The original Mini designed by Sir Alec Issigonis came about because of the Suez crisis and the subsequent petrol rationing creating a demand for affordable motoring, David Miles reminds us. In an answer to that call the first petrol powered Mini rolled off the production line in Oxford in 1959 and so the global success story of Mini started. Today with a world facing new social and economic … [Read more...]
Mid-week motoring: MINI at 60
Last week MINI celebrated production of the 10-millionth Mini and MINI built under British and BMW ownership periods, writes David Miles. The landmark car was a MINI 60 Years Anniversary Edition just like the one I have been test driving. To celebrate the 60th anniversary MINI brought together at Plant Oxford one car from each year of production - 60 cars from 60 years. To celebrate 60 years of … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI John Cooper Works 3-Door Hatch
At last week’s MINI UK media test driving day the BMW Group brand brought along their 60th anniversary Edition Hatch model as well as the revised John Cooper Works Hatch version to be sampled, writes David Miles. With a 60th anniversary Edition model already scheduled into my forthcoming road test diary I wheeled myself out onto the winding Lambourn area country roads near Newbury for a brief … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI Cooper S Convertible
The Mini brand when British owned, or MINI now under the control of Germany’s BMW Group, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2019. This year the Convertible celebrates its 25th anniversary after going on sale in 1993 as the Rover Mini Cabriolet. Although now German owned, Oxford Plant remains the British home of MINI although some models are built in other countries now to meet the … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Mini goes maxi
In the 58-year history of Mini , the all-new second generation Countryman five door Crossover/SUV type is the largest ever to go on sale, says David Miles. UK deliveries started in February with prices from £22,465 and running through a 17 model range up to £32,275. These on-the-road prices will marginally incrase after the new First Year VED rates come into force from April. Currently the … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI Seven
MINI's boost in sales this year has been fuelled by the introduction of their Clubman range - their first C-segment MINI followed by the Convertible new range including the recently introduced JCW, or John Cooper Works variant, writes David Miles. The Convertible range now accounts for 10% of total UK MINI sales making it the best selling convertible in this country The MINI Seven is the … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Mini Clubman All4 Estate
The Mini Clubman estate with ALL4 is the first all-wheel-drive Mini to come off the Plant Oxford production lines. The SUV styled Mini Countryman All4 versions to date have been built by Magna Steyr in Austria. The Clubman All4 line up is the Cooper S and Cooper SD and prices start from £24,305. The new generation and larger Mini Clubman, six door estates were officially … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: New Mini Clubman
Back in 2007 the BMW-owned MINI range was expanded with their Clubman estate, their interpretation of the former Austin and Morris Mini Traveller estates. The main drawback of the BMW’s version of their first MINI Clubman, especially for UK customers, was the fact that it was cramped for rear passenger space, had little boot room and unbelievably it had only one half-sized rear passenger side … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Mini John Cooper Works 3-door
With another record year of sales behind them in 2015, MINI is well placed with the introduction of their third generation range of models to continue their record breaking sales record. Last year MINI achieved 63,581 UK new car registrations, an 18.5% increase over the previous year and the sixth consecutive year of growth. During the latter half of 2015 MINI introduced the first … [Read more...]
John Cooper Works Convertible arrives in spring
Potent, race-bred John Cooper Works performance is now available as an open-air experience, with the debut of the new MINI John Cooper Works Convertible this spring. This new model uses the same 2-litre TwinPower Turbo engine as found in MINI John Cooper Works Hatch, and will cost £26,630 as a manual or £28,205 with automatic transmission and comes with a fully electric roof which operates in … [Read more...]
