countryman

Most powerful Mini ever? I'll take...never mind

Ferarri won't be the only automaker unveiling a "most powerful model ever" this week. Mini's getting in on the horsepower race too--only on a much smaller scale. There's already a higher-performance John Cooper Works (JCW) version of every other vehicle configuration in Mini's lineup, so it's no surprise that we'll be seeing a hi-po version of the Mini Countryman next week at the 2012 Geneva auto show.

The JCW Countryman will also carry the distinction of being the most powerful model in Mini's lineup thanks to its 211-horsepower, four-cylinder, twin-scroll turbocharged … Read more

Car Tech Live 218: Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt (podcast)

Nissan slams the Volt as being a cousin to the leaf blower, a new app keeps an eye out for accidents ahead, and we drive the Mini Cooper S Countryman.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 218 SHOW NOTES

• CNET drives the Mini Cooper S Countryman

• App keeps an eye on accidents about to happen

• New Corvette coming in 2013?

• Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt, oh so subtly.

• Tanner Foust pulls off a huge Hot Wheels jump

• CNET's LOLcars gallery!

CNET Car Tech: 2011 Mini Countryman S All4

I generally like Minis (even though I've tired of the Roger Rabbit interior), but the Countryman just takes the formula one step too far for me. I'll take you for a ride, check the tech, and run into a surprising problem along the way!

(You can also read the full CNET review of the Mini Cooper Countryman here.)

Mini Countryman review: Mini goes big, then goes home

The latest Mini model, the Countryman, has four doors and can be had with four-wheel drive. A little roomier than the standard Mini coupe, it's a more versatile vehicle, ready to have bicycles and surfboards attached to the roof.

But its equipment, both in the cabin and under the hood, is the same as in the standard Mini, with BMW's advanced four-cylinder engine in the S model. Cabin tech could use a shot in the arm, although Mini makes some new options available, such as an integrated iPhone app with a variety of functions.

While we were reviewing our Mini Countryman, it had the temerity to break down, its engine refusing to start. A little research in Consumer Reports shows that Mini's expected reliability is not high, something we experienced first-hand.

Read our review of the 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman. … Read more

Minis get jumped in new slow-mo 3D cinema ad

In an ad depicting the growing Mini family, the company just announced that the Mini Paceman concept, unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, has been given the green light for full production.

The ad, in a first-ever slow motion 3D (shown here in 2D), features an 1,800-hp monster truck jumping a Mini Cooper Convertible, a Mini Cooper Clubman, a Mini Cooper S, and a Mini Cooper S Countryman in front of a stadium audience. The ad debuts today in movie theaters.

The ad was pretty complicated to shoot, Mini said in a press release. It required a crew of … Read more