News

Mini has begun production of the new Countryman

In the past two months, the British car manufacturer Mini presented the new fully electric Mini Countryman, as well as the most powerful version of this model, the Mini Countryman JCW, powered by ICE. The car has entered production and the first deliveries are expected on February 17, 2024.

This is the first model of the British brand to be assembled in Germany. It will be produced at the BMW factory in Leipzig with the BMW Series 1 and Series 2. The BMW Group has invested 700 million euros in this factory and initially 100 units will be produced per day. However, the capacity will increase to 500 units per day starting next year. In order to meet the set goals, Mini will employ an additional 900 people.

The Mini Countryman is powered by a single electric motor with 201 hp (148 kW) and is equipped with a 64.7 kWh battery. It reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.6 seconds and has a range of 462 km. For those who want more power, the Countryman SE ALL4 is powered by two electric motors with a power of 309 hp (227 kW), which is enough to push the car to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. Petrol engines with 168, 215 and 296 hp are also available as an option.

Mini Countryman JCW is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine with 316 hp (236 kW), paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all wheels. That’s 10 hp more than its predecessor, but also enough to push the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Source: Mini

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Mini has begun production of the new Countryman
News

BMW sales results in nine months of 2023

After most of the world’s car manufacturers announced their sales results for the first nine months of 2023, many of them recorded sales growth, including BMW. This Bavarian giant has sold 1.62 million cars worldwide, surpassing its competitors Mercedes and Audi.

According to the BMW Group report, in the third quarter of this year, BMW sold 621,699 vehicles worldwide, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to the same period in 2022. The closest competitor was Mercedes, which delivered 1.52 million cars since the beginning of the year, with sales growth of 2 percent. Although Audi recorded a sales growth of 16.2% compared to 2022, it was not enough to threaten the position of these two companies. In nine months of this year, Audi sold 1.38 million cars worldwide.

BMW sold 217,138 battery cars on the global market, of which 83,211 were BEVs. Mercedes-Benz delivered 174,471 electric cars, while Audi sold 123,000 vehicles in the same period.

When it comes to the BMW Group (BMW and Mini BEV and PHEV cars), in 3Q BMW delivered a total of 139,943 units, which is a growth of 42%, with a 22.5% market share. The highest demand was for BEV cars (93,931) which recorded an increase of 80 percent, while 46,012 PHEV cars were delivered, a decrease of 1 percent. Since January, the Bavarian company has delivered a total of 385,411 cars (up 36%), of which BEVs 246,867 units (up 93%) and PHEVs 138,544 units (down 11%).

Source: BMW

Auctions

Modified 1968 Porsche 911L is up for auction

In 1968, Porsche introduced the 911L Sportomatic model with the Type 901/06 engine. It was produced for only one year, and 1,610 cars left the production line, of which 441 were targa and 1,169 were coupes. One of them, a 1968 Porsche 911L is up for auction.

This modified 911L is powered by a replacement 3.0-liter Type 930/06 flat-six with twin Weber triple-barrel carburetors. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a replacement five-speed manual transmission. It is mounted on silver 15″ Fuchs wheels wrapped in 15/60 front and 18/60 rear Michelin TB15 racing tires.

The car is finished in gray and is in good condition. It has 911R-style bodywork and is equipped with a composite hood, decklid, doors, flared front fenders, Hella headlights with plastic covers, 911R-style taillights, a Talbot Berlin left mirror, gold-finished door handles, Lexan side and rear windows, T- handle hood and decklid latches, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, tubular headers and an R-style sport muffler.

Inside, fixed-back bucket seats are trimmed in red vinyl with cloth inserts. In front of the driver is a leather-wrapped three-spoke Nardi steering wheel behind which is a five-digit odometer showing 1,391 kilometers (total mileage is unknown). Additional equipment includes an OMP harness for the driver’s seat, a latch-and-link belt for the passenger seat, leather door pulls, a dash-mounted kill switch, a helmet box stored behind the driver’s seat, and a TRE roll bar.

The auction ends on November 16 and the highest bid at the time of writing was USD $50,000.

The car does not have a title, as it is registered in a country that does not issue titles for road vehicles. It is being sold on its Belgium registration.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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Modified 1968 Porsche 911L is up for auction

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