Question: What's the maximum size that a can a car be that's called a MINI? Answer: Exactly 4 meters and 10 centimeters long, or 162 inches. Wouldn't 'cha know, that's exactly the length of the latest MINI Crossover concept from the diminutive brand? Moving forward, it sounds as if there will be two different platforms for future products from BMW's MINI brand, and both of them could be shared with Fiat. One of them could end up being a bit larger than the current Cooper, the other just a bit smaller. We are left wondering if the MINI brand will be blessed with the long-rumored Isetta revival as opposed to its parent company.

Rumors also abound regarding the powertrain of future MINI products. Engines seem likely to be supplied by Fiat moving forward, with a 1.6-liter four cylinder for the Cooper and a possible twin cylinder powerplant for the Isetta revival. Whatever the case, Mini Global Brand Manager Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht assures us that it will be cute and fun to drive.

[Source: Inside Line]

We won't have any official details on what will be powering the electric MINIs that we know will be prowling the streets next year until the vehicle is unveiled at the LA Auto Show later this year. That doesn't mean that we can't all speculate until then, right? We've seen spy shots of test vehicles (minus tail-pipes) on the road and we've seen some engine-less MINI carcasses coming out of the Oxford plant in England. While we can't pinpoint what type of battery or electric motor(s?) the car will come with, we may be able to rule a few things out. For instance, an inside source has reportedly told EVO that the Bavarian parents of the MINI brand have been testing both lithium ion batteries and hub-mounted electric motors with unsatisfactory results. So, it won't look like this. Will the cars get a nickel metal hydride battery or a Zebra battery like the current electric smart? Not sure. Any thoughts?

[Source: EVO]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the MINI Cooper D

MINI doesn't seem to need much in the way of eye-catching advertising to sell its cars these days, with the brand's daily sales rate jumping by 14.9% -- one of only a handful of brands to increase at all. Still, the automaker's American arm has a new marketing scheme in the works, centering around their make-believe "carfun footprint" figure, which it defines as: "A measurement of how much fun your car is versus how much impact it has on the environment." The MINI is definitely one of the most enjoyable cars on U.S. roadways with its small size and sporty performance. To help you figure out your own carfun footprint, MINI has conveniently set up a website with a "Carfun Footprint Calculator," though it's not yet working. Check back in a few days.

MINI will be rolling out this new advertising campaign in full force soon enough. Expect to see these ads online and on billboards, in your favorite magazines and newspapers and on television. Know what would score even better on the Carfun Calculator? How 'bout an electric MINI. Oh yeah, and a diesel. Please?


[Source: MINI USA]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the MINI Cooper D

It looks like it will be even harder to get your hands on a MINI Cooper than ever before. Sales of the diminutive little hatch have been hot so far this year, as MINI had just a four day supply of unsold vehicles on hand at the close of June. This month, supply is even tighter with just one day's supply available. Unfortunately, the manufacturing plant in England is at full capacity, so there is no real way to increase supply. Therefore, if you are looking to get your mitts on either of the current gas-powered models, you'd better get your name on whatever list your dealer can offer. Those who want an electric MINI should certainly do the same.

In much more exciting and favorable news, we hear that BMW is seriously considering offering the diesel version of the urban car on U.S. soil. First, though, the automaker needs to produce a model of the vehicle is is legal for sale in all fifty states. Based on our driving impressions, especially considering the 47 miles per gallon we achieved with it, that day can't come soon enough!


[Source: Green Fuels Forecast]

We're not sure that a bigger MINI Cooper is exactly what the buying public at large has been waiting for, but it is exactly what they might get. We would certainly hope that the small-size MINI would remain in the line, though that would certainly negate whatever savings BMW is hoping for by collaborating with Fiat on the project in the first place. Fiat will be using the platform for the next Grande Punto, due in 2011. MINI would not use the platform until 2012 at the earliest, followed up by Alfa Romeo's planned MiTo successor a year later. Also on the docket is a new Fiat-sourced 1.6L four-banger, which would be the third 1.6L engine used by BMW for the MINI in as many platforms.

It sounds as if BMW would like to save a few million euros in the development cost of the next MINI so it can continue building its larger rear-wheel drive passenger cars and *ugh* sports activity vehicles. What's more, the expected costs to hit future targeted fuel economy standards are rather staggering. This being the case, despite the huge sales potential of the MINI brand, it could well be playing second fiddle to the larger machines from its parent company in this case.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req'd.]

Proving once again that there are many factors which impact an automaker's plans on how many vehicles to sell is the fact that the U.S. isn't likely to get an additional supply of Minis any time soon. Despite the fact that Mini literally cannot keep enough cars on its dealer lots (there is only a five day supply of unsold cars in the U.S.), BMW is not planning to increase production. While it would seem to make fiscal sense to build as many cars as can be sold, it's not quite that easy. Apparently, the plant in Oxford, England where the new Mini is still produced is already running at capacity. It could take years for the necessary expansion at the facility to produce more cars, and it is difficult to forecast just how long the sales boom will last.

What may be in for an adjustment, though, is the current Mini's sticker price. An increase may be coming due to both high demand and the weak state of the dollar.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Although the first two generations of BMW's revival of the Mini brand have been sales sensations and are nothing if not fun to drive, the Bavarian company's true engineering merit has always been with rear-wheel drive vehicles. So, it isn't at all surprising that the huge sporting automaker from Germany is looking to co-develop its next front-wheel drive Mini platform with Fiat. Though it could be argued that the Fiat 500 is a direct shot across the bow of the retro-style Mini Cooper, the money savings from platform sharing was apparently just too much to resist for the two automakers.

Fiat certainly has a long history of producing fine small cars, and its current Punto and Panda-based 500 have received rather good reviews from the European motoring press. What's more, BMW has always used engines developed in cooperation with other manufacturers for the Mini. Still, it seems odd that the two marque's would go at each other with vehicles built off the same underpinnings. We'll just need to wait and see how well the two vehicles are differentiated from one another.

[Source: Reuters]

Click on the Mini above for more pictures of the 2008 John Cooper Works package

The second generation MINI got good 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 got a 5-Star rating for front seat occupant side-impact protection. In the same test the MINI received a 4-Star rating for rear seat occupants. In frontal impact testing the MINI received a 4-Star rating for both front seat occupants. Finally, the MINI got a 5-Star rating for rollover safety. All those stars prove that small doesn't have to mean unsafe.

Related:

• Geneva Preview: New 207 hp John Cooper Works MINI gets 34 mpg
• VIDEO: Fiat shows that really small cars don't have to crumple
• Fiat 500 - cute, green and also safe

[Source: BMW]

Click on the Mini above for more pictures of the 2008 John Cooper Works package

Update: The horsepowr figure was changed from 218 to 207.

The MINI brand from BMW proves that cars need not be ridiculously expensive to be stylish and desirable, and they don't need huge engines to be fun-to-drive. While we think that even the base-model MINI with its 1.6 liter naturally-aspirated engine strikes a great balance between power and fuel economy for a vehicle this size, those looking for some extra get-up-and-go can opt for the turbocharged Cooper S model. For those who are never satisfied, Mini will be revealing their new 2008 John Cooper Works package at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

The Works package bumps power from 172 to 207 while achieving the same fuel mileage number of 34 miles per gallon on the highway. If you need a bit more room, the JCW package will also be offered on the Clubman, which is nearly as fuel efficient. Anytime power goes up without a detrimental effect on economy, we're all for it. See? Fun can be frugal.

[Source: MINI via Autoblog]

Hybrid Technologies all-lithium Mini Cooper is on the cover and on sale through a Sam's Club magazine called Source Guide. The price for the 2008 Model is $65,000 and it's ready for immediate delivery. Recently, we told you about a promotion Sam's Club did with Hybrid Technologies where they sold a single electric Smart car. Seems like that promotion must have been a success if Hybrid Technologies' Mini is now on the cover of the Sam's Club's catalog. Below the fold is a video test drive of the Mini by Popular Mechanics Magazine.

Have an electric Holiday everyone!

[Source: Hybrid Technologies]

BMW-owned MINI recently commissioned YouGov PLC to conduct a survey on alternative fuels and technologies in Britain. It turns that few respondents were aware that some diesel-powered cars actually had lower CO2 emissions than the hybrids currently on the market. Of the cars included in the list (Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Prius, MINI Cooper D, Ford Focus 1.6 Duratorq TDCi and Citroen C4 1.6 HDi), most people thought the Civic Hybrid had the lowest emissions. In fact the MINI D was lowest at 104g/km equal to the Prius and ahead of the Civic's 109g/km.

The MINI D has a diesel engine combined with their regenerative braking system to charge the 12V battery and start/stop capability. The 60mpg (US) MINI provides a viable alternative to the hybrids with great real world fuel economy under both urban and highway driving conditions. If you live somewhere that doesn't have hefty tax brakes for hybrids it may also be a more affordable option. The BMW press release is after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

When we wrote a post about some of the easiest ways to implement green technology into our automobiles, one of the highlighted technologies was engine stop/start. The premise is that your engine need not idle in this day and age of electronics and high-output alternators and motors, along with improvements in oil to minimize engine wear when the engine is started. BMW has been making this particular improvement across their range and has spread the wealth to Mini as well. We know that the technology can improve the fuel mileage, but what is it like to drive the vehicle with this technology engaged? To find out, skip on over to CAR and read their mini-review. Make sure to come back afterwards!

If you followed the link, you found that they did not mind the system at all, and think that drivers should leave it on. That's right, stop/start is driver defeatable in the Mini. Also, the transmission must be left in neutral on manual shift cars for the system to work. As soon as the clutch is depressed, the engine wakes back up with zero lag. Other manufacturers should consider making a system like this standard on their models as well.

[Source: CAR via Autoblog]

MINI Cooper D. Click image for photo gallery.

Later this year, MINI will update its European/UK range, and the effect will be visible both at the pump and in the air. For example, the already-stingy MINI Cooper D will see its combined-cycle fuel economy leap from 64.2 mpg to 72.4 mpg. Those measurements use the larger Imperial gallon. Translated to the US system, the jump is from 53.4 mpg to 60.2 mpg. Very, very impressive. On top of that, the D's CO² emissions number plummets from 118g/km to 104.

And what of the sportiest MINI? The Cooper S (I'm going to use US mpg here now) improves from 34 mpg combined to 37.9. No matter which MINI you select, it will get better gas mileage and emit less carbon dioxide. The automaker accomplishes this by incorporating brake regeneration, an automatic stop/start feature in manual transmission-equipped cars (this can be disabled by the driver), and by adding a shift indicator that tells drivers which gear they should select for maximum efficiency. MINI UK's press release is pasted after the jump, and it shows the before and after numbers for each car in the lineup. We recommend using TDIClub's handy conversion tool to do the Imperial-to-US mpg translations.

[Source: MINI]

I'm pretty sure that the majority of us would like to cruise in style. Whether that style gives off the image that we love high-performance, high utility or high economy, whatever we choose to ride or drive says something about us. A Camry tells other people that you value reliability and resale value, while a Corvette tells people that you like to be seen, and be seen going fast. What does a scooter say? That depends on who you ask, as some people, mostly men, wouldn't want to be seen dead on one. Or, others may think of the "Mod" craze from long ago. Whatever others think, you can rest assured that it is costing you less to get where you are going than them!

If you are interested in the history of how scooters and microcars got to where they are now, check out this new book. Did you think that the Smart car was the first of its kind? Not even close! That trail was blazed years ago by BMW, Fiat, Mini, Messerschmitt and many more. I have not yet read it, but I will. Maybe you should too!

[Source: Veloce Publishing]

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw you face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.
You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.

See... we're cultured here at AutoblogGreen. Alright, maybe not... I copied the lyrics off the web. But, I can say that I have heard that song enough times that I should know the lyrics by now. And now... for something completely different. James Blunt drives an electric car. Not just any electric car, mind you -- a brand new electric Mini from Hybrid Technologies. And, they gave it to him! But, that's OK, I hear that he is pretty green anyway; so maybe he deserved it.

[Source: Ecorazzi]