MINI Shows Off Lifestyle Collection for Very, Very Early Christmas Buyers

When not in the business of car-making, MINI promotes its online shop. And with Christmas only [...] two-and-a-half-months away, the company thought it would be a good idea to put together a selection of gifts for early birds. We guess it could be worse as we've seen companies advertising their Christmas goodies (or ideas) from the end of summer.

In any case, MINI's latest Lifestyle Collection includes numerous items ranging from the Sonoro Internet Radio that can receive over 18,000 web radio stations via WiFi or LAN and the Cuckoo Clock, to the Snow Rocker toboggan and Baby Racer push-car. If you're interested, scroll down for the gallery.

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Paris Show: Mini Unveils Countryman WRC in Preparation for 2011 S2000 Rally Season

Working with Prodrive, Mini has officially re-entered the World Rally Championship after a decades-long hiatus. With its Countryman WRC, which made its world premiere in Paris today, Mini will be ready to compete in the 2011 season with a car driven by Kris Meeke.

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MINI Core Design Concept Shows what a Non-Retro Cooper could Look Like

Niels Steinhoff, a student at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, clearly envisions the next Mini as sleeker, more rounded, and less retro. His concept is called the Mini Core and comes off more as a shooting brake than a typical hatch. Much like a Mini, the Core is still meant to provide "reasonable functionality, driving pleasure, the possibility of individualization".

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NHTSA Investigates '04-'05 MINI Cooper Over Power Steering Issue

After having received 54 complaints from owners of the 2004-2005MY Mini Cooper over an alleged loss of power steering, the National National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to take action and open a preliminary investigation into the matter.

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MINI Scooter E Concepts: First Official Photos

Just after Smart published the first real life pictures of its 'escooter' study, MINI went ahead and released official photos of its take on the pure electric scooter concept. To be precise, the BMW Group owned maker will display three individually colored and trimmed versions of its lithium-ion battery-powered scooter study at next week's Paris Motor Show.

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First Videos of MINI's Countryman WRC Testing in Portugal!

Thanks to a tip from Carscoop reader Rafael, we can now share with you the first video footage of MINI's new Countryman WRC prototype, which was caught testing earlier today (Tuesday) at Ponte de Lima in Portugal.

The Prodrive developed and built World Rallying Championship version of the Mini Countryman is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport to comply with the new Super2000 regulations. Like the road-going model, it also gets four-wheel drive.

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MINI-E Testing Halfway Finished in the UK, Results And Pricing Look Promising

Just as Audi ramps up its A1 e-tron project, Mini UK will soon begin part two of the E's 12-month real-world test. Now that the first half of the test is complete, what are the results? Scroll down for some of Mini's findings.

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MINI Teases All-Electric Scooter Concept, to be revealed in Paris

Hot on the (w)heels of Smart's announcement on the presentation of an all-electric scooter concept at the Paris Motor Show, the firm's domestic rival, BMW-owned MINI, also revealed plans to debut a plug-in scooter prototype.

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MINI Countryman Rally Car Passes First Round of WRC Tests

As previously reported, MINI is eager to get itself into the World Rally Car Championships with its Countryman crossover and reclaim some of the rallying glory its predecessor / inspiration had in the 1960s. And today, the British automaker released the first official picture of the Countryman WRC, which partner Prodrive has been busy testing at their Warwickshire proving grounds in rural England.

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MINI to Enter WRC with the Help of Prodrive, Aims to Win Title Within Three Years!

After a long break, MINI is making a comeback in the world of rallying starting from next season with a Prodrive built and developed Countryman crossover. The BMW Group said that MINI, whose Cooper model won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in the 1960s, was planning its racing involvement "for several years".

The Countryman WRC complies with the new Super2000 regulations and will be powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport and have an all-wheel drive system. Prodrive, which ran Subaru's world championship-winning team until the Japanese automaker pulled out at the end of 2008, has been working on the development of the car since early 2009.

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MINI Life Ball Specials: Photo Gallery from the Vienna Gala

For the 18th annual Life Ball fundraiser for people with HIV and AIDS that took place on July 17 at Vienna's City Hall Square, MINI joined forces with celebrity fashion designers Diane von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein Collection's Francisco Costa to create three one-off specials.

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Report: "Minier" MINI in the Works, Could Debut at 2011 Geneva Show

It's only natural for the BMW Group to look for ways to expand the MINI range into new territories and increase the brand's profitability. And while some may question MINI's recent move with the Crossman crossover, a smaller model than the current three-door hatch makes a lot of sense for a brand that has become known for its city cars. Apparently, MINI thinks so too.

Autoweek reported today that the company is working on a such a smaller, entry-level model, called the "Mini Minor" or "Mini Mini" and it could be revealed in concept form as early as next year's Geneva Salon.

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New Photo Gallery of MINI's Fashion-Inspired 'Life Ball' Editions

We've already told you about this year's special-edition MINIs for the annual Life Ball AIDS research auction in Vienna, Austria, but the British automaker has just dropped some new pictures of all variants.

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Classic MINI gets a 78-liter V18 Diesel Engine with 12 Turbochargers and 3,500HP... [Take That Veyron]

If you visit this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, make sure you stop by Cummins' stand to check out this one-of-a-kind Austin Mini with a unique engine-swap. In case you didn't notice, there's a colossal engine sitting just behind the passenger compartment on the classic Mini's stretched platform.

Cummins, an independent maker of diesel engines, fitted its biggest powerplant on one of the smallest cars around. The QSK78 diesel engine, which is used to power mining industry dump trucks capable of carrying 360 tonnes, is a 78-liter, 18-cylinder monster with 12 turbochargers producing 3,500HP (take that Veyron) at 1,900 rpm and 10,157 lb-ft / 13,771Nm of peak torque at 1,500 rpm.

Weighing in at over 11 tonnes (24,912 lbs), the V18 unit measures an astonishing 3,327mm (131-in.) in length, 1,633mm (65.5-in.) in width and 2,429mm (95.6-in) in height.

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2011 MINI Hatchback, Clubman and Convertible Refreshed [118 Photos]

With the exception of the newly introduced Countryman crossover, the rest of MINI's lineup that includes the hatchback, Clubman and convertible models has received a subtle facelift with styling updates and new diesel engines for the 2011 model year.

All variants of the MINI sport a new from bumper design engineered to improve pedestrian protection courtesy of larger deformation zones, new light elements in the headlamps, revised side indicators that sit in the redesigned side gill housings, restyled rear bumper and standard LED tail lights on all models. The five new paint colors and fresh alloy wheel designs complete the exterior upgrades.

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Fashion Designers Makeover MINI Models for 'Life Ball' Event

Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Kenneth Cole will create three special Minis to raffle off at this year's edition of "Life Ball", the biggest HIV/AIDS charity event in Europe that will take place in Vienna on 17th July 2010.

On behalf of Calvin Klein, US fashion house's creative director Francisco Costa will be designing the new Mini Countryman crossover. US fashion designer with Belgian roots Diane von Furstenberg, will artistically enhance the MINI Hatch, while New York's Kenneth Cole apply his style on a Mini Convertible.

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SAAB Reportedly in Talks with BMW on the Development of the 9-2, and Diesel Engines for 9-4X

SAAB Automobile boss Victor Muller is reportedly in discussions with BMW about sharing hardware and technology for a new small car inspired by the teardrop-shaped 92 model of the 1950s, Swedish daily Dagens Industri reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

The report comes only days after Muller revealed that his company is actively interested in finding a partner for the development of the modern-day day 92, or in Saab's current lingo, the 9-2.

According to the newspaper, a possible deal with the Bavarian company could see the future 92 sharing a platform, engines and gearboxes with BMW's MINI models, a move that could prove beneficial for the German automaker also.

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VIDEO: MINI Diesel gets V8 Roar Thanks to Active Sound Design System

Diesel engines have a lot of advantages over their petrol counterparts, the most significant being their impressive fuel economy and monstrous torque. But there's one thing they don't have and that's the right sound. However, the BMW Group appears to have a solution for the problem - albeit in prototype form for now.

It's called Active Sound Design or ASD for short and it has been applied on two prototype diesel-powered models, a MINI Clubman and a BMW 635d Coupe.

ASD is an electro-acoustic system that makes use of microphones and the vehicle's sound system to change the engine's sound characteristics. The further enhance the acoustic experience, BMW's engineers also used different sound and vibration deadening materials in the engine bay and under the body of the car.

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Nowack Motors Releases Mini Cooper S Packages with up to 260HP

The latest Mini Cooper S and its JCW brother have gotten the option of more oomph from German tuner Nowack Motors.

The packages, dubbed N210, N230, and N260 are pretty self-explanatory: 210 horsepower (filter/ECU work), 230 horsepower (add an exhaust), and 260 horsepower.

The N260 adds a little extra Nowack touch: Nowack cams and downpipe, improved intercooler setup, and a rebuilt cylinder head with better flow.

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VIDEO: Shocking MINI Racer Accident in Australia

A horrific crash involving a MINI Cooper S racer took place this past weekend at the Ipswich Raceway in Brisbane, Australia, when debutant racer Kain Magro, 23, literally cart-wheeled out of control over a barrier and into a crowd of spectators during a racing event that preceded the Ipswich 300 V8 Supercars race.

Miraculously, the driver was unhurt while only two people from the crowd were treated for minor injuries. Check out the video after the break.

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