Straightline

Not much to report from the Mini press conference today at the New York auto show. Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini USA, got up and gave a nice little spiel on Mini's long history of racing and briefly went over the Mini Challenge racecar on display. He then moved on to the new John Cooper Works Clubman, a slick-looking variation of the standard Clubman that's just now trickling into dealers. The fact that Mini doesn't feel the need to use big flashy intros and overly ambitious language to describe its cars reflects its confidence in the product and its continued popularity. Even after six years on the market, the Mini Cooper still hasn't lost its edge, and the new Cooper has bumped up sales well past last year's numbers. Factor in the rising interest in smaller cars and Mini could have one of its best years ever at a time when most automakers are bracing for the worst. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line