Mini’s Italian division has infused the DNA of its Dakar-winning Countryman race car into the second-generation Clubman to create a concept called Scrambler.
Billed as a go-anywhere city car, the Clubman Scrambler is inspired by the BMW R NineT Scrambler motorcycle. It consequently sits taller than a regular-production Clubman, it rides on knobby tires, and it gains a pair of fog lights up front. A vintage-looking roof rack makes the concept more versatile, while a flat gray paint job with contrasting black trim around the wheel arches adds a finishing touch to the look.
The seats, the headliner, the center console, and the door panels are upholstered in Nappa leather, Alcantara, or both. The result is a surprising elegant-looking cabin, and Mini explains that combining the two materials provides the ideal blend of comfort and durability.
Mini hasn’t published technical specifications, but a closer look at the Scrambler reveals that it’s based on the Clubman S. That means it uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 189 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 207 pound-feet of torque at just 1,250 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends the turbo four’s power to all four wheels via Mini’s All4 all-wheel drive system.
Read more: Execs say Minis don’t have to be mini in size, and they’ll go bigger if buyers ask for it
Mini’s Italian division stresses that the Clubman Scrambler is simply a one-off concept built for the local auto show circuit. While there are no plans to bring it to production, the BMW-owned marque has previously promised that the next-gen Countryman that’s set to bow in the coming months will be markedly more rugged than the model that’s currently found in showrooms. If Mini keeps its word, its Dakar-winning DNA will trickle down to a production model after all.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.