Tag Archives: Mini

The Most Confusing Turn Signals In The Auto Industry Are Probably Here To Stay

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The Mini Cooper’s Confusing Taillights Are Likely Here to Stay

When BMW brought Mini back in the early 2000s, the taillights on Frank Stephenson’s original design were triangular. They later filled out and got a bit more squarish, and have remained so for about a decade — but that looks to change starting next year. The upper and lower inner chunks of the clusters have been chipped away, making sideways trapezoids.

The entire unit has been subdivided into what I could only describe as pixels, but like pixels from an old-school LCD display. If I squint, it seems like the bars that would comprise the Union Jack are a bit lighter than the rest, and I bet those light up in similar fashion as the current Mini’s taillights.

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This would be a very smart move for Mini, because it’s getting so much attention over the flag lights from nerds like us. I’m willing to bet every person that directly follows a new Mini has noticed the design, and so long as they’ve ever seen 15 seconds of Austin Powers, they probably get the joke.

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I have less to say about the rest of the upcoming Mini’s look. I mean, I’m still reminded of goatees or that one episode of The Powerpuff Girls when I study the front, and the headlights have these crossbars on their upper and lower portions that almost look like eyelids on a Family Guy character. I’m overflowing with cartoon character references.

There’s more to say about the interior, where Mini designers have seemingly ditched the small pill-shaped digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel in favor of a heads-up display. The dash is entirely clad in what looks to be canvas, with a big old circular panel affixed to the center dash. It’s like the essence of a Mini interior stripped down to its most iconographic parts, and it’s kind of soulless. I don’t love it coming from the current Mini’s fun and lighthearted cabin.

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Supposedly this new Mini Cooper will be available in internal combustion and battery electric forms. If the manufacturer can squeeze roughly 50 more miles out of the SE while keeping the price around where it sits today — and the driving dynamics on point — it’ll be a pretty compelling bargain EV.

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David Brown unveils Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition

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David Brown Automotive has unveiled the first examples of its Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition, with the vehicles, based on original versions of the Mini, to be available in left- or right-hand drive. 

“Made in partnership with race powertrain specialists, Oselli, the new car from David Brown Automotive is the most performance-focused version of the Mini Remastered created to date by the company,”  according to the news release from the company based in Silverstone, England.

“The car launches with a power rating of 125 hp at 6,200 rpm, a torque rating of 113 ft-lb at 4,500 rpm and an impressive 0-62 mph time of 7.8 seconds,” the announcement proclaimed. 

“Designed and engineered to have a dual personality, Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition is just as comfortable on city streets as it is on the racetrack.” 

David Brown Automotive termed the remastered Mini to be “the ultra-performance focused iconic city car.” It said the performance enhancements represent a 70 percent power boost over the standard model, and noted that the vehicles can be equipped with bucket seats, half-roll cage, multi-point harnesses, suspension upgrades and limited-slip differentials.

The cars are hand-built to order at Silverstone and then go to Oselli in Buckinghamshire for engine tuning and other performance enhancements. 

Among the enhancements are ported and polished cylinder head, stronger crankshaft, high-torque performance-oriented camshaft, twin-SU carburetors, AP Racing brakes, Bilstein suspension, and 13-inch wheels. 

Cars come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, with an automatic available.

Cars can be painted in “Carbon Gray” or “Old English White” with “Competition Red,” “Royal Blue,” or “Heritage Green” accents. Those colors carry through the redone interior as well.

“The grille of the performance car shows the number ‘60’ in contrasting hues as a nod not only to the race numbers that show on cars taking to the track, but also to the 60 years since the original Mini first rolled off the production line,” the company said.

The car can be ordered as a 2- or 4-seater, and with twin fuel tanks for longer range touring or for racing events.

“Pricing is available on application,” David Brown Automotive adds.

For more information, visit the Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition website.

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