Hasta La Gadget!

If you are looking for a gift to give a guy or gal on your Christmas list that likes cars and music, the Mirror Boombox is the ticket. The company behind the Mirror Boombox is called Iui Design and it crams the Bluetooth innards from a portable speaker into the shell from a Mini Cooper mirror.

If you have ever seen a Mini running the streets, you may know that the company makes a number of interesting mirror cap designs. The Mirror Boombox can be had in the traditional red, white, and blue Union Jack or a black, grey and white Union Jack. For fans that like to win, you can also get the Mirror Boombox in a checkered flag motif.

It connects via Bluetooth 3.0 technology and supports NFC pairing. The device also has a mic so it can be used as a speaker phone. The speaker has 8W of power and supports AAC over Bluetooth. The speaker also has the ability to connect to two devices at once and a 3.5mm input. The portable speaker has a battery good for eight hours of playback. And yes, doubles as a mirror.

The Mirror Boombox is available now for $149.99(USD). Mini Cooper sold separately.

A new version of the venerable MINI Cooper that has been around for decades will be unveiled this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Mini is getting both larger and smaller at the same time. The vehicle will grow physically larger while getting a smaller engine to help improve fuel economy.

MINI has extended the length of its new car by almost 4 inches. Mini promises that the extra length will be used throughout the cabin, increasing both passenger and cargo space. That extra space will definitely add to the leg room inside what is traditionally a very cramped car. While the car gets longer, it’s standard engine is getting smaller. The MINI hard top will be getting a new three-cylinder engine to improve fuel economy.

The three-cylinder engine will be a 1.4-liter unit producing 134 hp using a turbocharger. It will be paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional six-speed automatic. The three-cylinder engine will be able to push the car to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Drivers wanting more power will be able to opt for the Cooper S using a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 192 hp. MINI will also offer a 116hp diesel model, the Mini Cooper D, which is designed specifically for fuel economy.

You can check out more details on the various other new features and model variants on the BMW/MINI press site.