Rides : Mini adding Recaro seat option for 2012

Starting next March, Mini buyers will be able to grab a set of Recaro seats off the option list for their cars. The upmarket buckets will be available for all Mini models except the Countryman and Convertible.

As you likely guessed, they don't come cheap. Be prepared to fork over a heady $3,000 for the better seats. There are other constraints. The Recaros only come in black leather and Dinamica and can only be had with built-in heaters. Still, they look the ruckus and should make Cooper S and JCW drivers even happer when they attack the twisty stuff.

Rides : Mini launching London 2012 Special Edition

In a big show of patriotism with the colors matching the Union flag, Chili Red, White Silver or Lightning Blue, the “British” automaker Mini has just announced a special edition of the Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD trims, in order to celebrate the next year Olympic Games.

Mini says that only 2012 copies of the London 2012 Edition will be built and the cars will have mirror housings and roof slathered with the logo for the 2012 Olympics, while a tiny Union Jack stripe runs on the length of it.
Some standard features in the 2012 Special Edition Minis will include the leather sport seats, air conditioning, cruise control, digital radio, chrome interior trim and engine stop / start system, while the dashboard wears a graphic showing of the London skyline and the words “London 1 of 2012”.
According to Mini, the special editions will be available for the Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD and the prices will range from 17.000 to 20.860 British pounds, which means about 27.900 to 32.700 USD. The London 2012 Special Edition Mini will go on sale in March next year, but the cars can be pre-ordered right now.