MINI‘s boss in the United States recently confirmed in an interview that the Countryman Coupe will be available on the US market in the first quarter of 2013.

Originally debuted in the form of the Paceman Concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the Countryman Coupe should take on the Land Rover Evoque and is expected to boost MINI sales significantly. It’s expected that the Countryman Coupe will make its debut sometime in September, perhaps at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

The Paceman Concept was powered by a John Cooper Works-built 1.6L twin-turbocharged engine with 211-hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. An Overboost function allowed the torque to peak at 207 lb-ft for a short period of time.

GALLERY: MINI Paceman Concept

[Source: 4 Wheels News]

MINI‘s JCW Countryman took a bow in Austria, revealing the next generation of high-performance John Cooper Works variants. No specific details have been released on the new JCW Countryman, but rumor has it the 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant will have at least 215-hp, while the suspension has been tuned with stiffer spring rates and lower the vehicle 0.40-inch.

Larger sway bars in the front and the rear, along with a brake upgrade will also outfit the JCW Countryman. The prototype (pictured above) doesn’t completely reveal the finished product, but it’s clear that JCW’s variant of the Countryman gets some major styling upgrades including a new grille, front bumper, wide wheel arches, rear bumper with diffuser with integrated dual exhausts.

MINI has announced it will hold a press conference at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January and so the world premiere of this model is a possibility.

GALLERY: MINI JCW Countryman

[Source: MotoringFile]

You’ll be fighting with your kids on who gets to use the MINI Cooper Convertible Inflatable beach toys next.  One of the coolest promotional items we’ve seen in a while, these bad boys go from the sand to the water with the top down.

Created by Access Agency after the unveiling of the MINI Indoor Drive-in cinema for the new Countryman in Italy, these inflatables look like they may be a bit too big for the pool, but perfect for lounging on the beach and water. We’d like to pull one behind a boat for some MINI tubing, and we’re pretty sure we’d draw more than a few looks from impressed (and envious) beach goers.

The beach toys are a great way for MINI to get across that they are a fun, cool brand. No word if they’ll be floating over to North America anytime soon, but if they do, you’ll find us lounging around and soaking up the sun (after a full day of blogging, of course).

What’s the coolest automotive brand promotional item you’ve ever seen or received? Let us know in the comments section below.

With Fiat’s backing, Jeep is building a small crossover that takes direct aim at MINI’s Countryman. Will it still be Trail Rated?

Because the Patriot and Compass weren’t, which must have been hard for Jeep to resist slapping them with “Trail Rated” badges. This crossover will be even smaller than those two, based on a Fiat platform but developed out of Detroit.

The internal designation for the crossover is “SS,” which, according to Chrysler, stands for “super sport” and not what you think it does. Like the Compass and Patriot, it will start with front-drive and have the option of AWD, with a simple torsion-beam rear suspension and electronic braking for traction control.

A spate of Fiat motors will be available: the 1.4-liter Multiair unit from the Fiat 500, which may use turbocharging to get the heavier crossover going. In Europe, it will make do with an 875cc two-cylinder with 100 horsepower; in America, it’ll probably have 150 horsepower instead. And attached to this will be Chrysler’s new automatic gearbox with nine speeds; just in case you wanted to one-up your Porsche-driving neighbors in any way possible.

The mini-Jeepster will come by 2013, at the earliest. And as the smallest, most fuel-efficient vehicle in Jeep’s lineup, it should fare well against the Countryman and keep any manufacturer-average emissions regulations at bay.

[Source: Car And Driver]

The MINI Countryman was originally offered with a 2+2 configuration that made it somewhat impractical for a significant portion of potential buyers, who need the fifth seat for whatever reason.

MINI eventually decided to offer a fifth seat option in Europe, but has now decided that North Americans can have the option of a middle seat as well, a move that will no doubt open up the Countryman to a new demographic, and allow MINI to charge more money. Look for the fifth seat option to become available starting in September.

While Audi’s plans for the U.S. market originally did not include the compact Q3 crossover, but Audi is re-considering the decision to not import the car after seeing the segment expand with offerings like the MINI Countryman, BMW X1 and the Nissan Juke.

While the Q5 starts at $35,200, Audi would likely have to price it closer to the MINI Countryman which retails between $21,650 and $26,950. A sub-$30,000 price tag might be uncomfortable for Audi and its positioning as a premium brand, but with the small crossover segment growing, it could be a chance for Audi to increase their overall volume in North America.

The Q3 would likely be powered by the corporate 2.0T engine, with the possibility of a 2.0L TDI diesel engine as well. The diesel offering could allow the Q3 to stake out a niche within the segment, and remain consistent with Audi’s overall diesel strategy.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

It’s been 40-some odd years, but Mini is finally returning to the world rally stage.

The Mini WRC Team will be competing in the 2011 World Rally Championship with the John Cooper Works Countryman, as modified by legendary performance company Prodrive. The team was recently launched in its factory in Oxford in a nostalgia-laden gala that saw Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen show up in the Mini Cooper S that won them three rally championships in 1964, 1965, and 1967.

“On the one hand, MINI can look back on a unique success story,” said Ian Robertson, a member of BMW’s board of management. “On the other hand, MINI is the epitome of excitement for millions of fans around the world and thrills them with its energy. This is precisely what we are able to authentically represent through our motorsport involvement in the World Rally Championship.”

This year’s drivers and navigators in the Countryman will be Kris Meeke of England and Paul Nagle of Ireland, and Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio, from Spain. Their first race will be at Rally d’Italia Sardegna from May 5th to the 8th, and they will enter five more races in the season.

While it wasn’t the MINI Countryman WRC that did it, the brand still captured their first ever rally victory, with an S2000-class MINI John Cooper Works finishing first in the Rally dell’Adriatico.

The privateer team, known as Grifone, is campaigning the car in a regional rally series that adheres to the rules of the S2000 class. These are much closer to what one can drive on the street, and are also eligible for road racing series in Europe. The win will certainly give the brand a boost ahead of the Countryman WRC’s debut next week, and its first race in Sardinia in May.

[Source: Paultan.org]

A MINI Cooper S fitted with an experimental hybrid all-wheel drive system was spotted testing in winter climates, a surprise move for BMW, which has given no indication it was developing such a car.

Sharp-eyed readers will not the electric motor mounted between the rear wheels, as well as the “hybrid” stickers mounted on the vehicle. A traditional gas engine provides power to the front wheels.

Considering MINI has their All4 AWD system already, it could become superfluous if the hybrid AWD setup becomes a fixture during the 2013 revamp of MINI’s lineup. With BMW developing hybrid technology in collaboration with Peugeot and Citroen, the cost of such a system would be spread across a large number of models, and thus make it an affordable option for MINI cars.

[Source: Left Lane News]

The MINI Countryman currently seats four, plus a whole lot of cupholders. But due to consumer demand, a rear bench option will be coming to America as early as July.

The four-seater will be standard, but the bench seat will be an additional option. Current Countryman owners looking to squeeze their fellow countryman into the middle seat for their White Castle runs can order a retrofit straight from the factory.

To be honest, we’ll be truly impressed when we can get a bench seat for the front.

[Source: MotoringFile]