Chameleon Paint & Bigger Engines Keep Euro MINIs Fresh

With MINI facing new challengers each year, designers and engineers keep looking for new ways to add customization and get-up-and-go to the fleet.

All of the European MINI Cooper engines will receive a displacement increase from 1.4 liters to 1.6 liters, which is what the current U.S. Model has, according to AutoBlog. The engines will also receive a few other upgrades such as an upgraded turbo, new main and camshaft bearings and a computer to control the oil, vacuum and water pumps for more efficient operation. The end result is “more poke with less smoke,” as MINI says.

But what they will not say is whether or not these European changes will make it across the pond or not. 

An easier transition might be found on the outside of the car; that in the form of Chameleon paints. Chances are you've seen some vehicles on the road with this custom paint trick, where the colors seem to shift depending on how the light hits them. The technology has been around for about a decade, but it seems ripe for the types who drive MINIs. 

Of course, it won't change into the color of your apartment building when you park in front of it, but that would just make it harder to find in the morning anyway.