It’s certainly more impressive in person and even better in motion. All three of us liked it quite a bit more than we thought we would. I was surprised to see it power up and move under it’s own power given the windows are so darkly tinted. Behind those windows is a 100% stock Countryman interior not intended to be seen. The final interior design will blend the front of a Countryman with something a bit more unique in the back.
Another interesting fact about this car – it’s identical in length to the R60. It’s simply more sculptural and horizontal than the R60.
Look who came out early this morning at NAIAS. The MINI Paceman showed it’s aggressive face a few hours before it’s officially unveiling this afternoon. Early thoughts? It’s a great shape and a smaller package than it looks in photos. The green was well received among us but the copper accents not so much.
After some early morning site issues (all sorted thank to a brand new server) we’re back and ready for a long day at the North American International Autoshow.
We’ve been roaming the hall in Detroit capturing everything we can in order to bring the show onto your screen. The first order of business was Porsche and their 918 RSR. But of course we couldn’t stay away from MINI and BMW. The latter had the 1M out early and in full view for us to play with. And of course we got a peak at the Paceman as MINI was setting up their display as well. Early thoughts? The Paceman is cea
Early notes. Yes it’s a ZHP shift knob. Yes the transmission feels fantastic. No pricing isn’t announced yet (check back in a couple of hours).
It’s over. MINI is out at Dakar thanks to a dramatic accident. Guerlain Chicherit had an accident behind the wheel of the MINI Countryman during a test drive he took on the rest day in Arica. The X-Raid Team driver suffered from a head trauma, which – fortunately – did not need for him to be taken to the Arica hospital; Chicherit was just kept under observation in the medical antenna of the rally organization on Saturday evening.
The Countryman on the other hand didn’t fare as well being terminally damaged in the accident. According to Sven Quandt, X-Raid Team Manager the car flipped end-over-end a couple of time before coming to rest. The team looked into repairing the Countryman but a lack of time and parts ruled out that possibility. (various videos after the break) continued →
Next week we’ll be at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and have access to a number of key people within MINI. We’ll be talking Paceman and certainly trying to get as much teaser info as we can about the upcoming city car, but what do you want to know? Leave your questions in the comments. Also, we’ll have our cameras at the ready, so let us know what you want to see.
The New York Times is reporting that MINI Financial Services will soon release a mobile-optimized web application that allows customers to access their financing. The app won’t be platform specific, such as an iPhone app, but rather a web-based app that is optimized to run on mobile devices such as Android phones, the iPhone and Blackberry.
From the NYT:
Consumers will be able to handle tasks like making payments, checking statements and recent activities and receiving account summaries. The technology was developed internally.
Between this and MINI Connected, it’s clear that MINI is working very had to stay up-to-date and offer their customers the latest in mobile features and convenience in as useful a way as possible. With manufacturers trying more gimmicky approaches (such as Hyundai including an iPad with the owner’s manual on it), MINI seems to be working very hard trying to bring useful technology to bear in the automotive world.
Word from MINI today that a new kind of automotive advertisement will debut next week in movie theatres…in 3D. The 2-minute film will reportedly be the first ad to feature slow-motion 3D technology. The premise of the ad will be whether or not a monster truck can jump four MINIs — a hatch, a convertable, a Clubman and a Countryman — Evil Kenevil style. Make it or not, it’s going to look amazing in super slow motion. The spot will later run in 2D in more traditional TV media markets. Teaser videos, like the one above, have been appearing all day on MINI’s YouTube channel. Two more teasers after the break. 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
If you or your company are interested in advertising on the most influential MINI website in the world, please visit our Advertising section. If you have further questions about becoming a sponsor or would like to see our rate sheet please feel free to contact us directly.
Sections: R61 Paceman Jan 10th, 2011 7 Comments 
