Jan 24th, 2013

At the North American International Auto Show, Gabe and I had the chance to sit down with MINI USA’s head Jim McDowell and Marketing leader Tom Salkowski. We talk about Jim’s expanded role with MINI in the Americas (North and South) as well as the state of the MINI brand in 2013 here in its largest market. And then there are the surprises. From a big event announcement to a hint at a new options it’s well worth a listen.
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Jan 23rd, 2013

If you want to know the current and future state of MINI, you go to the top. And that’s what we did at NAIAS in talking with Dr. Kay Segler. We spoke to Dr. Segler about everything – there was no subject off limits. We started with JCW and the proliferation of the brand throughout the MINI range. As it stands now there’s a JCW model for every MINI model. But Dr. Segler was quick to point out that that won’t always be the case and they want to build a strong sub-brand by keeping it perhaps a little more exclusive moving forward. Yet they also want to broaden the sales of the JCW style packages across the range – much like M has done so successfully for BMW. There’s also a hint of something interesting to come if you listen carefully.
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Jan 21st, 2013

In many ways the JCW Paceman is the car many of us have been waiting for. Equipped with all wheel drive, a retuned sports suspension, a JCW engine and a coupe-like shape, it’s an interesting proposition for MINI fans. The rest of the automotive press might not quite see the point, but we suspect more than a few of you will fall for the design, performance and utility. So we wanted to take a closer look at the range topping JCW Paceman now that is officially landed. continued →
Jan 16th, 2013

MINI at NAIAS was all about one thing – the Paceman. And specifically the fastest of them all the JCW Paceman. Sound interesting? Click through to see a full video recap of MINI’s display at Detroit and of the press conference.
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Jan 15th, 2013

Updated: The 2013 NAIAS will be remembered for a lot of things. It was the show where the BMW 3 Series became the 4 Series. There were the debuts of both the Lexus IS and Infiniti Q50 – two serious 3 Series competitors. Then there’s the updated NSX concept and the new Audi RS7. And of course that fiberglass superhero the C7 Corvette Stingray. continued →
Jan 11th, 2013

Next Monday marks the beginning of the 2013 auto show season with the famed North American International Auto Show. It’s not only the most important show in the US but easily one of the biggest in the world. As always MotoringFile will be on hand to cover the show and this year, the debut of the JCW Paceman.
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Dec 18th, 2012

[Official Release] MINI is geared up for 2013 in seriously sporty mood and with further additions to its model range. The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2013 in Detroit hosts the world premiere of the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman. The three-door model is the latest offering from the John Cooper Works sub-brand and, with its race-bred powertrain and chassis technology, brings the promise of a high-octane race feeling to the streets of the urban jungle: extreme driving fun meets the extrovert looks of the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé in the compact segment.
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