This week on The Cooper Cast Podcast, host Dale Blankenship is flying solo again because Producer Kodi is—yep, you guessed it—AWOL. Probably off chasing squirrels instead of MINI news.

First up, are MINI sales really that bad, or is this just another case of "the sky is falling" panic? Then we dive into MINI’s decision to delay converting Plant Oxford to EV production. Turns out, MINI isn’t the only automaker struggling to convince people that electric is the future—at least, not right now.

Speaking of shocking developments—did you ever think you’d hear about a rear-wheel-drive MINI? Yeah, us neither. But apparently, BMW has other ideas, and let’s just say, not all MINI purists are thrilled.

And if that’s not enough automotive chaos for one episode, guess who’s making a comeback? YUGO. Yes, the tiny, often-mocked Eastern European car is set for a revival—just not in the U.S. (which is probably for the best).

Finally, we wrap things up with some East Coast MINI event news, because let’s be honest—you’d rather be out driving than worrying about RWD MINIs or resuscitated Yugos. 

Motor safely and don’t forget to wave! 🚗💨👋