World Auto News & Reviews

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.

Three different designers worked on the cars. New York fashion designer Kenneth Cole took on the MINI Convertible, while Belgian-born US fashion designer, Diane von Furstenberg, showed her creativity on the three-door hatch. Finally, Calvin Klein Collection’s Creative Director Francisco Costa applied his touch to the new Countryman crossover.
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Visitors to this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will be treated to a 3,500bhp Mini with an 11-tonne Cummins diesel engine on the back.

The engine (codenamed QSK78), normally used for mining dump trucks, was fitted to the car after a request by a Mini owner who saw the engine on display at a previous show. Boasting a capacity of 78-litres the V18 engine develops 3,500bhp and 10,325lb.ft of torque. The Cummins Mini also has 12 turbochargers. Cummins is one of the largest independent manufacturers of diesel engines and currently provides engines for US car maker, Dodge, among others.

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Video: The Mini line-up has received a facelift, with new styling and diesel engines for 2011

With the exception of the new Countryman, the Mini hatchback, Clubman and convertible models have received a subtle facelift for 2011.

The Mini has been given a new front bumper design that will reportedly improve pedestrian protection thanks to the larger deformation zones, new lights in the headlamps, redesigned side gill housings with indicators, restyled rear bumpers and LED tail lights now on all models.

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Last night, against the back-drop of the metropolis’ skyline and in amongst the green fields of Mudchute Farm in London, celebrations for the launch of the new MINI Countryman culminated in world-exclusive performances by megastar producer, Timbaland and U.S. country singer Michelle Branch at the ‘MINI Countryman Open Air’ event.

Their single ‘Getaway’ – which received its first-ever live outing in front of a 500-strong audience including Eva Herzigova, Cat Deeley, Margherita Missoni, Jade Parfitt, Poppy Delevigne, Donna Air, Henry Holland, Jasmine Guinness, Tyrone Woods, Ben Grimes, Jack Kidd, Ozwald Boateng and Hofit Golan – is set to be released this summer by Warner Music.

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As BMW moves forward to bring the Megacity electric city vehicle to the market by 2013, sub-brand Mini is also looking to grab piece of the city car pie. Sources say that Mini is considering an affordable city car that will compete with the Smart ForTwo and will eventually help the brand increase its sales.

“Nothing is decided just yet,” a source told AutoCar. “It is all at an early stage of conception. But there is a lot of momentum behind it right now. We may be ready to show a concept within the next 12 months or perhaps a little longer.”

Mini has long struggled with the idea of making money on its small Cooper models that lack the profitability to be sustainable in the long term.

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