The new, reworked models will be available in showrooms from September, with MINI aiming to sneak their new diesel models in underneath the road tax threshold under the current system. The One D and Cooper D are the two reworked models that will benefit from a new super-efficient diesel engine, with other designs in the range undergoing a few other nips and tucks.

Across the range there will be a minor design makeover, with a new front bumper with a lower air intake that incorporates a set of fog lights being the main feature. The interiors have also received a gentle polish, with the switchgear being updated for better functionality and a range of new colours and trim options now available.

Using Facebook to create a campaign to encourage support for the idea of a race at the Road Atlanta track in the United States, MINI have ruffled a few feathers at Porsche and have set up a petition for fans to try and convince Porsche, whose 911 model should, on paper, wipe the floor with the Cooper, to show up on June 21st. The response from Von Platen to the idea was somewhat flippant, with the Porsche CEO belittling the campaign and pointing out his company’s rich racing heritage. It remains to be seen whether Porsche will decide to represent themselves at the event, which seems set to go ahead regardless and will be streamed on the MINI USA Facebook page.

Thanks to the new MINI website you can navigate around a fun interactive application that allows you to tailor the look of your new car both inside and out. On the roof you can have a choice of lettering, stripes, a chequered flag and the good old Union Jack.

Elsewhere you can add an aerodynamic body kit, additional headlights and various choices of handles wheels and mirrors.

Inside the highlight of the options is a MINI portable sat nav which incorporates route planner, bluetooth, hands free kit and MP3 player all in one, plus a choice of trims.

It’s all about extending the MINI’s brand image of fun, cool, chic; of making your car as individual as you are. These customised MINI parts and accessories may not be to everyone’s taste, but they help retain the fresh style that is so crucial to the car’s appeal.

To play around with the designs on offer you can log onto the accessories section of the MINI UK website.

Sitting a fair bit higher than many would expect from a MINI and for the first time boasting five doors, the new Countryman is certainly a different design from the trusty MINI we all know and love and swears blind that it offers a genuine carrying capacity of four adults, but it’s still the good old MINI at heart.

Offering both front and four-wheel drive options, the Countryman offers the ideal solution for those who want the MINI look but need that bit more space and ruggedness, whether it’s for off road driving or the school run.

The MINI Countryman is set to debut at around £17,000 at the Geneva motor show this spring.

MINI aficionados are notoriously difficult to please when it comes to alterations to the classic design and the Beachcomber is the biggest modification in recent memory. With both soft and hard top options due to be made available, this new MINI will be suitable even if it’s not beach weather which, let’s be honest, it rarely is here in the UK.

As divisive as this design is sure to be, it’s hard to imagine the MINI Beachcomber not finding a niche and becoming popular with a number of people; we’ll find out in the New Year when it goes on general release.

It really does seem that the company is almost shooting itself in the foot with this latest move, admittedly having two cars competing in the market should mean that the company will grab large shares of the market, however it could of course backfire and the companies could end up taking sales off of each other.

It could of course signal the fact that BMW are planning on phasing the Mini out, they have literally made every form of Mini possible since the takeover and they are now very limited in their moves. Any significant changes to the brand are bound to be blocked vigorously by the Mini owners club, which means that BMW could be about to put all their weight behind a new project.

With the 0-Series BMW could take the car in any direction that they want. It gives them a completely blank canvas to make a modern design that will appeal to the modern audience.

I don’t think the Mini will ever die out, not even if BMW decided to stop manufacturing the car, the fan base that it has acquired over the years, plus the new fans that it adopted with the creation of the new series will give it enough firepower to outgun any of its competitors even if the new 0-Series is a huge success.

2009 is a celebratory year for MINI having recently commemorated its 50th birthday, and now they are set to enter new territories – the world of the coupe.

BMW has released images of the MINI Coupe Concept that is set to be exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid September and this reincarnation of the classic hot hatch looks set to steal the show.

This most iconic of hot hatches will now enter the sports coupe market for the first time in its 50 year history and judging by the images, MINI fever is likely to spread once again, not only through the UK and Europe, but also across the Atlantic and beyond.

The front end is distinctly a MINI, as are the tail lights, yet the body shape is completely unique to any other previous marque.

The Coupe will utilise the same 211hp, 1.6litre turbocharged engine currently found in the John Cooper Works model.

Read more on this in the coming weeks on Car Chat.

The MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio will join the Australian line-up next month. The new and exciting drop-top isn’t just the newest member to the John Coper Works range, but also is it’s fastest convertible yet. The turbocharged convertible is the third car in the John Cooper Works line-up and, being the quickest accelerating convertible in the sub-$100,000 range, it surely is a very fast MINI.

The John Cooper Works Cabrio (first unveiled at this years Geneva Motor Show), claims to be able to hit 100km/h in 6.9 seconds – wow!

The same 155kW turbocharged inline four that is used in the MINI John Cooper Works and MINI John Cooper Work Clubman with an overboost function unlocking 280 Nm of torque has been used. Power is put through the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, just like the rest of the JCW range.

The Cabrio’s on-road performance is assisted by traction control, stability control, sports suspension and a limited-slip system.

The new JCW’s features include fabric and leather sports seats, piano black dash trim, climate control, lightweight 17-ich alloy wheels, tinted winows, Harmon Kardon audio system and of course the trademark MINI bonnet strips. Also, to log the amount of time with the roof down, the Cabrio is fitted with the ‘Always Open’ timer.

The John Cooper Works Cabrio is positioned as a performance model, but it still boasts a healthy fuel consumption rating of 7.1 litres per 100km.

The 2010 MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio goes on sale in September.

The new Mini convertibles are obviously very appealing. It has been proven that we love drop-tops in this country. You still get the sense of fun that comes with the Mini territory and some of the assets on the convertible bring very useful benefits. For example, changes in the car’s aerodynamics. Also the hood mechanism has been changed, to make rear viewing easier.

The Cooper S is probably the ‘crème de la crème’, of the Mini bunch. Its turbocharger provides it with more torque than the Mini Cooper.

Convertible Minis have been big sellers in the past, but in current economic times, expect more recession friendly alternatives like the Fiat 500 to come into play; especially as it now has its open-topped ‘c’ variation.

Hopefully a favourite like the Mini Copper S Convertible will still be on top of every small-car enthusiast’s wish list.

They will drive the MINI Coopers through the City’s new 6 mile sewage works and like the original film, this will be the second time this scene will have been shot in the UK., as although the opening and ending sequence of the car chase was shot in Turin, the actual scene where the Mini’s speed through the sewer tunnel was shot in Coventry.

Top Gear is famed for its mad driving challenges but this one wasn’t actually thought up by them. And no, it wasn’t thought up by the MINI marketing department either.
The idea was actually put to Top Gear producers by NI Water who actually wanted the BBC programme to film an episode there and the idea progressed from there.

Should be a cracking episode!