Autoblog

Click above for a gallery of the 2008 MINI Cooper S.

If you were planning on hitting one of the 82 U.S. MINI dealers to get your hands on a fuel-efficient Cooper or Clubman, it looks like you'll need to look at plan B. Skyrocketing fuel prices has lifted demand of the little British icons to the point that, with the except of pre-orders, all 2008 models are pretty much sold out. The MINI's cute looks and thrifty petrol-sipping discipline have made the retro hatch more attractive than ever. Year over year sales increases of 39%, 52%, and 24% from April-June have all but wiped clean the MINI's already tight inventory.

Although sales really picked up in April, the MINI has been on fire all year, as the 26,400 MINIs sold in the first half of 2008 represents a 33.6% increase over the same sales period in 2007. And thanks to the MINI's already tight world-wide demand, the BMW-owned automaker can only up US shipments by 2-3k units for the rest of the year.

Team MINI wants to keep its new-found fortune coming, too, as it plans to increase its dealer count to 95 stores by 2011. The British automaker will also introduce a diesel MINI once it can pass emissions in all 50 states.


[Source: Green Fuel Forecast]

The MINI Clubman is everything the MINI Cooper is and more -- nine inches more. It has a passenger-side suicide door and that wide-mouth split rear gate, but everything else from its retro looks to the 172-hp turbocharged four-cylinder underhood is the same. But is it the same? Does nine inches of wheel base ruin the go kart-like handling we love so much in the MINI Cooper S? The folks over at Web Rides TV were itching to answer exactly that question, so they pitted the Mini Clubman S against a real, 9-horsepower go-kart. To give the kart a chance, the race was performed on an actual go-kart track, squeaky floors and all. The winner? You'll have to hit the jump to find out, but the race is more exciting than the finish.

[Source: Web Rides TV]

Mothers Against Drunk Driving are not going to like this one. Italian coachbuilder Aznom, which has previously rolled out custom MINIs like this pickup "tender", has now produced a Clubman inspired by a vintage of another sort. The Aznom MINI Chateau is distinguished by a mobile wine cellar installed in the trunk, capable of housing six wine bottles in isolated comfort, along with six wine glasses with which to enjoy them. Aznom's wood veneer finish decorates the exterior and cabin, which also gets a unique leather trim. Riding on 18-inch TSW Pace rims shod with Yokohama rubber, Aznom will only produce 12 examples, each one individually numbered and personalized for their owners. We'll have to wait a few years to see if the Chateau gets better with age like the vino it transports.

Images in the gallery below and press release after the jump. Please enjoy responsibly.

[Source: Aznom via Luxurylaunches.com]

Click for hi-res gallery of the Agent Provocateur MINI Clubman

Back in April we brought you initial news of the special-edition MINI Clubman designed by British lingerie house Agent Provocateur, and gladly brought you updates with more photos and made cracks at the expense of Max Mosley along the way. The vehicle has now been sold on eBay in Austria as an AIDS fundraiser – which, as one of our commenters noted, seems a little at odds with the overtly sexual theme of the vehicle – for a whopping €45k (equivalent to about $70,000) after no fewer than 77 bids were placed over the course of the ten-day auction.

Of course, the identity of the buyer – listed as rene181066 – was not disclosed. We'd think it was a certain head of a certain motorsport body, but the buyer's feedback is flawless at 100%, so there goes that theory.

Check out the vehicle's stats after the jump and peruse the NSFW images in the gallery below.

[Source: eBay.at via WCF]

Click to view the Agent Provocateur MINI Clubman in hi-res

At first glance, we couldn't help but wish we had had one of these when we were in high school. But on second thought, a pink-accented MINI might not have been the babe-magnet Agent Provocateur would have us believe. At least, not for any girls we know, but if this is what it takes to inspire impromptu gatherings of scantily-clad lingerie models, then who are we to argue.

Sorry, we got a little distracted there. And so can you, just check out the images in the gallery after the jump. Most of them are perfectly safe for your puritanical work environment, but for those few that aren't, we'd suggest waiting until you get home. And the kids are asleep. And your significant other isn't "in the mood", whatever that means.

[Source: MINI]

For the eighth year running, a designer MINI will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause of AIDS. The annual charitable event is organized by Life Ball, Europe's largest AIDS fundraiser event. Previous years saw MINIs designed by fashion houses like Missoni, Versace and Diesel, but this year's designer is the tits (so to speak): lingerie brand Agent Provocateur.

The one-of-a-kind MINI Clubman is treated to a uniquely kinky police-style paint scheme that would make Max Mosley weak at the knees. Pink police stripes run down the side over the black paint job, with a fishnet stocking pattern on the roof, a mirrored rear window, prison bars on the side windows and a tantalizing black leather interior. The car, which once again redefines the term "auto erotic", will be sold on eBay from June 5-15.

[Source: MINI]

click above for live high-res images of the JCW Minis from Geneva

MINI brought out their Works versions of the Cooper and Clubman in Geneva today. Using a fleet of R/C cars and rally legend Rauno Aaltonen (The Flying Finn), they hammered home the idea that MINI's are small on size but big on excitement. We had already seen a ton of press pics so there weren't any real surprises, just a healthy appreciation for these great small cars that now have John Cooper Garage's tuning prowess added to the mix. The JCW Cooper and JCW Cooper Clubman have indeed hit the bullseye for enthusiasts once again. Featuring performance upgrades and new interior appointments, these are the cars that will be used as the basis for the MINI CHALLENGE 2008 race cars.

In JCW trim, the turbocharged MINI 1.6L four now puts out 207 HP. The resulting 0-60 should now clock in at just under 6.5 seconds for the Cooper, while the ever so slightly portlier Clubman is likely to be a tick or two slower. Unique light alloy wheels, a new performance exhaust system, upgraded suspension, and a modified six-speed manual transmission are just some of the mechanical upgrades. Aesthetically, the John Cooper Works models stand out with their distinctive body kits and unique interiors, all for a not-so-mini base price of under $30,000.

Follow the jump for MINI's endless press release.

click above for more pics of the The Other Ranch by MINI

Last year at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, MINI debuted the production version of its larger Clubman model and, as MINI's marketing agency is wont to do, created a spectacle with this installation called The Other Ranch. We've learned that it's gone on the road and been installed in Brussels for this year's European Motor Show. It's inspired by the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX where a man half-buried 10 old Cadillacs in the ground at the precise angle of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The Other Ranch by MINI is comprised of four Clubmans and is so named because we're supposed to consider the new Clubman the "Other MINI". We didn't see The Other Ranch in Frankfurt while covering the show there, but this spectacle was too interesting not to share. Check out the pics in our gallery below and have fun coming up with captions for four Clubmans buried up to their windshields in dirt.

[Source: BMW]

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Click image for live shots of the US-spec MINI Clubman

The U.S. version of the 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit today. We saw the European Mini Cooper Clubman in Frankfurt in both base Cooper and the sportier "S" model, but here are some live shots of the American offering. Nothing surprising: same five doors, same cute styling. The Clubman will go on sale beginning February 16th, 2008 in both Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman models. Base price for the MINI Cooper Clubman will be just $20,600, with the MINI Cooper S Clubman starting at $24,100.

The slightly stretched MINI with its right-hand suicide door and funky barn-door cargo ports out back has been getting pretty good reviews. We'll try to get our hands on one for the garage to confirm those feelings ourselves. While the concept of a "big" MINI is sacrilege to some, we tend to like the idea of actually being able to use that back seat and still have a little room for some baggage as well. Our one gripe? The naming. MINI Cooper Clubman and MINI Cooper S Clubman are a mouthful. We'll stick with the more natural sounding MINI Clubman and MINI Clubman S in casual conversation. You can read the MINI's press release after the jump, and don't forget to check out the gallery by clicking above or below.

[Source: MINI]

click above for more high-res images of the 2008 MINI Cooper D Clubman

The car you see above is the MINI Cooper D Clubman. That's "D" as in "Diesel". The diminutive brand owned by BMW offers a diesel engine in Europe, but to date has not in the U.S. We believe that MINI may correct this at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. Our guess is based on a press release issued by MINI today that, while saying very little about its plan for the Detroit show other than the Clubman and Clubman S would be present, included images of a left-hand-drive Cooper D Clubman. The press release also mentions that a talking point at MINI's press conference will be "More Driving Pleasure, Less Fuel Consumption: The new MINI in the 2008 Model Year". Couple that with parent company BMW's announcement of two new models for the U.S. market that will be powered by diesel engines, the X5 xDrive35d and the 335d, and it begins to look like MINI will follow suit with a diesel of its own. Of course, MINI has not confirmed this so it's pure speculation on our part, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a Cooper Clubman D burning oil in Detroit next week.

[Source: MINI]