After Camping, MINI Takes the Cooper Hatchback for Yachting

For some unexplained reason, Mini has discovered a deep-seated love for nature introducing not one, but two different conceptions targeting buyers that love going out and enjoying the environment. Following the presentation of the two camping solutions, the British brand has crafted together a new amphibious model called the MINI Cooper Yachtsman and revealed it online before it makes its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show, right beside the Hudson River.
“Our exciting MINI Cooper Yachtsman is the ultimate extension of the MINI brand, expanding our line-up to seven models in the USA and offering consumers even more ways to enjoy MINI ownership in a manner best-suited to their individual taste and location,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA.
The new Mini can carve through water at speeds up to 61 knots, thanks to its turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 181-horses – or is that fish?
Despite the fact that it weighs in at a hefty 4,600 pounds, the amphibious Mini is capable of completing the 0 to 60 mph (96km/h) sprint on land in 6.6 seconds and in 2.4 minutes on water, while its top speed on hard ground is 141 mph (227km/h).
Other special features include the waterproof rip-stop upholstery, seat cushions that double as flotation devices in case you hit an iceberg, and a Marine Chronometer for celestial navigation.
The first production example is scheduled to launch on the same day in a year's time with pricing estimated to be around US$236,000.

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Massachusetts Subaru Dealer Turns Tribeca into a Solar-Powered EV!

After successfully installing close to 400 solar panels on the roof of its dealership in Hannover, Massachusetts, Planet Subaru is once again pushing the envelope of lime-green innovation with the presentation of the Tribeca SPT 588QW DRX EV, powered exclusively by the sun. The single solar panel is mounted on the Japanese crossover's roof feeding a Di-Lithium Crystal Transductor that serves as a capacitor and a very powerful electric motor that replaces the Tribeca's traditional boxer engine.
There is of course one major flaw with the system as the batteries can only be charged when the sun is out, but in New England at least, as the saying goes, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change, so problem solved.
When it runs, the Tribeca SPT 588QW DRX EV can be blazingly fast, according to Planet Subaru's chief engineer, Emmett D. Brown.
"You can't believe how fast an electric car can be. In a conventional gas-powered engine, power is limited by all sorts of factors, such as volumetric efficiency...you can only push so much air and gas into a small combustion chamber," Brown told Carscoop in an exclusive interview.
"With an electric motor, well, it's just beautifully linear...you put more juice in and the output goes up. I can make all four tires spin and smoke like a NASCAR race winner doing doughnuts in victory lane!"
Planet Subaru said that the conversion from fossil fuel to sun power will cost around $30,000.

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Kia to Debut North American 9'Series Flagship Sedan at the New York Auto Show

In a move that was to be expected after Kia revealed the new K9 in its home market of South Korea about a month ago, the automaker announced today that the North American version of its flagship sedan will welcome the public at next week's New York Auto Show. We were right to suspect that Kia would change the name of the car for the United States and Canada, as 'K9' is more often than not associated with the word 'canine' in this part of the world.
Instead, we will come to know it as the new 9'Series after the company adopted the use of numeric names with an apostrophe between the number and the word 'Series' in a similar fashion to the European Cee'd.
And that's not the only change to the original K9. Under the guidance of chief designer Peter Schreyer, the company's U.S studio in California redesigned the car's front grille to address critics who felt that the K9's appearance was too close to similar offerings from BMW.
"The 9 Series is the latest continuation of Kia’s evolving design DNA, carrying a fresh family-look radiator grille that stands out from the competition, bold LED headlamps featuring an accent trim across their tops, with classic design echoes in its voluminous hood," said Thomas Von Hofsten, director of exterior design.
"Its overall proportions follow an instantly recognizable Kia template, with an elongated bonnet, long wheelbase and set-back passenger cell," the German designer added.
Kia said that the new Kia 9 will launch in the States in exactly a year's time with three available engines, all of which are sourced from the Hyundai Genesis sedan.
These include a 3.8-liter V6 for the 935i, a 4.6-liter V8 for the 945i and a 5.0-liter V8 for the sportier 950i, which will be the sportiest model in the range.

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