A must-have option for Mini buyers since the new model was launched back in 2001 has been the Chili Pack option – but not any more, because the firm has fully overhauled the specification process for buying a new Mini.

The multitude of add-on options – including the Chili Pack and its sister Pepper Pack – has been eradicated, with Mini now basing options around three ‘styles’: Classic, Sport and Exclusive.

This, reckons Mini, will make it much easier to buy a car. Indeed, the process has been narrowed down to just five steps, it says: choose model, performance, style, packs, personalisation… and that’s it.

Here’s how it works:

1: Model

There are five: select from 3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch, Convertible, Clubman or Countryman

2: Engine

One (1.5 petrol), Cooper (1.5 petrol), Cooper D (2.0 diesel) and Cooper S (2.0 petrol) now relate to engine, in the new world of buying a Mini

3: Style

This is the new bit: Classic, Sport or Exclusive

4: Packs

Don’t panic, there are just two here: Comfort or Comfort Plus

5: Personalise

This is where you pick exterior and interior colours and trims, plus other options and is likely to remain the most confusing bit of all. Mini will perhaps be hoping people don’t get too carried away here, and stick to the option packs it details: Comfort, Comfort Plus, Navigation and Navigation Plus.

Even the most basic Mini now gets more standard kit. All have automatic headlights and wipers, ambient interior lighting and the exterior Mini logo projection gadget that shines the badge onto the ground at night.

Mini UK director David George said: “We know that customers today want a simple purchase experience, and this thinking has been central to the development of our new line-up.

“We have reduced complexity in our product offering, and harmonised options across the whole range, ensuring an easy customer journey whether in one of our retailers or on mini.co.uk.”

Yes, online: Mini has launched a buy online sales system – the firm says prospective buyers can configure, arrange a test drive, agree finance and payment details and even get a trade-in value. The retailer steps in at the end to finalise the delivery date.

The new Mini styles

So what do you get with the three new Mini style packs? Here’s the key features for each.

Classic

A 6.5-inch infotainment screen, DAB radio with Bluetooth and intelligent emergency call

Sport

John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit, spoiler, alloy wheels and suspension, John Cooper Works bucket seats and steering wheel, anthracite headliner. Only offered on Cooper and Cooper S

Exclusive

Exclusive alloy wheels, chrome exterior detailing, Mini Yours Lounge upholstery and steering wheel, Mini Yours trim and chrome detail. Again, only on Cooper and Cooper S.

A sales surge following the government’s surprise decision to scale back the Plug-in Car Grant has resulted in changes being imposed early due to remaining funds running out.

Since the announcement was made on 12 October, car buyers have been rushing to the showrooms to take advantage of the soon-to-expire £2,500 saving on plug-in hybrids.

The revised scheme, which focuses only on fully electric and fuel cell cars (oh, and ultra-long range plug-in hybrids, of which there are precisely… none currently on the market) was due to go live on 10 November.

But so quickly have car buyers used up the remaining 3,000 full EV (£4,500) and 6,000 plug-in hybrid £2,500) grant cash, the scheme has already switched over to its new format. This awards full EVs a lesser £3,500 sum.

The cash actually ran out just 10 days after the revised scheme was announced, says the RAC Foundation. 900 claims a day were being made, more than six times above than the average for 2018.

“While ministers might have fallen out of love with hybrid technology,” said RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding, “this last-minute rush to showrooms suggests the reassurance of running in part on conventional fuel is attractive to buyers with range anxiety, especially when it comes at an attractive price.

“The big question is whether motorists’ enthusiasm for hybrids will hold up now that the plug has been pulled on the grant.”

Details of the new scheme are now live on the government website. The only ‘plug-in’ cars now eligible for the £3,500 grant are detailed in full:

• BMW i3 and i3s
• BYD e6
• Citroen CZero
• Hyundai IONIQ Electric
• Hyundai KONA Electric
• Jaguar I-PACE
• Kia Soul EV
• Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
• Nissan e-NV200 (5-seater and 7-seater)
• Nissan LEAF
• Peugeot iON
• Renault ZOE
• Smart EQ fortwo
• Smart EQ forfour
• Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model X
• Toyota Mirai
• Volkswagen e-up!
• Volkswagen e-Golf

The grant will pay for 35 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £3,500. All must have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and travel at least 70 miles (which is why the Renault Twizy is not on the list).

Not all low-emission vehicles will get a grant, adds the government: only cars it has approved are eligible. This is why there’s sometimes a delay between a new model being launched and it appearing on the Plug-in Car Grant list.

Forget the cars you might expect to see outside your local McDonald’s. This collection going under the hammer is altogether classier than usual.

In fact, the four cars for sale were previously part of the Store No.1 Museum – built to commemorate the original McDonald’s restaurant location.

Officially founded in 1955 by Ray Kroc, the restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois marked the first in a chain which would become a global phenomenon. Although the original building was demolished in 1984, the McDonald’s Corporation created a museum on the same site to highlight the impact the chain had.

A key feature of the Store No.1 Museum were the four cars now up for sale. With chrome galore and bright paintwork, the collection was intended to demonstrate the optimism of the time.

The museum itself was closed to the public in 2008, following deterioration in the structure of the building. However, the cars were still cared for, allowing them to go under the hammer at the Mecum sale in Chicago this week.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

Easily one of the most recognisable American cars of the 1950s, no classic collection from the era would be without a Chevrolet Bel Air. This one is powered by a 265-cubic inch (4.3-litre) V8 engine, mated to an automatic gearbox.

Finished in a two-tone red and white paint combination, the matching interior for the Bel Air certainly packs a ‘50s vibe. Masses of chrome, and whitewall tyres, leave no doubt as to the era it is from.

1955 Chrysler New Yorker St. Regis

Despite being one of the longest-running nameplates in the American car industry, the New Yorker is less discernible. Built between 1940 and 1996, the car up for auction is the fourth iteration of the New Yorker.

Featuring a Hemi V8 engine, the St. Regis model marked was top of the New Yorker range in 1955. The white and gold interior stands out as something of an acquired taste.

1955 Oldsmobile Super 88

Produced for 50 years between 1949 and 1999, the Oldsmobile 88 was a perennial fixture in the American motoring landscape. The brand would be killed off in 2004, but this Super 88 comes from a time when the company was at its peak.

With a 324-cubic inch (5.3-litre) Rocket V8, along with a four-speed automatic gearbox, the Super 88 is arguably the most advanced car here. As with all four offered for sale, this 88 has undergone a thorough restoration.

1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria

Thought the Crown Victoria was only associated with New York taxis and police cars? Think again. The first use of the badge was to mark out the premium model of the Fairlane range.

Most noticeable is the special chrome B-pillar treatment, crowning the roofline and giving the car its name. Power comes from a 272-cubic inch (4.5-litre) V8, whilst the exterior looks resplendent with a white and red colour combination.

The four McDonald’s collection cars will be crossing the block this Saturday. More than 1,000 additional performance cars and classics are also on offer, including a number of special collections. One star of the sale is a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo, originally owned by Chicago Bears NFL legend Walter Payton.

Series Elite is a one-make race series just for the over-50s and has now announced the choice of car for its inaugural 2019 season – the 600hp, 200mph Jaguar XE SV Project 8.

The surprise choice of rookie racing car was announced in London. Series founder Graeme Glew says the choice of such a high-profile car will be pivotal in building up interest in the series.

“The opportunity to develop this awesome car into a fully fledged racer was one that I jumped at.

“Not only will our drivers own a fantastic race car, when they finally hang up their race boots, they can if they wish convert their Project 8 back into a road going version.”

An exclusive one at that: Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations has vowed to make no more than a 300 Project 8.

Series Elite is targeting high net worth individuals and says it gives “the unique premise of a racing series for novices who never had the opportunity to get involved in their youth”. Former racers will also be welcomed, adds Glew.  

• Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is the fastest saloon car at the Nurburgring
• Jaguar will let you ride its 200hp Project at at the Nurburgring for £175 a lap

The first race will take place in May 2019, with a series of test sessions planned in the build-up. Circuits to be visited include Silverstone, Donington and Brands Hatch – and a flashy international finale is planned at Portimao, Portugal at the end of the season.

Glew adds that this will intentionally be a series for rich racers. Series Elite has “partnered with a number of luxury brand that will be joining us at the event: like-minded businesses who work within the high net worth individual industry and meet their demand for exclusivity and enriching their lives”.

It’ll be a turn-key series too: racers simply turn up and drive, rather than have to worry about transporting their cars to events. All will be prepared at a centralised facility, and relevant training, testing and race experience will be provided for competitors ahead of the first race next May.

The first Series Elite Project 8 racers will be ready for testing in early 2019.

In anticipation of his forthcoming Gymkhana 10 video, Ken Block has unveiled his latest tyre-shredding creation.

Clearly deciding to add some practicality, this time Mr Block has picked a 1977 Ford F-150 pickup truck as the base for his awesome machine. Although we’re not sure how long any cargo would last in the exposed bed of this truck.

The engineering is also anything but agricultural. Lifted straight from the Ford GT Le Mans racer is a 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine. With twin-turbochargers, the total output is a terrifying 914hp and 701lb-ft of torque.

Revving to over 7,400rpm, the engine is made from billet aluminum, and is claimed to sound like “nothing you’ve ever heard” in previous Hoonigan videos.

To handle all that power is a four-wheel drive system, mated to a Sadev six-speed gearbox. This is a similar setup to the ones used in Block’s Hoonicorn Mustangs previously. The 20-inch Fifteen52 wheels are mated with Toyo Proxes ST II tyres.

Military-grade aluminium is used for the custom bodywork, created by Detroit Speed Engineering. The same firm has also been responsible for the chassis construction, and the overall engineering of the incredible project.

Sentimentality has played a part in inspiring the design of the Hoonitruck. Whilst Block is a self-confessed fan of pickups, this particular choice of F-150 has a family connection.

Block’s father owned the base version of the sixth generation F-150. It was the truck the younger Block learnt to drive in, before later using it to transport his dirt bikes.

Despite the retro influence, the Hoonitruck also packs modern technology from the latest range of Ford pickup trucks. A remote start system is borrowed from the current F-150, along with a functional rear-view camera. Based on Block’s previous videos, we imagine the latter may be obscured with tyre smoke…

Hoonigan fans will have a chance to see the new blockbuster at next week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Hoonitruck will also feature in the Forza Horizon 4 Xbox One game, being made available from the 2nd November.

However, the main event will happen later in the year with the debut of the Gymkhana 10 video. Amazon Prime Video subscribers will get to see it first on the 7th December, with a global YouTube release on the 17th December.

Fears of modern day slavery, health and safety breaches, and tax avoidance at hand car washes are some of the concerns hoped to be tackled by the newly launched Responsible Car Wash Scheme.

Numerous agencies across government, from the Environment Agency to HMRC, have contributed to creating the new scheme. It could mean that the end of the cheap hand car wash is over, but at least drivers will be able to have a clean conscience. 

With up to 20,000 car washes operating across the UK, the potential for regulatory breaches is huge. Whilst many do operate within the law, agencies such as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) are well aware of workers being exploited, or denied the correct protective equipment. 

The Responsible Car Wash Scheme will allow operators to become accredited members. This will involve guidance on how to ensure they are operating legally, combined with audits and assessments of working practices. Spot checks will also be undertaken to ensure that members are adhering to the rules.

Scheme members will be able to display a special logo, marking them out clearly to consumers. The aim is that this will enable drivers to pick a car wash that is ethically and environmentally sound. 

As a result, standards across the car wash industry should hopefully be raised, whilst unscrupulous operators may find that their business dries up.

Five major supermarkets have backed the scheme, aiming to be the first to ensure that car washes operated on their sites meet the requirements. In turn, this should enable the public to become familiar with the logo of the Responsible Car Wash Scheme. Darryl Dixon from the GLAA believes the Scheme will be important to operators, but also so that consumer can “make a simple decision of using a legal operator or not.”

A pilot will be undertaken across the Midlands area throughout November. The results of this will determine a roll out across the wider UK.

For those concerned at the idea of having to pay more, drivers can rest assured that the scheme will not extend to press-ganging their children to wash the car on a Sunday morning for pocket money. 

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The Vauxhall Corsa surprisingly topped the European new car registrations chart in September 2018 as the shake-out from the new WLTP fuel economy tests continues.  

And the Volkswagen Golf, the car that is usually the EU’s favourite new motor? The premium hatchback had occupied the top spot since March 2017, but saw a massive 71 percent decline during September, slumping 12 places to 13th.

European automakers have already reported the extent of the September drop, with new car registrations down 30.5 percent across the EU. The UK fell 20 percent. 

JATO data shows that, in early October, only 57 percent of all models sold across Europe were homologated to the new WLTP rules. That’s 2,898 cars, which leaves over 2,100 cars which are still to be homologated. 

Deliveries cannot recommence until these cars have official approval. Progress has been made by the premium manufacturers, whose compliance percentage has jumped to 63 percent, while the luxury and supercar brands registered the lowest percentage at 8 percent.

Overall, 1.2 million vehicles were registered across Europe in September 2018 – 343,000 fewer than in the same month last year. The slump looks even more severe following the artificially inflated period in August, when sales were boosted by business registrations and stock clearances ahead of the introduction of WLTP.

How long will the drop last?

Felipe Munoz, JATO’s global analyst, said: “This is a huge drop, but it was somewhat expected across the automotive industry. We will continue to see registrations decline so long as a large portion of the market’s versions remains unavailable under the new test conditions.

“The big question now is how long the drop will last, which will depend on how long it takes carmakers to homologate the models they want to keep on the market.”

Of the top 25 brands, only Volvo in 16th (up 3 percent), Mitsubishi in 23rd (up 19 percent) and Jaguar in 25th (up 29 percent), managed to record an increase in registrations. PSA overtook Volkswagen to become Europe’s number one carmaker, while Opel/Vauxhall led the rankings by brand.

The top 10 models in full

1. Vauxhall/Opel Corsa – 24,752 registrations (up 5%)
2. Ford Fiesta – 22,478 (up 20%)
3. Renault Clio – 21,944 (down 18%)
4. Toyota Yaris – 19,479 (up 2%)
5. Peugeot 208 – 17,751 (down 12%)
6. Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 17,680 (up 7%)
7. Citroen C3 – 16,307 (up 1%)
8. Fiat 500 – 15,876 (down 16%)
9. Volkswagen Polo – 15,864 (down 21%)
10. Peugeot 3008 – 15,315 (up 8%)

Other models of note: Skoda Octavia 11th (down 25%), Volkswagen Golf 13th (down 71%), Nissan Qashqai 17th (down 51%), Mercedes-Benz C-Class 20th (down 28%), Ford Focus 21st (down 40%) and Toyota C-HR 24th (up 23%)

Read more:

• What the new WLTP car fuel economy test means for you
• Every new BMW now meets new WLTP fuel economy regulations
• Updated Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in WLTP win