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MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.

Lotus won’t be sold – Bahar suspended over expenses

Lotus owners Proton have said that Lotus is not up for sale and reports say Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been suspended over his expenses. There’s been a lot of show and not much real go since Dany Bahar took over at Lotus. Grandiose plans launch a whole range of supercars from a small niche manufacturer in the flatlands of Norfolk was always a strange call, and the sort of bills loss-making Lotus seems to be meeting make, on the face of it, little commercial sense.

A glimpse of the Audi TT RS

Yes, yet another in the endless teaser series that is an even bigger factor before Geneva next month than it ever seems to have been before. This time Audi is playing with artful shots of the Audi TT RS. But actually, this wasn’t planned yet, but after the pictures leaked out (the joys of the Interweb) Audi has bitten the bullet and released them officially.