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Mini shows how to camp in style

If you're the type of person who loves spontaneous road trips and camping, and Volkswagen's Camper Vans aren't your style (or you can't find one for sale in the US), then Mini has what you're looking for: the Clubvan Camper, Cowley caravan or Countryman ALL4 Camp. Unfortunately, Mini says there are no plans to offer any of them for sale. And no, this doesn't seem to be a recycled April fools joke, in which Mini touted the Swindon Roof Top Tent and Cowley.
Let's start with the Clubvan camper, a curious prototype that has a sleeping area for one and an extendable kitchenette featuring a stove and chest fridge. And we say curious because, in addition to not being offered for sale anywhere at this point, the Camper is based on the Clubvan, which was just pulled from US dealerships due to low sales volume. This thing definitely isn't coming to the US.
The Cowley caravan, named after Mini's historic factory in England (known today as Plant Oxford), can be towed behind a Mini vehicle and features a sleeping area for two, a twin-burner gas stove and a water tank complete with pump and sink facility. It looks quite comfortable in there. The Cowley uses a solar panel to charge its onboard battery, and it has a 230-volt connection to power the fridge and entertainment equipment.

New Mini to bow on Nov. 18, on Alec Issigonis' birthday

Miniacs, note November 18 on your calendar. That's when the all-new Mini Hardtop will debut. Now, this might not be a great deal of news, after all, we already showed you the car, codenamed F56, a few weeks ago. But this full unveiling should bring with it even more detailed exterior images, a full look at the cabin and if we're lucky, performance numbers.
History buffs will also note that November 18 is the birthday of Sir Alec Issigonis. It was Issigonis that penned the original idea for the Mini on a cocktail napkin, envisioning a car with a transversely mounted engine, the wheels pushed out to all four corners and plenty of cabin space for occupants. That car had a remarkably small footprint and was quite efficient, perfect for tackling the fuel shortages brought on by the Suez Crisis in 1959's Great Britain. An unintended side-effect of its design was that it was also an absolute hoot to drive.
The November 18 debut will take place at Mini's home, Plant Oxford, in the UK. Following that, November 20 will see a near-simultaneous debut at both the Tokyo Motor Show and Los Angeles Auto Show. We'll be on hand to bring you all the details.

Last chance to order an R56 Mini Hardtop

Mini will be ending custom orders of the current R56 Cooper Hardtop ahead of the retooling process for the new F56 Mini. That means owners who aren't enamored with what they've seen of the model's new look but still want a personalized version of the tossable hot hatch had best get down to their local Mini dealership and submit their order post-haste.
According to Mini enthusiast site Motoringfile, all orders must be submitted by August 28 in order to get a custom build. Orders are also locked in after that, so if you do get one of the spots, make sure you're absolutely content with the car you order. This cutoff will affect all models of the Hardtop, including the John Cooper Works model.
After August 28, owners will need to wait for the new Hardtop to arrive, which Motoringfile estimates will be in March of 2014. If you miss out on this final allocation of hardtops, all is not lost, however. Mini will still accept personalized orders on other bodystyles, which won't be replaced by F56-based models for some time.