Dec 10th, 2013
If there’s one thing offered on MINI’s abroad that’s been coveted by US MINI enthusiasts, it’s diesel power train. With the debut of the F56, many US MINI fans are waiting with bated breath to hear official news of the much-teased Cooper SD power plant making its way to our shores. We haven’t received that confirmation yet, but we do know that MINI USA is trying to make the case. If the numbers line up, we’ll see possibly the Cooper D or Cooper SD become available in the US MINI lineup.
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Dec 5th, 2013
Sales are down across the board with one interesting exception. The Paceman has finally found buyers. 631 in November – almost double that of the Clubman. And what of the Roadster and Coupe? They’re fallen off a cliff. Not surprising considering the time of the year but it’s somewhat shocking to see the most exciting car in the line-up – the Roadster – selling under 100 united in a month. Full sales figures after the break.
Official release: MINI USA reported sales of 4,575 automobiles, a decrease of 12.8 percent from the 5,248 sold in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 0.4 percent on volume of 59,910 compared to 59,667 in the first eleven months of 2012. continued →
Dec 5th, 2013
Here’s a quick reminder to enter MINI’s Final Test Test Drive Contest. What’s the Final Final Test Drive? Traditionally car companies hand the car to the media. The media dissects the car and tells the consumer what to think. MINI wants to turn that on its ear and allow owners to get the firs crack at the new MINI and report on it themselves. The idea is simple – tell MINI USA why you deserve to test the new MINI before anyone else and how you’d do it. For instance if you think high speed reverse J-turns would be something worth testing, go for it. Want to test luggage capacity with cheerleaders? MINI will oblige. continued →
Dec 3rd, 2013
The minute that MINI employees learned last week that their beloved leader, Jim McDowell was retiring we started receiving a flood of emails. MINI employees love Jim and hearing that their leader was finally leaving the brand created an outpouring of emotion in more than a few. Nevertheless we wanted to hold-off reporting the news until we had the full picture and more specifically who was replacing him. But before we get to that and the official press release, let’s take a moment to tip our hat to Mr McDowell.
Jim is a man that stepped into MINI from the corporate culture of BMW and never looked back. Always dressed in black, full of laughs and naturally never seen with a tie, Jim lead the brand by living the brand and its ethos. He not only cared about the success of MINI but genuinely cared about the owners of the cars and the community that was built up around them.
On a more personal level Jim will be greatly missed by MotoringFile. He saw the power of the community early on and more specifically saw that MotoringFile was more than just a fan site but something much more important to MINI and the community. With his leadership MINI USA embraced MotoringFile and the community in a way that few automakers have ever dared to do.
Jim, best of luck in your next adventure and thanks for the ride.
Official Release: Jim McDowell, Vice President MINI of the Americas will retire as of December 31, 2013. Since 2005, Jim has been responsible for all aspects of MINI Marketing, Sales and Aftersales in the United States. Previously, McDowell was Vice President – Marketing for BMW of North America, LLC, a position he held for twelve years. continued →
Nov 29th, 2013
- Over 1 million current MINI Hatch models built at Plant Oxford between 2006 – 2013
- 1,863,289 total MINI Hatch built since 2001
- 14% of all cars built in the UK last year were MINIs, and 14% exported were MINIs
- The new MINI Hatch production starts, with UK launch in Spring 2014
Having put a smile on over a million drivers’ faces across the globe, the last of the outgoing MINI Hatch drove off the production line at Plant Oxford today.
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Nov 26th, 2013
Amongst all of the news last week MINI unveiled it’s most bold contest yet. The idea is simple – tell MINI USA why you deserve to test the new MINI before anyone else and how you’d do it. For instance if you think high speed reverse J-turns would be something worth testing, go for it. Want to test luggage capacity with cheerleaders? MINI will oblige.
So why do this? The winner gets to not only live out this test but do it before the car goes on sale and before much of the media even drives it. Yes, you will become an internet celebrity.
But the best part is what MINI will give you next.
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Nov 26th, 2013
Official Release: The latest music app to launch on MINI Connected offers Amazon customers a convenient way of accessing their audio files on the online store’s Cloud server, using their smartphone in conjunction with the MINI hub. It can be downloaded for free from the App Store and installed in the vehicle via the customer’s Apple iPhone.
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