Sections: Best of the Web, Classic Mini, Design, R50 (Coupe), R53 (Coupe) Dec 3rd, 2013 25 Comments 
Want an early look at MINI development? This prototype shell found on eBay gives us an interesting window into that time period where Rover still had some control over engineering and BMW was guiding the ship from afar.
Sections: Design Sep 21st, 2013 No Comments 
Six years ago I spent the day with Marcus Syring (head of MINI exterior design) driving a car he designed (the MINI Clubman) down Highway 1 along the California coast. I was blown away by his graciousness, intelligence and humbleness as he answered eight hours of question after question. Over the years we became friends and his genuine love for the brand and his high regard for the opinions of MINI owners was always great to see. However all good things must come to an end and today we bid Marcus farewell and best of luck in his new role at Rolls Royce. He’s leaving at the perfect time having seen the third generation of “new” MINIs finished. For more on Markus, check out this in-depth article seen on MF earlier this year.
Official Release: The MINI Design team led by Anders Warming welcomes Christopher Weil, 38, as its new head of Exterior Design. A Bavarian by birth, he has worked as a designer for the BMW Group since 2000, most recently for Automotive Design at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. Marcus Syring, 49, leaves his post as head of Exterior Design to join Rolls-Royce. Oliver Sieghart remains responsible for Interior Design and Annette Baumeister for Colour and Material Design.
“As head of BMW Group Design I’m very proud of the wealth of talent in my team. I am convinced that through this restructuring we have given a significant boost to design in the individual brand studios and will continue to shape the future of BMW Group Design with success,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.
Sections: Design, F54 Clubman, F55 Five Door Hatch, F56 Hatch, F57 Convertible, F58 Spacebox, F6X Countryman, Official News, Video Jul 25th, 2013 72 Comments 
A few weeks ago MINI’s carefully planned launch for the 3rd generation MINI (aka the F56) was rudely taken off script. Over 25 photos were taken of the F56 in various states of undress during a marketing photoshoot. And the reaction to what was seen wasn’t good. Due to the angle, lighting and the fact that the photos we’re taken using extremely long zoom lenses from far away the F56 did not come out looking good.
From what we know of the car the photos didn’t do the overall shape and design justice. And apparently MINI agreed immediately releasing a rather cheeky PR response. But today MINI is giving us much more on not just the new F56 MINI but the entire future of MINI design. Make no mistake this is a concept car. But the overall shape and many of the design features here are lightly disguised versions of what we’ll see on the F56.
With Anders Warming now fully leading the design team there’s never been a better time to take a step back and look at the future of the brand. From what we see here and what we know, it looks pretty bright to us. But we’ll let you be the ultimate judge after seeing the gallery, reading the interview and watching video after the break. continued →
Sections: Custom MINIs, Design, R55 (Clubman), R60 (Countryman) Jul 22nd, 2013 9 Comments 
MINI’s been toying with concepts for years that show the potential versatility of the brand’s products. Now we have three new ones based on existing products. The trio each reflect different aspects of the rise in popularity of camping and festivals, creating a choice of premium home-from-home options for the traveller.
The MINI Countryman ALL4 Camp with its innovative roof-top tent is the getaway car for an adventurous couple, evoking images of African safari and expedition vehicles.
Sections: Design Feb 26th, 2013 14 Comments
Writing for MotoringFile over the years has afforded us great opportunities to get to know the people behind the cars that we love. From Frank Stephanson to Gert Hildebrand and now Anders Warming we’ve always been impressed by the character of each and the dedication to the brand above personal interests. But perhaps no one has had a bigger impact and been ore dedicated to MINI in recent years than Marcus Syring. continued →
Sections: Design, JCW GP, Video Aug 6th, 2012 7 Comments One thing is clear about the second generation JCW GP: MINI has put a lot of thought into it. Love it or hate it, it’s a car designed on purpose to be distinctive, emulative of the first GP, and above all else: the fastest production MINI ever made. In this video we have Head of MINI Design, Anders Warming himself walking us through some of the details and design thinking that make the JCW GP what it is. Plus, we get some gorgeous up-close shots of the car.
Sections: Design, Official News, Sponsor Events May 2nd, 2012 No Comments 
[Official Release]
MINI supports the Life Ball in Vienna for the 12th time. Proceeds so far from the one-off Life Ball MINI models amount to more than a half a million euros.
Since its market launch in 2001, MINI has been a partner of the Life Ball. During this period, eleven unique vehicles have been specially designed for the event by a wide range of internationally renowned celebrities. For the 20th anniversary of the Life Ball, MINI continues its tradition of donating a vehicle that has been creatively adapted by an international celebrity, the proceeds of which go to projects combating HIV and AIDS. The auctioning of these one-off MINI models over the last years has generated proceeds of more than 500,000 euros for the charitable cause. continued →
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