Archive for the ‘MINI’ Category

Let's face it: MINIs have a lot of curb appeal, but the company's advertising campaigns frequently come up short. A new spot for the MINI Cooper Convertible proves that point beautifully. Compared to yesterday's ad featuring the Alfa Romeo MiTo, this clip feels clunky and under-rehearsed -- although the potentially clichéd punchline somehow manages to be fairly freaking funny. The credit for that goes entirely to actor... well, if we told you his name, that'd probably give away the ending. Watch: you'll see what we mean.

[MotorAuthority]

Readers of a certain age will recall a time when America's roadways were clogged with Gremlins, Rabbits, and other fuel-efficient minicars. That historical moment was caused by spiking fuel prices in the 1970s (remember when Jimmy Carter told everyone to put on a snappy cardigan?), which rear-ended a recession in the early 1980s. If you've been paying attention, you might've noticed that today's financial and automotive landscapes are looking awfully familiar....

And so, just as they did 30 years ago, every automaker worth its salt is now looking to cash in on the American compact and subcompact markets. BMW has its MINI (not to mention its...

Results from field tests of the MINI E have finally come in, and sadly, the EV didn't exactly pass with flying colors. Aside from braking, handling, and other problems that our own John Voelcker discovered during his time behind the wheel, BMW learned that the biggest threat to the MINI E might be range-anxiety -- even with the car's respectable, 100-mile-per-charge capacity. In fact, the most significant hurdles facing the MINI E involve energy infrastructure and implementation of universal charging standards. So no matter how many adjustments are made to the MINI E's powertrain (and there are several tweaks on BMW's to-do list), the car's...