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Mini First Drives

Mini is a brand of small cars that began with the Mark I designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959. Originally sold under the Austin and Morris brand names, Mini became the small car's actual name in 1964. Made famous by one of cinema's best car chases in the film "The Italian Job," the car's design remained relatively unchanged except for different front ends until the all-new Mini Cooper was launched by BMW in 2001.

Mini Vehicles:

Indicates a Reviewed Model

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First Drive: 2014 Mini Cooper Clubvan 1365436620

A Premium Van For The Modern-Day Milkman We first saw the Mini Clubvan at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012, then in December again at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on a stock Mini Clubman, the Clubvan's dimensions are identical, while all side windows aft of the middle pillar are blocked out from the inside with handy polycarbonate liners (read: ...
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First Drive: 2014 Mini John Cooper Works Paceman All4 1363276620

The One Mini Should Have Taken Rallying It needs to be said: Mini using the Countryman as their World Rally Championship racer's bodystyle of choice has done them no favors on the marketing front. And that's what it's all about in motorsports these days: marketing and image. We have just driven the 2014 Mini John Cooper Works Paceman All4 through ...
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First Drive: 2014 Mini Cooper S Paceman [w/video] 1352739420

Not Too Odd, Not Too Maxi. Is This Mini Just Right? We recently got our first time behind the wheel of the latest iteration of the Mini Countryman, the 215-horsepower John Cooper Works model, and were left less than enthused despite the inherent fun factor that a JCW badge brings. Our time with the crossover suggests the Countryman is just too weighty ...
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First Drive: 2013 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works All4 [w/video] 1347465480

A John Cooper Works On All Fours With Love Handles How long will it take for a Mini-branded vehicle to cross the two-ton threshold? We already have the four-door Countryman and it's a small crossover, so how far off is a tall and longer Mini with third-row seating? Say what you like about the Countryman, though; the best expression for how it's selling ...
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First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster 1328115420

Attractive New Roadster Prepares To Cannibalize Convertible For a brand that's only about 11 years old (since its modern rebirth, anyway), Mini is doing quite well for itself. Since the launch of the 2001 Mini Cooper, the BMW-owned automaker has now sold over two million vehicles in 100 markets, and over the course of the past decade, has expanded one ...

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First Drive: 2012 Mini Countryman Cooper S All4 John Cooper Works 1324054620

Need A Bit More Pounce In Your CUV? Mini Has A JCW For That As part of the ongoing master plan at Mini to attract distinction-seeking buyers who still have some disposable income left, we present the Mini Countryman Cooper S All4 John Cooper Works: the Mini CUV with the mighty long name. This latest Mini JCW will get its world premiere at this March's ...
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First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe JCW 1317313740

Fun, Form And Function... In That Order Human beings can be a fickle bunch, especially Americans. Case in point: The five-door hatchback is unarguably one of the best arrangements for an automobile, providing ample room for adult-size occupants and their random detritus without being so large as to significantly impact fuel efficiency or make it ...
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First Drive: 2011 Mini Cooper S 1291309020

Further Evolving Sir Alec Issigonis' Original Idea Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche, Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler. All pioneers in the automotive world. But this list would be woefully incomplete without the inclusion of Sir Alec Issigonis, the man most responsible for the design of the original Mini. Issigonis once famously said, "When you're designing a ...
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First Drive: 2011 Mini Countryman 1281542220

Yes, it's a Mini. Yes, it's a crossover. Yes, it makes sense. Whether we like it or not, even niche automakers are expanding their lineups to appeal to a broader range of shoppers. This may seem like automotive blasphemy, but think back a few years ago when Porsche introduced the Cayenne. We all threw temper tantrums and hugged our 911s, but now we ...
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First Drive: 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible 1235494800

As far as we can tell, the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible draws cold air wherever it goes. First came the drop-top's ironic unveiling in Detroit, where we had the misfortune of experiencing one of the coldest, snowiest shows in recent memory. Just over a month later, we found ourselves in the cabrio-friendly climes of Southern California, where ...