MINI Introduces New Convertible Highgate Special Edition

Leave it to Mini to present a special edition model every two weeks. After the "Baker Street" and "Bayswater" hatchbacks, it's the convertible model's turn to gain a new moniker.
This one is called is called "Highgate" and is offered with four engine variants including the 122HP Cooper, 184HP Cooper S, and for those markets that get diesel versions, the 112HP Cooper D and 143HP Cooper SD.

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Fashion Designers Makeover MINI Models for 'Life Ball' Event

Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Kenneth Cole will create three special Minis to raffle off at this year's edition of "Life Ball", the biggest HIV/AIDS charity event in Europe that will take place in Vienna on 17th July 2010.

On behalf of Calvin Klein, US fashion house's creative director Francisco Costa will be designing the new Mini Countryman crossover. US fashion designer with Belgian roots Diane von Furstenberg, will artistically enhance the MINI Hatch, while New York's Kenneth Cole apply his style on a Mini Convertible.

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New Photo Gallery of MINI's Fashion-Inspired 'Life Ball' Editions

We've already told you about this year's special-edition MINIs for the annual Life Ball AIDS research auction in Vienna, Austria, but the British automaker has just dropped some new pictures of all variants.

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MINI Life Ball Specials: Photo Gallery from the Vienna Gala

For the 18th annual Life Ball fundraiser for people with HIV and AIDS that took place on July 17 at Vienna's City Hall Square, MINI joined forces with celebrity fashion designers Diane von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein Collection's Francisco Costa to create three one-off specials.

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Romeo Ferraris Introduces the MINI Countryman 150o Anniversario

The MINI Countryman may be, you know, British, but that hasn�t stopped Italian tuning house Romeo Ferraris from creating a special edition in celebration of Italy�s 150th anniversary as a nation.
The festive MINI is based on the flagship Countryman Cooper S that is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol churning out 184-horses and a peak torque of 240Nm. After Romeo Ferraris technicians remap the ECU and add a new intercooler, a sports air filter and a race-spec exhaust system, the aforementioned numbers grow to 227HP and 328Nm (241.9 lb-ft).

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BMW Readying FWD 1-Series GT for 2014 Launch

*2012 BMW 1-Series Hatchback Pictured above

It�s no secret that BMW is getting ready to adopt a front-wheel drive layout for its smaller models including certain versions of the next generation of the 1-Series. BMW�s decision has already sparked a lot of discussions whether its front-wheel drive products will remain true to the brand�s �ultimate driving machine� motto or an insult to the company�s heritage.
Now it seems that the day we will see the first front-wheel drive BMW is closer than we thought. According to Autocar magazine, the 1-Series GT, which is said to be a more practical version featuring a high-rising tail like the 5-Series GT, will be the first BMW to adopt front-wheel drive. Its launch is scheduled for 2014.

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BMW Boss Says Front-Wheel Drive Bimmers will be �The Ultimate Driving Machine�

The times, they are a-Changing sang Bob Dylan, and they did. And for the most part, it�s for the better �or we�d still be living in caves. But when one of the staples of the motoring world embraces a new philosophy, be prepared for the purists to cry �FAIL�. The news of BMW adopting front-wheel-drive for its future compact models is the perfect example.
For decades Munich has bombarded us with its naturally aspirated in-line engines, be that with 4, 6, 8 or 10 cylinders along with 50/50 perfect weight distribution and the �ultimate driving machine� tag.

Now turbos are all the rage, even in the M-division and they are trickling down to the rest of the lineup in the name of fuel economy and CO2 emissions. But a FWD BMW? Where is this world coming to?

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BMW Boss Says Front-Wheel Drive Bimmers will be �The Ultimate Driving Machine�

The times, they are a-Changing sang Bob Dylan, and they did. And for the most part, it�s for the better �or we�d still be living in caves. But when one of the staples of the motoring world embraces a new philosophy, be prepared for the purists to cry �FAIL�. The news of BMW adopting front-wheel-drive for its future compact models is the perfect example.
For decades Munich has bombarded us with its naturally aspirated in-line engines, be that with 4, 6, 8 or 10 cylinders along with 50/50 perfect weight distribution and the �ultimate driving machine� tag.

Now turbos are all the rage, even in the M-division and they are trickling down to the rest of the lineup in the name of fuel economy and CO2 emissions. But a FWD BMW? Where is this world coming to?

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Sportier MINI Countryman JCW Edition Spied Working out at the Nurburgring

Carscoop�s spy photographers have snapped some of the first images of the sportiest edition yet of the Mini Countryman bearing the John Cooper Works logo. The�high-hoon version of Mini�s urban crossover model will come with all the usual styling upgrades and performance modifications we�re used to seeing in the other JCW models.
First and foremost, the Countryman JCW will get a juiced up version of the Cooper S� 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. Being that the Countryman is much heavier than the other Mini JCW variants, engineers may further hone the four-cylinder powerplant to deliver more than 211-ponies it normally produces, possibly approaching the 230HP mark.

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All-Time Sales Record for BMW Group in the First Half of 2011

There�s a lot to be happy about in Munich these days. That�s because the BMW Group has had not only its best month ever as far as sales are concerned, but has also achieved an all-time sales record for the first half of the year.
This June, a total of 165,855 BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce cars were delivered, an increase of 15.9% compared to the same month in 2010 (143,156 units) and also a new record for the Group. BMW sold 134,432 cars (+12.3%) and Mini 31,111 (+34.1%).

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U.K.�s Auto Industry to Young People: Be an Engineer!

Twenty-three of the U.K.�s car and component factories have opened their doors to teachers and students alike in a renewed bid to entice young people into automotive and manufacturing engineering. At the annual summit of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Tony Walker � Toyota Motor Manufacturing U.K.�s deputy managing director � said:
�The industry today is hi-tech. There are no oily rags. There are no smoke stacks. It is an inspirational and an aspirational place to be.�
In fact, carmakers are eager to point out just how fun and lucrative engineering can be. It�s all part of the U.K. government�s push to shift its focus away from financial services after the deadly Global Financial Crisis of 2007.

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New MINI Roadster in John Cooper Works Guise Scooped

With the new Coupe out in the open, MINI is now turning its focus on the soft-top roadster version of its two-seater model, which was snagged here by our scoop photographers in John Cooper Works [JCW] guise while testing on the Nurburgring.
Thanks to the prototype�s minimal camouflage, we see that, like the Coupe, the Roadster model remains rather faithful to the original concept that debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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MINI Inspired by Goodwood Carries�Rolls Royce Inspired Price Tag at �41,000 or US$65,700!

Apparently, Aston Martin isn�t the only British automaker to lose contact with reality when it comes to pricing special edition models. Soon after Aston Martin slapped a �48,995 (equal to �44,100 and US$70,700 at the current exchange rates) sticker on its Colette-trimmed Toyota iQ�err� we mean Cygnet, the BMW Group division announced that its new MINI Inspired by Goodwood is priced at �41,000 (�45,600 or US$65,700).

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U-Spy: New MINI Coupe and BMW 1-Series Hatchback Spotted on the Road

Eagle-eyed Carscoop reader Michael from Germany is always on the lookout for any new cars and prototypes on the road. His latest catch is the freshly revealed MINI Coupe in a blue suit with silver stripes, while he also seized a couple of shots of the new BMW 1-Series hatchback, both of which were spotted in Munich.
The new MINI Coupe was only just unveiled online a couple of days ago, so we assume the car pictured is most likely an early production version used for testing.

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New MINI JCW Coupe Racer to Debut at 24h of Nurburgring

Well, that was quick. Just three days after unveiling the MINI Coupe, the firm�s first-ever two-seater coupe model, and even though its flagship version won�t be available to the public before autumn, the company presented the MINI John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance (yes, that�s quite a mouthful, so we�ll just call it JCW) racer.
And, what�s more, its public debut will be in one of the most demanding endurance races of the world, the N�rburgring 24 hours at the legendary Nordschleife, the place which Jackie Stewart has famously christened �the Green Hell�.
The MINI JCW Endurance is powered by a tuned version of the standard 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre engine that features a twin-scroll turbocharger as well as direct injection.

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