BMW BLOG

What do the MINI and street art have in common? MINI has always been a defining feature of the streetscapes of major cities and itself constitutes a part of urban street culture. Exceptional design has traditionally been an aspiration of the brand – a passion shared by the champions of creative street art.

Last week in Hamburg, the legendary New York street artist Craig “KR” Costello customised a MINI in his own unique style. His trademark is the so-called KRINK dripping ink look, in which paint runs down an object as if it had been too thickly applied. The entire MINI was given the typical KRINK drip treatment by the creative artist from Brooklyn, with silver paint running down the distinctive contours of the black MINI – along its body as well as the side and rear windows. The project was accompanied by the “Erste Liebe Film” and captured by photographer Ali Salehi.

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It’s always tempting to write “Wash Me” on a dirty car or to draw something on a fogged windscreen with your finger. Everyday situations like this were the inspiration for this publication, says Nico Ammann, art director and photographer of the works featured in the book to be published by MINI Switzerland in a limited edition of 2,000.

The upshot is a colourful volume depicting a wide range of subjects, and one that will appeal not only to MINI fans. The common thread is that none of the ten artists has ever before worked with the automobile as a medium, and each has transformed it into a transient work of art.

The following artists and authors contributed to the book project: Smash137, Fabian Bertschinger, Marisa Pichler and Gigi Burn, Tika, Euro, Aurèle Sack, Stefan Ege and Seak, August, Rémi Jaccard and, last but not least Dieter Meier, also famous as the singer in the band Yello.

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The official MINI Youtube channel releases a new viral video. Famous for their innovative approach to market the brand, the MINI creative people portray the typical MINI driver and…of course, the non-MINI owner.

“MINI drivers can be recognized by the mixture of lust for life, individuality and spontaneity. No matter what, they do not take themselves and their life too serious. We simply call it the MINI ..”

MINI’s culture can be seen in all of their videos, most of their brochures and especially at motor shows where their display area always impresses and stands out.

Thanks for the tip Shrawan!

With the backing of international artists and graphic designers, MINI presents a unique wall decoration that will delight not only committed fans and collectors: the MINI Calendar for the year 2010 is the proud upshot of the MINI Space Design Competition. MINIspace.com is a social network for creative people from all fields who share a passion for creativity.

The calendar has been conceived under the motto MINIMALISM. For MINI, this term means enhanced efficiency, a reduction in harmful exhausts and lower CO2 emissions. Members of MINI Space were called on to send in their artistic take on MINIMALISM. Part of the challenge was to integrate the silhouette of the MINI in their design. The calendar presents the 12 highlight designs selected from more than 4,000 entries submitted to MINIspace.com.

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The first electric MINI, dubbed E, made its debut last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Shortly after, MINI USA kicked off their restricted lease program just a few months later and thousands of people have applied for a MINI E lease with only 450 vehicles available in California, New Jersey and New York.

In early 2009, a second stage of this pilot launched in Berlin, with a total of 50 MINIs. This week, MINI announced a similar program in the UK, but in compare to the US, the requests were far lower: a mere 515. There is one advantage though, the UK fellows will only have to shell out $640 compared to the steep $850 lease price in the United States.

MINI has selected 40 individuals to take part in the program. Only one half of the individuals selected are private users, the other half are commercial or municipal users. The trial, which will run from Oxford, down to London’s West End and west to Andover, will begin before Christmas.

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Back in July, BMW and MINI announced a new model: MINI One Diesel, another vehicle part of the EfficientDynamics strategy over at BMW. MINI One D is powered by a 1.6 liter diesel engine based on the powerplant found in the Cooper D.

Featuring a turbocharger and common rail direct injection, the new version of this four-cylinder unit develops 66 kW/90 hp at 4,000 rpm and sources its peak torque of 215 Nm from as low down as 1, 750 rpm. The MINI One D completes the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 182 km/h.. Like the petrol-driven MINI One, the new MINI One D provides a particularly economical entry point into the world of the MINI brand.

The fuel consumption numbers reported by the MINI One D are remarkable: 60.3mpg (3.9 l/100km).

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Today kicks off the 3rd annual Motor-Tober celebration, MINI’s made-up holiday that lasts the entire month of October.  Motor-Tober is about enjoying horsepower and go-kart handling, saving money with great deals and celebrating for the sake of celebrating. MINI’s October marketing campaign focuses on capturing autumn fun with witty ads and MINI gear, encouraging test drives and events at dealerships nationwide, aggressive financing on all 2009 models as well as special lease pricing on select 2009 inventory.

“MINI wants to celebrate the ramp-up to the winter holiday season, which is usually a stressful time, and make it a time to thoroughly enjoy motoring,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “Nothing says exhilaration like getting behind the wheel of a MINI, and our Motor-Tober celebration encourages customers to do just that.”

Through November 2nd, MINI will offer 1.9 percent financing for up to 60 months on the purchase of any new 2009 MINI vehicle. Additionally, lease rates as low as $259 per month will be available on select 2009 inventory, making now the time for customers to visit their local dealer for some of the year’s best deals.

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Just a few days ago, we published the official photos and press releases of the latest MINI concept: Roadster. At the Frankfurt Auto Show the BMW display was impressive and imposing, but at the same time, the MINI area was fun, funky and young.

In this perfect setup, the UK based automaker decided to unveil the “twins”. Both the MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster have been confirmed for production and will be launched in late 2010.

The MINI Roadster Concept takes up features typical of the brand and re-interprets these unique strengths in a refreshingly new manner. Individual style, premium quality and a perfect match of driving pleasure and efficiency just right in this day and age determine the character of this compact two-seater. And through its design alone, the MINI Roadster Concept reflects the focus on maximum driving pleasure with nothing but the sky above.

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MINI Roadster Concept: fresh ideas for an intense driving experience.

MINI evokes new fascination and a wonderful new experience time and again. For each model in the range offers unique opportunities to enjoy supreme driving pleasure and unmistakable style.

Now the MINI Roadster Concept once again sets a new trend for individual mobility borne out by the brand. A purist vehicle concept, elegant design and fascinating, sporting driving characteristics all come together in this unique car to offer the vision of an open two-seater catering for the demands of a modern and self-confident target group.

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Dr.Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG has announced that two new MINI models are to be built at MINI Plant Oxford. Reithofer confirmed the production plan during his two-day visit to BMW Group UK operations earlier this week.

One of the models based on the MINI Coupé Concept and a concept of the second vehicle will be unveiled for the first time to global media at Frankfurt Motor Show on 15 September. Images of the stunning MINI Coupé Concept were issued to press on 26 August 2009, exactly fifty years after the first classic Mini was presented to the public.

Likely to feature the impressive 1.6-litre turbocharged MINI John Cooper Works power train, the MINI Coupé Concept is designed to be the most dynamic and agile MINI ever built.  Strictly a two-seater, the low roof line, compact dimensions, perfect axle load distribution and lightweight construction are all trademarks of a genuine sports car.

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