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At this year’s North American International Auto Show, MINI is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand’s revival and re-launch in the U.S. market. To mark the occasion, the automaker unveiled today the Paceman Concept, and also confirmed that it will spawn a production model in the very near future.

“I’m thrilled to tell you now, for the very first time, that there will be a seventh member of the MINI family – and we will base it on this concept”, said Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, during MINI’s press conference at the Detroit motorshow.

2010 was the most successful sales year in MINI’s history, with the British firm delivering some 234,000 units worldwide. Not surprisingly, the BMWGroup-owned company wants to build on this success, by further expanding its model line-up.

Currently, the automaker offers four models (Hardtop, Convertible, Clubman and Countryman), which will be joined by the Coupe in late 2011, and the Roadster in 2012. The series-production Paceman will follow shortly after, essentially creating the first crossover coupe in the premium small car segment.

The concept model is based on the MINI Countryman and it uses the 211 hp 1.6-liter John Cooper Works turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and MINI's ALL4 all-wheel drive system.

“This car captures the typical MINI characteristics – unique design, clever functionality and signature driving fun - with a new level of agility. It combines an athletic, masculine coupé appearance with the dimensions of the MINI Countryman”, Mr. Robertson commented.

The MINI Countryman may be, you know, British, but that hasn’t stopped Italian tuning house Romeo Ferraris from creating a special edition in celebration of Italy’s 150th anniversary as a nation.

The festive MINI is based on the flagship Countryman Cooper S that is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol churning out 184-horses and a peak torque of 240Nm. After Romeo Ferraris technicians remap the ECU and add a new intercooler, a sports air filter and a race-spec exhaust system, the aforementioned numbers grow to 227HP and 328Nm (241.9 lb-ft).

Other performance modifications include a height-adjustable suspension, a beefy Brembo braking system and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped around in Yokohama Advan Sport tires size 225/40/R19.

The new two-tone alloys wheels match the styling upgrades that include a matte blue foil wrap for the body and a silver hue for the twin stripes on the hood and rear hatch, as well as the roof. There is also a blacked out grille and new tail pipes.

For the interior, Romeo Ferrari dressed the seats and door panels in white leather with blue piping, while also decorating the seats with the Italian flag.

Toyota today announced prices for its next generation Yaris hatchback in Europe including the UK where the supermini is available for order now with first customer deliveries to take place in September.

The new Yaris is available in three- and five-door body styles with British buyers offered a choice of four grades (T2, TR, SR and T Spirit) and three engines including 1.0 and 1.33-litre petrol units and a 1.4-litre D-4D turbodiesel. On-the-road prices start from £11,700.

The entry-level engine for the range is Toyota’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre VVT-i petrol that generates 68bhp at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 93Nm at 3,600rpm. Toyota says fuel consumption has been improved by four per cent over the outgoing model to 58.9mpg UK (4.8 lt/100km or 49mpg US), while CO2 emissions are down by seven per cent to 111g/km.

Those looking for a bit more oomph can opt for the 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i petrol engine rated at 98bhp at 6,000rpm and 125Nm at 4,000rpm. When linked to the firm’s latest Multidrive S (CVT) transmission, fuel economy is 56.5mpg UK (5.0lt/100km or 47mpg US) and CO2 emissions are 118g/km.

Diesel options are limited to the 1.4-litre D-4D engine fitted as standard with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. The four-pot delivers an output of 89bhp at 3,800rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm between 1,800 and 2,800rpm.

According to Toyota, the diesel-powered Yaris’ combined cycle fuel economy has been improved by seven per cent to 72.4mpg UK (3.9lt/100km or 60.2mpg US) and CO2 emissions are six per cent lower at 104g/km.

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