MINI Files Patent Design for Paceman, the Three-Door Version of the Countryman Crossover

Last January at the Detroit Motor Show, MINI lifted the curtains on the not-so-mini Paceman concept study based on the Countryman crossover. During the presentation of the prototype, BMW board member Ian Robertson had then confirmed that the Paceman will join the MINI line-up in the very near future.

And while we’ve yet to capture a prototype version of the Paceman on the road, today we discovered these official patent images that were filed a couple of days ago.

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AC Schnitzer Claims to have Built the Fastest MINI with its New Eagle Concept

Is an impressive run around the Hockenheim Circuit enough to crown a car the fastest of its kind? Well, according to BMW Group tuning specialist AC Schnitzer, the answer to the above question is yes. The German company raced its John Cooper Works MINI-based Eagle Concept car at the Hockenheim Circuit recording a lap time of 1:13,341 minutes.

AC Schnitzer says the Eagle beat several thoroughbred sports cars such as the Ferrari California (1:13,5 minutes) and the Porsche 911 Turbo (1:14,6 minutes), and was left behind only by specially tuned or hardcore models like the KTM X-Bow and the BMW M3 Kompressor.

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