Starting July 2013, MINI will not only offer the Countryman and Paceman models with ALL4 all-wheel drive, but more customization options and details will be available enhance the two vehicles.

New options for both models include the John Cooper Works Exterior Package, the John Cooper Works Interior Package and the John Cooper Works Chili Package. The exterior package outfits the vehicles with sport suspension settings, 18-inch wheels and a John Cooper Works Aerodynamic Kit with a front apron, side skirts, and a rear bumper with diffuser.

The Dark Style design package adds racing stripes on the hood in black or white and colors the mirror caps, turn indicator surrounds, roof rails and a radiator grille in a contrasting darker shade.

As for the JCW Interior Package, owners will get sport seats with Diagonal Track fabric, a JCW leather steering wheel and JCW door sill finishers. The Chili Package combines both the exterior and interior packages and adds the following options: fog lamps, rain sensor, automatic air conditioning, an on-board computer, lighting package, storage package, height adjustment for the passenger seat and velour floor mats. Also unique to the Chili Package is the sports seat finish in the Parallel Lines Light Tobacco fabric/leather combination for the MINI Countryman, and the Hot Cross Carbon Black fabric/leather combination for the MINI Paceman. The package is also supplemented with xenon headlights in the MINI Cooper S model.

SEE ALSO: MINI Cooper Countryman, Paceman Get ALL4 All-Wheel Drive

In addition, the optional storage package for the Countryman will now come with a double cup holder in the rear. The Paceman on the other hand, will be updated in the near future with a new rear center console with integrated storage facilities and a 12-volt power socket while a pair of cup holders will be available as an option.

GALLERY: MINI Cooper Paceman ALL4

GALLERY: MINI Cooper Countryman ALL4

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The next MINI Cooper S was caught testing today. Just like its less exciting sibling was last week, the car is wearing less camouflage. 

With styling cues taken from the Rocketman concept, the car adopts a steeper rake in the front and a sleeker overall look. While it’s hard to imagine exactly what the new Cooper S will look like without the swirly black-and-yellow wrapping, the new body shape is hard to miss.

SEE ALSO: Next Mini Cooper Spied Testing With Less Camo

As you would expect, this version sports a hood scoop which feeds air into the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine.

Production is expected to begin late this year to deliver the car as a 2014 model.

GALLERY: 2014 MINI Cooper S Spy Photos

This year, Porsche is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 911 model, and to congratulate the German automaker on its momentous feat, MINI has released a photo gallery of a classic MINI with a classic Porsche 911.

At first glance, the two automakers have very little in common. MINI focuses on economical and compact but fun vehicles, while Porsche focuses on building high-performance sports cars. But the major landmark of celebrating its 50th birthday for the 911 is no small task, and out of just sheer respect for how successful the 911 has been, the British automaker has paid homage to the great sports car model.

SEE ALSO: Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition Appropriately Limited to 1,963 Units

Over the years, both automakers have pride themselves in pushing the envelope on vehicle design and neither are fearful at entering different markets. Porsche has been successful with both the Panamera and the Cayenne while MINI has pushed the envelope in compact car offerings with its Paceman and Countryman models. And of course, there’s the successful that both automakers have had on and off the track.

Despite carrying very different stories and histories, a classic MINI sharing the road with a classic Porsche 911 in a set of photos is truly worth the time to look over.

GALLERY: Classic MINI and Porsche 911

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In an attempt to remind women in Mexico that putting on makeup while driving is dangerous, MINI has released a video that gave a few women quite a few surprises.

According to the maker, 22 percent of the accidents in Mexico are caused by women and apparently it’s because they’re too busy putting makeup on their faces while driving. So MINI secretly put hidden airbags in women’s bathrooms and deployed them while women applied makeup on their faces – you know, in a way to startle them on what could happen if they deployed their vehicle’s airbags in an accident while applying lipstick.

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By adding its ALL4 all-wheel drive to the Cooper Countryman and Cooper Paceman models, MINI has expanded its range of ALL4-equipped models to 10.

Starting from July 2013, the MINI Cooper Countryman and the MINI Cooper Paceman now can benefit from the spontaneous power delivery and precise handling that the British automaker’s ALL4 system offers. The new models equipped with all-wheel drive will come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard, with a six-speed automatic available as an option. Based on an electromagnetic center differential that distributes drive force on twisty roads, the ALL4 is integrated directly in the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) unit, allowing it to drive torque quickly and precisely to where it can be most effective.

SEE ALSO: 2013 MINI Paceman Review – Video

Both the Countryman and Paceman ALL4 models will come equipped with the automaker’s 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine with 122 hp and 118 lb-ft of torque in the manual-equipped vehicles. The automatic-equipped models have 140 lb-ft of torque. This allows the Countryman ALL4 to accelerate to 62 mph in 11.9 seconds while the automatic does it in 11.7. As for the Paceman, it’s slightly quicker accelerating to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds and 11.6 in the automatic.

GALLERY: MINI Cooper Countryman ALL4

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Further expanding its in-car online services, MINI has added music-on-demand specialist Deezer to its MINI Connected app lineup.

The Deezer app allows iPhone users to create their ultimate driving playlist with access to 20 million songs and is available for free. The app has been modified to easily sync with the MINI Connected system and users will also be able to use the service’s social media functions.

To be able to use the service, the MINI vehicle must be equipped with the Radio MINI Visual Boost or the MINI navigation system. Users can control the app with the MINI joystick or steering wheel buttons while it’s displayed on the on-board monitor.

GALLERY: MINI Connected Deezer App

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There will be a MINI in the Pikes Peak International hill Climb with with French driver Jean-Philippe Dayraut behind the wheel.

Last year Dayraut competed in the race in the Dacia Duster. This time he will return in the same car wearing the skin taken of a MINI. This is his third year running in the famous Colorado race. Mechanically, the car is the same as last year, but with improvements.

First, it’s lost over 176 lbs. Second, it boasts 900 hp. With the race a little more than a month away, there isn’t long to wait until this and the rest of the insane hill climb cars take on the challenging course.

The clip below shows his wild car in Toulouse, France.

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The next-generation MINI Cooper is coming with some revised style, and AutoGuide’s spy photographers grabbed shots of the little car testing with less camo than ever before. 

The new MINI Cooper is expected to take many of its styling cues from the Rocketman Concept. Slightly raked  front lights and a new lower front bumper are part of the changes coming, along with a new rear-end shape. Thanks to its tie-up with BMW, the Mini Cooper will likely take on a classier more fluid look, more in line with the current BMW model range than with the classic boxy MINI Cooper shape.

Under the hood, a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 120 hp is expected. In the Mini Cooper S, that number could reach 180 hp.

The car is also expected to grow a little bit as it now has a new front-wheel drive platform which is shared with BMW.

Production is expected to begin sometime in late 2013, with the car arriving as a model year 2014.

GALLERY: Mini Cooper Spy Shots

Since its founding in 1936, Consumer Reports has become the go-to source for shoppers. From new refrigerators to bottles of wine, Blue-ray players to homeowner’s insurance, if it’s on the market it’s likely the non-profit organization has scientifically tested it. Of course the consumer watchdog is probably most famous for its vehicle reliability ratings.

Conscientious shoppers in the market for a new ride turn to the magazine’s pages for advice. They search out cars and trucks with most the red dots, and shun ones that get black marks. The group’s survey methodology, while controversial, paints a broad and easily understood picture for buyers.

To earn a coveted “Recommended” rating, vehicles must perform well in the organization’s testing and have a reliability score of average or better. But what about cars and trucks that fail to make the grade? Here’s a list of the Top 10 Least Reliable Vehicles according to Consumer Reports. If you’re familiar with their ratings you’ll know products from the Detroit Three typically don’t score as well as their Japanese competitors. Needless to say there’s trouble brewing in Dearborn. Team America… oh no.

The BMW Group, which consists of BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce, has posted its best April global sales yet with a total of 155,419 vehicles sold last month.

The strong April, which was an increase of 6.8 percent in sales, gave the BMW Group a new all-time high of 603,619 vehicles sold during the first four months of the year. BMW brand vehicles rose 7.5 percent to 130,598 last month compared to April 2012 while worldwide MINI sales increased 3.3 percent. The BMW Group is enjoying success thanks to strong gains in the Asian and American markets.

Deliveries of the BMW X1 increased 14.8 percent compared to last year, with 11,837 units delivered in April. The 3 Series climbed 16 percent compared to last year to 38,491 units while the 3 Series Touring more than doubled with 104.6 percent growth. A total of 512,000 BMW vehicles have been delivered to customers worldwide in 2013, an increase of 7.1 percent.

Last month, MINI delivered 24,581 vehicles and its worldwide sales increased 3.3 percent.

China accounted for 30,311 deliveries last month while the Americas sold 36,547 vehicles for an increase of 11.7 percent. Europe contributed to the total with 69,957 vehicles.

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Eyeing BMW’s success with MINI, Daimler might be hoping to cash in on small car appeal even more with a product line to take on it’s rival’s smaller series of products. 

Previous reports suggest there will be an “X-Class” crossover sitting below the GLA (based on the CLA and A-Class) which is set to be unveiled later this month during the Shanghai Auto Show. But now German publication Focus is reporting that there could be even more MINI fighters, built on the same MFA architecture.

SEE ALSO: Mercedes X-Class Info

If those reports prove to be true, a three-door model could follow in 2016 priced between 17,000 and 20,000 Euros.

[Source: Focus]

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Some Mini models could be on the chopping block, as the British automaker mulls over the possibility of some major changes to its lineup in the near future.

According to Edmunds, Mini may not be replacing some of its models when they reach the end of their cycle. The only two safe models are the Mini Hardtop and Countryman, which account for about 75 percent of the brand’s sales. But according to Jim McDowell, vice president of MINI USA, some of the other models in the lineup could be on the chopping block.

Last year, the British automaker sold approximately 66,200 vehicles in the US with the Hardtop and Countryman being almost 50,000 of that figure. Currently the lineup consists of seven models, and McDowell hinted that when MINI starts replacing models, we might not see every model being replaced. The next generation of Mini models will begin a year from now.

The new Mini lineup will share a front-wheel drive platform BMW, the first of which will be the Hardtop, set to hit dealerships in March 2014.

In the same interview, McDowell reiterated that the automaker has no plans currently to produce the Rocketman concept.

[Source: Edmunds]

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