S Sport Technology Pkgs Automatic Navigation Warranty on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini Countryman X-Raid gets some off-road chops courtesy of the Dakar team

Mini trades on its heritage quite a bit, particularly when it comes to racing. But one aspect of its motorsports history has been difficult to capitalize on: Dakar off-road racing. That's understandable, considering the disparity between Mini's road-going cars and the Mini-branded trucks built by X-Raid that do the racing. X-Raid itself seems to have figured out how to bridge that gap with its own set of upgrades for the Mini Countryman. X-Raid's example for its off-road upgrades is a Mini Cooper S Countryman All4, though we would expect the various parts could just as easily be fitted to other Countryman variants such as the base 134-horsepower Cooper Countryman. The S makes more sense for a racing company what with its 189-horepower turbocharged four-cylinder and the All4 offers off-road friendly all-wheel drive. Though Mini doesn't go into specifics about the suspension and chassis upgrades, we know that there is some level of suspension lift, as well as 28-inch all-terrain tires mounted on what appear to be 17-inch beadlock wheels. These modifications give the Mini Cooper S Countryman Powered by X-Raid (yes, that's the actual full name of the car) an extra 1.6 inch of ground clearance. As with the parts list, Mini and X-Raid haven't given precise pricing or availability for the parts. X-Raid is a German company, and we suspect it's only planning on selling the parts in Europe, but we wouldn't be surprised if there were a way to have them ship to the U.S. If you're interested in getting your own, Mini says to contact X-Raid directly for more details, and you can find their contact info at their official site, linked here. Related Video:

Mini marks International Women's Day with Pat Moss Edition

Mini is celebrating International Women's Day with a new Pat Moss Edition package for the 2023 Mini Cooper. Moss was the first driver to win an international rally behind the wheel of a car wearing the Mini badge when she took first place in the Tulip Rally — from Noordwijk in the Netherlands to the French Riviera and back again — in 1962.  "This special edition not only commemorates the launch of MINIÂ’s extraordinary sporting career, but it also marks a pioneering achievement for women in motorsports," Mini said in its announcement. "Success in the Netherlands turned the classic Mini, Pat Moss and her co-driver Ann Wisdom into enduring heroines in a discipline otherwise dominated by both significantly larger vehicles, and male driving teams." Moss was the sister of Stirling Moss; she died in 2008. This appearance package includes Pat Moss signature decals on the front bumper (where Moss originally signed the car after one of its rally victories) and dash, stylized tulips integrated into the side markers, sill plates, steering wheel and wheel center caps, a fender decal detailing the Tulip Rally course and a decal on the hood commemorating the original rally victor's registration number.  To the left of the wheel, there's another decal on the dash which might at first appear to be a stylized picket fence, but it's actually meant to look like pistons moving up and down, arranged to look like the letters "M" and "W" for "Moss" and "Wisdom."  Globally, Mini will offer the Pat Moss Edition on the Cooper S Hardtop 2-door, a Cooper S Hardtop 4-door, and a John Cooper Works Hardtop, but only the JCW will be an option for U.S. customers. Pricing will be available closer to launch, we're told, but the Pat Moss edition is limited to just 800 units worldwide and given that it's based on the JCW's existing Iconic trim, which starts at about $40,000, it won't be cheap.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Car Club USA: Minis On Top

Car Club USA heads to New Hampshire for Minis On Top, an annual Mini owner event at the base of Mt. Washington. Owners meet, greet, and compete for best of show honors, and then make the thrilling ascent to the top of Mt. Washington. "You get about halfway up the mountain and all the sudden you can't see," remarks one driver of the sometimes treacherous conditions. Events like Minis On Top have been bringing together this tight-knit automotive community for years. "When I bought it, I really... didn't know it was a car that came with friends," said Eric Ruiz, one of the event coordinators. "I have no idea where my life would be had I not bought that Mini off the dealership floor," said Emily Martian, who struck up a long-distance relationship with fellow Mini driver Steve Nikitopoulos at another owner event. "So, yes, technically Minis brought us together." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. MINI Driving Ownership Car Club USA Videos Original Video