Mini Considering Diesel Model for U.S.

USA Today has gotten the powers that be at Mini to confirm the company is considering a diesel car for the 2010 or 2011 calendar year. A diesel Mini is still far from a reality, though, as the company’s diesels already on sale in other markets wouldn’t meet the stringent clean-air regulations in the U.S. That means a diesel Mini in this market would have to sport a next-generation diesel power plant.

A Mini representative did say that if a diesel engine arrived it would be an option on all Mini models, including the standard hatchback, the convertible and the new Clubman, along with the much-rumored future Mini SUV.

The Mini Cooper already gets an impressive 32 mpg combined; a diesel could be 20% to 40% more efficient.

Mini confirms it is considering a diesel for U.S. market (USA Today)

Up Close: 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible

Two years after the Mini Cooper hardtop got there, the convertible is in the second generation of its rebirth. For a completely different car, it doesn’t look completely different. The casual observer wouldn’t know the difference between the two generations. The same was true with the hardtop, and it’s mostly a positive in both cases.

Along with the larger headlights and taillights, the convertible exclusively gets really cool graphite-colored alloy wheels. The main drawback is that the ragtop gets the larger, less-legible center-mounted speedometer.

Recall Alert: 2007-08 Mini Cooper S

BMW is recalling 28,450 Mini Cooper S cars from the 2007 and 2008 model years due to centrally located tailpipes that protrude too far past the rear bumper. If the tailpipe is hot and someone walks by, they could be inadvertently burned.

The recall will begin in January, and Mini dealers will replace the tailpipe with a shorter one free of charge.

Owners can contact BMW/Mini at 800-831-1117 with questions.

Mini E Electric Car Arrives in NYC

The fanatical Mini groupies at MotoringFile have confirmed that the first Mini Es have arrived from Europe for distribution in the U.S. We haven’t heard any confirmations of Mini contacting anyone on the waiting list to lease one for $850 a month, but with the cars officially here, we think these announcements will be forthcoming.

You can check out our first drive of the Mini E in a video below.

First Look: 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible

• Competes with: VW Eos, VW Beetle, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, BMW 1 Series
• Looks like: Last year’s Mini Cooper convertible
• Drivetrain: 118-hp four-cylinder or 172-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder, both with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: March 28, 2009

We’re not sure Mini knows this, but there was a big automotive show a couple weeks ago in L.A. where a new Mini Cooper convertible might have gotten a lot of attention. Instead of debuting the next-generation convertible in sunny Los Angeles, however, the car will roll out in Detroit next month, where it probably won’t be sunny.

However, the company has already released most of the details, including pricing, of the new convertible, and it promises to be as big an improvement as the new hatchback has been. And because it’s hard enough for buyers to get their hands on a new Mini hatchback, we’re guessing the company isn’t too worried about when or how it introduces a new model.

Up Close: Mini E

If it weren't for the special yellow badges and graphics plastered all over the Mini E's exterior, it could easily be mistaken for a regular Cooper. Most of the Mini E's modifications are hidden from view, though they do affect the car's interior.

For one, the E doesn't have a backseat. Now, the rear seats in the regular Cooper are barely practical, but you can fold them down to make more room for cargo. Most of the space behind the driver and front passenger in the Mini E is filled by a carpet-covered shelf covering the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the car. There's a little bit of cargo room behind it.

The E's interior will be familiar to fans of the current Mini. Like the exterior, the cabin has been accented with yellow in the form of dash and door trim.

Mini is only making 500 Es available for one-year leases to consumers in California, New York and New Jersey. The monthly payment is a sizable $850, but there's little doubt Mini will find takers for its diminutive electric car.

9,500 Want to Lease a Pricey Mini E

Mini certainly can't claim a lack of interest in its new electric vehicle, the Mini E.

9,500 people have visited MiniSpace.com to sign up for the opportunity to lease one of the vehicles in Mini's upcoming field test. Unfortunately, parent company BMW only plans to lease 500 of the compact cars, and only in California, New York and New Jersey.

Even for those lucky few selected to lease a Mini E, well, you'll be paying for it. According to Automotive News, the lease payment may be $820 a month. To qualify, you'll also need a locking garage door and a high voltage outlet for the charging system. We wonder if the 9,500 people who rushed to the website know all of this. To be fair, though, a one-year lease on a regular Mini Cooper is close to $800 a month as well.

The Mini E debuts at the L.A. auto show this month, and we'll give you our full report then. The application process will begin soon after, with the goal of delivering the cars sometime in January.

All-Electric Mini E Gets One Year Lease Priced at $820 Per Month (Jalopnik)

How To Sign Up For The Mini E Electric Car

Yesterday, we delivered the first news about Mini’s new electric car, the Mini E. Today we’ve found out where you can sign-up for updates about the car and how to get a test-drive application.

There still isn’t more information about what test drivers will do exactly: Will this be a long-term lease, an extended loan of a few weeks or an overnight test drive? We’re not sure, but if you sign up at MiniSpace, you’ll probably find out more than we will.

With only 500 Mini Es hitting the streets, we expect the odds of securing a test drive are pretty slim. But, hey, at least we’re trying to help. 

The MINI E: Drivers wanted! (MiniSpace)

2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mini E Electric Car

• Competes with: Honda FCX, Chevy Volt, Tesla Roadster
• Looks like: A Mini Cooper Hatchback
• Drivetrain: 150 kW (204 hp equivalent) electric motor, lithium-ion battery, single-stage helical gearbox
• Hits dealerships: Limited offering to 500 in California, New York and New Jersey

BMW is getting on the electric-car bandwagon with perhaps the most stylish alt-fuel vehicle to date. Yes, it looks just like a regular Mini Cooper, but is that such a bad thing? This is the type of exercise the industry truly needs to execute: a popular gasoline-powered car with an electric powertrain trim level.

The Mini E will be a limited rollout of 500 cars in just three states. The car will have a range of 150 miles on a single charge. Performance specs are quite good, too; it can hit 62 mph in 8.5 seconds. 

Mini's New SUV Concept

The much-rumored Mini SUV is here. Dubbed the Mini Crossover Concept, this 4x4 vehicle is the biggest Mini yet, measuring more than 4 meters long (that’s more than 156 inches for those of us not on the metric system). That’s just slightly longer than the new Mini Cooper Clubman, but still nearly 20 inches shorter than your standard Honda Civic sedan.

The biggest news — besides it being bigger — is that the Crossover concept will sport four-wheel drive, a first for Mini and arguably a major selling point for Snowbelt car shoppers. While the concept shows off fanciful seating configurations — we expect a standard rear bench instead of single seats — and 3-D touch displays, this is not just a pie-in-the-sky exercise. Mini will build a four- or all-wheel-drive crossover, and the real thing could be on the auto show circuit in 2009.

No powertrains were announced, but because it’s not much bigger than a typical Clubman we’d expect it to carry over the same efficient yet peppy engines from the Cooper lineup. The concept does not, however, sport the Cooper name; it’s just Mini Crossover Concept, which may be an attempt to not completely offend Cooper traditionalists with what could be dubbed an SUV. Many more photos below.