Video: Mini Cooper S gets some jet-propelled junk in the trunk

Every once in a while, comes a car that really gives us pause. This is one of those moments. On one side is a let-powered Jet cool slightly. On the other hand, this is a Mini Cooper S, which can utlizes its original, turbocharged inline-four and an old 250-C20B Rolls-Royce/Allison helicopter turbine to a combined 650 horsepower does not make the dust of a GT-R the drag strip. It seems a little ... Anti-climax.

However, we must tip our hat to hoon the Florida that ordered up this beastly Mini Cooper S from BMP design from Tyler, Texas. His heart is in the right place, and it is safe for everyone he lined up a surprise addition.

We are particularly excited about the custom roof, designed so that the turbine exhaust their fiery belch without roasting the fool sits behind you in traffic. The throttle for the twin-jets, which need their own separate tank, a handle next to the driver's seat - a feature born directly from racing chopper motors were in.

Regardless of our concerns about this mini jet-propelled bomb based on hoonage deserves some serious credit at this level. Check out the videos after the break, and try not to mind the lame soundtrack.

Mini Rocketman Concept takes off ahead of Geneva debut

Mini's latest production car - the Countryman - to the automaker's largest offering to date, but now the brand for its pint-sized fighter known to his roots with his latest concept. But this is not a preview of the next generation Cooper - oh no, no, no - it is the Rocketman (Elton John keyword) is. In just over 11 feet long, the error-eyed little Luke a little shorter than a base Cooper hardtop and uses a unique three-plus-one seating inside. It is not gonna be a long, long time before we see the Rocketman in person, either - the concept makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
In compiling the Rocketman Mini focus of his petite body was kept as light as possible. A carbon space frame forms reduce the most significant works, and things such as weight-efficient wheels with a closed surface structure drag to improve fuel economy. Speaking of marketing, says that the Mini Rocketman by "a system to further improve combined sprinting ability with average fuel consumption of only three liters per 100 kilometers (94 miles per gallon Imperial)" is turned on - about 78 mpg on the U.S. cycle. We do not have any details on exactly what powers the mini-concept, but we would take our poison that it involved some electrification.

Spy Shots: 2012 Mini Coupe nears production

The Mini Coupe is on sale this fall and that means the hatchless Cooper test has begun. Caught running around by our spies outside BMW headquarters in Germany, uses the 2012 Mini coupe Bayern standard psychedelic camo, but it was not able to hide a new retractable spoiler located in the trunk - something that is not appropriate concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009.Power should come from the entire range of mini-aspirated and turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder mills, although our spies fight that the prototype you see here a Works model, by braking revalue proved that barely fit in the wheels and red brake calipers front and rear. We suspect that the production version will make an appearance in Frankfurt this fall with sales beginning in Europe and the USA before the end of the year.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Cadillac has never been anything like the CTS-V Coupe, a $ 63,000 monster made that half of hedonists and half Hot-Rod's. Not only that Cadillac ever fought before in this part of the market. The brand had monster engines back to its beginnings, but they were always pulling monster barges reveled as much as, well, barges. Here we have to cut up a coupe promising the streets like one of those German knives, but we have heard that refrain so many times before. This time, though it could be the true.If 10 years ago, we would call this Cadillac Eldorado something-or-other. But it is not the Eldorado and could also be a Franklin Mint pewter collectibles are made. And huzzah for that. The Gran Turismo was the mythical name of probably the most consistent bright spot in the Cadillac line, but nevertheless, the final version had a lot of his life are the big-bore tip. Thirty years ago it was Boss Hog with control horns for hood ornaments and celebrities in convertible bonds, which yesterday stretched again. Until 2002, the Eldorado ETC prescription drugs for Mary Kay saleswomen and brokers discount cards for Denny's had.
published the following year, the CTS was a blade that would use the mark, pick up the pieces of its history. With the CTS-V Coupe, though, Cadillac has a crowbar with the sole purpose of prying open before construction starts minds.It: set a power bulge under folds of a stiletto and fishing down in the slash carved from stacked headlights. The projecting points of a grid plate diagonally down to the central thrust of a bumper that spear their way into the future and ends with a lip skirt, so deep on the ground, it might as well say drop: "There is nothing here to see. "
It is as muscular as it is bent, all the way back to the windshield. The impression is that the upper half of a Mr. Olympia, triceps and deltoids and trapezoids stacked, but each as independent as it is ridiculous to defined.Move on the page and there is a welcome respite from the rage of the road. Once the eye drops away from the bulge and the side vent, the width is monotonous, except for some chrome and a fold getting back. The visuals do not pop back to flipping the bird-spoiler-cum-taillight depend to get the rear deck.
It is the back, which has come in most control, for obvious reasons. The beautiful proportions, which run all the way to the ends of the doors, all the hyena to us at the rear window so that instead of Mr. Olympia, we get excellent strength up top and then "Oh ... what happened here?" The high-raked rear glass, the shoulder is rising, much higher, and with two inches trimmed from the back compared to the sedan, it also increases rapidly. This is an empty area of metal over the rear wheels, which immediately registered as a strap on the left. We believe that if it curved another fold, perhaps over the rear wheel like a bow, it would help avert a seemingly inevitable conclusion: ". This is a big butt" Not that there is then much opportunity to see a site before due to two things: the magnetoreological suspension that you take full advantage of 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet makes the 6.2-liter V8-LSA. Maybe better than a technical description of how the handling is good, we'll tell you one thing: We drove 600 miles round trip to a place with hills and processes to bend our only wish all those fast-twitch muscles. And it was worth every mile and drop of gasoline.
See, Cadillac has not only a large, fast coupe, and they do not even have a sports coupe - it a proper, bona fide, sports coupe. The only reason why we do not call do, it's a sports car because it weighs nearly two tons, making a deep, open nod toward luxury, for the same reasons, in fact, that we do not call it a Bentley Continental GT a sports car . General Motors ionized handling innovations were also tested and sorted into gunners like the Corvette and even with the extra weight they lose nothing in the performance of the database. Let your eyes the way and turn to follow the Alcantara-shod steering wheel. That's how every corner is covered, an additional proof of the steering precise enough to be rotated and adjusted much, not cut, at the same time as it still feels like a Cadillac in the city.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 2s to 19-inch wheels have proved their adhesion to ten tenths numerous sports cars and are not worse for the support of the Cadillac weight. We have the feeling that we would burn through them in a short time, but with great grip - and big calls mash the throttle - comes great tire wear. But they do come with noticeable road noise when the road was less than porcelain.Fifteen-inch front discs by the God of might have forged, and any progress is slow with a readiness that borders on the uncomfortable, you should . decide But if you do your job correctly, it will hardly happen. Put the car in sport, keep the speed and the engine is not too much to do routine work. Considered a line through a winding path will be rewarded with, "Were we really that fast?" Speeds and the constant need to remember: "This is a Cadillac, right?" It is an absolute hoot. And the last time we thought that was about a Cadillac in my grandfather early '70 's Eldorado convertible, but for very different reasons ...
The only quibbles are found inside and we are only one of them harp. The interior materials, one of the niceties, we can now slide because we were already told by Cadillac that in two years, a revolution is on the inside. It's not bad, but it is for a car that costs half as much luxury - the leather just look like leather in the night, never feels like leather, and they look like leather RECARO but I feel like wood. He led us to think of the sun as "the ugly light." The wood is beautiful any time of day, however, and the design is long-haul comfortable. And at night the car is rock hard. With a high beltline and black everywhere, it's not like in the Bat Cave, it's like a real bat. With a radio.However, the automatic transmission replaced as soon as possible. Although offering the beauty queen, we have photographed for this review, the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the car we were actually living with a week with the optional six-speed automatic. As we come to accept modern Cadillacs with massive head, we understand why the preferred automatic transmission. These cars are, after all Cadillacs. But for heaven's sake, they equip with an auto 'box that is as big as the rest of the package. In sport mode, you get the kind of pep you made a 556-horsepower engine, but the frenetic overcomes the luxury and that is an unfair compromise. Even if you are with the shift itself is a frustrating gap in the delivery, which is probably only noticeable because you're so excited about how the car feels and hears and what you want to do it. But Cadillac created, the excitement, and it is for them to cheat us unconstitutional.
Even with this, we would not say stay away from the car. Buyers will probably spend most of the time tick, and that is quite comfortably able Slusher while it is running. It's just that every buyer has to spend sixty-five grand for a CTS-V Coupe probably in other high-performance coupes have been and will know what he missed. If your'e concerned only with the standard six-speed stick. But we get it: not the brand revolution is complete. Let us remember how far Cadillac has come, and not necessarily in a good way. The first Range Rover debuted in 1970 and will cost about $ 4,000 in the period. It was for farmers and people who got dirty. His cabin had been covered in paint and rubber, so people will hose down. That same year, a Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham cost more than $ 7,000 and offered more than 16 different combinations of fabric and leather.
Come costs after 2011 and the most expensive Cadillac not so much as a base Range Rover and the car leading the crest and wreath charge does not fight in the top segment, but in the trenches with the 3 Series and 5 Series. If you had told an Eldorado owners in 1970 that one day would be his best car brand duking it out with the big, big Grandkid of the BMW 2002, he had laughed. un-American, and then shot Thanks for your. But that is where we are and automatic or not, we recommend staying away from the CTS-V coupe. In fact, as close as possible to get it, and then in, and then drive off with all available haste. It is not only a fabulous Sports Tourer - certainly one of the best on the streets - but it's fun. And it's not hard to figure out why. Blend massive power with glee-inducing treatment, wrap it in a polarizing exterior design, throw in a hut that needs a little more love and sell everything for peanuts, and that, friends, is a Nissan GT-R with a Cadillac badge.
Yes, that's what we said. It might not be great at everything only (such as leather and plastics), but it's certainly big enough. The next round could take the luxury sports coupe to Bulls-Eye, and finally a competitor for the Europeans, without a single restriction. We have heard, and incredulous that can think for several years as we, but no more. Cadillac, you have our attention.

Report: Torque-tastic Mini Cooper SD diesel to debut in Geneva

The expansion of the MINI family marches forward relentlessly, but while the area grows usually with more body styles, is the latest addition to configurations with a new engine to transcend.

Although it probably will not be offered Stateside, has the rumor that Mini is preparing for a new heavy-duty diesel engine at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, started in March. The cars are equipped with it reportedly transferred to the SD-name (a combination of S from the top-spec petrol engine with the D from the existing diesel).

Details are not yet known, but reports that it could be a 2.0-liter turbo diesel with 143 HP and up 225 lb-ft of torque. The torque figure would exceed strongly the moments of any of the existing mini-motors produced - even the JCW on overboost.

Mini: "The 500 is a darling little car... but we're a premium brand"

Mini showed major Paceman concept at this year's Detroit Auto Show and announced not long after that to spawn a production model. Tom Salkowski, who recently moved to USA from BMW Mini USA to fill the role of marketing manager is the man with getting the word around about eight models and the Mini's, which also charged. Here's what he had to say.

    * The small car segment has broken out in the last few years and "Mini has flourished," though it "in the face much more competition." But when asked what kind of head-to-head competitors of the brand it has faces, said Salkowski "perhaps Volkswagen, Mazda, Scion in the small car segment," with the caveat that there is "Mini much a question of attitude is it "confirmed Director of Product Management Oliver Friedmann with the assessment:" different than other vehicles, "so" for the moment we do not see everything. We see no one-on-one competition, perhaps the Evoque could "for the Countryman.

    * Salkowski offered his thoughts about the Fiat 500: "The 500 is a cute little car, but Mini is a premium brand."

    * On the debate over the roots and the heritage of other emotional brands like BMW and Lotus, when asked how big the brand Mini and Mini could get cars and still as Minis, said Friedman, "This is what we find in moment to try. We have just jumped on the four-meter line with the peasant, but reaction in the three months that the crossover is on sale in Europe was "very positive."

    * Nevertheless, it is not about creating an assumption of a mini of any size. Friedman said: "The competition for the Countryman are much larger, we will always remain the smallest in the segment.." But the number one rejection of the Mini because of the size and space, the company had to do something.

    * Mini's for its irreverent advertising known, and it sounds sound like not much will change under Salkowski, with a "bigger on TV spend. - You have only one chance to start a car" is also a huge billboard in Times Square, and a take-off run on original U.S. Mini's, when a roving Ford Excursion to driving a Mini on the roof. This time it will be a roving Countryman with a vintage Mini, Alec Issigonis original, 'be on the roof.