Mini Pokes Some Fun at Recent Scoops, Says The New 2014 Hatch Will Look Better In Person

While capturing future cars completely or near naked during a photo shoot is surely not uncommon these days (remember our scoop of the Mercedes CLA?), the fact that the world has the opportunity to see these vehicles on websites like our own as well as magazines well before the official launch date, doesn’t always bond well with automakers.

Nevertheless, we don't often hear complaints from carmakers, which prefer to downplay these incidents or just take advantage of the extra and equally important, free advertising. Naturally, the BMW Group's Mini division came to learn about the photos of the undisguised 2014 Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S that appeared on Carscoops and other websites earlier this week.

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All-New 2014 Mini Cooper S Scooped Completely Undisguised!

It was to our understanding that, Mini's German parent firm, the BMW Group, had made plans to blow the covers off the all-new, third generation of the Hatch just before or during the press days of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but evidently, they didn't count on someone being on hand during an official photo shoot of the car…in July. Well, all the better for us!

There were three cars spotted at the press-book photo session, two Cooper S models finished in light orange and gunmetal grey shades respectively, and a regular Cooper in red paint with a white roof, stripes and mirrors.

As we've mentioned many times in the past in our scoop posts, the 2014 Mini hatchback evolves the series' signature looks that were inspired by the original model penned by Greek-British car designer Sir Alec Isigonis.

The most visible changes concern the front end that is directly inspired from the 2011 Mini Rocketman, a concept for an even smaller Mini hatchback that never came into fruition, with bug-eye, LED-equipped headlamps and a new interpretation of the firm's grille. The front windshield also looks more raked while at the back, we see that Mini's designers used much larger and prominent taillights.

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Spied: New 2014 Mini Hatch Shows Up in Cooper S Guise

There's been no shortage of spy pictures of third generation Mini prototypes over the past year or so, but as we approach closer to the time the British automaker will reveal the car to the world, more layers of camouflage are peeled off its body. Read more »

Mini Countryman and Paceman Get New John Cooper Works Customization Options

Following the announcement that the Cooper Countryman and Cooper Paceman will be available with the ALL4 AWD system, Mini revealed on Monday that is will also offer new John Cooper Works customization options and design touches for the Countryman and Paceman starting from July.

The new sports options are grouped into three different packages: the John Cooper Works Exterior Package, the John Cooper Works Interior Package and the John Cooper Works Chili Package.

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MINI Says Happy Birthday to Porsche 911 with Special Photo Shoot

Well, now, isn't that sweet? Mini, the British brand that descended into the ownership of the BMW Group in 1994, is paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 sports car series with a dedicated photo shoot that brings together a classic Mini and a first gen 911 Targa, both sporting a similar, and may we add, rather lively, lime-yellow finish. Read more »

MINI Tells Mexican Women to Either Drive or Put On Makeup, Not Both

One of the less frequently talked-about reasons why many (women) drivers take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel while operating their vehicle (and crash), is putting on makeup.

If you thought that sexist ads were dead, highly-illegal and frowned-upon by society, think again, because this latest MINI ad from Mexico is squarely aimed at telling women to either drive or put on makeup.

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MINI Expands All-Wheel Drive Availability to Cooper Countryman and Cooper Paceman

Two more Mini models, the Cooper Countryman and the Cooper Paceman, are now optionally available with the British brand's "ALL4" all-wheel drive system. The new additions grow the number of all-wheel versions within the Mini range to ten models. Read more »

Scoop: New 2014 Mini Hardtop Sheds Some More Camouflage, Could Debut in Frankfurt

Few, if any of you, will be surprised to learn that the next generation of the Mini hatchback (also known as the Hardtop) will keep the same basic exterior shape and styling as the two previous models developed under the ownership of the BMW Group. The retro design language defines the Mini brand, and its German owners do not intend to mess around with a successful formula. Read more »

Roberto Cavalli-Styled Mini Paceman Sells for Close to $200,000 at Life Ball Gala!

The gold-themed Life Ball Mini 2013 designed by Roberto Cavalli was sold for a record €150,000 ($194,000) during the AIDS Solidarity gala in Vienna, Austria, with all proceeds going to projects helping to combat HIV/AIDS. This makes the Mini Paceman the most expensive Mini ever sold at a Life Ball event.

While we don’t know who is the buyer of the Cavalli-customized Paceman, we assume he loved the large number of gilded elements inside and out, the iridescent paintwork that shimmers from black to brown depending on the angle of light, not to mention Cavalli’s animal prints.

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Roberto Cavalli Unveils Pimped Mini Paceman for Life Ball Charity Event

Mini teamed up with internationally renowned fashion designer Roberto Cavalli to create a unique Paceman that it donated to the Life Ball AIDS charity event - as it has done each year since 2001.

The Life Ball Mini 2013 was revealed in Vienna by the Italian fashion designer and his wife, just a few hours before it went on auction at the AIDS Solidarity Gala at Hofburg Palace. The proceeds will go to projects committed to combating AIDS.

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Mini Convertible Boat Concept to Attend Philly Regatta

Visitors and participants at this week's 2013 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, which is held on Schuylkill River in Philadelphia from May 10 to 11, will have the opportunity to see a special Mini Convertible concept seemingly driving on the water.

The one-of-a-kind Mini Convertible boat is the creation of the MINI USA Eastern Region and was designed and built as part of the MINI USA’s Not Normal sales event last October having travelled on water for the first time at the Charles Regatta (HOCR) in Cambridge, Massachusetts during the 2012 races.

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Roberto Cavalli Puts His Styling Touch on Mini Paceman for Life Ball Event

For the past 13 years, Mini has been an official partner of the Vienna Life Ball, with the Birtish carmaker having presented the reborn, 21st century hatch before its official market launch as well as more than a dozen one-off models at the charity event. Read more »

Pissed Off Toyota Camry Driver Tries to Run Over Mini Cooper in California

For all those viewers commenting on the crazy drivers in Russia, here's another reminder that you can find the same kind of nuts behind the wheel in your very own backyard, which in this case, happens to be the 880 Interstate near Freemont California in the good 'ol U.S. of A.

A camera mounted on the dashboard of YouTube author Solomon Wu's turbocharged Mini Cooper Coupe captured this wild and rather scary incident.

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BMW Reportedly Considering 1-Series and/or…MINI Sedans

The Chinese love sedans with lots of knee room in the back, and the BMW 1-Series is/has neither of those things. It is currently sold in the country, but a sedan model based on it would boost sales considerably, as it could be sold at a lower price than the 3-Series, and the all-important badge would reel in the customers.

Now, it has been revealed that this is more than just pure speculation, as Autoexpress has learnt that such a model is actually being considered.

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BMW Group to Produce MINI Models Outside of Europe for the First Time Starting in India

Why did the elephant cross the road and meet the MINI? Well, because the BMW Group has decided it's time the British brand expanded its wings and fly over to India where production of the firm's cars will begin later this year at the BMW plant in Chennai. Read more »

Watch Two Brothers Break the Guinness World Record for Tightest Parallel Park

The world’s tightest parallel park has been set at 131 mm (5.16 in) by Brit John Moffatt on the set of the “Officially Amazing” TV show in Hereford, UK. Quite amazingly, the record was equaled by his brother, Alastair Moffatt, during the same event held on December 10 2012. Read more »

Mini Exec Says Some Models will Be Discontinued, Rocketman May Not Be Produced

Under BMW ownership, the Mini brand has expanded big time, covering more and more segments of the luxury small car market. However, not all new models are commercially successful, and BMW plans to get rid of them when they reach the end of their lifecycle.

Of course, we’re not talking about the core Mini model, the hatchback. Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini USA, told Edmunds that the hatch and the Countryman are the brand’s core models, accounting for about 75 percent of sales. In 2012, Mini sold about 66,200 vehicles in the U.S., around 50,000 of which were those two models.

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MINI Celebrates 500,000 Vehicles Sold in the States with Photo Fest

Only a few days after Mini celebrated the 11-year anniversary of the brand's launch in the States, the BMW Group-owned British carmaker has now welcomed the 500,000th new car owner in the U.S. Read more »

Mini Jokes Around with Dating App that Matches People According to Their Driving Style

Joining the April Fool's Day parade is Mini with an announcement about a new version of its Connected App that helps owners of their cars find the perfect partner. The app is called Connect Us and works like a dating service - “the world’s speediest and most reliable,” according to Mini. Read more »

Here’s the First Clear Shot of the New Mini’s Interior, New Car Loses Center Speedometer

We’ve seen so far spy photos of the 2014 Mini hatchback, but what we have here is probably the first clear shot of the interior. The pic was taken by a Reddit user. The most striking detail about the new dashboard is that Mini’s trademark oversized speedometer placed on the center console is has been replaced by a radio (at least on the car caught by the photographer, which appears to be a base version). Read more »