In case you missed it – MINI has done well again in the latest round of crash tests. Check out this press release:

MINI Cooper Scores 5 Stars for Driver-Side Impact and Roll-Over
4 Stars for Front Impact and Rear-Side Impact

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 27, 2008… The second generation MINI Cooper hardtop earned impressive scores for front and side impact and roll-over testing in the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing.

In the NCAP side impact testing, the 2008 MINI Cooper received a 5-Star rating for front seat occupant side-impact protection – the highest rating issued by NHTSA. In the same test the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for rear seat occupants.

In frontal impact testing the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for both front seat occupants. In addition the MINI Cooper carries a 5-Star rating for rollover safety.

“We are delighted that the NHTSA tests confirm MINIs excellent occupant protection in crash situations” said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA. “It is a testament to the level of safety we engineer in our cars, making MINI one of the safest small cars on the road today.”

The MINI Cooper and Cooper S help to maximize occupant safety with a total of six airbags – two frontal impact bags, two seat-mounted side impact bags and an impressive Head Protection air bag curtain that protects both front and rear passengers in the event of a side impact or roll-over. MINI’s crash worthiness is also enhanced by a rigid steel safety cage that helps to redirect impact forces away from occupants.

Of course it is better to avoid an accident and MINI offers a palette of advanced electronic braking and traction management technologies to help keep the car safely on the road. In addition to standard Anti-Lock Brakes, and All Season Traction, (AST), MINI offers Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Corner Brake Control (CBC) and available Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

A big name, a long tradition, outstanding performance, figures and an incomparable driving experience: the MINI John Cooper Works arouses motor racing passion which goes beyond the race track. In August 2008 the new model – produced at the British MINI plant in Oxford – will be coming to Germany along with the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman. With their world premiere at the International Automobile Salon in Geneva (March 6thñ16th 2008), these versions are the first two models to be launched by MINI under the brand MINI John Cooper Works.

Continue reading In The Name Of Racing: MINI John Cooper Works And MINI John Cooper Works Clubman →

What better way to kick off “MINI Clubman Weekend” than with the press release:

New Member of MINI Family Goes on Sale in US on February 16

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ — The eagerly anticipated 2008 MINI Clubman, an all-new addition to the MINI family, goes on sale in the US on February 16th, 2008, as both a Cooper and a Cooper S model. The MINI Cooper Clubman will be offered with a MSRP of $20,600, while the MINI Cooper S Clubman will come with a MSRP of $24,100. Both prices include a $650 Destination charge.

Continue reading New MINI Clubman Motors Into Dealer Showrooms →

Here is the official MINI Press Release regarding the JCW rebranding:

Premium quality, racing know-how and MINI feeling are now even more closely united: John Cooper Works continues success story with extended product range and new brand identity.

The roots shared by the names MINI and John Cooper Works reach back almost 50 years. Now a new chapter of their success story has been opened. Under the roof of MINI the entire product range designed for the driver with a specifically sporting ambition will bear the John Cooper Works label. Consequently, John Cooper Works will in future become an integral part of the MINI brand and represent more than ever before the epitome of ultimate driving fun for all MINI enthusiasts.
Continue reading John Cooper Works – The Embodiment of Ultimate Driving Fun In The MINI →

Here is the official MINIUSA press release regarding the MINI Clubman at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that we were waiting for. So far, no mention of the “D” word.

NEW MINI CLUBMAN FEATURED AT NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN DETROIT
New Member of MINI Family Offers Flexibility, Fun and Performance
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – January 13, 2008… The 2008 MINI Clubman, an all-new addition to the MINI model line, is featured at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI. With a little more room in the back and an innovative door configuration, the eagerly anticipated MINI Clubman defies convention in its concept and style. This all new addition to the MINI family will go on sale in the US February 16th, 2008 as both a Cooper and a Cooper S model. The MINI Cooper Clubman will be offered with a MSRP of $20,600, while the MINI Cooper S Clubman will come with a MSRP of $24,100. Both prices include a $650 Destination charge.
Continue reading MINI Clubman @ Detroit Auto Show →

Looks like the MINI SAV will be built in Austria according to the latest BMW Press Release. Check it out below:

BMW Press Release

Partnership in Development and Production
Munich. The new MINI Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) will be built by Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik in Graz, Austria. The vehicle concept, devised by MINI Design and BMW Group engineers, has been entrusted to Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik for series development and for later production.

The cooperation with Magna Steyr is an efficient way for BMW Group to ensure the planned profitable growth through new model launches set out in the company’s strategic alignment.
Continue reading MINI Sports Activity Vehicle will be built by Magna Steyr →

MINI USA Press Release:
Additional Member of MINI Family Offers Flexibility, Fun and Performance
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – July 29, 2007… The wraps are now off the new MINI Clubman, an all-new addition to the MINI model range. With an anticipated international debut this fall, the MINI Clubman will go on sale in Europe this November in three model configurations: the MINI Cooper Clubman, the MINI Cooper D Clubman and the MINI Cooper S Clubman. In the US market the MINI Cooper Clubman and the MINI Cooper S Clubman will be available early next year. Although US pricing has yet to be announced, the MINI Clubman is expected to be positioned between the MINI hardtops and MINI convertibles.

The eagerly anticipated MINI Clubman will be like nothing else on the road and defies convention in its concept and style. With its hallmark design elements, the MINI Clubman is clearly a MINI from every angle. Yet it is the MINI Clubman’s unique rear-end design and new proportions that distinguish it from other members of the MINI family.
Continue reading MINI Reveals New MINI Clubman →