Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[LA 2009: Mini owns its inner Bulldog]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/la-2009-mini-owns-its-inner-bulldog/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/la-2009-mini-owns-its-inner-bulldog/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/la-2009-mini-owns-its-inner-bulldog/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Leashed Mini Cooper S Clubman - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mini may be many things, but stuffy they're not. When your business consists of selling tiny hatchbacks with sports car handling at a near luxury price, you really can't take yourself too seriously all the time. Mini ad campaigns have capitalized on that cheeky spirit to great effect. While at the LA Auto Show this week, we were treated to a preview of some of the newest commercials that will be getting airtime soon. Rest assured, the attitude is still there in abundance.

A good example of that spirited personality is the car you see here. Playing on the old Mini's Bulldog alter ego, the automaker has chosen to put this new Cooper S Clubman on a leash...with a spiked collar. Seriously. And they even went step further with some funny warnings painted into the danger hash marks on the floor around it. We can't think of many other car companies that could pull this off, but on a Mini, that collar actually looks amusingly good. We've got more high-res pics in the gallery that can be unleashed by clicking below.


Gallery: LA 2009: Leashed MINI Cooper S Clubman


Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

LA 2009: Mini owns its inner Bulldog originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bad miniBadMinibulldogla 2009la auto showLA Auto Show 2009LA ShowLa2009LaAutoShowLaAutoShow2009LaShowleashed miniLeashedMiniminimini bulldogmini cooperMini Cooper Clubmanmini leashedMiniBulldogMiniCooperMiniCooperClubmanMiniLeashedThu, 03 Dec 2009 11:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Retrofuturism: Mini and Airstream team up for one-off]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/12/retrofuturism-mini-and-airstream-team-up-for-one-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/12/retrofuturism-mini-and-airstream-team-up-for-one-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/12/retrofuturism-mini-and-airstream-team-up-for-one-off/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


MINI Airstream concepts - Click above for high-res gallery

MINI and Airstream have joined forces with Republic of Fritz Hansen to create a new concept that will be introduced at the Salone del Mobile show in Milan. The team says that the MINI Cooper Clubman was chosen for its adventurous personality, and we too think it would be an adventure of sorts trying to pull a 22-foot trailer with the MINI's 1.6-liter, four-cylinder powerplant, albeit one topped with a turbocharger and direct injection.

As a concept, we can see how the two iconic brands with heritage-rich designs would be drawn to one another. Airstream has been around since the 1930s and we all know about the current MINI's roots to the free-sprirted 1960s original from Britain. The interiors of both machines have been heavily customized, with the MINI getting a surfer-look, black-and-green neoprene treatment and the trailer getting plenty of Fritz Hansen furniture and wood paneling inside.


Gallery: Fritz Hansen MINI and Airstream


[Source: Republic of Fritz Hansen]

Continue reading Retrofuturism: Mini and Airstream team up for one-off

Retrofuturism: Mini and Airstream team up for one-off originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airstreamfritz hansenFritzHansenmilan motor showMilanMotorShowminimini airstreammini clubmanmini coopermini cooper clubmanMiniAirstreamMiniClubmanMiniCooperMiniCooperClubmanrepublic of fritz hansenRepublicOfFritzHansensalone del mobileSaloneDelMobileThu, 12 Mar 2009 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Review: 2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/09/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-mini-clubman-john-cooper-works/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/09/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-mini-clubman-john-cooper-works/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/09/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-mini-clubman-john-cooper-works/#commentsFiled under: ,


2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works - Click above for high-res image gallery

The names MINI and John Cooper have been intertwined for more than 40 years and now they are closer than ever. When British race car and engine builder Cooper prepped the original MINIs for the Monte Carlo rally back in the 1960s, he helped cement the iconic status of the little car. When the MINI was reborn as a product of BMW earlier this decade, the Cooper model was a standard element of the lineup. A semi-official tuned John Cooper works edition was also available for the hard-core addicts. Earlier this year, BMW announced that the John Cooper Works MINI would become an official factory product analogous to M models from its parent company BMW.

The JCW edition is available on both the standard MINI hardtop and the extra-length Clubman. Having a JCW MINI means you have opted for the fastest factory MINI ever built. We spent a week with a John Cooper Works MINI Clubman in the Autoblog Garage just as winter weather clamped down on Michigan. Find out how this maximum fared in wintry Motown after the jump.


Gallery: Review: 2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works

Review: 2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clubmancooper clubmanCooperClubmanfeaturedin the autoblog garageInTheAutoblogGaragejohn cooper worksjohn cooper works clubmanjohn cooper works miniJohnCooperWorksJohnCooperWorksClubmanJohnCooperWorksMiniminimini cooper clubmanMiniCooperClubmanreviewTue, 09 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[MINI dealers abroad asked to create separate stores]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/11/mini-dealers-abroad-asked-to-create-separate-stores/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/11/mini-dealers-abroad-asked-to-create-separate-stores/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/11/mini-dealers-abroad-asked-to-create-separate-stores/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for our John Cooper Works MINI and Clubman high-res gallery

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.

Gallery: 2008 John Cooper Works MINI and Clubman

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

MINI dealers abroad asked to create separate stores originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dealerdifferentiateEuropefranchiseMINImini coopermini cooper clubmanmini cooper convertiblemini cooper smini cooper s john cooper worksmini salesMiniCooperMiniCooperClubmanMiniCooperConvertibleMiniCooperSMiniCooperSJohnCooperWorksMiniSalesseparateshowroomTue, 11 Nov 2008 08:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Geneva 2008: Mini gives us the Works!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/04/geneva-2008-mini-gives-us-the-works/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/04/geneva-2008-mini-gives-us-the-works/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/04/geneva-2008-mini-gives-us-the-works/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


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.

Gallery: 2008 John Cooper Works MINI and Clubman

Continue reading Geneva 2008: Mini gives us the Works!

Geneva 2008: Mini gives us the Works! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GenevaGeneva 2008Geneva Motor ShowGeneva2008GenevaMotorShowJCWJohn Cooper Works EditionJohnCooperWorksEditionMINIMini ClubmanMINI cooperMINI Cooper ClubmanMini JCWMini John Cooper Works EditionMiniClubmanMiniCooperMiniCooperClubmanMiniJcwMiniJohnCooperWorksEditionTue, 04 Mar 2008 09:53:00 EST