The BMW Group is the parent corporation over BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. No, they did not send me a Rolls-Royce to test drive this past week but they did deliver the “Rolls-Royce” of small cars in the form of the 2016 MINI Cooper Clubman. This new second-generation model is the new maxi-MINI.
Day one of the 2013 North American International Auto Show has come to a close, and it is time for a quick rest before day two gets fired up with another round of rollouts, debuts, and premieres. Here is a gallery of the bedazzlement that the opening day offered from automakers such as Jeep, Chevrolet, Lincoln, Volkswagen, Hyundai, MINI, Bentley, Honda, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Infiniti, and Maserati.
The good thing about MINI cars is they don’t pretend to be anything they are not. The great thing about MINI cars is they deliver everything they promise. And the new MINI Cooper Coupe – specifically the MINI John Cooper Works Coupe – promises to be one of the funnest driving experiences on the road. One thing about MINI Coopers is they are deceptively roomy inside, but with this new Coupe — while seating area is aplenty — headroom is somewhat scarce; but what do you expect from an adult’s version of a go-kart? The Coupe is a two-seater version…
Winding down this very long day of media introductions inside the Cobo Arena in Detroit, MINI, Jeep, Kia and Chevrolet put a wrap on the day’s events, and Jeep and Chevy each have anniversary parties this year.
From the good folks at LeaseTrader.com came an e-mail announcing their picks for the top car leasing apps for smartphones. While I personally have not explored the depths of the auto lease, I know it is a choice many consumers have made. Not to kill their thunder, I got to wondering that with summer upon us, and folks turning their attention to vacations, what about those of us just looking for a temporary detour from the reality of the daily drive. You know, a very VERY short-term lease.
All photos by the Author The tide has turned on large, mobile real estate-hogging vehicles here in the U.S. and the new trend is small – OK, mini. And one of my favorite vehicles of the past decade has been the MINI Cooper. It was love at first sight (and drive) when the millennial Cooper hit U.S. shores in 2000. Built by BMW, this is one of my favorite overall vehicles and they offer one of the most enjoyable driving experiences – of any sized car. MINIs are available in hardtop, convertible, supercharged, Clubman and, coming soon, full four-door Countryman…
The tide has turned on large, mobile real estate-hogging vehicles here in the U.S. and the new trend is small – even tiny. We recently tested a couple of tiny cars – the MINI Cooper and the smart fortwo passion coupe – and one of the most common comments was relating to accidents, something along the lines of “I sure wouldn’t want to be in a wreck in one of those.” Well, I wouldn’t want to be in a wreck in anything, but I certainly concede their point after driving these little passenger vehicles in traffic next to one-ton duallies…