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There is something slightly surreal about the F66 MINI GP Inspired Edition. It is a special edition that celebrates a car that does not exist. Not in this generation, anyway. When MINI rolled out similar GP Inspired and GP Pack models during the F56 era, the logic was clean. The third generation GP had just detonated onto the scene with 306 horsepower, wild fender flares and Nürburgring credentials. The visual shorthand was fresh. The hype cycle was still warm. You could walk into a showroom, see a GP Inspired JCW, and mentally connect it to the recently sold out halo car. But the F66 is a different story. There is no new GP. No widened arches. No angry aero. No limited run, no lap time headlines, no carbon fiber rear seat delete. The last GP is now more than six years in the rearview mirror. That is an eternity in automotive product cycles. So yes, it feels like a stretch. The GP Inspired Edition Details The edition is available in most markets (UK being an exception) on the F66 JCW and Cooper S and F65 Cooper S. Each will include unique graphics and a 3D-printed fob backer. Elsewhere, it leverages existing accessories (aero add-ons and red wheel center caps) to bring a bit more aggressiveness to the standard JCW look. Brand Mythology vs Product Reality On one hand, MINI is trading on mythology. The GP name carries weight that far exceeds its production numbers. From the R53 GP to the F56 GP, these cars were never about volume. They were about statement. They were about showing that this cheerful British hatch could, when properly caffeinated, embarrass far more serious machinery. That mythology does not evaporate just because a new generation arrives. Porsche still references the 911 Carrera RS decades later. BMW still invokes the E30 M3 like it was unveiled yesterday. Performance icons have long half lives. In that sense, the F66 GP Inspired Edition is a reminder. It says, remember when we did this? Remember when we built the most extreme front wheel drive MINI ever? Screenshot Screenshot But here is the tension. When the F56 GP Inspired models launched, they were adjacent to a living, breathing halo car. Customers knew what they were nodding toward. Today, the F66 version references a ghost. For new buyers, especially those entering MINI for the first time in the electric age, the GP may be little more than a footnote on YouTube. But there is another way to look at it. The F66 generation launched without an immediate, outrageous flagship. The JCW models are competent and quick, but they are not shock and awe machines. The brand’s energy has been split between electrification and reinvention. In that context, the GP Inspired Edition may be less about celebrating a specific past car and more about keeping the performance flame alive during a transitional moment. It is a visual anchor. It signals that John Cooper Works still means something, even if the next extreme JCW has yet to appear. Still, the timing is curious. Special editions work best when they feel reactive and urgent. This one feels archival. The 2021 MINI JCW Clubman GP Edition Aesthetic Value vs Authenticity To be clear, as an appearance package, the GP Inspired Edition works. The forged wheels, blacked out trim, GP badging and motorsport detailing give the F66 3 Door real presence. For buyers who want the attitude without the compromises of a stripped out special, it makes practical sense. But authenticity matters in enthusiast culture. MINI has always walked a fine line between playful branding and serious performance credibility. When it references a car that has been gone for over half a decade without offering a new halo to back it up, it risks feeling like it is coasting on past glory. Is that fatal? No. Is it noticeable? Absolutely. The 2021 MINI GP Inspired Edition was finished in the GP’s exclusive paint color The Verdict: Smart Bridge or Nostalgic Reach? Yes, it is a stretch. There is no current GP anchoring this edition to a live halo product, which makes the reference feel more historical than immediate. But it is also strategic. The GP remains one of the strongest performance narratives MINI has created. Keeping that visual language alive may be less about looking backward and more about reminding enthusiasts that the spirit is still there. If a new GP arrives for the F66, this becomes clever foreshadowing. If not, it risks feeling like Piano Black nostalgia. Either way, it signals one thing clearly: MINI knows the GP myth still matters. The post The MINI GP Inspired Edition Arrives Without a GP to Inspire It appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

For the past several years, MINI has framed its future around electrification. But if you have been following our reporting, you know the story is evolving. Now, MINI appears ready to expand its lineup with a gas-powered MINI small SUV positioned below the Countryman. Yes, you read that correctly. According to sources, MINI is actively working on an internal combustion SUV to be positioned below the Countryman and will likely be called the Aceman. The original Aceman, launched a year ago as an EV-only crossover was envisioned to eventually be MINI’s best selling model globally. However with EV sales cooling in some markets due to lagging infrastructure and elimination of subsidies, MINI is rethinking its ICE model strategy. With Chinese tariffs in North America and now Europe, MINI is also looking at more cost effective ways to bring the Aceman to the masses. Expect a gas powered Aceman to be roughly the same size as the current Aceman EV and the F65 five door Cooper. Where This New MINI Small SUV Fits in the Lineup The current Countryman has grown in size, price, and ambition. It is no longer the quirky outlier it once was. It is a proper compact SUV, with pricing that reflects its maturity. That growth leaves room beneath it. A new MINI small SUV, slightly smaller and more affordable than the Countryman, would give the brand a true entry point in the crossover space. For many buyers, especially in North America and parts of Asia, that sweet spot matters more than whether the powertrain runs on electrons or octane. Why a Gas-Powered MINI Small SUV Makes Sense When MINI introduced the Aceman, it did so as an EV statement. The message was clear: urban, electric, forward-looking. But as we detailed in our coverage of MINI’s next five-year product strategy on MotoringFile, EV adoption is not uniform. Incentives fluctuate. Charging infrastructure remains inconsistent. Consumer confidence is uneven. A gas-powered MINI small SUV is not a retreat. It is a hedge. BMW Group’s flexible architectures allow for multi-energy platforms, making it possible to add combustion power without starting from scratch. That keeps development costs in check while broadening global appeal. In practical terms, it means MINI can sell the same design language and core package to both EV-friendly cities and regions that still rely heavily on internal combustion. However it’s unclear what platform the gas powered Aceman would be built on. It would be logical to base it on the revised UKL platform that underpins the Cooper. That would likely align well with the Aceman EV in terms of size and cost. However that would also mean it would be front wheel drive only as the Cooper’s platform wasn’t engineered for AWD. The alternative would use the Countryman’s more modern FAAR platform. However that might make the gas powered Aceman too close in size and price to the Countryman it would sit below. The other question would be production location. If the gas powered Aceman is indeed based on the Cooper platform, it would likely mean we’d see production at MINI’s Oxford Plant. If MINI goes with the larger FAAR platform, there would be more options on the table which might be rather appealing. the new gas powered Aceman will likely be about the same size as the original R60 Countryman A Smaller MINI SUV vs Countryman Just how small will this new SUV be? If the new gas powered Aceman is intended to align with the current EV version, we have a good idea. The current J05 Aceman is very close in size to the original R60 Countryman originally released in 2010 and slightly larger than the current four door Cooper. This means this new model would be slightly shorter, narrower and lower than the Countryman. Specifically expect a bit less room in the year seats and boot. The gas powered Aceman will likely be similar in size to the five door Cooper but offer a higher, crossover seating position. As with the rest of MINI’s gas range, we’d expect a Cooper and Cooper S. Unlike the current F65 Cooper five door, we’d be surprised in MINI didn’t offer this new gas powered Aceman in full JCW form. Perhaps the biggest distinction (beyond the size difference) between this new SUV and the Countryman would be which wheels are driven. We expect MINI to only offer this new gas-powered Aceman as a front-wheel-drive model to keep costs low and create more space between it and the Countryman. In other words, this would not cannibalize the Countryman. It would complement it. The Bigger Picture MINI once suggested it would become an all-electric brand early next decade. That timeline now looks more flexible than fixed. The reality is simple: global markets move at different speeds. Adding a gas-powered MINI small SUV acknowledges that truth without abandoning the brand’s electric ambitions. If executed properly, with the sharp handling and personality we expect, this model could become one of the most important vehicles in MINI’s next chapter. Not because it is revolutionary, but because it is realistic and what the market is looking for. And in today’s market, realism may be MINI’s boldest move yet. The post New MINI Small SUV to Add New Gas Powered Option Below the Countryman appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

There are plenty of memorable MINI Cooper commercials. But in 2017, the brand produced one that stood apart. A short film set in 1964 Monte Carlo that redefined how MINI talked about its past. And yet today, it is largely forgotten. Commissioned to elevate the John Cooper Works sub brand, Faith of a Few unfolded less like an ad and more like a short film. Set in 1964 Monte Carlo, it captured John Cooper’s unlikely mission to turn a modest city car into a rally giant killer. The history is well known to MotoringFile readers. The classic Mini stunned the motorsport establishment by winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. And then there was 1966, the infamous disqualification that many still argue was more politics than parity. Rather than leaning into nostalgia, MINI and agency Jung von Matt crafted something sharper. The film opens with skepticism and resistance. Cooper’s idea is dismissed. The MINI is underestimated. Yet the narrative builds tension around belief and defiance. The car is not presented as cute or retro. It is presented as disruptive. Produced by Anorak Film and backed by Mini Sport, which readied a replica of 33 EJB for the shoot, the film commits fully to authenticity. Every frame, from the frozen mountain passes to the service park scenes, feels lived in. It does not watch like an ad. It watches like a rally film. The campaign arrived during a period when MINI was working to give the John Cooper Works name clearer definition. JCW needed to be understood as more than a trim package. It needed to reconnect modern buyers to the brand’s motorsport DNA. This film brought that rich history to the public in a way that we had never seen before. The industry responded. In 2018, the film earned multiple Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes. For a MINI Cooper commercial rooted in 1960s rally history, that is no small achievement. And yet, despite the awards and the craftsmanship, the film quietly faded from broader conversation. And in North America, was almost never aired. That is unfortunate. In under two minutes, it pulled off a trick most modern automotive marketing struggles with. It turned history into conviction. MINI’s reputation was not built on design quirk or metropolitan cool. It was earned on cold Alpine stages where brains routinely outmaneuvered horsepower. As MINI evolves through electrification and digital transformation, the question remains familiar. What does performance mean for MINI Cooper today? Is it numbers, or is it attitude? This forgotten commercial offered a clear answer. Performance is conviction. And conviction, when paired with a small car and the right mountain road, can change history. The post Faith of a Few: Is This the Best MINI Cooper Commercial Ever Made? appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

There is a quiet course correction happening inside the modern dashboard. For the last decade, the industry convinced itself that screens were the inevitable future. Bigger meant better. Fewer buttons meant progress. Glass replaced switchgear in the name of minimalism. And yet, somewhere between buried climate menus and fingerprint-covered control panels, drivers began asking a simple question: can we have our buttons back? Recently, our friends at Motor1 sat down with MINI’s newest head of design, Holger Hampf, who assumed the role in 2024. What emerged from that conversation was not a rejection of digital interfaces, but a more nuanced philosophy, one that could define the next chapter of MINI interior design. “I think it’s a general trend that some customers are asking to bring physical buttons back,” Hampf told Motor1. “For MINI, I believe it’s a very good thing, because we are looking for that mix of digital interface and physical affordances.” That word, affordances, matters. It is design language for something that invites use. A toggle that wants to be flipped. A rotary knob that encourages interaction without demanding your eyes. MINI, more than most brands, has historically thrived on those tactile invitations. Left; official MINI R50 after sales navigation accessory. Middle; standard R53 interior. Right; optional R50/R53 factory navigation From the original 1959 Mini’s charmingly exposed switchgear to the aviation-inspired toggle row introduced under BMW ownership, MINI interiors have always been about theater as much as function. Even when ergonomics occasionally missed the mark, the cabin never felt anonymous. The challenge today is avoiding anonymity in the OLED era. As we have documented in our coverage of MINI’s latest generation interiors on MotoringFile, the brand has leaned heavily into a central circular display, reinterpreting Alec Issigonis’ original center speedometer for the digital age. It is a bold move, one that positions MINI firmly in the modern EV conversation while retaining a visual link to its past. The 2010 R56 and the 2025 F66 But Hampf is clear that digital dominance alone is not the goal. “It’s of the utmost importance to find a good balance between digitality and an analogue experience,” he said. “If you go too digital, you lose the connection or the character that the brand is known for… we always need to retain that analog quality that a MINI is known for.” That statement lands differently in 2026 than it would have in 2016. The industry has seen what happens when touchscreens go unchecked. Even Ferrari is recalibrating. In our latest piece, Ferrari’s Bold UI Move Is the Lesson BMW and MINI Can’t Ignore, we explored how Ferrari is rethinking its radical interior interface strategy after discovering that too much digitization can dilute emotional engagement. The parallels are instructive. Ferrari is wrestling with preserving drama in a supercar cockpit. MINI is defending charm in a rapidly electrifying, increasingly homogenized segment. Different price points, similar design tension. For MINI interior design, the stakes are cultural as much as functional. The brand’s identity has always lived in the small details, the toggle switches, the circular motifs, the sense that you are operating something mechanical rather than navigating a tablet on wheels. The newest generation MINIs already hint at this balancing act. The circular OLED takes center stage, but a physical toggle bar remains. The start switch still carries ceremony. Textiles and knitted surfaces introduce warmth against digital precision. It is a layered approach, not a surrender to giant screens. From an industry perspective, this is likely where the future of car interiors is headed. Not back to analog purity, but toward intentional hybridity. Screens for complexity. Buttons for instinct. The economic reality still favors consolidation into software. Screens are easier to update than hardware. Cost pressures will not disappear. Yet if MINI can continue to defend those tactile moments, the ones that make you smile when you flip a switch or twist a dial without looking, it will preserve something competitors have quietly lost. Holger Hampf may not yet be a household name. But the philosophy he articulated to Motor1 taps into a broader shift in automotive design thinking. In a world obsessed with frictionless interfaces, MINI seems to be arguing for just enough friction to feel alive. And if it gets that balance right, MINI interior design could once again become a benchmark, not just for technology, but for character. The post Head of MINI Design on Touchscreens vs Physical Buttons appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

Sno*Drift does not ease anyone into a season. Snow-packed forest roads, ice polished by repeated passes, and margins measured in inches rather than seconds make it one of the most honest rallies in North America. If you are going to reintroduce MINI to American stage rally, this is about as pure a place to do it as any. And MINI made the most of it. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports A Podium for the F66 JCW The headline result came from Cristian Perocarpi and co-driver Carlos Schrunder in the F66 MINI JCW. In its first full rally outing at the national level, the car finished second overall, a remarkable result given the conditions and the depth of competition. It’s even more impressive that the team had a momentary off on the very last stage Saturday. The JCW showed composure on snow and ice, building confidence stage by stage and avoiding the kind of small mistakes that tend to balloon into large ones at Sno*Drift. For a car that is still early in its competitive development, the performance was disciplined, controlled, and fast when it needed to be. For MINI USA and LAP Motorsports, it was the kind of debut that validates months of preparation. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports Drama for the JCW Countryman The 2025 MINI JCW Countryman driven by Luis Perocarpi with co-driver Mark Wells had a more eventful weekend. Midway through the rally, the Countryman reportedly went off into a snowbank due to lack of traction on the icy roads. While it didn’t mean a reticent, it did push the team way down the order for the remainder of the rally. The time lost effectively ended any hopes of a top result, but the car continued and finished the rally under its own power. In an event as punishing as Sno*Drift, that matters. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports The Bigger Picture Zoom out and this weekend represents something more important than individual stage times. MINI USA committed to a full eight-round American Rally Association campaign for 2026, marking the brand’s most serious U.S. rally effort in decades. This was the first true test of that commitment. One car stands on the podium in its first national outing. The other survives an off, recovers and finishes a grueling winter rally. Both cars reach the end of one of the most demanding events on the calendar. The 2026 season is just getting started. But after one weekend in Michigan snow, MINI’s return to American rallying already looks very real. The Rally Calendar The 2026 ARA season stretches from February through October and includes classic events across the United States. Here’s the full rundown: Sno*Drift Rally February 6-7, 2026, Atlanta, Michigan Rally in the 100 Acre Wood March 13-14, 2026, Salem/Potosi, Missouri Olympus Rally April 17-19, 2026, Shelton, Washington Southern Ohio Forest Rally June 11-13, 2026, Chillicothe, Ohio Rally Colorado July 18-19, 2026, Rangely, Colorado Ojibwe Forests Rally August 27-29, 2026, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Overmountain Rally Tennessee September 18-19, 2026, Newport, Tennessee Lake Superior Performance Rally October 9-10, 2026, Marquette, Michigan The post MINI Rally Recap: Grit, Snowbanks and a Podium at Sno*Drift appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

For the past decade, in-car UI has followed a predictable path: bigger screens, more plastic, and fewer physical controls. Today, Jony Ive and Marc Newson delivered a striking counterpoint. Their vision, revealed inside Ferrari’s first all-electric model, the Luce, embraces analogue switches, metal enclosures, and screens that respond to the physical controls around them. It’s a masterclass in restraint and precision, and it’s already sending ripples through the industry. Rather than default to the industry’s touchscreen?heavy orthodoxy, Ive, Newson and their team LoveFrom appear to be pursuing something subtler: a well?balanced blend of physicality and digital finesse. Steel and glass meet OLED, analogue dials meet configurable digital gauges, and essential controls stay tactile rather than buried in endless menus. The work evokes Ive’s Apple legacy, minimalist, function?rich, and unmistakably tactile, but with an automotive soul. And let’s not forget Newson’s ground-breaking Ford 032C concept (named after the Pantone color) from 1999. Ferrari’s Interface Philosophy: A Reminder That Less Can Be More One of the biggest notes from the Luce’s reveal is how deliberately Ferrari has steered away from making the cockpit “all screen, all the time.” Instead, the interface team focused on clear, direct interaction: physical buttons where they still make sense, contextual digital feedback where appropriate. This isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about keeping the driver connected to the machine without digital distraction, a design ethos that feels almost analog in a world obsessed with touchscreens. This heritage?inspired minimalist approach actually reveals something interesting about automotive UI design overall: more pixels don’t automatically mean a better experience. Instead, Ferrari and LoveFrom seem to be saying: quality of interaction matters as much as quantity of info. Another important note is the shape of the screens which forgo the typical elongated or free-form center screen and instead use an iPad-like ratio. To us, that’s a human-centered approach that may sound like a nuance but in reality will have a real impact on approachability. BMW iDrive: Powerful, But Still Entangled in Complexity Contrast that with what BMW has been doing with the latest iDrive, the long?standing infotainment pillar across the brand. Originally groundbreaking, integrating controls from radio to climate and nav into a single united system, iDrive has evolved rapidly. With iDrive 8 and its successors, BMW has pushed big, bold screens and expansive functionality, from large panoramic displays to voice and gesture interfaces. But while the visuals and feature list are impressive, critics and owners often point out that ease of use still lags behind the promise. Menus can be deep, functions can be buried, and learning curves remain steeper than they ought to be for systems sold on premium cars, a reminder that clever tech still needs clever presentation to be truly delightful. BMW’s latest iDrive is truly ground-breaking with its panoramic display. But having used the latest release just this past week, it’s still not quite perfect. The haptic controls on the steering wheel lack the tactile quality that you need when navigating menus at speed and the system has more lag than you’d expect given the processing power onboard. Still expect it to evolve into a market leader within 6-12 months. And MINI? MINI, for its part, has historically punched above its weight with playful UI elements and theme?rich digital accents. But its infotainment experience has generally borrowed heavily from BMW’s broader software ecosystem. That’s not surprising given shared platforms, but it does raise the question: could a more distinctive, driver?centric UI benefit MINI’s brand identity? MINI fans are a particular breed: they care about character and connection as much as they care about connectivity. A Ferrari?style rethink — where the UI supports that character instead of overshadowing it — could be a way for MINI to avoid the “me?too screen crowd” and build an experience that feels like a MINI, not a smartphone on wheels. What This All Means for the Industry Ferrari’s Luce interior may feel exotic and exclusive, but it signals a broader shift in how carmakers, especially those rooted in performance or character, are thinking about the digital cockpit. It isn’t just about screens anymore. It’s about how digital and physical layers coexist without compromising driver focus, tactile feedback, or brand identity. It if sounds familiar it’s because we wrote about the exact same things yesterday. For BMW and MINI, that’s both a challenge and an opportunity. BMW’s tech is powerful, capable, and feature rich, but it still wrestles with complexity. MINI’s personality is perfect for experimentation, but it needs a UI vision that feels as deliberate as its covetable design language. Ferrari’s collaboration with Ive and Newson reminds the industry that great interaction design doesn’t come from piling on features, but from integrating them in a way that feels purposeful. And as cars become ever more digital, that principle might just be the most important part of the driving experience, regardless of the badge on the hood. The post Ferrari’s Bold UI Move Is the Lesson BMW and MINI Can’t Ignore appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

For years, the assumption was simple. Once electric vehicles reached maturity, performance would naturally follow. Faster acceleration, smarter chassis control, limitless tuning potential. On paper, electric cars should be the ultimate enthusiast machines. But driving joy has never been a numbers game, and reality has proven far more complicated. As electric vehicles have matured, they have also converged. For many buyers, EVs are now defined less by excitement and more by efficiency, incentives, and daily usability. They are quiet, fast enough, increasingly similar, and increasingly easy to live with. That is not a flaw. For the majority of drivers, it is precisely the point. The forthcoming BMW iM3 The irony is that electric cars are exceptional at the very metric we have long associated with performance: acceleration. Few internal combustion cars can touch even modest EVs in a straight line. The problem is that speed alone has never been the full story. Performance cars have historically been about sensation, drama, and the sense that there is something beneath you that demands attention and respect. Electric cars excel at disappearing into daily life. They are calm, predictable, and remarkably good at blending into routine. In many ways, they are designed to behave like sophisticated appliances. Efficient, capable, unobtrusive. For most buyers, that is not a compromise. It is progress. We’ve experienced this first-hand with the latest electric MINI Countryman which we called the brand’s best daily ever. However for enthusiasts, it creates an uncomfortable question. The J01 MINI Cooper JCW MINI already has two full JCW EVs on the market, however neither is sold in North America. While a European contributor recently reviewed the J01 JCW, none of the MotoringFile team in the US has yet driven one. Reviews have been generally positive, but none so far suggest that MINI has cracked the code with its first electric JCW products. Is there a real path forward for electric performance cars to deliver the kind of engagement generations of drivers have found in internal combustion performance cars? Or are we destined to hold onto ICE cars for as long as regulations and maintenance allow? Electric performance cars are not difficult to build because they lack speed. They are difficult to build because they lack friction. There is no warm up ritual. No mechanical crescendo. No sense that the car needs to be learned, tamed, or occasionally respected. Power is instant, accessible, and endlessly repeatable. What was once earned is now simply available. That shift fundamentally alters the relationship between driver and machine. The electric Porsche Taycan is one of the best electric cars in terms of driving engagement. But the experience is still far removed from the visceral qualities of a 911 or 718. This is not a MINI specific problem. It is an industry wide one. High performance electric cars across multiple brands have struggled to maintain momentum once the novelty wears off. Straight line speed has become commoditized. Software promises engagement through modes, sounds, and synthesized feedback, but often delivers refinement rather than character. The gap between capability and emotional payoff continues to grow. This tension is now playing out inside brands that have historically defined modern performance. At BMW, the upcoming electric M3 represents the most serious attempt yet to solve the problem. As we detailed in our recent BimmerFile reporting on the quad motor electric M3, the car is shaping up to be an astonishing technical achievement, with torque vectoring and chassis control far beyond anything the current ICE M3 can deliver. On paper, it reads like the answer. Individual motors at each wheel. Millisecond level control. Performance that borders on absurd. Notably, BMW’s focus has extended beyond numbers toward recreating progression, feedback, and challenge, the qualities that have always defined M cars. Whether software and systems can fully replace mechanical drama remains the open question. The MINI JCE eGP prototype MINI sits differently, and arguably more precariously. The brand’s performance legacy has never been about outright speed. It has been about feel, playfulness, and intimacy. That is why the electric GP concept we revisited recently on MotoringFile remains so relevant today. That concept did not simply chase acceleration. It explored weight, response, and attitude in an electric context, attempting to preserve MINI’s mischievous character. It was imperfect and ultimately shelved, but it asked better questions than most production EVs do even now. Even suppliers are acknowledging the shift. Major players have begun scaling back or cancelling electric mobility projects as demand fails to ramp as expected. This is not ideology or politics. It is market feedback, and it is pointing to the same conclusion. Capability alone does not create desire. None of this means electric performance cars are doomed. It does mean the bar is far higher than many expected. Delivering excitement in an electric format requires more than speed, more than software, and more than spec sheet dominance. It requires intentional friction. Clear feedback. A sense that the car is responding to you, not managing you. The MotoringFile Take Electric performance cars will not win over enthusiasts by chasing ever bigger numbers. That battle has already been won, and in the process, largely devalued. The brands that succeed will be the ones willing to leave something on the table, to allow imperfection, effort, and even moments of frustration back into the experience. I believe it stays with the interface. MINI has to not just maintain its small selection of physical controls but bring more back that relate to driving. Engagement is tactile and it has to start within the interface. Performance is another thing. BMW’s electric M future will test just how far technology can be pushed to recreate intensity without combustion. MINI’s challenge is more philosophical, and more precarious. The brand must translate charm, mischief, and genuine connection into the electric era, or risk becoming just another very quick appliance wearing a familiar badge. It can’t feel like a gimmick but must be connected to the driving experience and mastering the small moments that provide satisfaction. And (this is key for MINI specifically) it can’t come at 10/10ths but must be accessible at legal speeds. Plenty of brands have already drifted in that direction. MINI cannot afford to if it expects its identity to survive intact. Performance alone will not be enough. Success will depend on how creatively MINI can turn its brand DNA into real engagement, interaction, and excitement on the road. There’s little question that electric cars will eventually define the future of transportation. Whether electric performance cars can define the future of enthusiasm will depend on whether brands like MINI remember that driving pleasure was never about how fast you could go. It was about how much you cared while doing it. The post Can Electric Performance Cars Ever Truly Satisfy Enthusiasts? appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

MINI’s return to rally racing in the United States moves from story to stage this weekend. MINI USA and LAP Motorsports begin their 2026 American Rally Association campaign at Michigan’s Sno*Drift Rally, with ongoing updates here throughout the event. The team will be streaming coverage via YouTube, giving MINI fans a front-row seat to snow, gravel, and the kind of winter rally chaos that made the event legendary in the first place. You can watch the live stream here: Updates from the Rally After the first set of stages the F66 JCW of Cristian Perocarpi and co-driver Carlos Schrunder are sitting in second place in the O2WD category. In the Countryman JCW Luis Perocarpi and Mark Wells are off the pace due to an undetermined incident. Rally notes: It was 1?F this morning at the first stage with the stages full of snow. With temperatures down to -5?F tomorrow morning, attrition could be a factor. A Quick Catch-Up on What’s Happening If this feels like it escalated quickly, it did, but not without intent. As we have previously reported on MotoringFile, MINI’s involvement in U.S. rallying started quietly with development entries alongside LAP Motorsports. Those early outings were deliberately low key, focused on learning how modern MINIs performed on American rally stages rather than chasing headlines. That experiment worked. What began as a test has now turned into a full commitment. MINI USA has confirmed it will compete in all eight rounds of the 2026 American Rally Association National Championship, marking the brand’s most serious rally effort in the U.S. in decades. Sno*Drift, held February 6 to 7 in Atlanta, Michigan, is the season opener and one of the toughest events on the calendar. What the Heck is Sno*Drift? Sno*Drift is not a ceremonial start. It is a winter rally run on snow and ice, often with unpredictable conditions and limited grip. It rewards balance, traction, and discipline, qualities that have always suited MINI’s engineering philosophy. If there was ever an event that made sense for MINI’s modern rally return, this is it. For fans, it also makes for great viewing. Cars slide, mistakes are obvious, and skill is impossible to fake. Seeing MINI compete here immediately sets the tone for what this program is meant to be. MINI’s Rally Roots, Briefly MINI’s rally story did not start yesterday. The original Mini Cooper shocked the world in the 1960s with overall victories at the Monte Carlo Rally, beating far more powerful rivals through agility and grip. Decades later, MINI returned to top-level rallying with a brief but high-profile stint in the World Rally Championship in the early 2010s. More recently, the brand proved its endurance credentials with multiple overall wins at Dakar, one of the most demanding motorsport events on the planet. Seen through that lens, a full-season American rally program feels less like nostalgia and more like continuity. How to Watch The easiest way to follow the action is via the team’s YouTube live stream, which will feature stage updates, behind-the-scenes coverage, and real-time context from the rally. It is an ideal way for fans who cannot make it to Michigan to experience the event as it happens and get a sense of how MINI stacks up in real rally conditions. Live Timing & Tracking – The American Rally Association provides real-time stage results and live tracking during the event for all competitors: Use the official ARA live results and tracking page on americanrallyassociation.org/live RallySafe App – For more detailed live tracking (including split times and car positions), fans and attendees often use the RallySafe app, which many ARA competitors carry during stages. For MINI, this weekend is the start of something bigger. For fans, it is a rare chance to watch MINI do what it claims to do best, compete where balance and character matter more than polish. We will continue covering the team’s progress throughout the season, but for now, grab a coffee, click the stream, and enjoy MINI back on American rally stages where it belongs. The post MINI Rally Updates: Updates from the Sno*Drift Rally appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

Happy New Year, White Roof – the first and longest-running MINI podcast in the world. Gabe and I recap the last couple of months of MINI news and look ahead into 2026. It’s a wide-ranging convo about all things MINI, including some no-holds-barred opinions that don’t usually get written about on MotoringFile. I’ve made a few updates to the Whiteroodradio.com, you should click over and check it out. I’ve also decided White Roof Radio will be returning to monthly episodes. If we can’t record, you’ll get a best of from our catalog of over 1,000 audio recordings. The post White Roof Radio 703: Look Ahead to MINI in 2026 appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

When was the last time a MINI concept made automotive obsessives actually gasp? For most of us, that moment came when the MINI JCW x Deus Ex Machina concept was revealed in Europe, a collision of British go?karting pedigree and surf?culture cool that felt less like a show car and more like a manifesto on four wheels. Now that same beast has officially crossed the Atlantic for its North American premiere at the 2026 Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto this month. In case you missed it, the Machina concept was one two cars that were designed as a collaboration between MINI and the brand Deus Ex Machina. While both were stunning, the Machina concept was the one that drew the most praise for its fusion of MINI’s motorsport history and the attitude and aesthetic of surf culture. The result isn’t some sterile corporate sketch; it’s a car with matte paint, bold graphics, and accessories that wear their inspiration on their sleeve, a kind of bespoke scooter?meets?race?car vibe that feels right at home in Cali as much as in Carnaby Street. There’s no hint the JCW x Deus is headed for production, it’s a show car, pure and simple, but that’s part of the fun. Concepts like this remind us what MINI does best: take a simple recipe, lightweight chassis, torquey engine, cheeky personality, and remix it until you either love it or hate it. But there’s been plenty of rumors since their release that MINI is looking to bring some of the energy we see here to future JCW models. For the Canadian show, the concept anchors a broader JCW presence that includes the MINI JCW 3 Door and the burly JCW Countryman ALL4, both pitched as premier examples of how far MINI performance has come. Attendees can even test drive select models, which feels like the appropriate counterpoint to gawking at a wild concept car. In a year that already promises a slew of electrified MINI debuts and design shifts, this Deus?sanctioned weird child is a welcome wildcard, a reminder that MINI’s heart still belongs to drivers who value expression and character as much as 0?60 times. If you’re planning to be in Toronto between February?13 and?22, 2026, consider the JCW x Deus Ex Machina concept showroom time well spent. The post North American Debut: The MINI JCW x Deus Ex Machina Concept Arrives in Toronto appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

It’s official – MINI is back in rally. For months we’ve been circling this story, first when we broke the news last fall that MINI was “rally curious”, and then again just a few days ago when we confirmed the full-season push was imminent. Now, MINI has finally made it official: the brand is stepping into a factory-backed, full-season campaign in the 2026 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship. Running under the banner The John Cooper Works Race Team, MINI USA and LAP Motorsports will campaign two rally-prepped machines, a MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 and the 2-door MINI Cooper S, across the ARA’s challenging national calendar. The season kicks off this weekend, February 6-7, 2026, at the storied Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan, marking a genuine revival of the brand’s legendary rallying DNA. From Teaser to Full-Blown Program What began as an exploratory regional effort in 2025, where lightly modified Cooper and Countryman cars gave fans a first look at MINI’s rally potential in the U.S., has now matured into a strategic motorsport commitment by MINI USA and its long-time partner LAP Motorsports. This isn’t a marketing cameo or a museum piece in motion, it’s a national championship campaign with serious intent and competition machinery built to finish every stage and score real results. Kate Alini, MINI USA’s Head of Marketing, Product, and Strategy, stated that after successful regional outings and early fan enthusiasm, MINI was ready to “jump in with a full season commitment” and reconnect the brand with its iconic rally roots. Cars That Stay True to MINI’s Character The rally cars retain much of their factory character, with modifications focused on safety and compliance with ARA class rules rather than bespoke performance parts. That means what you see is what MINI built: chassis balance, torque delivery, and pure handling prowess, now unleashed on snow, gravel, and forest stages. John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 — Competing in the Limited 4 Wheel Drive class (L4WD), this is the newest incarnation of MINI’s compact SUV with all-road capabilities that should thrive on mixed surface stages. MINI Cooper S 2-Door — The classic short-wheelbase performer enters the Open 2 Wheel Drive class (O2WD), playing to its nimble chassis and go-kart-like agility. The result should be an engaging contrast, the rugged, planted All4 Countryman versus the lithe, tossable Cooper S, both rooted in the brand’s performance mantra. Dealers on the Road and in the Pits One unique twist in this program is the involvement of MINI dealer technicians as part of the rally crew at select events. Top performers from the dealer network will be invited to join LAP’s support team at races throughout the season, a real hands-on extension of the brand’s performance culture and a reward for the passionate professionals who keep MINIs going on the street and now in competition. A Rally Heritage Reborn MINI’s rally history is the stuff of folklore. In the 1960s, the original Mini Cooper S rewrote the rulebook, taking multiple Monte Carlo Rally victories against bigger, more powerful rivals. That heritage informs this modern effort, which recalls not only classic European forests but decades of competition spirit that has defined the brand. With this announcement, MINI’s presence in rallying returns in a way that respects that legacy while also pushing the brand into fresh, competitive territory, one that extends beyond strategy presentations into real gravel, snow, and dirt. The Rally Calendar The 2026 ARA season stretches from February through October and includes classic events across the United States. Opening with Sno*Drift, a winter stage rally where cars race on snow and ice-covered forest roads, the calendar promises a gauntlet of conditions that will test drivers, cars, crews, and strategy alike. Here’s the full rundown: Sno*Drift Rally February 6-7, 2026, Atlanta, Michigan Rally in the 100 Acre Wood March 13-14, 2026, Salem/Potosi, Missouri Olympus Rally April 17-19, 2026, Shelton, Washington Southern Ohio Forest Rally June 11-13, 2026, Chillicothe, Ohio Rally Colorado July 18-19, 2026, Rangely, Colorado Ojibwe Forests Rally August 27-29, 2026, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Overmountain Rally Tennessee September 18-19, 2026, Newport, Tennessee Lake Superior Performance Rally October 9-10, 2026, Marquette, Michigan This commitment from MINI USA and LAP Motorsports may well signal a broader shift in how manufacturers view American rallying, from a grassroots passion to a platform worthy of sustained factory support. And it’s perfect timing as the WRC is officially exploring a rally in the US as we speak. Stay tuned here at MotoringFile as the season unfolds, the team logs miles, and MINI’s rally story continues to evolve. The post MINI Officially Commits to Full 2026 ARA Rally Season with Two Factory-Backed Cars appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

For decades, MINI JCW meant something very specific. Loud, stiff, a little unruly, and unapologetically focused on performance and feel over comfort. A MINI JCW was never meant to be the best MINI for everyone. It was meant to be the best MINI for a very particular kind of driver. Lately, that definition feels like it is shifting and it may not be a bad thing when it comes to the business of selling cars. The most recent example comes from Road & Track, which did not mince words after evaluating the latest MINI JCW as part of its Performance Car of the Year testing. The verdict was blunt. Despite the badge and the power figures, the car struggled to deliver the kind of engagement and dynamic edge expected of a modern performance hatch. Steering feel, chassis communication, and overall excitement fell short of the standards traditionally associated with the JCW name. While we’re not entirely in agreement with all of Road and Track’s opinions on the F66, they have some valid concerns. And they didn’t even bring up the lack of a manual. Other outlets and long-time MINI enthusiasts have echoed similar concerns. The common thread is not that the JCW is slow or incapable. It is that it feels softened. More polished. More approachable. And, depending on your perspective, less special. We’ve seen this in our recent review of the J01, F66 and F67 JCWs. They’re all compelling but also quite a bit removed from those early R53 or even R56 JCWs. But this shift seems not only intentional but so far successful. The sub-brand just had its best year ever on paper (although we’d argue it’s likely because of all those JCW Style packages it sells). But it’s clear that consumer tastes have shifted dramatically since the R53 JCW and EU regulations around C02 and even noise have entered the picture. Buyers expect performance cars to be usable every day, quiet on the highway, comfortable in traffic, and packed with technology. The days when harsh ride quality and razor-edge handling were forgiven simply because a car was fast are fading quickly. MINI, like every brand under the BMW Group umbrella, is operating in a market that rewards broad appeal and punishes niche extremism. A great example is BMW M. When they decided to build a bespoke model a few years ago they didn’t create something extreme or enthusiast oriented. They made a massive SUV. From that lens, the modern JCW starts to make sense. It is quicker than ever in a straight line. It is easier to live with. It does not punish you on a long commute or a rough road as it once did. For many buyers, that balance is not a compromise. It is the point. One could argue that this is exactly where the MINI JCW Style fits in. A design-forward expression of performance that leans into attitude, aesthetics, and everyday usability rather than enhanced capability. But for quite a few JCW buyers, only the fastest MINI will do. Which raises the uncomfortable question. If the hardcore, edge-of-your-seat experience is no longer the priority, is JCW still meant to be the performance pinnacle of the MINI lineup? Or has it quietly become something else entirely? Or is our definition of performance simply changed? Meanwhile the marketing language has only gotten more oriented towards the brand’s storied past despite the driving experience subtly shifting to more accommodating. And with the manual gone, there’s a lack of tactile interaction that historically set the car apart in the market. That gap between expectation and reality is where disappointment creeps in, especially among enthusiasts who grew up associating JCW with something borderline unhinged. So is this evolution a smart move or a misstep? If your goal is to sell more cars to a broader audience, so far this has been a smart move. A more forgiving, more comfortable JCW aligns perfectly with modern buying behavior. If your goal is to preserve the emotional connection that made JCW special in the first place, the answer is less clear. MINI has always walked a fine line between charm and performance. The current JCW suggests the pendulum has swung toward charm and daily livability. Whether that is progress or dilution depends on what you believe the JCW badge should stand for in 2026 and beyond. JCW hasn’t lost its soul just because it’s tweaking its products to sell to consumers. It’s still there, under the hood. The real question is, will MINI be bold and let it out for something even more special? The post Is JCW Going Soft or Simply Finding the Right Balance? appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

Let’s start with what makes this special edition special. The Shadow Edition pairs MINI’s 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo diesel (148 HP and 266 ft-lb.) with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and JCW paddle shifters. It’s clothed in Legend Grey with a black roof and sport stripes, topped off with Union Jack mirror caps and 19-inch JCW Runway Spoke wheels in black. Inside, it’s full stealth: black Vescin seats, a black dashboard, and anthracite headliner—all part of the JCW trim. The whole thing is wrapped in the concept of “an SUV that lets your individuality shine,” which, ironically, it does by toning everything down. The result is stylish, premium, and oddly fresh in a market where bright colors and oversized grilles tend to dominate. And yes—diesel isn’t dead yet. At least not in Japan, nor in parts of Europe where efficient long-distance torque still matters. The Shadow Edition’s diesel powertrain is very much alive and well, reminding us that MINI isn’t quite ready to close the book on compression ignition. For some buyers, it’s still the ideal mix of performance and fuel economy in a compact SUV. That brings us to the bigger question: could we see this trim package, or even the Shadow Edition concept, applied to other engines and markets? With the JCW Trim becoming available on standard Countryman D models from July production onward, MINI clearly sees a future in combining its most performance-oriented design cues with non-JCW drivetrains. That opens the door for potential petrol-powered versions of this aesthetic, especially in diesel-averse regions like the US. It’s easy to imagine a Cooper S Shadow Edition or even a Countryman SE Shadow Edition, leveraging the same dark styling and premium touches but with powertrains better suited to other global markets. With MINI steadily expanding its Port-Installed JCW Accessories program, there’s precedent for special trims like this to cross borders with the right engine underneath. And let’s be honest: MINI fans love special editions. Whether it’s the Resolute, Untamed, or Untold or the original JCW GP, limited-run MINIs have long been collector catnip and showroom eye-candy. So, will the Shadow Edition remain a Japan-only affair? Or is MINI quietly preparing to globalize this concept, diesel or not, as part of its growing portfolio of design-led special editions? Stay tuned as we dig deeper into MINI’s production roadmap and regional model updates. And in the meantime, let us know: would you drive a MINI Shadow Edition if it hit your market? Diesel or electric, is this the look you’ve been waiting for? The post MINI Countryman Shadow Edition – A Diesel Special Edition? appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article

MINI is going rally racing in the United States for 2026, carrying forward a legacy that began on European snow and mountain roads in the 1960s and helped define what the brand still claims to stand for today. Rallying is where MINI earned its reputation, not through excess power or polish, but through balance, traction, and an almost stubborn refusal to be intimidated by bigger machinery. That legacy now has a modern American chapter. MINI USA has confirmed it will compete in eight American Rally Association National Championship rounds during the 2026 season, marking the brand’s most serious and sustained rally effort in the U.S. in decades. The campaign begins February 6–7 at Michigan’s Sno*Drift Rally and builds directly on the development work MINI has been doing with LAP Motorsports, an effort we have been closely following as the brand tested its relevance on contemporary American rally stages. This is not a marketing cameo or a single heritage-themed appearance. It is a full national campaign, spanning snow, gravel, forests, and altitude, the kind of terrain where rally cars and rally myths are either validated or quickly retired. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports From “Let’s See What Happens” to Full Commitment If this sounds familiar, it should. MINI’s re-entry into U.S. rallying did not begin with a grand announcement. It began with something far more MINI-like: a low-key, pragmatic test. Last season, MINI and LAP Motorsports entered lightly modified Cooper and Countryman rally cars in select ARA events, effectively asking a simple question we explored in our earlier reporting on MotoringFile: does a modern MINI still make sense in the environment that made the original famous? The answer, it turns out, was yes. More importantly, it was yes without theatrics. The cars ran close to stock mechanically, focused on safety compliance and reliability rather than bespoke rally exotica. That approach aligned perfectly with rally’s appeal in the U.S., where ingenuity still matters more than budget and where spectators are close enough to smell the brakes. Those early outings were framed as development, but they also served as proof of concept. MINI did not just survive on American stages, it looked appropriate there. That distinction matters. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports Eight Rounds, No Excuses For 2026, MINI USA is stepping fully into the arena. The brand will contest all eight national ARA rounds, starting with Sno*Drift and continuing through events like Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Olympus Rally, Southern Ohio Forest Rally, Rally Colorado, Ojibwe Forests Rally, Overmountain Rally Tennessee, and the Lake Superior Performance Rally. This is the opposite of dipping a toe in the water. American rally is not forgiving, and a full season commitment means showing up when conditions are miserable, logistics are complicated, and social media returns are modest at best. In other words, it means taking rally seriously. LAP Motorsports’ involvement is the quiet reassurance here. This is a team that understands how to make production-based cars competitive without losing the plot, and how to run a program that values finishing as much as outright pace. In rally, that mindset is often the difference between relevance and embarrassment. MINI’s Rally Heritage MINI’s rally credentials are not theoretical. The original Mini Cooper rewrote the rules of international rallying in the 1960s, most famously with multiple outright victories at the Monte Carlo Rally, beating far larger and more powerful cars by exploiting grip, agility, and a complete disregard for convention. Decades later, MINI returned to the world stage with a factory-backed program in the World Rally Championship in the early 2010s, a short but telling reminder that the brand still understood the demands of top-level rallying even if the timing and politics limited its lifespan. Then came Dakar, where MINI quietly became dominant, racking up multiple overall wins in the world’s most punishing off-road event and proving that endurance, reliability, and smart engineering still mattered more than nostalgia. Seen in that context, a full-season American rally program in 2026 feels less like a retro gesture and more like a logical continuation of a competition story that never really went away. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports MotoringFile Take Rallying has become a convenient word in automotive marketing, often invoked without any actual dirt involved. MINI’s decision to commit to a full ARA season cuts through that noise. It places the brand back in a discipline that rewards the very traits MINI still claims as core, agility, composure, and driver engagement under pressure. It also reconnects MINI USA with a grassroots motorsport audience that values authenticity over spectacle. Rally fans tend to notice when a manufacturer shows up for real, and they notice just as quickly when it leaves. Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports There are no guarantees here, no podium promises, and no nostalgia safety net. Just cars, crews, and eight chances to prove that MINI’s rally roots are not just a story from the 1960s, but something that can still hold up under modern scrutiny. From where we sit, that makes this one of the most interesting MINI stories in years, not because it looks backward, but because it finally puts the brand back where its mythology has always said it belongs. The post MINI Is Going Rally Racing in the U.S. for 2026, and it All Starts Next Weekend appeared first on MotoringFile. 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BMW’s new iDrive X system represents a fundamental rethink of in-car technology, anchored by the panoramic vision display and BMW’s next-generation operating system. We recently spent time with the system during a hands-on drive that explored how panoramic vision reshapes the driver’s field of view and interaction model in our look at BMW’s new cockpit technology. According to sources familiar with MINI’s internal planning, the brand is now actively considering adding a version of BMW’s new iDrive system to both the Countryman and Cooper later in their current lifecycle. That marks a shift from earlier expectations that such a significant interface change would wait for an all-new generation of MINI platforms. This possible move is directly tied to MINI’s decision to extend production of its current ICE models. As we have previously reported in our coverage of MINI’s extended product roadmap, the Cooper and Countryman are expected to remain in production well into the next decade, creating more flexibility for deeper mid-cycle updates. That matters because iDrive X is not simply a software update. The panoramic vision display requires new projection hardware, additional processing power, and tighter integration with vehicle systems. These kinds of changes have traditionally aligned with major LCIs or full generational shifts, but the growing importance of computing power is already reshaping how BMW and MINI approach product updates, as we outlined in our analysis of processing power replacing horsepower. If MINI proceeds, the most realistic timing would be a later LCI, potentially a second refresh toward the end of the decade. Sources emphasize that any MINI implementation would be adapted to the brand’s own design language rather than directly mirroring BMW’s execution, following a pattern MINI has used with previous generations of BMW infotainment, something we explored when looking at what future iDrive systems mean for MINI. This approach would also be consistent with MINI’s broader digital strategy, including its decision to chart its own course on infotainment ecosystems rather than simply following BMW’s lead, as seen in MINI’s thinking around CarPlay Ultra. Plans are not final and could change, but the fact that MINI is now seriously evaluating iDrive X for existing Countryman and Cooper models is significant. Our interpretation of how MINI might integrate iDriveX’s Panoramic Display The MotoringFile Take If MINI does move forward with iDrive X on the current Cooper and Countryman, it would signal a more aggressive approach to keeping aging platforms competitive. The risk is overreaching with technology that was never part of the original interior design. The reward is giving MINI a meaningful tech advantage without waiting years for an all-new generation. If MINI can balance BMW’s ambitious interface with the brand’s trademark clarity and charm, this could be one of the most consequential LCIs the brand has ever attempted. The post MINI Is Considering Adding BMW’s New iDrive X Later in the Countryman and Cooper Lifecycle appeared first on MotoringFile. View the full article