SEMA—along with its official housing bureau, Travel Planners—has negotiated discounted hotel rates with several properties for this year's SEMA Show that have not been in the official block in a long time.

SEMA—along with its official housing bureau, Travel Planners—has negotiated discounted hotel rates with several properties for this year's SEMA Show that have not been in the official block in a long time.

Want to learn about the technologies, the design and the strategies needed to create must-have products for the next generation of buyers? Attend this free webcast, part of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars, Wednesday August 8, 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. to hear speakers such as Klaus Busse, Chrysler's head of interior design; David Graff, Microsoft's manufacturing director-manufacturing industries; and John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology. These experts will talk about how aftermarket manufacturers can utilize opportunities to create opportunities to future-proof their business.

Learn more about the session, "Designing for Technology and the Consumer."  

The Center for Automotive Research, a nonprofit organization, is focused on a wide variety of important trends and changes related to the automobile industry and society at the international, federal, state and local levels. The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry. CAR's automotive industry research is performed by distinct groups and programs.

Want to learn about the technologies, the design and the strategies needed to create must-have products for the next generation of buyers? Attend this free webcast, part of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars, Wednesday August 8, 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. to hear speakers such as Klaus Busse, Chrysler's head of interior design; David Graff, Microsoft's manufacturing director-manufacturing industries; and John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology. These experts will talk about how aftermarket manufacturers can utilize opportunities to create opportunities to future-proof their business.

Learn more about the session, "Designing for Technology and the Consumer."  

The Center for Automotive Research, a nonprofit organization, is focused on a wide variety of important trends and changes related to the automobile industry and society at the international, federal, state and local levels. The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry. CAR's automotive industry research is performed by distinct groups and programs.

Hemmings Motor News Hires Ken DeVries as Senior Account Executive
Hemmings Motor News has hired Ken DeVries as a senior account executive. According to the company, DeVries has been a successful sales manager and account executive for more than 25 years. “We are excited about having Ken on our sales team. His experience, enthusiasm, and desire will be instrumental in growing our business,” said Jeff Yager, director of advertising for Hemmings Motor News. Prior to joining Hemmings, DeVries was the key account sales manager with Auto Trader Classics/Autotrader.com. He has also served as a Select Committee member on SEMA's Automotive Restoration Market Organization council.

Callaway Cars West Announces Grand Opening
Callaway Cars West is hosting a Grand Opening and Group Tour Day for its Santa Ana, California, location on Sunday, August 5, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Attendees can tour the company's new facility with Reeves Callaway, Pete Callaway and the entire Callaway team, and see new Callaway Corvettes, Camaros and SportTrucks that are completed as well as those that are under construction. To learn more and to RSVP, e-mail california@callawaycars.com.

Scott Nelson was appointed CEO and president of Curtis Industries.

Scott Nelson Named CEO of Curtis Industries
The Board of Directors of Curtis Industries LLC appointed Scott Nelson as CEO and president, effective immediately. Nelson succeeds John Rachwalski who is retiring but will remain on the board of directors and a consultant to the company. Nelson was most recently president EMEA for Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment and was previously CEO of Doosan Infracore International, which included Bobcat Co., Ingersoll Rand Portable Power and the attachments business unit sold by Ingersoll Rand in December 2007. He successfully led the sale and integration of these businesses into Doosan, according to Curtis Industries. Prior to joining Doosan, Nelson held a variety of leadership positions with Bobcat Co., including president Americas and vice president of sales and marketing.

Source Interlink Media Announces Two New Appointments
Source Interlink Media (SIM) announced today the appointment of Jerry Pitt as senior marketing director for the Performance Auto Group. In his new role Pitt will focus on integrated marketing programs across the Performance Auto, Motorcycle and Truck & Off-Road groups, as well as interact with all other divisions at the company. Pitt will transition from his post as publisher of Hot Rod, a position he’s held since 2005, and Jeff Dahlin will assume this role at Hot Rod. As senior marketing director, Pitt will focus on SIM brand and division collaboration and creating access for marketing partners across SIM’s entire media portfolio. Pitt will report directly to Ryan Payne, vice president of marketing for SIM, within a group that is led by Eric Schwab, senior vice president of Source Interlink’s Consumer Media Group and Integrated Sales. Jeff Dahlin began his tenure at SIM in 2001. In the time since, he has served as associate publisher of Popular Hot Rodding, Chevy High Performance and Engine Masters (2005–2006) and publisher of the Off-Road Group (Off-Road and 4Wheel Drive Magazine, 2006–2009), the Product Development Group (Bound by Ink, Dirt Kings) and several special interest publications (2010), and the Truck Group (Diesel Power, 8-Lug HD Truck, Truckin’, Mini Truckin’, RV and Mud Life, 2011–2012). Dahlin also led the launch and relaunch of several of these titles.

A&A Midwest Names Leonard O'Connell as New COO
Automotive aftermarket industry veteran Leonard "Len" O'Connell was chosen by A&A Midwest to serve as chief operating officer, a newly created position for the 63-year old privately held, family company. O'Connell will be based at the A&A Midwest Chicago location. The company reports that all A&A Midwest managers will now report to O'Connell, who has taken over the day-to-day administration operations for A&A Midwest. O'Connell reports directly to both Scott Stolberg, who is based in Las Vegas and his brother, William “Billy” Stolberg, who is located in Chicago. The brothers jointly operate the company as co-presidents.

Coverking was selected by Shelby American as the car cover manufacturer for the 1,000hp Ford Mustang GT500-based Shelby 1000.

Coverking Selected as Car Cover Manufacturer for Shelby 1000
Car cover and vehicle accessory manufacturer Coverking announced that, through Designer Auto Accessories, a Shelby American supplier, it was chosen to be the car cover manufacturer for the 1,000hp Ford Mustang GT500-based Shelby 1000. The Shelby 1000 was revealed to the world earlier this year when its custom-designed Coverking Satin Stretch cover was lifted at the New York International Auto Show, in celebration of the unveiling of the very first Shelby Cobra 50 years ago. Coverking’s Shelby 1000 car covers are each custom manufactured in each vehicle’s color and prominently replicate the Shelby badging as it appears on the car. The Shelby 1000 car cover and a Shelby-badged storage bag are provided with each new Shelby 1000 as part of the vehicle’s upgrade package.

Kelley Blue Book Launches First National Consumer Campaign
For the first time in the company’s 86-year history, Kelley Blue Book announced the launch of a national television advertising campaign in an effort to leverage the brand’s strength and recognition as a vehicle valuation pioneer and leader for new-car shopping and research. Following the introduction of radio ads that began airing in early 2012, Kelley Blue Book now expands its inaugural consumer marketing campaign to include national television advertising, while also unveiling the first official modernization of its widely recognized and trusted seal logo. Together with the company’s radio campaign, the 30- and 60-second TV spots are expected to reach 189 million people while airing on a variety of stations as part of a comprehensive media buy extending into Q4 2012, including the 2012 Summer Olympics on DirecTV and on channels such as CNN, Fox News, ESPN, MTV, TNT, History, Comedy Central and the Food Network.

A Profitable Partnership

This seems to indicate a resumption of the longstanding, mutually beneficial business partnership between parts manufacturers, restylers and car dealerships, which had stalled during the recession. That said, there are some differences in the way some restylers do business since the recession, and long-term challenges remain.

Getting in at the Dealer Level

Partnering with car dealers to sell accessories has long been a profitable tactic for restylers, adding sales to their bottom lines and helping to get a foot in the door with new customers, said Ginger Glover, president of Truckers Toy Store based in Morehead City, North Carolina. The question is, how best to do it, and how much is healthy?

“I’m not 100% dependent on dealerships,” Glover said. “It’s nice to have, but for me to build my business solely around their needs—I have no intention of doing that. As with what happened in 2008, lots of folks had their heads handed to them.”

It’s well known that accessorization is an added benefit that helps to sell cars. (See “SEMA Accessorization Study 2010,” available online). Even if dealers have a car that’s not a strong seller, showcasing it on the floor decked out with a brand-new wheel and tire package or the latest technological enhancements might catch the eye of 10 or 15 more potential customers. This increases their chances of getting that elusive sale, and the tactic is an additional point of purchase for parts manufacturers and dealers.

After a vehicle is sold, Glover sends an employee to the dealership, picks up the vehicle, fully dresses it and brings it back to the dealership so the salespeople aren’t off the floor.

“That’s important to them, because they have to leave the floor to take the vehicle to your facility,” Glover said. “They can’t sell anything if they’re off the floor. They may miss the chance to sell that big deal.”

To get involved at the dealer level, Glover suggested building a rapport with the dealership’s general manager and letting the salespeople know you’re there and what you can do for them.

“I liken it to a fishing expedition,” she explained. “You can throw your line in the water, but if you don’t work it, you’re not going to catch anything. Offer up ideas, let them know what you have available and how quickly you can get it and turn it around.”

 

	Help dealerships differentiate themselves by providing products and services not available from the factory.

On the other hand, almost the entirety of Auto Trim of Denver’s business is wholesale through 90% of the new- and used-car dealerships in the Denver area, according to Tony Hinton, general manager. Sometimes certain models aren’t equipped to meet customer demand for navigation systems or a leather interior, which is where Auto Trim of Denver comes into play.

“We offer an ‘à la carte’ type of arrangement,” Hinton said. “If a dealer needs leather to help sell a vehicle, we can provide that. We also help dealerships move cars by differentiating them. For instance, some cars might come from the factory with two or three interior color choices. We can create two-tone packages with logos and things they just can’t do from the factory.”

Working with dealerships is a completely different business from retail, Hinton explained, so it’s important for restylers to make a commitment and put forth the effort, especially on the sales side, because it doesn’t come automatically.

Another wholesale-to-dealer installer and restyler, Auto Trim Restyling, based in Manchester, Missouri, doesn’t have a retail store, so arranging for specialty-equipment parts to be sold at the dealer level is how it does business.

“I go to market at the dealership,” said Kevin McGowan, the company’s president and self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Aftermarket.” “It’s imperative I have great support from SEMA, the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) council and product manufacturers to help facilitate sales from the general public through the dealer.”

Industry Trends

Current trends tend to vary by customer and vehicle type, but recurring themes for trucks include lifts, rims and tires, followed by leather interiors and chrome packages, according to Glover.

For Hinton, next to leather, the big sellers are sunroofs, mobile video and navigation systems. He said that it’s important for customers to have a comfort level with the installation so that they know they’re not going to get anything inferior to what they would have had from the factory. Therefore, Hinton will not install any part that doesn’t meet or exceed factory specs
and warranty.

Trucks have long been a staple of the accessorization market, and one might assume that truck sales would decline with today’s volatile fuel prices, but that hasn’t been the case, according to Alan Farb, editor of Restyling magazine. True, small cars are selling at a higher rate than they have in a long time due to their fuel efficiency, but there is still pent-up demand for trucks. New-truck shoppers are buying grilles and grille guards, tonneaus, truck caps, toolboxes, racks, bed liners, towing systems and running boards.

Also, pinstriping is on the rebound, since most cars from the factory don’t offer it and because it’s an easy sell and doesn’t take much to make the vehicle “pop,” Farb said. Restylers can take a $7 roll of pinstriping material and wind up with $100 in net profit.

Wheels and tires are still huge sellers, which is something restylers should take advantage of. “Tire dealers sell a high volume of wheels because somebody comes in with a slick car looking for tires and they see a great wheel display,” Farb said.

According to McGowan, information technology is also highly popular in today’s market, especially with the younger generation, though it’s difficult to gauge specific sales in each market because there are so many different types of consumers. However, the more products available to the end consumer, the more they will help dealers sell the car.

“For cost reasons, OEMs can’t design a car with a remote start via an Android or an iPhone, whereas we can go to the dealer, help them put something together and promote it, which might help them sell a car to customers who didn’t know this option was available to them,” McGowan said. “The OEM can’t put a $500 or $600 part on every car; it’s unrealistic for them to spend that kind of money.”

How to Promote Accessorization

 

	One promotion by Auto Trim Restyling featured Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifting at the St. Louis Auto Show.

When working with dealers, you’ve got to sell yourself. Glover regularly meets one-on-one with her dealers, supplies them with catalogs that contain examples of the different parts that are available and explains why they need to get involved with the aftermarket.

To read the complete story, featured in the July 2012 issue of SEMA News, visit www.sema.org/sema-news/2012/07/a-profitable-partnership.

 

A Profitable Partnership

This seems to indicate a resumption of the longstanding, mutually beneficial business partnership between parts manufacturers, restylers and car dealerships, which had stalled during the recession. That said, there are some differences in the way some restylers do business since the recession, and long-term challenges remain.

Getting in at the Dealer Level

Partnering with car dealers to sell accessories has long been a profitable tactic for restylers, adding sales to their bottom lines and helping to get a foot in the door with new customers, said Ginger Glover, president of Truckers Toy Store based in Morehead City, North Carolina. The question is, how best to do it, and how much is healthy?

“I’m not 100% dependent on dealerships,” Glover said. “It’s nice to have, but for me to build my business solely around their needs—I have no intention of doing that. As with what happened in 2008, lots of folks had their heads handed to them.”

It’s well known that accessorization is an added benefit that helps to sell cars. (See “SEMA Accessorization Study 2010,” available online). Even if dealers have a car that’s not a strong seller, showcasing it on the floor decked out with a brand-new wheel and tire package or the latest technological enhancements might catch the eye of 10 or 15 more potential customers. This increases their chances of getting that elusive sale, and the tactic is an additional point of purchase for parts manufacturers and dealers.

After a vehicle is sold, Glover sends an employee to the dealership, picks up the vehicle, fully dresses it and brings it back to the dealership so the salespeople aren’t off the floor.

“That’s important to them, because they have to leave the floor to take the vehicle to your facility,” Glover said. “They can’t sell anything if they’re off the floor. They may miss the chance to sell that big deal.”

To get involved at the dealer level, Glover suggested building a rapport with the dealership’s general manager and letting the salespeople know you’re there and what you can do for them.

“I liken it to a fishing expedition,” she explained. “You can throw your line in the water, but if you don’t work it, you’re not going to catch anything. Offer up ideas, let them know what you have available and how quickly you can get it and turn it around.”

 

	Help dealerships differentiate themselves by providing products and services not available from the factory.

On the other hand, almost the entirety of Auto Trim of Denver’s business is wholesale through 90% of the new- and used-car dealerships in the Denver area, according to Tony Hinton, general manager. Sometimes certain models aren’t equipped to meet customer demand for navigation systems or a leather interior, which is where Auto Trim of Denver comes into play.

“We offer an ‘à la carte’ type of arrangement,” Hinton said. “If a dealer needs leather to help sell a vehicle, we can provide that. We also help dealerships move cars by differentiating them. For instance, some cars might come from the factory with two or three interior color choices. We can create two-tone packages with logos and things they just can’t do from the factory.”

Working with dealerships is a completely different business from retail, Hinton explained, so it’s important for restylers to make a commitment and put forth the effort, especially on the sales side, because it doesn’t come automatically.

Another wholesale-to-dealer installer and restyler, Auto Trim Restyling, based in Manchester, Missouri, doesn’t have a retail store, so arranging for specialty-equipment parts to be sold at the dealer level is how it does business.

“I go to market at the dealership,” said Kevin McGowan, the company’s president and self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Aftermarket.” “It’s imperative I have great support from SEMA, the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) council and product manufacturers to help facilitate sales from the general public through the dealer.”

Industry Trends

Current trends tend to vary by customer and vehicle type, but recurring themes for trucks include lifts, rims and tires, followed by leather interiors and chrome packages, according to Glover.

For Hinton, next to leather, the big sellers are sunroofs, mobile video and navigation systems. He said that it’s important for customers to have a comfort level with the installation so that they know they’re not going to get anything inferior to what they would have had from the factory. Therefore, Hinton will not install any part that doesn’t meet or exceed factory specs
and warranty.

Trucks have long been a staple of the accessorization market, and one might assume that truck sales would decline with today’s volatile fuel prices, but that hasn’t been the case, according to Alan Farb, editor of Restyling magazine. True, small cars are selling at a higher rate than they have in a long time due to their fuel efficiency, but there is still pent-up demand for trucks. New-truck shoppers are buying grilles and grille guards, tonneaus, truck caps, toolboxes, racks, bed liners, towing systems and running boards.

Also, pinstriping is on the rebound, since most cars from the factory don’t offer it and because it’s an easy sell and doesn’t take much to make the vehicle “pop,” Farb said. Restylers can take a $7 roll of pinstriping material and wind up with $100 in net profit.

Wheels and tires are still huge sellers, which is something restylers should take advantage of. “Tire dealers sell a high volume of wheels because somebody comes in with a slick car looking for tires and they see a great wheel display,” Farb said.

According to McGowan, information technology is also highly popular in today’s market, especially with the younger generation, though it’s difficult to gauge specific sales in each market because there are so many different types of consumers. However, the more products available to the end consumer, the more they will help dealers sell the car.

“For cost reasons, OEMs can’t design a car with a remote start via an Android or an iPhone, whereas we can go to the dealer, help them put something together and promote it, which might help them sell a car to customers who didn’t know this option was available to them,” McGowan said. “The OEM can’t put a $500 or $600 part on every car; it’s unrealistic for them to spend that kind of money.”

How to Promote Accessorization

 

	One promotion by Auto Trim Restyling featured Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifting at the St. Louis Auto Show.

When working with dealers, you’ve got to sell yourself. Glover regularly meets one-on-one with her dealers, supplies them with catalogs that contain examples of the different parts that are available and explains why they need to get involved with the aftermarket.

To read the complete story, featured in the July 2012 issue of SEMA News, visit www.sema.org/sema-news/2012/07/a-profitable-partnership.

 

A Profitable Partnership

This seems to indicate a resumption of the longstanding, mutually beneficial business partnership between parts manufacturers, restylers and car dealerships, which had stalled during the recession. That said, there are some differences in the way some restylers do business since the recession, and long-term challenges remain.

Getting in at the Dealer Level

Partnering with car dealers to sell accessories has long been a profitable tactic for restylers, adding sales to their bottom lines and helping to get a foot in the door with new customers, said Ginger Glover, president of Truckers Toy Store based in Morehead City, North Carolina. The question is, how best to do it, and how much is healthy?

“I’m not 100% dependent on dealerships,” Glover said. “It’s nice to have, but for me to build my business solely around their needs—I have no intention of doing that. As with what happened in 2008, lots of folks had their heads handed to them.”

It’s well known that accessorization is an added benefit that helps to sell cars. (See “SEMA Accessorization Study 2010,” available online). Even if dealers have a car that’s not a strong seller, showcasing it on the floor decked out with a brand-new wheel and tire package or the latest technological enhancements might catch the eye of 10 or 15 more potential customers. This increases their chances of getting that elusive sale, and the tactic is an additional point of purchase for parts manufacturers and dealers.

After a vehicle is sold, Glover sends an employee to the dealership, picks up the vehicle, fully dresses it and brings it back to the dealership so the salespeople aren’t off the floor.

“That’s important to them, because they have to leave the floor to take the vehicle to your facility,” Glover said. “They can’t sell anything if they’re off the floor. They may miss the chance to sell that big deal.”

To get involved at the dealer level, Glover suggested building a rapport with the dealership’s general manager and letting the salespeople know you’re there and what you can do for them.

“I liken it to a fishing expedition,” she explained. “You can throw your line in the water, but if you don’t work it, you’re not going to catch anything. Offer up ideas, let them know what you have available and how quickly you can get it and turn it around.”

 

	Help dealerships differentiate themselves by providing products and services not available from the factory.

On the other hand, almost the entirety of Auto Trim of Denver’s business is wholesale through 90% of the new- and used-car dealerships in the Denver area, according to Tony Hinton, general manager. Sometimes certain models aren’t equipped to meet customer demand for navigation systems or a leather interior, which is where Auto Trim of Denver comes into play.

“We offer an ‘à la carte’ type of arrangement,” Hinton said. “If a dealer needs leather to help sell a vehicle, we can provide that. We also help dealerships move cars by differentiating them. For instance, some cars might come from the factory with two or three interior color choices. We can create two-tone packages with logos and things they just can’t do from the factory.”

Working with dealerships is a completely different business from retail, Hinton explained, so it’s important for restylers to make a commitment and put forth the effort, especially on the sales side, because it doesn’t come automatically.

Another wholesale-to-dealer installer and restyler, Auto Trim Restyling, based in Manchester, Missouri, doesn’t have a retail store, so arranging for specialty-equipment parts to be sold at the dealer level is how it does business.

“I go to market at the dealership,” said Kevin McGowan, the company’s president and self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Aftermarket.” “It’s imperative I have great support from SEMA, the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) council and product manufacturers to help facilitate sales from the general public through the dealer.”

Industry Trends

Current trends tend to vary by customer and vehicle type, but recurring themes for trucks include lifts, rims and tires, followed by leather interiors and chrome packages, according to Glover.

For Hinton, next to leather, the big sellers are sunroofs, mobile video and navigation systems. He said that it’s important for customers to have a comfort level with the installation so that they know they’re not going to get anything inferior to what they would have had from the factory. Therefore, Hinton will not install any part that doesn’t meet or exceed factory specs
and warranty.

Trucks have long been a staple of the accessorization market, and one might assume that truck sales would decline with today’s volatile fuel prices, but that hasn’t been the case, according to Alan Farb, editor of Restyling magazine. True, small cars are selling at a higher rate than they have in a long time due to their fuel efficiency, but there is still pent-up demand for trucks. New-truck shoppers are buying grilles and grille guards, tonneaus, truck caps, toolboxes, racks, bed liners, towing systems and running boards.

Also, pinstriping is on the rebound, since most cars from the factory don’t offer it and because it’s an easy sell and doesn’t take much to make the vehicle “pop,” Farb said. Restylers can take a $7 roll of pinstriping material and wind up with $100 in net profit.

Wheels and tires are still huge sellers, which is something restylers should take advantage of. “Tire dealers sell a high volume of wheels because somebody comes in with a slick car looking for tires and they see a great wheel display,” Farb said.

According to McGowan, information technology is also highly popular in today’s market, especially with the younger generation, though it’s difficult to gauge specific sales in each market because there are so many different types of consumers. However, the more products available to the end consumer, the more they will help dealers sell the car.

“For cost reasons, OEMs can’t design a car with a remote start via an Android or an iPhone, whereas we can go to the dealer, help them put something together and promote it, which might help them sell a car to customers who didn’t know this option was available to them,” McGowan said. “The OEM can’t put a $500 or $600 part on every car; it’s unrealistic for them to spend that kind of money.”

How to Promote Accessorization

 

	One promotion by Auto Trim Restyling featured Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifting at the St. Louis Auto Show.

When working with dealers, you’ve got to sell yourself. Glover regularly meets one-on-one with her dealers, supplies them with catalogs that contain examples of the different parts that are available and explains why they need to get involved with the aftermarket.

To read the complete story, featured in the July 2012 issue of SEMA News, visit www.sema.org/sema-news/2012/07/a-profitable-partnership.

 

Earlier this year, some sources alluded to the fact that the MINI Paceman would hit dealerships as the Countryman Coupe, and it looks like that will be made official when the vehicle debuts at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

It all makes sense that MINI would put the Countryman name onto their two-door Paceman Concept, considering the production vehicle will share the same front end. It also appears that the Paceman Concept will closely resemble the final production Countryman Coupe, and it is still on schedule to hit dealerships in 2013 as a ’14 model.

Unfortunately, there is still no confirmation on what will power the new Countryman Coupe, but, according to Brenda Priddy & Co., the Paceman Concept did sport a John Cooper Works-built, 211hp, 1.6L twin-turbocharged engine—and this prototype is clearly an “S” version—also badged "ALL4" on the side.

Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.

Earlier this year, some sources alluded to the fact that the MINI Paceman would hit dealerships as the Countryman Coupe, and it looks like that will be made official when the vehicle debuts at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

It all makes sense that MINI would put the Countryman name onto their two-door Paceman Concept, considering the production vehicle will share the same front end. It also appears that the Paceman Concept will closely resemble the final production Countryman Coupe, and it is still on schedule to hit dealerships in 2013 as a ’14 model.

Unfortunately, there is still no confirmation on what will power the new Countryman Coupe, but, according to Brenda Priddy & Co., the Paceman Concept did sport a John Cooper Works-built, 211hp, 1.6L twin-turbocharged engine—and this prototype is clearly an “S” version—also badged "ALL4" on the side.

Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.