Minis deliver fun on a sliding scale. Lower budget? The Cooper’s a gas. Got more dough to play with? Buy a Cooper S, and wait for the turbo to paint a grin on your mug. Then there’s the John Cooper Works cars, which pack the strongest performance punch along with an assortment of visual tweaks that let the informed know you’re rolling in Mini’s range-topper. Now, word comes down that well-to-do Miniphiles in the land Down Under can now add the John Cooper Works Challenge Edition package to any JCW ride - Cooper, Clubman, or Convertible.

The look basically apes that of the Mini Challenge racers, as the package raids the accessory catalog to include the areo kit, rear wing, aluminum strut tower brace, and a variety of Alcantara-shod interior trim bits. Oh yeah, buyers also get the requisite “CHALLENGE EDITION” badging to let everyone know they dropped an additional $2,500 AUD (approx. $2,246 USD) on top of of their JCW car’s MSRP. That’s a discount over what the additional parts would cost if added in the usual, sticker-price-exploding a la carte manner, though, according to Mini. The JCW Challenge package is a limited-run deal and is exclusive to Australia. Mini’s PR is pasted after the jump and high-res images are ready to be ogled in the gallery below.

PRESS RELEASE

MINI JCW Dressed for the Challenge

More performance. More customisation. More MINI. Introducing the new and exclusive race-inspired MINI John Cooper Works Challenge Edition – bringing the MINI John Cooper Works even closer to the track.

In recognition of the pure pedigree that underpins MINI, the release of the MINI John Cooper Challenge Edition draws John Cooper Works even closer to the MINI CHALLENGE race car, both in its appearance and performance.

The MINI John Cooper Works Challenge Edition is powered by the same powerplant as the MINI CHALLENGE race cars; delivering 155kW from a twin-scroll turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. Developing a maximum of 260 Nm of torque (280 Nm torque available during Overboost) the MINI John Cooper works propels from 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds.

Exclusive to the Australian market, the John Cooper Works Challenge Edition includes the following features over the already highly optioned MINI John Cooper Works model: John Cooper Works aerodynamics package consisting of front, rear and side aprons, John Cooper Works Carbon spoiler, John Cooper Works Aluminium cross brace, John Cooper Works Alcantara and Carbon steering wheel, John Cooper Works Carbon gearshift knob with Alcantara shroud, John Cooper Works Carbon handbrake lever with Alcantara surround and unique Challenge Edition badging.

The Challenge Edition is available with all new MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop, Clubman or Cabrio models. Representing over $7,000 worth of value, the Challenge Edition is available for a strictly limited time as a $2,500 option.

A testament to the strength and success of the MINI Challenge race series, last year the sales of MINI John Cooper Works reach unprecedented heights, accounting for 26 percent of MINI Cooper S Hardtop sales and 10 per cent of the entire model range.

The 2010 MINI Challenge season kicks off in March with the categories debut at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

[Source:Autoblog]

The roof, too. That’s right folks, Mini rolled out a concept of a concept. The Beachcomber (see above) is based on the Mini Crossover. However, the Crossover is no longer just a concept, as it will be making its way to production soon. And it’s not alone, as Mini has also green lit the Coupe and Roadster. All three will be produced at Mini’s Oxford, UK plant.

Speaking of Mini, their sales were down six percent last year. Or should we say only six percent, as 2009 basically sucked as far as car sales go. In the U.S., however, Mini sales were down 16 percent, but the segment (small premium cars) was off a disheartening 40 percent. Nevertheless, the U.S. remains Mini’s largest market with currently 90 dealers and the brand is looking to increase that number with an additional 17 dealers over the next 18 months.

As far as this here Beachcomber Concept goes, let’s just say there’s an emphasis on concept. While it does in some ways evoke the original Mini Moke – especially the slotted grille – the Beachcomber has as much a chance at seeing production as a Lamborghini subcompact. Maybe less. That said, the Beachcomber does feature all-wheel drive. And if there’s anything we like more than suicide doors, it’s no doors at all. No top either for that matter. What if you should get caught in a freak Malibu hailstorm? Mini says a soft roof and lightweight doors are included. So there you go.

[Source:Autoblog]

The Mini Coupe and Roadster concepts have been making their way around the auto show circuit since Frankfurt in September, and when we saw the two vehicles at the LA Auto Show we got the impression that the high end micros were near production ready. If a story from MotoringFile is to be believed, the next two Mini variants could be even closer to production than we thought.

The Mini-obsessed site is claiming that its sources tell them that engineering for the the Coupe and Roadster is well under way. Further, the final model could hit the assembly plant in Oxford by next June with full production commencing in October. If that time line holds true, the first Mini two doors could be hitting dealer showrooms in Europe by early 2011 at the latest, with models crossing the Atlantic soon after.

[Source:MotoringFile]

Spy shooters posted outside Mini’s testing facility in Germany snagged a duo of prototypes heading out for testing, but something seemed amiss. Both models — a standard Cooper and a mildly camo’d Clubman — sported the tell-tale exterior elements found on the S versions, specifically a central-mounted dual exhaust on the Cooper and the twin-tips and hood scoop on the Clubman. However, the exhaust note was decidedly diesel, causing us to wonder: Is Mini working on hotted-up S versions of its oil-burners?

If they are — and we’re not convinced either way — then a Cooper S and Clubman S diesel would need to not only benefit from a few design tweaks and an uprated suspension, but also a boost in performance. Considering that the standard Mini D puts out around 90 horsepower and the Cooper D boasts another 20 bhp, then these S-ified models could be packing upwards of 140 to 150 hp and, more importantly, over 200 lb.-ft. of torque from their 1.6-liter turbodiesels. If they do make it to dealers, we’d expect them to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with sales beginning in Eu

[Source:Autoblog]

To go along with the Mini 50 Camden and Mini 50 Mayfair, spotted at the Mini United gathering this weekend was a British Racing Green treat: the Mini JCW World Championship 50. The 50th anniversary JCW special gets an exclusive non-metallic BRG finish, Pepper White roof and stripes, JCW aero kit, cross-spoke Challenge alloy wheels in jet black, carbon black leather seats with red piping, and Alcantara JCW steering wheel, and a sport suspension along with carbon fiber bits and identifying plaques throughout.

There are no engine mods, so you can probably expect the same 208 hp in the current JCW coupe. But the exclusivity is going to cost you. According to MotoringFile’s sources there will only be 250 examples produced, with the price in Europe reported to be €40,000. A U.S. allotment is still undeclared.

[Source:Autoblog]

According to BMW, the reception to its MINI Crossover Concept from the Paris Motor Show was so positive that the automaker approved the project for production in 2011 just four weeks after it debuted. The production version of the jacked-up MINI CUV is slated to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, which is right on schedule with earlier projections. Don’t expect to see the concept’s trick rear doors or the side-hinged driver’s side portal on the production model, which will instead rely on four normal front-hinged openings and a standard tailgate. Also on the menu is an optional four-wheel drive system complete with low range when drivers want to tackle the Rubicon, which is, of course, never.

According to sources at MINI, the car will retain the brand’s trademark kart-like handling, in spite of the ample ground clearance and meaty rolling stock that will be required on a vehicle with off-road intensions. In any case, the biggest MINI won’t come cheap. Expect the 2011 MINI Crossover to pick up where the current range lets off, with a base price of around $29K. MINI also promises a full range of available options, so consider that figure nothing more than a vague starting point for the customizers among us.

[Source:Autoblog]

Is the new MINI E sold out? If by “rented through,” yes, it looks like you may have missed your opportunity to be a beta tester for BMW’s new electric Cooper.

BMW is leasing around 500 of the diminutive hatchbacks at a cost of $850-a-month (including insurance) for one year in the New York/New Jersey metro area as well as Southern California, and according to a new Bloomberg News story, applicants for the program have outnumbered the cars by more than a 4-to-1 ratio, though there is always the possibility that not all of the cars have been doled out yet.

If you’re still pondering how you might be able to muscle your way to the front of the queue, be prepared for some changes from your everyday motoring routine. For one, the MINI E’s range is limited to 120 miles, at which point you’ll have to plug the car into the 220-volt outlet you’ve had installed in your garage. If you’re stuck away from home, you can plug the MINI E into a 110-volt wall outlet, but be prepared to wait-a charge takes about 26 hours (versus around three for the 220-volt outlet). Beyond that, expect for MINI to require you to keep track of your driving experience with a diary and various online surveys.

Despite all of the various hoops to jump through, we’re not at all surprised to learn that the opportunity to noiselessly motor about in a zero-emissions Cooper has charmed more than 2000 lease applicants. Given the brand’s fanatical (and generally well-heeled) following, we’re almost surprised that the number isn’t higher. So don’t feel bad if you applied for a MINI E of your very own, only to get turned down. Besides, there’s always the PML MINI QED…

[Source:Autoblog]

Well, here’s one car we’ll all be able to cover in Detroit come January. BMW has officially announced that the second-generation MINI Cabrio will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show. Germans needn’t wait that long to place orders; that they can do now. The Cooper ragtop is priced at €22,500 while the Cooper S convertible costs €4,000 more. Customer delivery of the German cars kicks off on March 28.

So, what’s new? Well, for one, the new Cabrio looks like the current-gen Cooper. Likewise, it shares the hardtop cars’ 1.6L engines — 120 hp NA for the Cooper, and 160 hp turbo for the Cooper S. The Euro-market cars get BMW Efficient Dynamics features including brake regeneration and stop/start. Out back, the fold-down tailgate’s hinges are now internal, giving the car’s tush a smoother look. The fixed roll hoops of the current car have been replaced by a pop-up system behind the back seat. This makes for a good-looking, clean top-down profile and should improve rearward visibility for the driver. Speaking of the top, it can be operated at speeds up to 9 mph or so. The sliding sunroof feature can be utilized at even higher speeds — up to 60 mph or so. Stability control is standard equipment.

Inside, the current MINI instrument panel is employed, and drivers with a hankering for extraneous gimmickery can order up the Always-Open timer, a secondary gauge that mounts next to the tach.

[Source:Autoblog]

European MINI dealers are being asked to distinguish their stores from the BMW brand by creating a separate showroom for sell the British/Bavarian small-car. This entails new main entrances, and dedicated reception and service desks. While most of the dealers in the United States currently operate in this manner, most European retailers still share space with BMW. If dealers don’t move enough volume to justify the investment, they will be dropped. In 2007, there were about 750 MINI retailers in Europe. That number is expected to fall to about 650 by the end of this year (worldwide, MINI has about 1,500 dealers in 70 countries). Unlike nearly all other automakers who are experiencing a sales slump, MINI’s global sales are reportedly up more than 12 percent for the first nine months of 2008 — no doubt credited to their diminutive size and fuel efficient engines.

[Source:Autoblog]

The perpetual motion machine that is 1960s pop culture will once again reminisce about its faded relevance by rehashing something a Baby Boomer did back before they all became cokehead yuppies driving E30s. This time, the victim is an R56 MINI. Alan Aldridge, an artist and designer responsible for album art for some of the biggest names in the 1960s and 70s, in addition to illustrating children’s books and serving as Art Director for Penguin Books, has whipped up a recreation of a project originally done in 1965 for a magazine cover. A MINI has been divided down the middle and painted with a male theme on one side and a female theme on the other. This retreading of past work is to kick off a retrospective display of Aldridge’s work called The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes, and MINI’s 50th birthday conveniently arrives in 2009, as well. Overall, artwork that appeals to hippies isn’t really our thing, but at least it’s for a retrospective, rather than just a man running out of original ideas. Press release after the jump.

[Source: MINI]

MINI Aldridge Special makes public debut at Design Museum

A unique MINI featuring a visually stunning exterior designed by legendary artist, illustrator and graphic designer Alan Aldridge, is now on show at the Design Museum in London. The MINI Aldridge Special is an exhibit in a retrospective display of Alan’s work, entitled ‘The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes’.

Alan Aldridge is known primarily for his creative work throughout the 1960s and 70s. Dubbed ‘The Graphic Entertainer’, Aldridge illustrated lyric books for the Beatles, album covers for The Rolling Stones, The Who and Elton John, was Art Director for Penguin Books and illustrated much-loved children’s books such as ‘The Butterfly Ball’.

Now working in Los Angeles, Alan Aldridge was keen to mark the opening of his exhibition by recreating an iconic cover of the Sunday Times Magazine, which in 1965 featured a classic Mini painted in his own, inimitable style. The updated interpretation of this image, using a new MINI One as the canvas for Alan’s design, featured in the 12 October 2008 edition of the publication, again, warranting front cover status.

The MINI Aldridge Special is adorned with an array of images, shapes and patterns, each reflecting either a male or female theme, just as the 1965 car did. The design theme is split between each side of the car, the driver side being largely set on a blue background and masculine in appearance, with passenger near side artistry backed on pink.

MINI UK General Manager Andy Hearn said: “The work of Alan Aldridge is synonymous with some of the most important names in the history of British culture, so MINI is delighted to support this exhibition by offering Alan a car to work on.

“MINI will be celebrating its 50th birthday in 2009, so this is the perfect way to begin celebrating 50 years of the car in the UK.”

‘The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes’ exhibition runs until 25 January 2009. MINI fans and the British public will get another chance to see the MINI Aldridge Special in the metal at MINI United next year, the global MINI event which will be staged at a renowned British race circuit between 22-24 May 2009. Further details will be announced by MINI UK in the near future.

[Source:Autoblog]