We Finance 06 Mini Cooper S Supercharged Pano Sunroof Prempkg Htdsts Warranty Cd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini lifts veil on refreshed Countryman in New York

When Mini introduced the Countryman in 2010, it emerged as the brand's first crossover, its first five-door model and its first to offer all-wheel drive. It also arrived mid-lifecycle in the last generation of Mini Cooper hatchback, with which it shares little more than a passing family resemblance. Now that the Anglo-Saxon automaker is moving on to its third generation of retro hatch, it's given the Countryman a bit of a refresh to keep it current.
Unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, the new Countryman incorporates some very minor cosmetic tweaks to the exterior - so minor, in fact, that you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other even if viewed side by side. Some subtle enhancements have been implemented to the interior as well, where the large central speedometer remains where it was in the middle of the dashboard (unlike the new Cooper hatch that moves it to where you'd normally find the instrument cluster, behind the steering wheel). The rear seats, however, offer more adjustability.
Mini will offer the new Countryman worldwide in an array of powertrain configurations, ranging from the bare-bones Mini One Countryman with a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four offering just 98 horsepower all the way up to the twin-turbo John Cooper Works with 218 hp - North American customers will get the latter, but not the former. The mid-range Cooper S has been enhanced by seven horses to deliver 190 hp, while overseas-only diesel models range from 90 hp to 143. Buyers will be able to choose between a six-speed manual or automatic and front-or all-wheel drive. There are also some new colors on offer and a host of optional equipment, all of which you can read about in the press release below.

Mini reveals new John Cooper Works concept ahead of Detroit

BMW effectively hit the reset button when it unveiled the new Mini at the LA Auto Show last month, opening the door to a whole raft of new variants to follow - and this is the first.
Set to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next month is the new Mini John Cooper Works Concept, a show car that previews the next hot hatch from the Anglo-Saxon automaker. Mini isn't saying much about what makes it tick, focusing instead of the design that sets it apart from the standard version we've already seen.
This JCW concept features a lustrous grey paintjob with bright red accents, 18-inch alloys and an upgraded aero kit, all aimed at making the Mini look that much sportier. It's got bigger air intakes where the fog lights would be, LED headlamps, a black grille frame, side skirts, a rear bumper with diffuser insert and a roof-mounted spoiler.

Mini getting serious with next Countryman SUV

With the core Hardtop and new Clubman already revealed, Mini is moving along with its plans to expand its model lineup around five "hero" models. Next down the pipeline will likely be the new Countryman, which Autocar projects will be larger and more rugged than the existing model. According to the British publication, the new Mini Countryman is set to take more of a proper SUV approach than the outgoing crossover. That means an even larger form, and more serious off-road chops to better take advantage of the connection with the X-Raid rally machine that has been dominating Dakar for the past four years. It's expected to be based on the same UKL front-drive architecture as the Hardtop, Clubman, and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, and offer the latter's all-wheel-drive system as well. Those underpinnings would still make it a crossover, strictly speaking, but with a more rugged approach. It could also emerge a good half-foot longer than the model it will replace, over a third of an inch wider, and offer considerably more cargo space. Although the existing Countryman was derided by many as a step too far for the Mini brand, it ended up accounting for a substantial share of the company's sales – making its replacement a no-brainer for the BMW Group. That's more than could be said for the quirky Paceman crossover coupe, which is not expected to follow this time around, however a slant-backed Countryman variant could be in the cards. The next question is what Mini might do next. Of the five core models it's anticipated to launch, the Countryman would be the third. The Superleggera roadster, a smaller hatchback like the Rocketman concept, and a larger minivan potentially to be dubbed the Traveller have all been rumored. Of course, whatever goes into production could be something else entirely. We'll just have to wait and see. Related Video: