Tests and Features

The premise of the He said, she said chronicle is simple: we lend a press vehicle to a couple to test drive extensively for two weeks and give the two participants one simple instruction: to take note of all of their impressions, both good and bad. Each of the test …

When BMW first announced that they intended to bring the Mini brand back onto the market, there were two main sticking points for most enthusiasts: the news that the upcoming Mini Cooper would be marketed and priced as a premium compact hatchback, and the idea that one of Britain's most …

At the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, MINI unveiled two concept cars: a coupe and a roadster. They stood out with their plunging lines that broke away from the brand’s traditional square mould. Most people at the event figured that these were just concept cars and that the production models, if …

In the late fifties, Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the game-changing Mini, had his sights set upon an unlikely British icon: the Land Rover. Lured in by the various lucrative military contracts Land Rover had been awarded as a result of their stunningly practical Series I, and later, Series …

The legendary Mini’s renaissance in 2002 was an unmitigated success thanks to enormous revenues and its new owner’s – BMW – exceptional talent for design and engineering. Since the resounding success of the new Cooper and Cooper S, focus and a concerted effort has seemed to be lacking at this …

Life is too short to drive a boring car. For the first time in mankind’s history, the latest generations of homo sapiens have a shorter life expectancy than the ones previous. The result of too much time spent stagnating, this should be frightening news, and yet no one seems to …

I love my car. It’s an old Land Rover that may not be the prettiest thing on the road, and it definitely isn’t fast, but it does absolutely everything I could ever ask a vehicle to do. It’ll get me to my destination, regardless of what lies between there and …

You know, English car fanatics are a bit of a different breed. Beyond their obsession with vehicles destined to break their wallets, and hearts (in that order), they’re one of those rare communities that seem free of internal strife and animosity. Get a group of Italians together, and the ensuing …

When the Mini Cooper debuted five decades ago, it broke the mold as the quintessentially universal automobile. Currying favour with everyone from royalty to couriers to race car drivers of international repute, its basic layout, spacious interior, compact proportions, and exuberant driving experience was universally lauded by critics. Buyers lines …

Select third. Trail brake ever so slightly into the turn in. Momentarily dial in some opposite lock and enjoy the rotation through the apex before introducing the throttle pedal’s backside to the floormat to exit cleanly, taking just a short glance in the rearview mirror to appreciate the glorious streaks …