Apr 16th, 2014
According to MINI US product managers, all current R5X MINI models will get the same LED fog lights that debuted this week on the Countryman. Furthermore the Paceman will also receive all the R60 Countryman updates (sans the All4 appearance package – the silver accents) for the 2015 model year. The best news? This will be standard on all cars. But that’s not all that is changing for 2015. continued →
Apr 15th, 2014
Right on cue MINI is releasing the refreshed Countryman three years into it’s lifecycle. As is customary these days with BMW, the refresh has been accomplished with a very light touch.
Mechanically there are no big changes to speak of. Instead it’s mostly cosmetic with three new colors, wheels, a slight update to the grille and a dark trim option. Additionally MINI is taking it’s R56 accessory LED headlights and making them a factory option (standard on the MCS and JCW) on the R60 complete with halo rings. The foglight portion is powered by by three LED units arranged horizontally at the centre of the cluster. The daytime driving light takes the form of a luminous ring fed by 15 LED units. When the parking lights are switched on, only five LED units are active in the upper third of the ring.
The 2015 MINI Countryman will begin production this summer and should hit showrooms in late summer. We’ll have much more on the refreshed R60 in the coming days.
Official Release: The model year 2015 MINI Countryman has pursued its path to success both on and off-road. The first MINI with four doors, a large tailgate, five seats and optional all-wheel drive now gives an additional boost to the brand’s advance into the premium compact segment. Selective design modifications for the exterior and interior, as well as innovative equipment features contribute to the more mature charisma and increased appeal of the new MINI Countryman. This gives it a more pronounced profile as an all-round talent for versatile mobility and an active lifestyle, both in city traffic and beyond. continued →
Feb 7th, 2014
A new winner in a familiar story: for the tenth time in a row, the title of ‘Value Champion’ goes to the British premium brand MINI. For the first time, it is the MINI Countryman that has been voted as the car with the highest value retention level its class on the German car market. The MINI Cooper S Countryman gained the top position in the small car category of the ranking list published in the ‘Auto Bild’ motoring magazine, making it the ‘Value Champion 2014′. It follows in the footsteps of the MINI and MINI Cabrio, which ever since 2005 had been alternately winning the top position for outstanding value retention.
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Dec 19th, 2013
MINI and Burton have teamed up again for more winter sports fun. This year, the Paceman joins the Countryman in representing MINI on snow as MINI and Burton present an art installation celebrating creativity and the fun of professional winter sports. The official run down follows. continued →
Oct 18th, 2013
MINI is launching it’s first ever matte color option with a limited edition model that will be uniquely offered in most key markets. Frozen Black metallic paint is now available as a limited edition color for the top of the range MINI Countryman and MINI Paceman models around the world. In the US this will be exclusively available on the Black Knight Edition Countryman Cooper S but elsewhere will be available on both Paceman and Countryman across the MINI Cooper SD, Cooper S and JCW models.
This innovative paint which has a textured, shimmering matt finish, gives the car a depth that isn’t normally found in matte finishes. continued →
Oct 16th, 2013
MINI USA is rolling out its first special edition Countryman shortly and will use what BMW calls “Frozen” or matte paint. The special edition will be called “The Black Knight Edition” and will be limited to only 60 units. Some MINI owners should be getting an email later today which instruct how to reserve and order one. However there’s a catch.
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Oct 9th, 2013
MINI’s decision to keep the six speed Aisin automatic for the next generation F56 was seen as a surprise when announced last week. While MINI promises some mechanical improvements along with completely revamped software, it’s still seen as rather long in the tooth as compared to some of the more advanced offerings in the marketplace. What’s MINI thinking with this?
BMW has a long history with ZF Friedrichshafen also known simply as ZF. They’ve been producing transmissions for BMW for years and are particularly well known for their recent automatics. The current de rigueur transmission of the rear wheel drive automotive world is the ZF 8HP found in all non M brand BWWs. So good is this transmission in terms of performance and efficiency that it’s made its way into everything from Ram trucks to Bentleys. continued →
