Tag Archives: MINI

VIDEO: Is the R50 MINI Cooper a Car Worth Investing In?

At the moment, you can get an R50 MINI Cooper for shockingly cheap, in the US. A few grand on the used market will find you a decent R50 with a manual transmission. You might not be able to get a Cooper S for that money and mileage may vary but, whichever model you get, you can still get an R50 for pretty cheap. Which is why Hagerty UK thinks they’re good cars to get into right now.

Admittedly, the R50 MINI Cooper isn’t likely to massively appreciate but it’s probably going to go up a bit over the next few years, which means right now is the cheapest you’ll be able to get one. The R50 is a bookend for the current MINI brand, as it was the first of its kind, when it debuted back in 2000.

It’s also a hilariously fun car to drive. With a compact footprint, buzzy engines, a manual transmission, and go-kart-like handling, the R50 MINI Cooper is almost impossible to not love. It’s also a relatively practical hatchback, with decent trunk space.

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Sure, R50 MINI Coopers were never considered reliable, so an older example with high mileage might need some work but parts are fairly easy to find and aren’t too expensive. Considering the low cost of the car itself, reliability doesn’t seem to be a major concern. If you get an R50 MINI, and put in the time and money to make it nice again, it could appreciate a bit in value over the next few years (again, though, not too much) and become a bit of a classic later on down the line.

No one is going to make a killing on the R50 MINI Cooper but it’s cheaper now than it’s ever going to be again and it’s a really fun little car to drive. If you want one, now’s the time to buy.

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MINI Anniversary Editions Celebrate 60 Years of Racing

The first Cooper-badged Mini to hit the track was in 1961, thanks to the collaboration with legendary racing driver and race car builder, John Cooper. Now, sixty years later, the MINI brand — now-owned by the BMW Group — is celebrating is sixty years of motorsport with a special edition model — the MINI Anniversary Edition.

The MINI Anniversary Edition will only come in John Cooper Works 2-Door configuration and will only get one spec. British Racing Green with white bonnet stripes and red accents is the only color-spec for the 60th year MINI, as that was the Cooper Car Company motif. It also gets Cooper Car Company logos on the door sills and side scuttles. Lastly, the number “74” is placed on the hood and doors, to pay homage to that original 1961 race car, which wore number 74.

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“The Cooper name shares a storied history with MINI, and this new Anniversary Edition reflects the Cooper performance heritage, offering a classic and sporty appearance,” said Patrick McKenna, Department Head of Marketing Product and Strategy, MINI USA. “John Cooper kicked off sixty years of performance innovation with the original Mini Cooper, and the Anniversary Edition honors the Cooper legacy that helped define MINI’s performance pedigree over the last six decades.”

Prices for the MINI Anniversary Edition start at $39,999, which comes with a panoramic sunroof, white roof, white mirror caps, and the upgraded infotainment system. Being a MINI JCW, it gets a 2.0 liter turbo-four, packing 228 horsepower. Being a JCW, it’s available with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. No ALL4 all-wheel drive for the MINI JCW.

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Considering the standard MINI JCW starts at $32,900, the Anniversary Edition is a bargain. Not only is it cheaper but it’s a special edition with some extra equipment. For any MINI fans that are into the history of the brand, this could be an excellent buy.

Video: MINI is offering you a new way of checking out Munich’s best spots

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MINI is, without a doubt, an urban brand. The original car was designed primarily for inner-city usage and, even though there’s SUV in its ranks today, it still has plenty of other options for those looking for a smaller car. And if you do choose a hardtop or a cabrio model to get around, especially in Munich, the people from MINI have prepared something special for you. They have created the Map of Big Love.

The map was done in collaboration with Google Maps and offers you interesting tips on where you should go, depending on what you feel like doing. From ‘Mood Boosters’ and ‘Conscious Living’ to the ‘City as Playground’ there are several different topics you can choose from. They have been curated by MINI Friends, people hand-picked by the company for their insight. For example, you could follow tennis pro Carina Witthoeft on her trail to the outdoor skate park at Hirschgarten or visit ‘Sugar Mountain’, a former factory site of a concrete plant in Obersendling.

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That is where artist Lakwena designed a beautiful, colorful tower in collaboration with MINI, as you can see in the video below. If you are interested in the stops of the British Designer Paul Smith, have a look at one of his favorite galleries, where you can get ‘brilliantly designed posters for the 1972 Olympic which are quite difficult to find.’ Of course you can also see the designers ‘one-off show car, the ‘MINI Strip’ at the MINI Pavilion, located in the city center of Munich.

“The digital experience points to the many sides of urban life. ‘The ‘Map of Big Love’ thrives on community exchange and the belief that looking at things from different perspectives leads to enrichment for everyone,” says Bernd Körber, Head of MINI. “Just as the MINI increases the fun of urban mobility on every trip, the new hub leads to precisely those destinations that make a city particularly lovable,” he added.

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London Electric Cars Offers Affordable Classic Mini Electric Conversion

I’m one of the few lucky people that have driven an electric classic Mini conversion. It was an absolute blast and, despite only being about 15 minutes long, one of the more memorable drives of my career. I still vividly remember driving the all-electric, but somehow four-speed manual, classic Mini through the extremely busy streets of Manhattan. What a blast. Thankfully, potential customers in the UK will be able to have that same experience for a surprisingly affordable price, thanks to London Electric Cars.

What LEC offers is a £25,000 electric conversion, excluding the cost of the actual Mini itself. So you have to source your own classic Mini and LEC will then convert the entire car over to an electric powertrain. For that £25,000 starting price, you get a very small 20 kWh battery pack and a 107 horsepower electric motor from a first-gen Nissan Leaf. I drove a gas-powered 1965 Mini Cooper S which had about 100 horsepower and it felt plenty peppy enough, so 107 horses of instant electric power will suit the classic Mini just fine. Though, the 60-70 miles of city range isn’t great. However, that’s mostly how such a car would be used anyway.

If you want a longer range, you can pay a bit extra for a 25 kWh battery (£27,000) or a 30 kWh battery (£30,000). LEC will even fit a 40 kWh battery but it’s a special order because the rear seats have to be removed, to fit the massive battery pack. It’s worth noting that the electric conversion Mini I drove had its rear seats replaced with batteries as well.

The batteries are also from old Nissan Leafs, and support Type 1 and Type 2 charging, as well as a home wallbox or three-pin plug. Using the latter (the slowest) and the car’s onboard 3kW charger, the entry-level LEC EV Mini can charge from flat to full in about six hours. However, hook it up to a 7kW charger and the time drops to three hours.

If you want extra power, you can get a second-gen Nissan Leaf motor, that bumps power to 148 horsepower but obviously at the expense of range. And money.

Considering most EV conversions are triple the price of even the bigger battery LEC Minis, this is a great value. Anyone with a ratty old classic Mini that doesn’t run or needs work could have this done and get themselves an incredible interesting and unique little car that I promise will be an absolute blast to drive. Dammit, now I want one.

[Source: Auto Express]

You can now add MINI Accessories to your electric Cooper SE

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MINI has announced today their new range of Genuine Accessories for the MINI Cooper SE. The electric vehicle from Oxford can now be equipped with a variety of accessories which build upon the versatility of the EV. For starters, MINI owners can add railing and roof rack systems which turn the electrified model into a versatile transport machine. The railing rack is available as a retrofit product enabling the MINI roof box to be locked in place comfortably and securely.

With a weight of 13 kilograms, it offers a capacity of 320 liters. This provides sufficient space for sports clothing, bicycle helmets or even camping and picnic equipment. Even skis can be stored in the roof box, which is around 1.90 meters long. The all-black box has embossed stripes and MINI lettering. It is lockable and can be opened on both sides.

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Furthermore, there is even room for a bicycle next to the roof box. With the touring bike holder, which is also available in the MINI Genuine Accessories range, two-wheelers of different types and sizes can be mounted upright and securely on the railing carrier. The holder made of high-strength aluminum fixes the bike with a lockable clamping system and two tension straps. In addition, the range includes other transport solutions such as ski racks and an aluminum luggage basket, which are also compatible with the railing carrier.

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MINI says that the Travel & Comfort System for the Cooper SE includes a basic carrier that can be firmly mounted between the headrest rails of the driver’s or front passenger’s seat. Various system attachments can be quickly and conveniently slipped on and snapped into place. For example, holders for tablets or hangers and universal hooks for bags can be securely attached to the backrests of the front seats.

In addition, a folding table that can be used as a work or storage surface can be attached to the basic support of the Travel & Comfort System. It can be adjusted in height and inclination as needed and is held securely on the backrest of the seat. Another clever detail of the folding table is the foldable cup holder. Of course, kids are not forgotten, so a universal holder for tablets with a screen diameter of between seven and eleven inches is offered as well.

To see more of these MINI Accessories, click the photo gallery below:

MINI JCW GP is one of the Road&Track Performance Cars of the year

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This year’s Performance Car of the Year award went to the bonkers Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, a monster on the track and a forgiving ride off it, according to the people over at Road&Track. And while BMW had the M8 running in this competition as well, the guys over at MINI must’ve been pretty excited to see their little bundle of joy competing with much faster and more expensive cars for the coveted title.

The MINI JCW GP has been praised a lot lately. It truly lives up to its name as it is quite poised and fun to throw around on the track. The engine might’ve been one of the least powerful here but considering how small the JCW GP is anyway, things evened out. The jury, deciding the winner of the award, agreed that this car was right up there when it came to the smiles/lbs ratio. According to Road & Track, the MINI feels like a “rowdy bulldog that needs you to take charge and actually control the torque steer.”

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And while the car was fun on the track, it was a bit of a letdown on public roads. The tests carried out to find out the Performance Car of the Year winner include a track section as well as a public road one and while the JCW GP is brilliant on track, the things that make the MINI great are also its worst features on daily commutes.

The aggressive setup that made it such a hoot on the track became a nightmare. Road&Track staff writer, Brian Silvestro summed it up: “Really isn’t pleasant to drive on the road. Extremely stiff setup plus short wheelbase make it very bouncy on any surface. And not having a manual is a letdown.” It’s something MINI should write down for the fourth generation of a MINI JCW GP model. You can read all about the car and its rivals here.

This 1967 Mini Cooper S Has Me Thinking Dirty Thoughts

It’s been over a year since I last drove a classic Mini through Monterey and it’s still seared into my brain. That little Mini earned a special place in my heart and I’ve wanted one ever since. Honestly, I can’t afford to buy a classic Mini, especially now that prices are going up, but I’ve kept my eye on classifieds since falling in love with that ’65 Cooper S last year. When this one popped up on Bring-a-Trailer, it genuinely made me happy but also a bit sad.

This specific 1967 Mini Cooper S is literally my perfect car. It’s from the era of classic Mini I love most (late ’60s), it’s the right color (red) and has the best interior (red and gray). It has the two-spoke, pencil-thin steering wheel I love, the simple, center-mounted gauges and none of the add-ons that came with later model cars. It’s literally my perfect Mini and almost exactly like the one I drove a year ago.

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There is a catch, though — it’s a nearly perfect, extremely low-mileage example. That might not sound like a catch for most humans but it is for me. See, I can only afford a slightly ratty one, one that I would need to work on a bit and bring back to life. This perfect one, with its perfect spec, is simply too far out of my price range.

It’s not all original, as it’s had its engine and transmission rebuilt, as well as a repaint, but it looks like it rolled off the showroom floor back in 1967 and its engine and transmission are both numbers-matching originals, just rebuilt. So it’s a stunning example and one that will fetch a very pretty penny.

At the time of writing this, there are still seven days left on the auction, so it hasn’t even been up for a full day yet, and it’s already at $26,000, far more than most classic Minis I see for sale. So I fully expect it to sell for an eye-watering number, one I can’t even imagine spending on a car.

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Which is what has me thinking dirty thoughts. Taking out a home equity loan, robbing a bank, coming up with a pyramid scheme, seducing Jeff Bezos — these options have run through my mind. So, please, someone buy this before I do something stupid. And then let me drive it. Please?

[Source: Bring-A-Trailer]

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SPIED: Get Up Close to the Second MINI John Cooper Works Facelift

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MINI JCW John Cooper Works International Orange Edition 6

MINI JCW John Cooper Works International Orange Edition 6

Yesterday, we saw some photos of what seemed to be a facelifted version of the MINI John Cooper Works. It was a bit baffling to us because the current MINI lineup has already had its LCI facelift, so it didn’t initially make sense that there’d be another. However, We also know that this current generation of MINI Cooper is going to stick around a bit longer than usual, so it’s going to need a bit of an update if it wants to stay competitive. In this new video, we get to see that very facelift, up close and personal.

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The car in this video is covered in heavy camouflage but it’s easily recognizable as a JCW and not just a standard Cooper. Its MINI John Cooper Works DNA shines through its sportier wheels and dual, center-mounted exhausts. The latter of which are dead giveaways. What’s interesting is that it also seems to have a large rear diffuser, seen through the camouflage here in this video.

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MINI JCW John Cooper Works International Orange Edition 4 830x554

Inside, we can see the new digital instrument panel, the same one you’ll find in the new all-electric MINI Cooper SE. That’s a welcome change. The old gauges looked cool, and they moved with the steering wheel which was fun, but they were cluttered and cramped and hard to read while driving quickly. And the whole point of buying a MINI is to drive quickly.

After the close ups, we get to watch the MINI JCW do some hot laps at the Nurburgring and it looks good. Though, it’s likely not any different, mechanically, than the current MINI John Cooper Works, so it probably takes to the ‘Ring in exactly the same manner as the car you can buy right now. Which is still probably very fun but nothing particularly surprising. Still, it’s nice to see a MINI getting updated, as it’s been awhile. Check it out.

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Video: Alfa Romeo 4C drag races MINI JCW Roadster

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MINI Convertible and MINI Roadster 13

MINI Convertible and MINI Roadster 13

Comparing an Alfa Romeo 4C to basically anything else on sale today is an unfair process. That’s because the Italians truly made a unique car, one that provides incredible performance in a compact package with a small engine. However, the video below pits the Alfa against another interesting car, one that is no longer in production, the MINI JCW Roadster.

The Roadster was taken out of the line-up a while back and the reason was pretty obvious: low sales. The Roadster was always a favorite of mine in the MINI range but I understand why it was discontinued. The more traditional Convertible model is a bit more practical and nearly as much fun, and it sold in higher numbers. In JCW guise you’d also get over 200 HP from its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine which was more than decent for such a small car.

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In the video below we get to see the Roadster JCW going up against the Alfa Romeo 4C in an old-school drag race. There’s a bit of a twist at play though. In drag racing, the big differentiator is the power to weight ratio. The MINI JCW Roadster uses a tuned engine in this video, one that was taken up to 270 HP, a noticeable increase over the stock numbers. At the same time, the Alfa was stock, meaning its 1.75-liter engine delivers 240 HP.

The Alfa is also lighter and rear-wheel drive and comes with an automatic gearbox, with launch control. The MINI is a manual and therefore, a lot will depend on the skills of the man behind the wheel. Luckily, he’s been driving the car for quite a long time and probably knows it really well. The video also includes a couple of launches from the Alfa without launch control. Let’s see what happened.

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VIDEO: See Why It’s Probably Unwise to Buy a Cheap MINI JCW GP

This new MINI John Cooper Works GP is an awesome looking thing and is said to be the most fun MINI in years. In fact, it’s probably the best driving little bulldog since the previous MINI JCW GP, which came out in 2013 and was a little riot of a car. Only 500 were brought to the ‘States, which makes it a rare car, too. So buying one would be awesome, right? Well, so long as you don’t buy this one.

In this new video from The Fast Lane Car, they show off the very cheap 2013 MINI JCW GP they bought for just under $14,000. Considering that nice condition examples go for more than double that price, it seems as if the guys from TFLC got a great deal. However,  upon closer inspect, you realize why it was so cheap and learn why you should never buy a cheap MINI JCW GP.

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Several of the body panels were heavily damaged but repaired with Bondo, rather than actually replaced or properly repaired. So it was like crashed and repaired on the cheap so as to not total it. Because of its shoddy front end repair, one of the headlight rings no longer fits properly and it’s currently held on with tape. All four of its very expensive wheels are curbed and its interior is falling apart.

Surprisingly, it’s actually decently mechanically sound. Even in as poor of condition as the body and interior of the car are, the old MINI JCW GP is still lovely to drive. It’s quick, ultra-direct, fun and exciting. Which is encouraging to see.

Admittedly, you’d almost want to trade some mechanical issues for body issues, as it’s not too difficult to replace many engine and suspension parts but finding and repairing body panels can be very difficult, especially on low-volume cars like the GP.

The team at TFLC is going to fix up the MINI JCW GP and also modify it to make it more exciting. We’re very interested to follow this project and see how it ends up.

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