Tests and Features

When we received the invitation from BMW (MINI belongs to BMW, everyone knows that!) for the MINI 5 door, the invitation actually read: “The new MINI 5 door (not to be confused with the next generation Clubman, which is a little farther off) represents…” When an automaker goes this far …

As a car whose parents come from different backgrounds, the MINI Cooper has come a long way since its reincarnation in 2002. Its ancestor, the first MINI Cooper, was a pure Brit, but the second vehicle of the same name became increasingly German after the brand was purchased by BMW—which …

2014 MINI Cooper: We’re testing the 3rd generation this week! In 2002, BMW made a splash by reincarnating the MINI, the celebrated miniature British car. Since then, the MINI Cooper and its various versions have captured the hearts of many thanks to its style and bold interior. Not your everyday …

When the MINI returned in 2001, there were doubts as to whether or not it could be successful over the long term. It’s one thing to launch a model successfully when you have a clearly defined target market, but ensuring its long term success is something else entirely. For example, …

The MINI has been full of surprises ever since BMW reintroduced it in 2001. The manufacturer wants to offer a MINI for all tastes, but not necessarily for all budgets. They are trying anything and everything to keep people from losing interest in the brand – or worse, forgetting about …

The premise of the He said, she said chronicle is simple: we lend a press vehicle to a couple to test drive extensively for two weeks and give the two participants one simple instruction: to take note of all of their impressions, both good and bad. Each of the test …

When BMW first announced that they intended to bring the Mini brand back onto the market, there were two main sticking points for most enthusiasts: the news that the upcoming Mini Cooper would be marketed and priced as a premium compact hatchback, and the idea that one of Britain's most …

At the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, MINI unveiled two concept cars: a coupe and a roadster. They stood out with their plunging lines that broke away from the brand’s traditional square mould. Most people at the event figured that these were just concept cars and that the production models, if …

In the late fifties, Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the game-changing Mini, had his sights set upon an unlikely British icon: the Land Rover. Lured in by the various lucrative military contracts Land Rover had been awarded as a result of their stunningly practical Series I, and later, Series …