Tests and Features

Ask anyone “Who is John Cooper?” and they’re sure to answer, “He’s the guy who makes the MINI John Cooper Works!” Wrong answer. Or mostly wrong John Cooper was born on July 17, 1923. His father, Charles, owned a race car maintenance and repair shop. When John was 15, he …

Last year brought an extensive redesign of the MINI Cooper, or MINI Hatch, or 3-door MINI – a rose by any other name… The 3-door was quickly joined by a more practical 5-door. Regardless of the number of doors, MINI offers both a base version and an S version, a …

After launching the new generation Cooper and S version last year, MINI didn’t just sit back and rest on its laurels. Now the brand-new John Cooper Works (more affectionately known as “JCW”) is coming to North America for the first time . Formal introductions will take place in New Haven, …

The 2014 MINI Cooper finds itself performing a delicate balancing act. All-new for the current model year, the MINI Cooper asks us to pay a premium price for style and efficiency while glossing over the practical problems presented by its ultra-subcompact size. The fact that for its $20,990 starting MSRP …

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 …