The New 2012 MINI Countryman

By Chris Raymond

Chris Raymond

LATEST ARTICLE
The New 2012 MINI Countryman
MINI has announced that starting in February of next year buyers can opt for a pumped-up new model... Read More

• N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
• 32ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 0COMMENTS POSTED

2,028 views Apr 27, 2010

2011 MINI Countryman

MINI has announced that starting in February of next year buyers can opt for a pumped-up new model called the 2012 MINI Countryman. This ‘Super Mini’ of sorts is an SUV version of the cute little retro car that won our hearts in movies like The Italian Job. The Countryman will compete with the likes of the Honda CR-V and--believe it or not--the Land Rover LR2 as well. It will be the first four-door MINI ever made by the new company.

Similar in size to the Clubman, a wagon version of the MINI, the new Countryman SUV boasts enough options to make your head spin, including an all-wheel drive system, stability control, run flat tires for when the baddies try to assassinate you, and a choice of a peppy naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine or a brawny turbocharged version. You can even opt for a panoramic roof on the Countryman and air bags are standard all around.

Inside, the Countryman features a raised rear seating area which increases visibility as well as comments from the back passengers about your driving. The people up front get nice bucket seats and plenty of gadgets and dials to keep them occupied during any trip. Everything inside is centered on a new Center Rail storage system, which is MINI’s version of a normal center console. Much like the apps of an iPhone, owners will be able to purchase various attachments to suit their needs, like sunglass cases, cup holders, a gun holster, a place to store handcuffs for the kids and an iPod dock--ok, two of those are my ideas.

Anyone familiar with MINI knows that you can buy one ‘off the rack’ or spend hours playing with the MINI Configurator tailoring every detail of the car to your wildest desires. I myself spent a week there once, and came out with a car plastered in Union Jacks. With the new Countryman, you can even be part of the design team. It seems Mini has launched a contest for people to design new attachments to the Center Rail, and considering that past options included a plastic palm tree, the wackier the design the better chance you have of winning. According to the people at MINI, the winners will get to reveal their “app” at the 2010 Paris Motor Show this October, and runners up will get Macbooks and other fun stuff. The contest ends May 11 so you better hurry. Finally, there are other models in the pipeline including a very hot chopped top coupe and a cute little roadster, so expect lots more fun from MINI in the coming year.