• Ad Age, Tuesday, March 24, 2009 11:15 AM

Jean Halliday reports that BMW's Mini is launching its second-generation convertible globally this week, along with the John Cooper Works version of the soft-top and the Mini One, the more affordable version of the small car, which is available mostly in Europe. The R57 Cabrio convertible will be backed by a global ad blitz by Plantage, Berlin.

Next year, Mini also plans to introduce its biggest model ever, a crossover that will be the brand's first vehicle to offer all-wheel-drive. Mini's biggest current model is the Clubman, at 13 feet long, or 9.45 inches longer than the Mini car. The U.S. is the biggest global market for the Clubman, which accounts for more than a quarter of all Mini's U.S. sales, says Wolfgang Armbrecht, senior vp-brand management at Mini's global headquarters in Europe.

Mini's U.S. sales slipped 16% in the first two months of this year, but one reason for the slide is that the brand sold out its convertible model last October, Armbrecht says. He adds that China is Mini's most stable market, because the U.S. and Europe are being hit with what he called "negative influences."

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