2026 Mini Lineup: The John Cooper Works Way
Not every Mini can be a sporty JCW model, but thanks to one of this year’s updates, many more can look like one.
Changes for the 2026 Mini lineup aren’t as sweeping as they were a year ago, when the brand essentially reset its full product range. We also expected that lineup to expand, but tariff concerns made sure the Chinese-built Aceman small electric SUV and the next Cooper electric hatchback would have to wait at least a little longer.
That’s OK, though—this year’s crop is fresh enough, and benefits from some nice upgrades. Read on to see those changes for 2025 Mini cars and SUVs.
2026 Mini Cooper Hardtop
The John Cooper Works Style package injects a little racy flair into every S model this year. For the two- and four-door Cooper S hardtop, that means Dynamic Damper Control adaptive damping, package-specific wheels, and a JCW Aero Body Kit that features revised bumpers and rocker panels, all for $1,200. With the Iconic trim, enhanced braking and steering wheel paddle shifters are also included.
Black Sport Stripes become available for both JCW and non-JCW Cooper S models this year, and $250 remains the price for that add-on. Lastly, all Minis that are equipped with keyless entry and start, and those manufactured after July 1, 2025, will come with a new smartphone-based Digital Key Plus app that will offer the same functions.
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Motor Trend Group | Sep 5, 2024
Read Our Experts’ Full Mini Cooper Hardtop Review
2026 Mini Cooper Convertible
The John Cooper Works Style package offered for the Cooper S Hardtop is also available for the Cooper S Convertible at the same $1,200 price. This package includes JCW aero kit, adaptive dampers, and wheels exclusive to the package. Improved braking and paddle shifters come with the Iconic trim, too. Additionally, for 2025 Black Sport Stripes are now available on non-JCW versions of the convertible.
Open-top Coopers built after July 1 with Comfort Access keyless entry and start will use a slightly different digital key arrangement than hardtops. Whereas fixed-roof models exchange one key fob for two cards, the 2026 Convertible gets to keep both key fobs and gains two cards.
Read Our Experts’ Full Mini Cooper Convertible Review
2026 Mini Countryman
Black 18-inch Asteroid Spoke wheels wrapped in all-season tires are a new no-cost option this year for the Countryman S AWD with Signature Plus or Iconic trims in Classic or Favoured style. The JCW Style package is also available for the Countryman S, adding aero, wheels, and dampers like the Cooper, but at a more expensive $1,400.
As with others, the Iconic trim paired with the JCW package features enhanced braking and paddle shifters integrated with the steering wheel. Mini’s SUV lineup also gets the optional $250 Black Sport Stripes, with or without JCW trim.
Countryman models built on or after July 1, 2025 with Comfort Access will get Digital Key Plus, which lets you unlock and start your car with your phone. The crossover loses one of its two key fobs and gets a Setup Card and Service Card.
As for the Countryman SE ALL4, Mini says the switch to the new model year will happen later in 2025 to coincide with a few other product updates expected to happen at that time. Considering the all-electric Countryman was completely redesigned last year, we’re not expecting huge changes for 2026. The new SUV looks and feels premium, but range and charging could be better, and the infotainment system operates slowly.
MotorTrend Ranked: #6 in luxury subcompact SUVs (2025 model)
Read Our Expert’s Full Mini Countryman Review
2026 Mini Lineup: What’s New
- 2026 Mini Cooper Hardtop: Minor update
- 2026 Mini Cooper Convertible: Minor update
- 2026 Mini Countryman: Minor update
Fresh Look: Aston Martin Puts the S Back on Top With the 2026 DB12 S
With nearly 700 horsepower on tap, the 2026 DB12 S moves the high-performance coupe to the apex of Aston Martin’s V-8 food chain.Justin BannerWriter
ManufacturerPhotographerOct 07, 2025
It was inevitable Aston Martin would bring an S variant to its latest DB12, and the company gave it more power and less weight to pump up its performance potential. Equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 with extra power compared to the regular DB12, the 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S promises to deliver the big bangs its owners crave without giving up on the comforts and refinement they equally expect.
The upgraded 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 means the 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S screams out of the gate with 690 hp. That is an improvement of nearly 20 hp from the standard DB12 while producing the same 590 lb-ft of torque from 3,000–6,000 rpm. In combination with a new launch control system, Aston claims the DB12 S will accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, or a scant 0.1-second quicker than the non-S version. Meanwhile, the sound it makes from its quad-tip exhaust boosts the noise level by 1.5 decibels, and the exhaust’s titanium construction removes around 26 pounds from the standard DB12 system.
Acceleration off the line might not be noticeably better through the seat of the driver’s pants, but once out of the gate and into the first turn, Aston says, that driver will feel a difference in gas-pedal feel thanks to a S-specific throttle map, as well as 50-percent quicker shifts. The carmaker also promises increased braking performance thanks to standard carbon-ceramic brakes. The additional thermal capacity of carbon-ceramic brakes allows drivers to get on the stoppers later and repeatedly without fade, and Aston says the 16-inch front and 14-inch rear rotors provide more linear brake response and consistent feel. There is also the bonus of losing close to 60 pounds of total unspung mass compared to steel brakes, which should aid ride quality and create better steering feel and handling. The handling is improved further by a standard electronic differential and revised power-assist calibration in the steering, anti-lock braking, and stability-control systems. The 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S chassis also sees improvement thanks to software changes for the car’s Bilstein DTX dampers. Working in collaboration with stiffer anti-roll bars, the new damper behavior allegedly improves the car’s stability during roll and pitch moments, while toe- and castor-geometry settings aim to improve front-end feel and driver confidence.
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Motor Trend Group | Sep 5, 2024
Outside, the new DB12 S features function alongside form by utilizing improved downforce and airflow guidance with an overall assertive design in the body. It all starts with a new dual-element front splitter, while the hood vents are improved to allow better airflow and can be finished in gloss black or with exposed carbon fiber. Those vents help extract the hot air coming from the turbo’s hot-V configuration. The DB12 S’ body also features new side sills that follow the lines created by the new splitter and feature gloss-black trim additions. Out back, the new soundtrack should match the high-performance looks and functionality of the fixed rear spoiler. Below is an all-new matching rear diffuser Aston says works with that spoiler to further reduce rear-end lift.
Inside, the 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S envelops you with many options for interior colors and features, with Accelerate leather and Alcantara trim, Inspire S semi-aniline leather with Alcantara trim, and Inspire S in full semi-aniline leather. These new interior treatments feature things like embossed and debossed Aston Martin logos on the headrests. For the Inspire S packages, S Herringbone quilting with micro-perforations create a custom look to contrast with the Alcantara headliner. You can also order your DB12 S with an Alcantara heated sports steering wheel, and you have the choice of either the standard 16-way Sport Plus electric seats or you can reduce weight even more with a pair of optional carbon-fiber performance buckets. Customers can order the 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S in Coupe or droptop Volante body styles, with deliveries expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. We expect Aston Martin to announce final pricing closer to the delivery date.
Ford Maverick: Car and Driver 2025 10Best Trucks
The Maverick packs a whole lot of practicality into an affordable, economical package.By Andrew WendlerPublished: Dec 3, 2024
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Marc Urbano|Car and Driver
In retrospect, it’s hard to believe it took the Ford Maverick so long to arrive. After all, the only thing America likes better than a pickup truck is a great deal. The Maverick, by no random feat, is both.
Launched into a void in the market, the Maverick was conceived not only as a compact pickup but also as an answer to a question that had been brewing in consumer minds for years: Why can’t I get an affordable, efficient pickup—something as practical as a Toyota Corolla or Honda CR-V but with a bed? Make no mistake: The Maverick could’ve been a flop or even worse, relegated to novelty status if Ford got it wrong.
UNMUTE
But Ford got it very right. It’s inexpensive but doesn’t feel cheap, it’s filled with thoughtful features inside and in the bed, it looks like a truck without trying too hard, and the hybrid offers remarkable fuel efficiency. Plus, the 238-hp turbo-four powertrain is on hand for buyers who are still on the fence about electrification. Based on the same platform that gave the world the Escape and Bronco Sport, the Maverick is the best use of the architecture yet. But the Maverick is more fun to drive than its platform mates, the steering is direct, and the ride is mostly quiet, other than some wind noise at elevated speeds.Car and Driver
Better yet, the designers resisted the urge to ape the big boys or go overboard with gimmicky styling that would’ve taken years off the Maverick’s shelf life right out of the gate. Its sole direct competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, was born of similar intention but hews a bit more to the quirky side. Product positioning is a game of nuance and luck, and with first-year (2022) sales as the measuring stick, the Maverick is almost twice as popular in the U.S., despite constrained production capability.
To save you from typing comments, we’ll acknowledge that the max tow rating is just 4000 pounds when the Maverick is equipped with all-wheel drive, that the bed is too small for a side-by-side, and that rear legroom is tight for adults. But the truth is, if any of these factors were legitimate concerns for you, you wouldn’t be shopping the Maverick anyway, and you know it.
For a vast swath of the buying public, the Maverick represents a smooth-riding, easy-to-park, and versatile transport with just enough of a bed to haul the occasional gardening supplies, home remodeling products (yes, four-by-eight-sheet goods can be accommodated), and any accoutrement or detritus determined too soiled to ride in the cab.
But it’s the Maverick’s honesty that really impresses. Unencumbered by the need to boast scandalous tow ratings and cargo ratings, it is content to deliver versatile, right-size utility at an affordable price. It just happens to be a truck.
Specifications
Ford Maverick
Base: $27,990–$30,210
Power: 191–238 hp
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 6.0–7.7 sec
EPA Combined: 21–37 mpg
Associate Editor, Buyer’s Guide
Andrew Wendler brings decades of wrenching, writing, and editorial experience with numerous outlets to Car and Driver. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Car and Driver, Esquire, Forbes, Hot Rod, Motor Trend, MPH, MSN, and Popular Mechanics, among others. A Rust Belt native and tireless supporter of the region, he grew up immersed in automotive, marine, and aviation culture. A lifetime of hands-on experience and a healthy dose of skepticism provide him the tools to deliver honest and informative news, reviews, and editorial perspective. Of note, he once won a $5 bet by walking the entire length of the elevated People Mover up track that encircles downtown Detroit.
