VIDEO: Four Mini Cabrio Addicts Take the Top-Open Car Wash Experiment

Ever wanted to know what would happen if you and your best friends succumbed to your most idiotic wish to drive a convertible through an automatic car wash? Now you can find out with much less hassle in this 90-second promotional/viral video from MINI.

Shot on location in Toronto at the Crosstown Touchless Carwash, the amateur-looking (but professionally-produced) video shows three friends in a dropped-top MINI Cooper going through the full wash cycle. Set to Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers", from The Nutcracker, we see the whole process from multiple angles. Each of the three guys in the car had a camera, with an additional camera mounted on the bonnet. Two chase cameras followed alongside the car as well.

The best part is when the coarse brush whipped one of the guys in the face, and he responded with a yelp. Or in the "behind the scenes" video on the MINI site, when the black actor "Andre" tells his colleagues, "I ain't never hangin' with you guys again."

Amazingly, as seen in the making-of video, the car emerged completely unscathed. A full test of the vehicle by an on-site mechanic cleared the car for future use. We still would not recommend you do this with your own car. Is this how they do things in Canada?

Source: miniunited

Mini Announces New Entry-level Clubman (UK)

Mini is preparing to unveil a new entry-level version of the Clubman at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Set to launch in the UK on March 28, the Mini One Clubman echoes the affordability of the Mini One but features the additional interior room of the Clubman.

Under the hood is a 1.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 95 horsepower that allows the Clubman to run from 0-62 mph in a leisurely 11.6 seconds. The sacrifice in power does add up to impressive gains in fuel economy and reduced emissions thanks to brake regeneration, auto start/stop and a shift point display that tells the driver when to shift to maximize fuel economy. The end result of all these technologies means that drivers can expect to achieve a combined fuel consumption of 52.3 mpg and CO2 emissions of 130 g/km.

UK pricing starts at £13,290 and all models will feature new exterior paint combinations and standard air conditioning.

Source: MINI

Mini Crossman SUV Caught Winter Testing

Here are the latest spy shots of Mini's upcoming compact SUV from somewhere in magical car testing land, otherwise known as Lapland in Scandinavia. This new Mini SUV model was unveiled as the Crossover Concept at the Paris auto show last year.

It may possibly be named the Crossman. It may not. Or maybe it will be called the Maxi. One thing for sure is it won't be going by the generic name Crossover.

In any case, whatever it will eventually be called, Automotive News reports that the new Mini compact SUV will be produced by Magna Steyr in Austria and that production numbers have been set at a cautiously optimistic 80,000 units a year.

Looking past the funky camouflage we can see from the wheelbase, reported to be 2606mm, and a length of over 4 meters that this will be the largest Mini yet.

Details beyond that are few but you can safely expect to see Mini's 1.6 liter turbocharged engine, with a horsepower and torque configuration more on the muscular side to power this all-wheel drive SUV, in this new Crossman, Maxi...whatever.

The new Mini SUV will debut sometime in 2010.

Source: Mini

Mini Cooper Convertible Debuts at 2009 NAIAS

Mini used the wintery background of Detroit to launch their new four-seat convertible at the North American International Auto Show.

According to Mini the new convertible offers improvements in design, quality, handling, performance, efficiency and functionality when compared to its predecessor. On the design side the new convertible is all Mini, as it features an evolutionally philosophy that mixes the look of the old convertible with the more recent Mini Cooper and Mini Clubman. The biggest news is the addition of a new electromechanically operated roll bar that pops up in the event of a rollover accident, this allows the new convertible to forgo the unattractive fixed bar that was used on the previous generation.

Power comes from a new generation of 1.6-liter four cylinder engines which feature high-tech innovations that increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. The Mini Cooper Convertible is rated at 118 hp while the S version produces 172 hp thanks to the use of a turbocharger and direct injection.

The car's roof can be automatically opened or closed at speeds up to 20 mph (32km/h) while a new gimmick called the "Openometer" displays how long the convertible top has been lowered. Other changes include run-flat tires, a tire pressure monitoring system, an upgraded stability system, and an optional storage system that maximizes cargo capacity.

Delivers of the new Mini drop top will begin on March 28 with prices starting at $24,550 for the Mini Cooper Convertible and $27,450 for the Mini Cooper S Convertible.

Source: Mini