Mini Cooper S John The JCW equipped Bini S kit in brief and taken to the track. Offensive comments will be removed. these kits are still available
MINI is both the name of a subsidiary of BMW, and a car produced by that subsidiary since 2001. The car is marketed as a "retro" redesign of the original Mini, which was manufactured by British Motor Corporation and its successors, assigns, from 1959 to 2000. To distinguish it from its predecessor (the 'classic Mini'), the name for the new car is MINI (written in capital letters). It is often called "The BMW Mini," "New Mini" or simply "Mini" . MINI is manufactured in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, which has been historically Morris car plant.
The MINI is available in seven models: the MINI One D, MINI One, MINI One Convertible, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Cooper S Convertible. In Portugal, the MINI One is powered by a 1.4 liter version of the Tritec engine but all other petrol powered mini to use version 1.6 liters. Since 2004, a soft-top convertible option is available in the entire region.
There are many styles and badging differences between the models, perhaps the most obvious is that the Cooper S has a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet to provide airflow over the heat exchanger mounted on top. The Cooper S also has dual exhaust exit in the middle of the transom. Cooper (non S) has more chrome parts than the Mini One and a single exhaust. The Mini One / D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.
In some markets like Australia and the United States, only the MINI Cooper and Cooper S are sold because the MINI One's engine was considered to deliver enough power to run an air conditioner - a necessary feature in those climates. However, the only difference between the conductors of "One" and model "Cooper" is a software change in the engine control unit which adjusts for fuel economy on the MINI one one compromise between power and economy in the Cooper. Almost fifty percent of all MINI sold in Australia and about seventy percent of those sold in the United States is the top model in the line of Cooper S.
MINI One, Cooper and Cooper S use a Brazilian Tritec engine constructed while the MINI One / D uses the Toyota diesel engine built. In August 2006, BMW announced that engines would in future be built in Britain, so the car basically rebuilt the British (as well as the final composition of Cowley, the body pressings are made close to Swindon).
While modern engineering the Mini to use any of the original Mini, which captures the spirit of a lot of vintage cars. Like the original, it uses a transversely mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. All four wheels pushed in the corners of the body, which is a "two-box 'or' drawing hot hatch '. Design your own car, as the New Volkswagen Beetle, a retro design is consciously drawing the original Mini, with color contrasting colors of the roof, bonnet stripes optional rally lights and with optional black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels to simulate a range of wheel flares found in traditional Mini.
MINI is both the name of a subsidiary of BMW, and a car produced by that subsidiary since 2001. The car is marketed as a "retro" redesign of the original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. To distinguish it from its predecessor (the 'classic Mini'), the brand name for the new car is MINI (written in capital letters). It is often called 'The BMW MINI', 'The New MINI', or simply 'MINI'. The MINI is manufactured in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, in what was historically the Morris car plant.
The MINI is available in seven models: the MINI One D, the MINI One, the MINI One Convertible, the MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S, the MINI Cooper Convertible and the MINI Cooper S Convertible. In Portugal, the MINI One is powered by a 1.4 l version of the Tritec engine but all other gasoline powered MINIs use the 1.6 l version. Since 2004, a soft-top convertible option has been available across the entire range.
There are numerous styling and badging differences between the models, perhaps the most obvious being that the Cooper S has a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet to provide airflow over the top mounted intercooler. The Cooper S also has twin exhausts which exit under the center of the rear valance. The (non-S) Cooper has more chrome parts than the MINI One and has a single exhaust. The MINI One/D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.
In some markets, such as Australia and the US, only the MINI Cooper and Cooper S are sold because the MINI One's engine was considered to deliver insufficient power to run an air conditioner - a necessary feature in those climates. However, the only difference between the engines in the 'One' and the 'Cooper' models is a software change within the engine control unit which is tuned for optimum fuel economy on the MINI One and for a compromise between power and economy on the Cooper. Almost fifty percent of all MINIs sold in Australia and about seventy percent of those sold in the US are the top-of-the-range Cooper S model.
The names Cooper and Cooper S echo the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the MINI
The MINI One, Cooper and Cooper S use a Brazilian-built Tritec engine while the MINI One/D uses a Toyota-built diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that engines would in future be built in the UK, making the car essentially British-built again (as well as the final assembly at Cowley, the body pressings are made in nearby Swindon).
While the modern MINI uses none of the engineering of the original Mini, it does capture much of the spirit of the classic car. Like the original, it uses a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. All four wheels are pushed to the corners of the body which is a 'two-box' or 'hot hatch' design. The styling of the car, like that of the Volkswagen New Beetle, is a retro design that is deliberately reminiscent of the original Mini with contrasting roof colours, optional bonnet stripes, optional rally lights and with black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels that mimic the wide wheel flares found on many classic Minis.
The MINI One and MINI Cooper are available with a continuously variable transmission or with a conventional Getrag five-speed manual transmission. The Cooper S comes with a six-speed Getrag manual or (from the 2005 model year onwards) a fully automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Technical innovations include an electrically driven power steering system that avoids taking power from the engine, equal length driveshafts to eliminate torque steer, and a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. The MINI has a 'drive by wire' electronic throttle, electronic brakeforce distribution, and electronic stability control to improve control and handling in adverse conditions.
Adding a supercharger to the Cooper S model required that the battery be relocated into the rear of the car — leaving no room for a spare tyre. Hence this model comes with run flat tyres as standard.
At the 'Salon International de l'Auto' (Geneva Motor Show) in 2004, MINI introduced a cabriolet (convertible) model which was released in the 2005 model year and available in One, Cooper and Cooper S versions.
The convertible roof is fully automatic — an unusual feature in such a small car — and can be opened partially to act as a sunroof whilst the car is driving at speed. The convertible model forsakes the rear hatch of the hardtop MINI — replacing it with a drop down 'tailgate' design reminiscent of the classic Mini and incorporating similarly prominent external hinges. The convertible also adds two small power windows for the rear seat passengers which are retracted automatically as the roof opens. The roof is made from a heavy cloth with many layers of insulation; the rear window is of glass and has a heater/defroster but no washer or wiper.
As a joke, (and undoubtedly as a part of MINI's viral marketing approach) purchasers of the MINI convertible were asked to sign a 'contract' promising that they'd drive the car with the roof open at least 90% of the time. MINI also set up a telephone hotline (in the USA: 1-888-DO NOT CLOSE) which one may call to report convertible owners who are driving with the roof up inappropriately. The automated system offers such helpful advice as how to administer a wedgie to the offender.
Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of small cars, including the Clubman, Traveller and Moke.[4] The original two-door Mini continued in production until 2000. Development of a successor began in 1995 and the new generation car was launched in 2001. The Mini range has since expanded from the core two-door Hardtop/Hatch to include the Clubman (estate), Convertible and Countryman (crossover).
The Mini was originally a car model of British Motor Corporation, which in 1966 became part of British Motor Holdings. British Motor Holdings merged with Leyland Motors in 1968 to form British Leyland.[4] Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[5][6] In the 1980s British Leyland was broken-up and in 1988 Rover Group, including Mini, was acquired by British Aerospace.[4] In 1994, Rover Group was acquired by BMW. In 2000 Rover Group was broken-up by BMW, with BMW retaining the Mini brand.[7]
The Mini Hatch/Hardtop, Clubman and Convertible are assembled at Plant Oxford in Cowley, United Kingdom,[8] and the Countryman is assembled by Magna Steyr in Austria.[9]
The original two-door Mini was a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. It is considered an icon of the 1960s,[4][10][11] and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (which allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.[12] The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.[13][14]
This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis.[15][16] It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an estate car, a pickup truck, a van and the Mini Moke—a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights.[17] Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[18][6] The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, BMW was looking to broaden its model range with the addition of a compact car and SUVs. This sparked a series of compact, concept vehicles during the early 1990s. The first were the E1 and Z13, powered by an electric motor and a rear mounted 1100cc BMW motorcycle engine, respectively.[1]
In early 1994, BMW purchased the Rover Group from British Aerospace, which amongst other brands, Mini. BMW insisted that even a compact model must feature iconic BMW characteristics (such as rear wheel drive) to uphold the brand's standards and image. The "MINI" brand, however, did not have any standards and BMW saw this as an opportunity to create a competitively priced, yet premium, compact car. This formed BMW's plan to launch the premium BMW 1 Series and the mid-range Mini.[1]
It was at around this time that Rover, too, was working on a successor the original Mini. Its first concept was the ACV30 which was unveiled at the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally. The name was partially an acronym of Anniversary Concept Vehicle, whilst the '30' represented the 30 years that had passed since a Mini first won the Monte Carlo Rally. The vehicle itself was a 2-door coupe powered by a rear-mounted MG F engine.[1]
Just months later, Rover released another concept, this time, a pair of vehicles called Spiritual and Spiritual Too. These vehicles were a more realistic attempt to create a modern Mini, and coincided with BMW's official creation of the Mini project. Although the 2-door and 4-door pair wore Mini badges, both vehicles remained purely concepts.[1]
In 1998, BMW set out on creating the production Mini. The first aspect that was considered was the design, which was chosen from 15 full-sized design studies. Five of these designs came from BMW Germany, another five from BMW Designworks in California, four from Rover and one from an outside studio in Italy. The chosen design was from BMW Designworks and was designed by Frank Stephenson. This design, being a city car, also fitted into BMW's plan of two compact cars, leaving the supermini class for the BMW 1 Series. After the launch of the new Mini, Stephenson told automotive magazine Autocar.
The Mark III Mini was launched in 1969, which was an updated version of Mark II with a modified bodyshell. The most visible changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. The boot lid lost the original hinged number plate and its recess shape and a large rear colour coded lamp was fitted in its place, along with larger rear side windows. Sliding windows were replaced with winding windows—although some Australian-manufactured Mark I Minis had adopted this feature in 1965 (with opening quarterlight windows). The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic to rubber cones.[19] as a cost-saving measure.[20] Production at the Cowley plant was ended, and the simple name "Mini" completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands.[21]
The Mark IV, launched in 1976, introduced a front rubber mounted subframe with single tower bolts and larger bushes in the rear frame. In addition twin stalk indicators were introduced with larger foot pedals, and from 1977 onwards the rear indicator lamps had the reverse lights incorporated in them.
The Mark V, launched in 1984, introduced 8.4-inch (210 mm) brake discs and plastic wheel arches (mini special arches) but retained the same Mark IV body shell shape.
For the Mark VI, launched in 1990, the engine mounting points were moved forward to take 1275 cc power units, and includes the HIF carb version, plus the single point fuel injected car which came out in 1991. The 998 cc power units were discontinued. Internal bonnet release were fitted from 1992.
The Mark VII, launched in 1996, was the final version of the original two door Mini. For this model twin point injection with front mounted radiator was introduced, along with full-width a dashboard, internal bonnet release and driver's side airbag
The first new generation Mini was introduced in 2001. In many European markets, the Mini One was powered by a 1.4 litre I4[22] version of the Tritec engine but all other petrol powered Minis used the 1.6 litre I4 version.[23][24] Since 2005, a soft-top convertible option has been available across the entire range.
The names Cooper and Cooper S followed the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the Mini. John Cooper also created a one-off racing model of the Mini Cooper S named the Mini Cooper S Works. This car features many extras which help to improve performance, such as a racing exhaust and air filter as well as uprated suspension. The car also has one-of-a-kind 17-inch (430 mm) racing wheels.[25]
The Mk I Mini One, Cooper and Cooper S used some version of the reliable, Brazilian-built Tritec engine, co-developed by Chrysler & BMW; the Mini One D used a Toyota-built diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that future engines would be built in the UK, making the car essentially British-built again; final assembly took place at Oxford, and the body pressings were made in nearby Swindon at BMW's Swindon Pressings Ltd subsidiary.
At the 2004 Salon International de l'Auto, Mini introduced a convertible model which was released in the 2005 model year and available in One, Cooper and Cooper S versions.
The convertible roof is fully automatic — an unusual feature in such a small car — and can be opened partially to act as a sunroof whilst the car is driving at speed. The convertible model forsakes the rear hatchback of the Hardtop Mini, replacing it with a drop down 'tailgate' that is reminiscent of the classic Mini — it incorporates similarly prominent external hinges, and with the roof in the closed position, the rear roof section and luggage shelf can be raised with two handles, semi-tailgate style, to access the luggage space easier. The convertible also adds two small power windows for the rear seat passengers which are lowered automatically when the roof opens. The roof is made from a heavy cloth, with many layers of insulation; the rear window is glass with an integral heater/defroster, but no washer or wiper.
At the 2007 North American International Auto Show, Mini introduced the limited edition Mini Cooper S Sidewalk Convertible. It had a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0 to 62 mph) in 7.9 seconds. The engine provides 168 hp (125 kW) and 220 N·m (160 ft·lbf) of torque.
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Mini Cooper S John
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Official Photos and Info. More info on the Mini coupe comes out. And this time, the pictures show the Mini Cooper S John
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| Mini Cooper S John |
MINI is both the name of a subsidiary of BMW, and a car produced by that subsidiary since 2001. The car is marketed as a "retro" redesign of the original Mini, which was manufactured by British Motor Corporation and its successors, assigns, from 1959 to 2000. To distinguish it from its predecessor (the 'classic Mini'), the name for the new car is MINI (written in capital letters). It is often called "The BMW Mini," "New Mini" or simply "Mini" . MINI is manufactured in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, which has been historically Morris car plant.
The MINI is available in seven models: the MINI One D, MINI One, MINI One Convertible, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Cooper S Convertible. In Portugal, the MINI One is powered by a 1.4 liter version of the Tritec engine but all other petrol powered mini to use version 1.6 liters. Since 2004, a soft-top convertible option is available in the entire region.
There are many styles and badging differences between the models, perhaps the most obvious is that the Cooper S has a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet to provide airflow over the heat exchanger mounted on top. The Cooper S also has dual exhaust exit in the middle of the transom. Cooper (non S) has more chrome parts than the Mini One and a single exhaust. The Mini One / D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.
In some markets like Australia and the United States, only the MINI Cooper and Cooper S are sold because the MINI One's engine was considered to deliver enough power to run an air conditioner - a necessary feature in those climates. However, the only difference between the conductors of "One" and model "Cooper" is a software change in the engine control unit which adjusts for fuel economy on the MINI one one compromise between power and economy in the Cooper. Almost fifty percent of all MINI sold in Australia and about seventy percent of those sold in the United States is the top model in the line of Cooper S.
MINI One, Cooper and Cooper S use a Brazilian Tritec engine constructed while the MINI One / D uses the Toyota diesel engine built. In August 2006, BMW announced that engines would in future be built in Britain, so the car basically rebuilt the British (as well as the final composition of Cowley, the body pressings are made close to Swindon).
While modern engineering the Mini to use any of the original Mini, which captures the spirit of a lot of vintage cars. Like the original, it uses a transversely mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. All four wheels pushed in the corners of the body, which is a "two-box 'or' drawing hot hatch '. Design your own car, as the New Volkswagen Beetle, a retro design is consciously drawing the original Mini, with color contrasting colors of the roof, bonnet stripes optional rally lights and with optional black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels to simulate a range of wheel flares found in traditional Mini.
MINI is both the name of a subsidiary of BMW, and a car produced by that subsidiary since 2001. The car is marketed as a "retro" redesign of the original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. To distinguish it from its predecessor (the 'classic Mini'), the brand name for the new car is MINI (written in capital letters). It is often called 'The BMW MINI', 'The New MINI', or simply 'MINI'. The MINI is manufactured in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, in what was historically the Morris car plant.
The MINI is available in seven models: the MINI One D, the MINI One, the MINI One Convertible, the MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S, the MINI Cooper Convertible and the MINI Cooper S Convertible. In Portugal, the MINI One is powered by a 1.4 l version of the Tritec engine but all other gasoline powered MINIs use the 1.6 l version. Since 2004, a soft-top convertible option has been available across the entire range.
There are numerous styling and badging differences between the models, perhaps the most obvious being that the Cooper S has a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet to provide airflow over the top mounted intercooler. The Cooper S also has twin exhausts which exit under the center of the rear valance. The (non-S) Cooper has more chrome parts than the MINI One and has a single exhaust. The MINI One/D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.
In some markets, such as Australia and the US, only the MINI Cooper and Cooper S are sold because the MINI One's engine was considered to deliver insufficient power to run an air conditioner - a necessary feature in those climates. However, the only difference between the engines in the 'One' and the 'Cooper' models is a software change within the engine control unit which is tuned for optimum fuel economy on the MINI One and for a compromise between power and economy on the Cooper. Almost fifty percent of all MINIs sold in Australia and about seventy percent of those sold in the US are the top-of-the-range Cooper S model.
The names Cooper and Cooper S echo the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the MINI
The MINI One, Cooper and Cooper S use a Brazilian-built Tritec engine while the MINI One/D uses a Toyota-built diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that engines would in future be built in the UK, making the car essentially British-built again (as well as the final assembly at Cowley, the body pressings are made in nearby Swindon).
While the modern MINI uses none of the engineering of the original Mini, it does capture much of the spirit of the classic car. Like the original, it uses a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. All four wheels are pushed to the corners of the body which is a 'two-box' or 'hot hatch' design. The styling of the car, like that of the Volkswagen New Beetle, is a retro design that is deliberately reminiscent of the original Mini with contrasting roof colours, optional bonnet stripes, optional rally lights and with black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels that mimic the wide wheel flares found on many classic Minis.
The MINI One and MINI Cooper are available with a continuously variable transmission or with a conventional Getrag five-speed manual transmission. The Cooper S comes with a six-speed Getrag manual or (from the 2005 model year onwards) a fully automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Technical innovations include an electrically driven power steering system that avoids taking power from the engine, equal length driveshafts to eliminate torque steer, and a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. The MINI has a 'drive by wire' electronic throttle, electronic brakeforce distribution, and electronic stability control to improve control and handling in adverse conditions.
Adding a supercharger to the Cooper S model required that the battery be relocated into the rear of the car — leaving no room for a spare tyre. Hence this model comes with run flat tyres as standard.
At the 'Salon International de l'Auto' (Geneva Motor Show) in 2004, MINI introduced a cabriolet (convertible) model which was released in the 2005 model year and available in One, Cooper and Cooper S versions.
The convertible roof is fully automatic — an unusual feature in such a small car — and can be opened partially to act as a sunroof whilst the car is driving at speed. The convertible model forsakes the rear hatch of the hardtop MINI — replacing it with a drop down 'tailgate' design reminiscent of the classic Mini and incorporating similarly prominent external hinges. The convertible also adds two small power windows for the rear seat passengers which are retracted automatically as the roof opens. The roof is made from a heavy cloth with many layers of insulation; the rear window is of glass and has a heater/defroster but no washer or wiper.
As a joke, (and undoubtedly as a part of MINI's viral marketing approach) purchasers of the MINI convertible were asked to sign a 'contract' promising that they'd drive the car with the roof open at least 90% of the time. MINI also set up a telephone hotline (in the USA: 1-888-DO NOT CLOSE) which one may call to report convertible owners who are driving with the roof up inappropriately. The automated system offers such helpful advice as how to administer a wedgie to the offender.
Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of small cars, including the Clubman, Traveller and Moke.[4] The original two-door Mini continued in production until 2000. Development of a successor began in 1995 and the new generation car was launched in 2001. The Mini range has since expanded from the core two-door Hardtop/Hatch to include the Clubman (estate), Convertible and Countryman (crossover).
The Mini was originally a car model of British Motor Corporation, which in 1966 became part of British Motor Holdings. British Motor Holdings merged with Leyland Motors in 1968 to form British Leyland.[4] Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[5][6] In the 1980s British Leyland was broken-up and in 1988 Rover Group, including Mini, was acquired by British Aerospace.[4] In 1994, Rover Group was acquired by BMW. In 2000 Rover Group was broken-up by BMW, with BMW retaining the Mini brand.[7]
The Mini Hatch/Hardtop, Clubman and Convertible are assembled at Plant Oxford in Cowley, United Kingdom,[8] and the Countryman is assembled by Magna Steyr in Austria.[9]
The original two-door Mini was a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. It is considered an icon of the 1960s,[4][10][11] and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (which allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.[12] The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.[13][14]
This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis.[15][16] It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an estate car, a pickup truck, a van and the Mini Moke—a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights.[17] Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[18][6] The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, BMW was looking to broaden its model range with the addition of a compact car and SUVs. This sparked a series of compact, concept vehicles during the early 1990s. The first were the E1 and Z13, powered by an electric motor and a rear mounted 1100cc BMW motorcycle engine, respectively.[1]
In early 1994, BMW purchased the Rover Group from British Aerospace, which amongst other brands, Mini. BMW insisted that even a compact model must feature iconic BMW characteristics (such as rear wheel drive) to uphold the brand's standards and image. The "MINI" brand, however, did not have any standards and BMW saw this as an opportunity to create a competitively priced, yet premium, compact car. This formed BMW's plan to launch the premium BMW 1 Series and the mid-range Mini.[1]
It was at around this time that Rover, too, was working on a successor the original Mini. Its first concept was the ACV30 which was unveiled at the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally. The name was partially an acronym of Anniversary Concept Vehicle, whilst the '30' represented the 30 years that had passed since a Mini first won the Monte Carlo Rally. The vehicle itself was a 2-door coupe powered by a rear-mounted MG F engine.[1]
Just months later, Rover released another concept, this time, a pair of vehicles called Spiritual and Spiritual Too. These vehicles were a more realistic attempt to create a modern Mini, and coincided with BMW's official creation of the Mini project. Although the 2-door and 4-door pair wore Mini badges, both vehicles remained purely concepts.[1]
In 1998, BMW set out on creating the production Mini. The first aspect that was considered was the design, which was chosen from 15 full-sized design studies. Five of these designs came from BMW Germany, another five from BMW Designworks in California, four from Rover and one from an outside studio in Italy. The chosen design was from BMW Designworks and was designed by Frank Stephenson. This design, being a city car, also fitted into BMW's plan of two compact cars, leaving the supermini class for the BMW 1 Series. After the launch of the new Mini, Stephenson told automotive magazine Autocar.
The Mark III Mini was launched in 1969, which was an updated version of Mark II with a modified bodyshell. The most visible changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. The boot lid lost the original hinged number plate and its recess shape and a large rear colour coded lamp was fitted in its place, along with larger rear side windows. Sliding windows were replaced with winding windows—although some Australian-manufactured Mark I Minis had adopted this feature in 1965 (with opening quarterlight windows). The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic to rubber cones.[19] as a cost-saving measure.[20] Production at the Cowley plant was ended, and the simple name "Mini" completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands.[21]
The Mark IV, launched in 1976, introduced a front rubber mounted subframe with single tower bolts and larger bushes in the rear frame. In addition twin stalk indicators were introduced with larger foot pedals, and from 1977 onwards the rear indicator lamps had the reverse lights incorporated in them.
The Mark V, launched in 1984, introduced 8.4-inch (210 mm) brake discs and plastic wheel arches (mini special arches) but retained the same Mark IV body shell shape.
For the Mark VI, launched in 1990, the engine mounting points were moved forward to take 1275 cc power units, and includes the HIF carb version, plus the single point fuel injected car which came out in 1991. The 998 cc power units were discontinued. Internal bonnet release were fitted from 1992.
The Mark VII, launched in 1996, was the final version of the original two door Mini. For this model twin point injection with front mounted radiator was introduced, along with full-width a dashboard, internal bonnet release and driver's side airbag
The first new generation Mini was introduced in 2001. In many European markets, the Mini One was powered by a 1.4 litre I4[22] version of the Tritec engine but all other petrol powered Minis used the 1.6 litre I4 version.[23][24] Since 2005, a soft-top convertible option has been available across the entire range.
The names Cooper and Cooper S followed the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the Mini. John Cooper also created a one-off racing model of the Mini Cooper S named the Mini Cooper S Works. This car features many extras which help to improve performance, such as a racing exhaust and air filter as well as uprated suspension. The car also has one-of-a-kind 17-inch (430 mm) racing wheels.[25]
The Mk I Mini One, Cooper and Cooper S used some version of the reliable, Brazilian-built Tritec engine, co-developed by Chrysler & BMW; the Mini One D used a Toyota-built diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that future engines would be built in the UK, making the car essentially British-built again; final assembly took place at Oxford, and the body pressings were made in nearby Swindon at BMW's Swindon Pressings Ltd subsidiary.
At the 2004 Salon International de l'Auto, Mini introduced a convertible model which was released in the 2005 model year and available in One, Cooper and Cooper S versions.
The convertible roof is fully automatic — an unusual feature in such a small car — and can be opened partially to act as a sunroof whilst the car is driving at speed. The convertible model forsakes the rear hatchback of the Hardtop Mini, replacing it with a drop down 'tailgate' that is reminiscent of the classic Mini — it incorporates similarly prominent external hinges, and with the roof in the closed position, the rear roof section and luggage shelf can be raised with two handles, semi-tailgate style, to access the luggage space easier. The convertible also adds two small power windows for the rear seat passengers which are lowered automatically when the roof opens. The roof is made from a heavy cloth, with many layers of insulation; the rear window is glass with an integral heater/defroster, but no washer or wiper.
At the 2007 North American International Auto Show, Mini introduced the limited edition Mini Cooper S Sidewalk Convertible. It had a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0 to 62 mph) in 7.9 seconds. The engine provides 168 hp (125 kW) and 220 N·m (160 ft·lbf) of torque.
Mini Cooper S John
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