MINI Flavored Double-Decker Bus Hits the Streets of Milan

For those of you enjoying the city of Milan in Italy, MINI's double-decker lifestyle bus will be making a short three-day stop at the Corso Vercelli shopping district from Wednesday, December 22 to Friday, December 24. The specially modified double-decker bus is a mobile play station that includes a shop for MINI's Lifestyle accessories, open from 10 am to 9 pm. More photos of MINI's tricked out London bus after the break.

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MINI Paceman Concept: Crossman Coupe Study Previewed Ahead of Detroit Show

In 2001, the BMW Group revived the concept of the original MINI creating a new brand from a single, three-door hatchback model. Fast forward to today, and the British automaker's range has exploded with the arrival of a number of models including the soft-top Convertible, the JCW specials, the Clubman estate and the Countryman crossover, while two two more vehicles, the Coupe and Speedster, which were shown in concept form last year, have already been confirmed for production.

But that doesn't seem to be enough for the BMW Group that has announced a new concept model called the MINI Paceman, which will make its debut at the Detroit motorshow in January, that will almost certainly spawn yet another production vehicle.

Based on the Countryman five-door crossover, the Paceman is described by the company as a Sports Activity Coupé. Think of it as something like a MINI flavored X6 with two doors.

“With the MINI Countryman having already opened up a fascinating new avenue in the expansion of the brand family, the designers are now tapping into the potential of its state-of-the-art drive technology and flexible space concept to develop additional market opportunities in a coupé sibling,” said Jochen Goller, MINI Director for BMW UK Ltd.

In typical MINI style, the conversion from five-door to three door entailed more than simply removing the rear doors. The Paceman comes with larger frameless front doors that have been extended in n length by 16 inches, while the blistered rear fenders feature a more dramatic styling. In addition, the car gets a sloping roofline and a unique rear end.

Measuring 4,110 mm in length, 1,789 mm in width and 1,541 mm in height, the Paceman is also 13mm longer and 20 mm lower than its five-door counterpart.

We only have a couple of renderings of the strictly four-seater interior, but from what we can tell, the Paceman will feature unique trim and a sportier ambience.

Being that the concept is based on the Countryman, it comes to no surprise that the concept is powered by the JCW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged four-pot with 211HP and 260Nm (192 lb-ft) of peak torque, the latter value having the capacity to reach 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) in overboost function.

Drive is channeled through a six-speed manual gearbox and MINI's ALL4 permanent all-wheel-drive system, which under normal conditions equally splits toque between the front and rear wheels, but can send up to 100 per cent to the rear axle in extreme conditions. MINI added that the Paceman can also make use of a front-wheel drive layout.

More details on MINI's new concept car will be released at the upcoming Detroit Motor Show.

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AC Schnitzer Turns All-Electric MINI E into a Police Car [with Video]

In support of the German Automobile Tuner Association’s “Tune it! Safe!” campaign, AC Schnitzer built the MINI E Police Look Concept, which is being showcased at the 2010 Essen Motor Show. The idea behind the campaign is to create a car that can satisfy tuning aficionados and also meet safety standards.

The BMW Group's MINI E is powered by an electric motor with 204 hp on tap and plenty of low-down torque (maximum is 220 Nm or 162 lb-ft). It completes the standard sprint from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.5 seconds and has a limited top speed of 152 km/h (95 mph).

AC Schnitzer’s comprehensive tuning package made it even better while the police livery is an interesting take on the “safety” theme.

Finished in the classic Polizei colors, the concept has the latest signaling system from Hella mounted on the roof and special wraps from Foliatec. Modified front and rear bumpers, plus lowered side skirts, improve the car's looks, while bonnet vents and a large roof spoiler complete the bodykit.

The tuner opted for new alloys, too. The 18-inch MI 2 wheels feature an 8-spoke design and are wrapped in high-performance Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires. Stopping power is provided by an upgraded brake system, boasting 328mm 4-pot caliper (in front) ventilated disks. There is also a complete suspension kit.

Inside, the boys in blue are greeted by aluminum pedals, footrest and handbrake handle.

AC Schnitzer says that most of the tuning accessories shown on the concept model are either already available or will soon be offered for the production MINIs.

By Csaba Daradics

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Bodacious Moke for all the Hodaddies* in the Hood

As originally envisioned, the Mini Moke was supposed to be a home-grown Willys Jeep for the British Army. As finally built, the Moke lacked the ground clearance and ruggedness to be of much use to the British army, but made waves as a low cost, easy to maintain beach buggy for the world's surfies.

That's "people who surf and enjoy the beach lifestyle" for those who aren't down with the lingo. It only makes sense then that the Moke, which shared mechanicals with its Mini namesake, would also be popular with customizers.

From that Great Southern Land, Australia, comes this 1979 Mini Moke that has undergone a pretty thorough customization including "Pure Orange" paintwork, white interior, padded grab bars and 17-inch white mag wheels. All up, it's a pretty sweet looking ride, with a Buy It Now price of AU$15,000 (US$14,784) on eBay.

It's the sort of ride any beach bum would be happy to be seen in. Check out the pics and give us your verdict in the comments section below.

* A "hodaddy" is someone who's into cars and doesn't surf but likes the scene. No really, it's on the internet and everything.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: eBay

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