We’ve received word from a European source that next week MINI is set to unveil a special edition car for France and some other countries in the EU. Called “The MINI Mat” (we’re not sure about the spelling), the package will feature a checkered interior and mirror covers, plus a special matte black finish. Our source tells us that rather than a ground up custom paint color, the MINI Mat will have a matte layer overlaying the factory black paint. We’re not sure if that’s paint or vinyl, but either way it’ll likely be a sharp looking finish available for the Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and JCW. Look for details next week.
The above photo is not the MINI Mat, but it does show how nice looking that matte black finish could look. Original here.
German automotive publication Automobilewoche, a sub-publication of Automotive News, has named the MINI “Car of the Decade.” Our german is a little rough, but what we’re able to glean out is that while Ford’s Fiesta and VW’s Golf family of cars outsold the MINI from 2000-2010, the MINI deserves the honor because it’s been a game changer. More specifically, the MINI has created an entire car segment that previously didn’t exist: The Premium Small Car. Big congrats to MINI and a big thanks to Gert H. for sending us the news.
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As the show was winding down yesterday we had a chance to chat with head of MINI Design Marcus Syring about all things MINI design. Of course the Paceman was top on that list. As we mentioned yesterday the Paceman received warm reviews from those who saw it at the show and we talked about some of the reasons it is quite unique within the MINI range. We also had a chance to speak to Marcus about the highly anticipated MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster. The Coupe will be slightly better according to Marcus than what we saw last year in Frankfurt and LA. How much better? We’ll have to wait until the spring to see them.
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Todd and I sat down with head of MINI Engineering Oliver Friedman and MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie Kung today at NAIAS 2011. We hit all the topics as requested:
Paceman
JCW (lack and standard equippment
Hot turbos and engine issues
3 Cylinders
Stop/Start tech
Clean diesels
In short we didn’t hold back on the tough questions. But we also had a great time chatting with two people that are clearly passionate about the MINI brand. continued →
We’ve got a enormous collection of photos for you from NAIAS so let’s get straight to the point. The 1M was the production star of the show in our eyes followed closely by the 650i and the Paceman. But what about the rest of the show? Porsche’s fabulous 918 RSR was, well fabulous of course. And then there were some surprises from… well let’s not ruin it….
MINI announced today that the Paceman concept has been approved for production. While the final design details will vary somewhat expect the car relatively unchanged to debut in about two years time. continued →
1st Gen MINI R50: One & MC Hatch R52: All 1st Gen MINI Convt. R53: MCS Hatch 2nd Gen MINI R55: Clubman R56: Hatch R57: Convertible R58: Coupe R59: Roadster R60: MINI Crossover R61: MINI Crossover Coupe 3rd Gen MINI F55: Clubman F56: Hatch F57: Convertible F60: MINI Crossover F62: Traveller
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Sections: New Product, Rumor Jan 14th, 2011 17 Comments 
