to hide the car. One of our spy photographers caught a prototype testing at the Nurburgring, and the camouflage, while creatively using race track outlines for the pattern, was not particularly effective. As such, we get our best look at the super Mini, and it looks wild. Although they've been tucked closer to the body and shortened, the GP still sports some wild vented overfenders at each corner like the concept. We're very curious what kind of aerodynamic advantage they provide. The front fascia has been toned down substantially and is fitted with much shorter spoilers, but what's left still blends into the front fenders. The rear fascia is similarly toned down with a far less extreme diffuser. But the rear wing is still over the top. It's arguably more interesting than the concept's since the wing is split in the middle. It also has a big "GP" embossed on each side of the wing. Since the Mini John Cooper Works GP Concept made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, a production version's reveal at this year's Frankfurt show would be fitting. And considering how close to finished this prototype appears to be, plus Mini's announcement that it will go into production in 2020, a reveal in the early fall seems quite reasonable. It should be a monster of a hatchback, too, since Mini says it will have over 300 horsepower, challenging the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS.

New Mini Countryman shows its big bones

The latest crop of Mini models are larger than their predecessors, and these spy shots let us check out the upcoming Countryman, which could be the biggest vehicle from the diminutively named brand yet. This test car drops some camouflage from the previously spied examples, which gives us a much better look at the new design. Up front, the swirling camo panels do nothing to hide the Countryman's broad, mesh grille, and you can easily make out the shape of the oval headlights. These shots offer a clear look at the lower air dam, with round foglights flanking the central intake. At the rear, the Countryman gets Mini's traditional big taillights, and the exhausts poke out from each corner of the bumper. The next-generation Countryman grows longer and wider to increase interior volume, but the crossover rides on BMW's UKL platform like the rest of Mini's latest vehicles. We also anticipate it to share the same choices of three- and four-cylinder turbocharged engines. Like the recently revealed Clubman All4, expect all-wheel drive as an additional option. After the launch of the standard version, which could happen at the Paris Motor Show in October, the brand likely plans to fill out the Countryman range with a performance-oriented John Cooper Works variant and a greener plug-in hybrid model.