The German automaker has announced it will recall around 235,535 vehicles from the Mini range, and according to a report on CNN is because of a faulty electric water pump for the turbocharger. The pump may go wrong and may cause the connected electronic circuit to overheat, which can then smoke or even worse catch fire.

The system in the Mini’s works differently from those found on the BMW and Rolls-Royce cars that have also been recalled in the past, BMW has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but some Mini models have caught fire in the same way.

BMW is still looking at the root of the problem to see if it is related or simply coincidental, and so far there have been 81 cases of the problem in the Mini Coopers around the world. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries so far according to BMW.

Models involved in the recall include model years between 2007 and 2011 Mini Cooper S convertibles and hatchbacks. Also the three door Mini Cooper Clubman S, Mini Cooper Countryman S, along with the John Cooper Works version of the Mini Cooper. All non-turbocharged Minis are not affected by the recall.

Dealers will replace the affected water pumps and owners will be contacted, but owners can contact their dealer where the vehicle came from. In the US customers can call 1-800-831-1117 or email customerrelations@bmwusa.com.

Do you own a Mini affected by the recall?

Who would have thought that a hot hatch would be able to offer that kind of return? Jon Morgan from Auto Express has been taking a closer look at the new MINI, which will come in three models, Clubman, Countryman and Convertible. He reports that one such model is a Clubman Hampton, which is a limited edition and comes with a 2.0-liter diesel engine and pumps out 141bhp.

The new version will go from 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, not bad for a car that will only cost £30 a year for road fund license in the UK. Prices will start from £18,000 and will be available some time in the spring. We are not certain if the MINI Cooper SD will be launched in the U.S.

For a more detailed look, then Top Speed has it for you. We can see from their article that the new MINI will achieve 134MPH. What helps the car with those impressive fuel figures is some of the technology used, including Auto Start/Stop function and Brake Energy Regeneration – much like KERS from F1 then.

Things will certainly start to heat up in this segment, as we know that other car makers will want to try and match the new MINI Cooper SD – not sure if they will succeed though? If these fuel figures are correct, then this could become one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started to look into the claims. As it stands 54 owners have reported issues, these problems could be caused by a failure within the power steering pump.

Vehicles affected seem to have been produced around 2004 and 2005. Although as yet there has been no incidents that have caused the driver to lose control, the loss of power steering can make the vehicle very difficult to manoeuvre.

BMW of North America has confirmed that it is aware of the issues and the investigation, but is waiting for a full report from the NHTSA. For more on this story hit the link below.

Read More: Autoblog

Engadget has learned from MotoringFile that BMW and Cooper will release 250 of these limited edition models, 50 of which will be offered to the to the U.S. market – but they will come with a huge price tag.

The World Championship 50 will come with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, producing 208 horsepower and enough brake force to stop a 747 – that is a lot of power for such a light car. The car will also come with upgrades to the suspension and a number of other Copper upgrades.

The total price including shipping will be $40,300.

Mini have recently revealed their Mini Cooper Countryman, this is an SUV which would directly compete with the Honda CR-V, the Land Rover LR2 and the VW Tiguan.

The Countryman will be released in a years time and will feature a choice of engines, one of which is a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine which produces 120 horsepower. The other engine is the same but turbocharged and will produce 184 horsepower.

From what we can see the Countryman will be available in front or all-wheeled drive, the main noticeable thing about this vehicle is its size, it features 4 doors and a relatively large boot, for more details check out KickingTires.

Would you choose the Mini Cooper Countryman over competing vehicles?