You know the Audi A1 will soon be seen around the world and it’s already being famous.

2011 Audi A1

And what you should now know is that a hot S1 version which will compete with the Mini Cooper S.

The confirmation on this version of Audi’s special hot hatch comes from the company boss himself, Mr. Rupert Stadler. While he refused to expand on the exact form the range-topping A1 might take the boss of Audi did want to make a point out of reminding us

The MINI E is something that many of us are interested in from an advancement of technology perspective. We are also interested in it through the lens of comparison, especially in comparison with things we already know. Until now, however, there hasn’t been an opportunity to compare a MINI E with any of the other MINI models; this is where our partner site AllCarsElectric.com comes in.

You might remember that I reported on AllCarsElectric.com’s Editor-in-Chief, Lyle Dennis, taking delivery of MINI E

Like their owners and pretty much every auto journalist, we love BMWs. And we especially love driving them.

It's a cliche now, but especially their sedans are perfectly balanced, instantly responsive, and raring for the open road. They are, to overuse the decades-old tagline, pretty close to the ultimate driving machines.

Which is why we're so disappointed in the Mini E electric vehicle. In this, BMW's first experiment with electric drive, the company had said it would

Last week, BMW proudly announced that Peter Trepp, of Pacific Palisades, California, had become the first person in the United States to take delivery of an all-electric Mini E.

We pity Mr. Trepp.

Not ready for primetime

Ten days ago, we had a chance to drive a Mini E. Rarely have we been in a car less ready for primetime than this electric conversion of that fun, peppy, cheerful rollerskate,  the 2009 Mini Cooper

This is a question we constantly hear and get emailed to us -- so we figured we'd write a post and answer it.

The Mini is manufactured by BMW.  But that's only part of the story.

The Mini Cooper's roots lie  in the fuel shortage during  the 1956 Suez Crisis.  In England at the time, the large, less economical cars became less popular and smaller German cars became more popular as people sought cheaper running cars given the economic environment.  The first production versions of the car where put out in

2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

The next 18 months will be huge for BMW's MINI brand. Execs are looking for big sales increases by 2011, and the fuel efficient little car company is adding 17 dealerships to its retail network in that time frame to help get the job done. The additional dealerships will predominantly go to urban areas that don't currently have a MINI presence, bringing the total figure to 100 dealerships in the States. MINI is looking for a "double digit increase"

2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

Back in 2001, BMW revived the Mini brand by unveiling a new Cooper model that updated the classic English design of the original while growing the car's trademark size just enough to fit the engineering, safety equipment and conveniences that modern drivers demand. It was a perfect play, and if Mini sales haven't exactly set the world on fire here in the U.S., that's only because the brand has been alone in teaching American car shoppers

AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper S convertible From the base model all the way up to the JCW, there's no shortage of trim levels available for the Mini and its various body-styles. But if you're looking for something a little different, BMW tuner par excellence AC Schnitzer has released a full tuning package for the latest R57 Mini Cabrio.

The treats start under the hood, where Schnitzer takes the Cooper S and pumps it up from 175 horsepower (good) to 208 horsepower for the domestic