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While it may receive a name change before taking a bow at dealerships, the Paceman will be the seventh MINI model in showrooms, following the debut of the MINI Roadster in 2012 and the MINI Cooper Coupe this October. The Paceman is based on the same underpinnings as the MINI Countryman crossover, and will be produced in the same assembly plant in Graz, Austria. The new concept was displayed at the 2011 Autoshow in Detroit.

“If MINI keeps releasing cars at their current pace, we’re going to have to expand our showroom,” said Tim Parker, general manager of New Country MINI, a Hartford, Connecticut MINI dealer. “The Paceman packs the capability of the Countryman into a sportier package, which is the right recipe for a lot of Connecticut MINI fans that want a fun ride when the weather is cooperating and a trusty grip when it does not.”

Sharing running gear with the Countryman means the Paceman will have a solid base to build upon. As the only MINI car currently available with all-wheel drive, the Countryman is a change of pace compared to the rest of the lineup. While still small by most standards, the Countryman is the biggest of the MINI bunch, offering room for four adults. Cargo space is a healthy 41.3 cubic feet, which means there is plenty of room for camping gear or groceries. With its convenient hatch and its wheelbase, length and width identical to the Countryman, the Paceman should have similar space.

Power in the MINI Countryman is supplied by one of two 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines, with the standard engine producing 121 horsepower and the turbocharged mill available in the S model delivering 181 horsepower. Both engines are available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic, but ALL4 all-wheel drive is available only with the turbocharged engine. While the Paceman is slated to have similar drivetrain options, it is also expected to come with the option of the juiced-up 208-horsepower engine found in the John Cooper Works models of the flagship MINI Cooper and MINI Clubman.

When it comes to fuel economy, standard Countryman models are capable of 35 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission, while S models return 32 mpg with front-wheel drive and 31 mpg when equipped with ALL4 all-wheel drive.

“MINI has a great formula for creating vehicles that are fun and functional, and the Countryman is a fine example of that formula at work,” Parker noted. “Adding the Paceman to the lineup means yet another option for Connecticut drivers who are tired of boring crossovers.”

After starting production 10 years ago, the two-millionth MINI recently rolled off the Oxford, England assembly line with British Prime Minister David Cameron behind the wheel. The production milestone shows that the brand is maintaining another mainstay of the MINI badge: its popularity.

A beleaguered British motor industry delivered its second boost to the economy in as many days yesterday as BMW announced plans to build its next generation Mini in country. The German car giant said it will make a fresh investment of £500 million to build the new Mini coupe and Mini Roadster models in the UK.

The news followed an announcement on Wednesday by Nissan that it was investing £192m to build the next version of its Qashqai model in Britain. Both announcements safeguard thousands of jobs.

Business leaders, unions and the government welcomed the development, which the Prime Minister said was a “tremendous vote of confidence” in BMW’s UK workforce. The Mini coupe will be launched later this year and the Mini Roadster in 2012, both produced in Oxford, where more than two million Minis have been built since 2001 – three-quarters of them for export.

BMW’s latest investment will also benefit a pressings plant in Swindon and its engine plant at Hams Hall near Birmingham. The company said it had invested £1.5 billion in the UK since 2000. BMW group chairman Norbert Reithofer said: “This investment underlines that the UK will remain the heart of Mini production.”

The announcements by BMW and Nissan signal a renewed confidence in the UK motor industry, which produces the country’s most valuable manufactured exports, with £27bn worth of vehicles and parts going overseas in 2010. BMW’s £2.4 billion-a-year exports of cars and engines account for about 1 per cent of all goods exported by UK companies.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said competition to secure work on new models was always fierce. “What they’ve committed to is the next generation of vehicles for the Mini and the Qashqai which effectively will guarantee these plants for another decade,” he said. “Everybody wants this investment. Every country in Europe and developing parts of the world wants investment from major automotive manufacturers because it means high value, good quality jobs over a long period of time. Every time there is a new model in the offing the competition is intense.”

Recent years have been tough for car makers in Britain, with the number of new cars sold falling for 11 consecutive months to May. But things seem to have taken a turn for the better with General Motors making their new van in Luton, and Ford committing to investing £1.5bn in research and development in Britain. Everitt added: “What we are seeing is a re-commitment by major vehicle manufacturers to their production facilities in the UK.

“If you’re one of the tens of thousands of people working in this business today you will feel an awful lot more confident about your future than you did yesterday or the day before.” Everitt said he was “optimistic” about the future for car makers in the UK, and that the demise of British-owned firms was irrelevant.

“The UK is a major part of the global automotive industry. I don’t see the manufacturers who operate here as being anything other than part of the UK economy. So I’m not sure that this whole question of ownership is a relevant one,” he said. “All these manufacturers are multi-national, the most important thing for us is that they feel happy and confident to invest in the UK.”

Car maker Mini is preparing to launch a new special edition of the subcompact icon outfitted by its ultra-luxury cousin Rolls-Royce. Both British automakers are owned by Germany’s BMW.

The special edition cars will go into production in 2010 as 2011 model year cars. It has not been decided yet whether the cars will be available in the United States. If they are made available to U.S. customers, they’ll be in extremely limited numbers, said Mini spokeswoman Nathalie Bauters.

“It’s going to be for Mini fanatics and those who want something really special from Mini,” she said.

The cars’ bodies will be no different from those of other Mini Coopers, but they will be coated in a special paint, the color of which has also not been decided, Bauters said.

The cars will be built at the Mini factory in Oxford, said Bauters. It has not yet been decided if the cars will brought to Rolls-Royce’s factory for final outfitting with special high-end interior trim and other luxury touches or if the the Rolls-Royce produced luxury materials will be added to the cars on the Mini assembly line.

Mini announced in May that it was considering a high-end special edition car. Up to now, Mini had not officially confirmed production of a Rolls-Royce edition.

This year MINI celebrates 50 years of the iconic Mini, and as a part of that celebration MINI is releasing a limited edition of the Cooper Works car, the John Cooper Works World Championship 50, of which only 250 will be produced and made available in Europe.

Inspired by John Cooper’s son Mike who was heavily consulted during development, the vehicle will be adorned with the British racing green of days gone by. According to the BMW press release, the car will be powered by a “155 kW/211 hp four-cylinder engine with Twin-Scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection. The production version of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 features numerous exterior and interior details reflecting the racing pedigree of the brand.
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MiniMania, the supplier of parts for both classic and new Minis, has launched a new social networking site for Mini owners. MiniOwners aims to be for Mini enthusiasts what FaceBook is to … well, to the rest of the world.

According to the site, “MiniOwners.com connects you with other people who share a common love for the Mini! Keep in touch with your Mini friends, and make new ones! MiniOwners.com is an expansion of the Mini Mania’s already popular forum. We’ve added new features to take it to the next level of Social Networking. Amoung the many features of MiniOwners is the ability to create your own profile page, upload images to galleries you create as well as create profiles of your cars! Create a network of friends to share your latest projects with. Post status updates to let your friends know what you’re up to. Join Groups, post to the forum, and the list goes on!”

It is only three weeks away — the biggest celebration of the 50 years of the Mini/MINI — MINI East Meets West. The Phil Wicks Driving Academy will hold an event at Brainerd International Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28. The days will consist of driving academy — all makes and models of cars — with instruction in classroom and on-track for Novice, Intermediate, and Expert; North American Can/Am Challenge races (classic Minis); Vintage car races — all makes and models; and North American MINI Cooper Challenge Time Trials. There will be a dutch treat banquet and awards presentation in the clubhouse at Brainerd on Saturday evening. All are invited to attend.

Fees for the driving academy are $300 for one day, $500 for two days. And there will be lunch-time touring laps for non-participants for a fee of $25 per car. Racers’ fees are $300 for the weekend.

So go to the website now for registration information and send it in soon to ensure your spot on this great weekend.

Phil Wicks Driving Academy
North American MINI Cooper Challenge
www.minidriving.com
803-699-4691
314-330-6449