2005 Mini Cooper on 2040-cars

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Mini Paceman modified by Roberto Cavalli for annual Life Ball charity

This year's award for Life Ball Mini designer goes to Roberto Cavalli. The Life Ball is a charity event held in Vienna, Austria every year that raises money to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS. Since 2001, the year of its reintroduction, Mini has been involved with the ball, auctioning a car that has been made over by a world-famous designer. This year Cavalli gets the nod and a Paceman for a canvas.
The iridescent brown/black paint is the eye-catcher in the sketch above (click to enlarge), but don't forget to note Cavalli's logo on the roof. We're not sure what other flourishes he has in mind for the car, but those in attendance will find out on May 24 when it's unveiled at the Cavalli store opening in Vienna. The press release below has more details.

2015 Mini Cooper S does best gymkhana impersonation in Malaysia

Mini Malaysia wants you - at least those of you in Southeast Asia - to know that the new Mini has a riptide of adrenaline and sharp teeth underneath its larger, more ergonomically efficient exterior. To make the point it enlisted the aid of Putrajaya roads, local agency Saatchi & Saatchi Arachnid and four local action sports stars: Fizzy, Shuk, Rizlan and Nasa.
A bog standard Mini Cooper S is the star, its 192-horsepower engine and rollcage-free cabin reinforcing the message that you can do the same thing in a model right off the showroom floor... if you happen to have the same skills as Ivan Khong, the Malaysian Gymkhana Champion behind the wheel. You can read the backstory in the press release and watch how it all comes together in the video below.

Mini Vision concept presages next-gen Cooper Hardtop

Mini is preparing to launch the third-generation of its trademark three-door hatch, and while we've already shown you that car mostly devoid of camouflage in spy shots, the BMW-owned brand has still seen fit to release a concept that previews the new design. Called the Mini Vision, it looks broadly similar to the cars we showed you at the beginning of the month, aside from a few concepty styling pieces.
The Vision is a well-balanced blend of the stylish hatch that rebooted the Mini brand in 2002 and the more bloated model that arrived in 2007. It's more rounded than the 2002, but seems decidedly more muscular than the 2007, and features modern accents like full LED headlights inspired by the sadly not-for-production Rocketman concept. Mini's traditional floating roof soldiers on, while the concept wears side grilles that seem borrowed from the Countryman and Paceman. Based on what we've seen in the spy shots, however, that treatment isn't going to make production, at least not on the models we've seen.
It's safe to say that the interior on this concept bears only a slight resemblance to what we'll see on the production car. The integrated Union Jack straps in the door panels are a cool touch, but the Vision's cabin looks like something out of a flying saucer. We'd expect only inspirational traces to arrive on the production model.