MINI goes camping!

The MINI feels very much at home just about anywhere on the planet. And soon the world will also be the oyster of MINI drivers and their entourages. 12 days on from the “official” start of spring, MINI can announce its arrival among the ranks of camping outfitters. A sumptuously appointed caravan with two sleeping bays and a roof-top tent (also designed for two) in the classic John Cooper Works colour scheme will whet the appetite for do-it-yourself summer holidays peppered with spur-of-the-moment detours along the way. The British premium car maker is very literally inviting us all to dream, while reinforcing its status as a universal supplier of stylish mobility solutions. Its aim is clear: following the unveiling of the MINI Clubvan Concept – the first MINI for everyday business use – at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2012, come 1 April it will be time to offer customers a very MINI holiday experience as well.

As style-conscious globetrotters have long recognised, the MINI gets a warm welcome wherever it goes. And the MINI Countryman reaches those parts even its siblings hesitate to venture. Having found that perfect spot, however, what we’ve been lacking has been a suitably MINI, suitably impromptu way of bedding down for the night. Enter the “Cowley” caravan, offering everything you need to pitch camp in comfort: two welcoming sleeping berths, a twin-burner gas-stove, a water tank with pump and dish-washing facility, a solar module to charge the on-board battery and a 230-volt power connection to supply the refrigerator, TV/DVD and hi-fi stereo system.

“Maximum touring pleasure on a minimal footprint” is the formula for this exclusive pied-à-terre on wheels, very much in the spirit of the creative use of space for which MINI is renowned. The silhouette of the Cowley brings to mind the sweeping circular curves of the door trim inside a MINI. Plus, both side doors have sliding windows, as was the way of things in the Classic Mini up to 1969. The eye-catching trailer is only 12 centimetres (under five inches) wider than a MINI Clubman mirror to mirror and weighs just under 300 kilograms (661 lb). Indeed, with its outstanding agility and fleetness of foot, there’s no danger of the hallmark MINI driving fun being left behind over long journeys.

For cars like the John Cooper Works top sports models where a trailer coupling is not an option, the “Swindon” roof-top tent provides a neat solution. The tent can be fitted easily to the roof of a MINI, MINI Clubman or MINI Countryman, and likewise offers sleeping space for two people. All of which makes those stressful last-minute searches for accommodation “so last holiday”. Having found a fittingly dreamy place to catch a stylish night’s shut-eye, it’s just a case of climbing up onto the roof of the MINI, lifting up the upper half of the roof-top tent box and plumping your pillows ready for impact. The roof-top tent works a treat, whether the location for your beauty sleep is the English shires or the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Indeed, should you have chosen one of nature’s livelier spots to spend the night, the elevated sleeping position will keep passers-by from the animal world at arm’s length.

The design of the roof-top tent box allows it to blend in seamlessly with the MINI when closed. Its lower shell is painted Midnight Black, the upper opening section in Chili Red – a combination previously the preserve of John Cooper Works models.

This is not the first time that MINI has come up with an eyebrow-raising take on overnight accommodation. During the 2006 football World Cup in Germany, MINI “fan hotels” laid on a whole new dimension in hospitality. MINI cars were converted into comfortable destinations of slumber for followers of the Italian, French and Brazilian national teams – and painted in the respective national colours. Neutral fans, meanwhile, could find refuge in the MINI Hotel International.

Considering MINI officially announced these latest concepts on April 1, otherwise known as April Fools’ Day, we would recommend you hold your breath waiting for a production version.

Mini has revealed that it will re-introduce manual transmissions to many of its models in the United States after a brief hiatus.

The British company had been forced to drop manual gearboxes from its U.S. line-up in North America due to updates it made to the fuel-delivery system of its engines to improve efficiency and increase injection pressure. For some time, this meant the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and eight-speed automatic were all that was offered.

“Starting early February 2020, customers will be able to resume ordering [two- and four-door] Mini hardtop and convertible models equipped with manual transmissions from March 2020 production,” Mini spokesman Andrew Cutler confirmed to Car and Driver. “There is a segment of the customer base that prefers driving with a manual transmission, so we do want to maintain that for the component of our customers who expect that. We are going to continue to ensure that we’ve got manuals when and where possible.”

Roughly 45 per cent of two-door Cooper S Hardtop models in the U.S. usually opt for the six-speed manual transmission. The John Cooper Works version of the Mini Hardtop will also be offered with a manual ‘box but some other JCW models, namely the range-topping GP variant, won’t offer stick shifts. According to Cutler, the 301 hp-strong John Cooper Works GP would have necessitated a bespoke manual transmission so the company opted to sell it exclusively with an eight-speed Steptronic.

Following the re-introduction of the manual to the hardtop and convertible models from March 2020, Mini Clubman and Countryman models will also be once again available as manuals.

Mini introduces a new Multitone roof with a gradient three-color effect as an option for the three- and five-door versions of the Hardtop and the Clubman. It offers a new way for buyers to give their car a visual flourish. This layout is already available for the Mini Cooper SE EV.

The availability of a contrasting roof has been a staple for the Mini going back to the original model. The Multitone roof is just an extension of that by using a wet-on-wet painting process to create a vibrant color gradient that shifts in shade from the back to the front of the vehicle.

The Multitone roof transitions from San Marino Blue at the front to Pearly Aqua in the middle and finally Jet Black at the tail. The result is certainly eye-catching if you see it, but we wonder how many people are trying to get a good look at the top of a Mini.

To get this effect, Mini first applies the lightest color, which is Pearly Aqua. Then, the other two shades go onto the top. The process is fully automated, but the complexity means there are slight deviations in the pattern on each vehicle, giving them a touch of uniqueness.

With the Multitone roof, Buyers can select nearly any of the available colors for the rest of the body. Chili Red and British Racing Green metallic can't be combined with this effect for the Mini Hardtop, and buyers can't order the Clubman in Indian Summer Red metallic.

The Multitone effect is available with the optional panoramic glass roof and roof rails.

Like many auto brands, Mini is currently in a state of transition. The automaker intends to introduce its final combustion-powered vehicle in 2025. From there, the company plans to end offering ICE products and be an entirely EV brand in 2030.

Mini is currently developing the next generation of its core models, including a three-door hatch and the Countryman crossover. Production of the outgoing generations is still going on, but the automaker has decided to simplify the lineup for the remaining months on the assembly lines. Supply chain issues are forcing Mini to halt the production of cars with a manual gearbox.

As the microchip crisis continues and other problems affect the output of the automotive industry, Mini wants to “ensure production stability,” as Autocar reports, and meet the growing demand for its product. As far as we understand the situation, it seems that this decision is for the global markets, not only the United Kingdom. For now, Mini hasn’t confirmed whether this move will be permanent or just temporary until the chip shortage is eased.

“Current circumstances, including the war in Ukraine and semiconductor shortages, are causing supply chain restrictions across the global automotive industry,” Mini said in a statement. “In order to secure maximum production output to meet increasing customer demand, our product offer needs to be simplified. This solution is the most effective way to ensure production stability so that we can continue to supply all our customers with new Minis.”
It will be very interesting to see whether the next-generation Mini models will be available with a manual gearbox. If the chip shortage continues well into next year and beyond, we won’t be surprised if the new hatch and Countryman arrive as automatic-only models, at least initially. Both vehicles are expected to debut before the year’s end and go on sale during the first quarter of next year.

A fully-electric version is also on its way, most likely coming in two flavors. An entry-level model will come equipped with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery providing a range of about 185 miles (297 kilometers) at a single charge. A more powerful variant with a 50-kWh battery pack is also in the cards with a projected range of 250 miles (402 km) and more than 200 hp (147 kW).

Mini has big plans for its future, and it all revolves around electrification and fun, funky design. Some of that has been shown with ambitious concepts such as the Mini Urbanaut micro-van, but now we're getting a look at what's coming soon with the Mini Aceman (a name curiously similar to the ill-fated two-door Paceman). It's still very much a show car at this point, but it does hint at a production electric SUV.

The overall shape is clearly Mini. It's a boxy little thing with a contrasting roof, wraparound glass, fender flares, big headlights and a big grille. But everything is now beveled and angular. The grille has distinct sides, as do the headlights, which match the angles. The wheel arches are squared off, and the whole body has more chiseled panels. It gives the whole thing a more rugged shape than the usual Mini, which fits its crossover bodystyle and mission. And because it's an EV, it has a filled-in grille and flush door handles. All of these aspects are likely to show up in a production Aceman. Probably not appearing in the production model is the flashy LED grille that can display all kinds of colors and patterns. It's also matched with similarly animated puddle lights. We also doubt the production model will feature the bright orange covers over the external speakers that provide safety sounds but also welcome sequence sounds. The Union Jack taillights, though, those are probably happening, since they're already on the current production Mini lineup. That Union Jack roof rack wouldn't be out of the question either.

​​​​​​​Mini also noted that the production Aceman will slide between the Mini Hardtop and the Mini Countryman in the lineup. The size seems to back that up. It's about an inch longer than the four-door Mini Hardtop and about six inches taller. And all those numbers come in well below the bigger Countryman, save for height, which is similar.



The interior is even more interesting than the exterior. Mini says they've applied the idea of "Charismatic Simplicity" to the car, and this is where it really shows. It has just a simple dash pad ahead of the funky green velour steering wheel, and mounted to it is a circular OLED touchscreen infotainment display. It continues the design idea laid out by the original Mini revival of the early 2000s, but very decluttered. Below the screen is a oval-shaped control strip with a selection of physical toggle switches for stereo and climate controls, a further nod to the toggles introduced by that older modern Mini. The infotainment system also is apparently built on Android. All of this seems likely for production. Less likely are the wild, '90s-feeling interior colors and upholstery. The same goes for the extended display system where graphics ranging from floating clouds to navigation maps can be projected onto the dashboard panels.

Unfortunately, Mini did not provide any details about the powertrain other than the fact that it's electric. So this is clearly just a design exercise. But with an expected production version of the Aceman coming around 2024, we should eventually get some details regarding power, range and more in a couple of years.

With the debut of the Mini Aceman concept this week, the company is not only previewing its future design language, but a new model for its lineup, as well. Mini says the production Aceman will fill the space between the base Hardtop and larger Countryman. And in fact, Mini is actively working to create more space between these core models.

Speaking to members of the media on Thursday, Adrian Van Hooydonk, BMW Group's senior vice president of design, and Oliver Heilmer, head of Mini design, confirmed the next-generation Countryman will grow in size. On the other hand, the new Hardtop -- the car most people simply recognize as the Mini Cooper -- will shrink.

"The Mini Countryman is supposed to grow," Heilmer said. "We did get a lot of feedback from markets that the Countryman is quite a good car but it could be slightly bigger." Heilmer later added, "The people need more space."

It certainly seems like this would go against the whole point of the Mini brand, but as vehicles get larger overall, the company will always try to offer "the smallest possible [car] in the segment," Van Hooydonk said. "It's a constant struggle."

The good news is, it sounds like the next-generation Hardtop will be smaller than the current car -- something we noticed last year when Mini released photos of a prototype. "In the hatch, our achievement was really to get it smaller than the predecessor," Heilmer said. "This was the biggest goal we had."

Widening the bookends of the Mini spectrum leaves more space for the products in between, and that bodes well for the Aceman. This creates more breathing room for Mini's other models, too, including the Clubman.

On that note, however, Van Hooydonk admits the Aceman "probably has more potential than Clubman" in terms of customer demand. The Aceman is taller than the Clubman but shorter in length, and has a higher ride height. Still, Van Hooydonk said "time will tell" if the Clubman can hold on after the Aceman enters production in the next few years.

Just like your favorite pair of Jordan reissues or a roll of toilet paper, manual gearboxes for Mini USA have been coming and going over the past half-decade. Now, it's time for another comeback, offering the row-yourself option again to American buyers, albeit for one model only.

Mini will start offering manual transmission for the MINI Hardtop starting with November production. The six-speed stick shift gearbox will be a standalone option for the Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works variants. However, it will be exclusive to the Mini 2-Door model, so if you want the more practical 4-Door, you're stuck with the company's AT options.

.The manual transmission option isn't the only thing that will be made available starting with November production. Mini's Special Edition models, announced in February 2022, are getting an expansion. Specifically, the Mini Untold Edition, which has been available exclusively as a MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, will be offered for the Cooper S and Cooper S All4 variants. Midnight Black metallic with black spats will also be offered as a paint option.

Meanwhile, the Resolute Edition will also be available in Enigmatic Black metallic body color with the same Pepper White roof on all models, or Nanuq White on the Hardtop variants with a body-color roof. The Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 Untamed Edition can now be ordered in the new Nanuq White paint color.
Mini has also revamped its paint color options. The availability of Pepper White, White Silver, and Moonwalk Grey will end with October production. Replacing these hues are the new Melting Silver III and Nanuq White, available on the Mini Hardtops, Clubman, and Countryman.

In line with the global supply chain issues, Mini USA also announced that then-restricted equipment and options are going back into the revised trim levels, Signature 2.0 and Iconic 2.0, resulting in updated pricing.