Static Review of the All-New 2105 Mini Hatch

While this is probably the first review of the all-new Mini you’re going to see, it’s not a regular one. You won’t hear opinions about the car’s handling, nor the engine’s noise in this video, simply because it’s a static review.

However, AutoExpress magazine reviewer Matthew Watson got inside the new Mini, where he noticed some interesting changes have been made. The quality is better thanks to softer plastics and better looking material, with a more upscale feel overall.

Some buttons have changed position (the window switches are now on the doors), while the huge round central display no longer shows the speed, with all the relevant driving information moved to the motorcycle-style instruments behind the steering wheel.

Some things never change in a Mini, however: although there’s more space in the back than before, it’s still cramped. Scroll down to find what else is new about the latest Mini hatch.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Mini Teases Next Gen Hatch in New Video

With exactly one week left before Mini will officially reveal its all-new core model, the hatchback, the BMW Group-owned carmaker has released a new teaser video.

Although we don’t get to see much of the car, the 2014 Mini is not exactly a mystery. The first photos with the car wearing no camouflage were captured earlier this year, and even if we hadn’t seen any photos, how different could the new Mini have looked from its predecessor? Exactly…

Like the Porsche 911, the Mini hatch is doomed forever to be a remake of the original model. However, Mini promises the new hatch will be “the best remake ever.”

We'll find what that means when the car will be unveiled in London on November 18, the day that classic Mini designer Sir Alec Issigonis would have turned 107. The new Mini will then be on display at the Los Angeles and Tokyo auto shows.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Classic Mini is Feeling Very Benzy

The baby Aston Martin carriage that is the Cygnet mini may have found its long lost ancestor in the face of this classic Mini with a Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 snout - in case you don't remember, that's the codename of the E-Class saloon of the late-1960s, which was built through the mid-1970s).

MINI Takes New Coupé for a Trip Around the World in its First Promo Film

The new two-seat Coupé from MINI has just landed on the internet, but the British firm is already pushing out its new marketing campaign with the release of the first promo clip.
The campaign builds around a new slogan titled “Another Day. Another Adventure.” with the film shot in the style of a movie trailer showcasing the Coupé in exotic locations, such as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Iceland and Hong Kong.

MINI Officially Launches WRC Team, Unveils Countryman Racers

MINI's preparations for the brand's imminent return to the World Rally Championship have culminated with the official launch of the team less than a month ahead of its first WRC event, the Rally d'Italia Sardegna (May 5 - 8). At the company's plant in Oxford, England, the MINI WRC Team unveiled its two MINI John Cooper Works WRC cars, the driver/co-driver lineup and its plans for 2011.

VIDEO: When in New Zealand, Beware of the Most Annoying Mini in the World

Did you ever think about adding on some harmonicas to your car's bodywork? Of course not; you don't want people in your neighborhood to vandalize your car. The folks from Mini New Zealand, however, decided to stick 300 harmonicas on a Mini Clubman, just for the sake of a marketing campaign.
Once the job was finished, they created an interactive app on the local Mini website that allows visitors to combine the different sounds from the Mini Carmonica's adventures and create their own compositions. Creative marketing or the result of boredom? Who knows, but one thing's for sure; many of you will definitely turn off the sound after the first seconds of the video below…

MINI Shows off New Rocketman at Milan Fashion Week [New Photos and Video]

Only a few days before its motor show debut at next week's Geneva Salon, the MINI Rocketman concept made its first public appearance at a special event on the sidelines of the Milan Fashion Week. The presentation was held at the Istituto Europeo di Design, which is a design school with a focus on automotive and product design.

VIDEO: A MINI Cooper S Powered by a Helicopter Jet Engine

Rolls-Royce and MINI may have the same owner, but the two iconic British brands have never been intended to cross paths. That was until a Texas-based firm called BMP Design decided to squeeze a Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20B jet engine sourced from a helicopter in the back of a MINI Cooper S. Yes, that's right, just behind the front seats.
The consequences of this action are easy to imagine: the 420-horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque RR engine drives the rear wheels, turning the MINI into a 4WD monster. Managing to drive the car is a major achievement, since the driver needs to balance the conventional controls with the separate levers that command the jet engine.
As you are about to see, the speed and the acceleration of this little rocket are mind-blowing. As is the noise coming from the turbine engine. Watch the videos after the break.

AC Schnitzer Turns All-Electric MINI E into a Police Car [with Video]

In support of the German Automobile Tuner Association’s “Tune it! Safe!” campaign, AC Schnitzer built the MINI E Police Look Concept, which is being showcased at the 2010 Essen Motor Show. The idea behind the campaign is to create a car that can satisfy tuning aficionados and also meet safety standards.

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.

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.