2009 Mini Cooper Reviews

Development took place between 1995 and 2001 under the directorship of the Rover Group.In 1999 BMW took control of the Rover Group in one of the many large takeovers of the period. BMW sold off Rover in 2000 but decided to keep the Mini as a seperate brand. This second period Mini is sometimes called ‘BMW Mini’ or the ‘New Mini’.Mini is 55cm longer, 30cm and 400kg heavier than the original. These figures have prompted many enthusiasts of the original to feel that Mini is not a true successor and some purists disparage Mini as unworthy of the name, however many other enthusiasts have embraced it..First Generation Mini was launched in April 2001 and on 3 April 2007, the one millionth Mini was produced after six years of production, one month longer than it took the classic Mini to reach the same total in March 1965.Since 2001 many variants have been produced as well as numerous show and concept versions. The Mini is now in what is known as the Second Generation and currently there are three body types: hatchback, convertible and Clubman. as well as many power variants from electric, diesel through to the 155kW John Cooper Garage versionFirst generationMk I Mini HatchbackFirst generation Mk I Mini Cooper SProduction2001-2006 (Mk I hatchback)2005-2008 (Mk I convertible)Body style(s)3-door hatchback2-door convertibleEngine* 1.4L Tritec I4 (One)* 1.4L Toyota 1ND-TV diesel (D)* 1.6L Tritec I4 (Cooper)* 1.6L Tritec supercharged I4 (S)Transmission* CVT* 5-speed manual* 6-speed automatic and manualSecond generation – 2007 - continuingMini introduced a brand new, thoroughly re-worked second generation car in 2007. The Gen 2 Mini (or R56), utilises a re-engineered platform with numerous engineering and styling changes. The drivetrain is shared with Peugeot and Citroen and is designed to be more cost effective to manufacture and fuel efficient to run. Generation Two was engineered in the UK by BMW.Body* 3-door hatchback* 2-door convertible* 5-door estateEngine* 1.4L Prince I4 (One)* 1.6L Prince I4 (Cooper)* 1.6L Peugeot DV6 diesel I4 (Cooper D)* 1.6L Prince turbocharged I4 (Cooper S)Transmission* 6-speed automatic* 6-speed manualRelated articles:Mini: Car of the Week (part 1)Mini diesel price announcedFirst drive: 2009 Mini Cooper CabrioIn the garage: Mini Cooper ChilliBathurst 1000 - past winnersFind your very own Mini

But the Chilli variant adds even a little more heat to the recipe, for which the cost starts at around $43,500. Of course, you can add all sort of goodies from the bursting Mini option wardrobe to bump that price tag up at will.EngineMated to a six speed manual transmission, or optional six speed auto, the Mini Cooper S Chilli is powered by a 1.6 litre, four cylinder turbocharged engine that squeezes out 128kW at 5500 rpm and 240Nm at 1600-5000 rpm.On its way to a top speed of 225km/h, it will pass the 100km/h mark in 7.1 seconds.In the city, the Chilli burns 7.9 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres but on country roads and freeways that figure can drop considerably to around 5.2 litres, while CO2 emissions are also relatively low, at around 149 g/km.ExteriorThe ‘compact on the outside, roomy on the inside’ promise continues with the Cooper S Chilli.Seventeen inch alloy wheels jammed hard into each corner provide the car with minimal overhangs and promote a stocky, bulldog appearance.A wrap-around style glass window band increases peripheral vision and the upright windscreen improves interior space.The wide-mouth, hexagonal grille and bi-xenon elliptical headlights, plus chrome highlights and Cooper S badging accentuate the sporty look of the Chilli, whilst side sills, flared wheel arches, twin exhausts, twin racing stripes and a wing-shaped roof spoiler compliment its muscular, purposeful stance.InteriorThere is a feeling of precision and quality inside the Mini Cooper S Chilli.Supportive leather seats and multifunction steering wheel provide a superior level of comfort, whilst the unique dash layout – emphasised by the huge speedo in the middle - is fresh, neat and well made.There is plenty of storage space in the roomy, chrome-finished cabin, including two cup holders, and enough leg room in the back seats for two average sized males to sit in comfort on short trips.SafetyAs well as six standard airbags, the Chilli comes with anit-skid brakes with cornering control, brakeforce distribution and stability and traction control systems.DrivingIt’s always refreshing to see a unique approach to interior design. Mini has certainly achieved difference with the switch laden dash and big retro dials finished with chrome and lots of glass and colour. Whether it’s necessarily to our taste is another story but big-ups in any case for the effort.One negative was the position of the speedometer. It might look striking and novel if you’re not driving but it’s a hassle to look left all the time to see how fast you’re going – and perhaps a little dangerous too. Another sore point was the footrest that seemed a bit too large for our Aussie feet, and got in the way a lot when changing gears.But the seats were firm and supportive, the cabin was light and roomy and the fat leather wheel felt substantial in the hand. Most of the controls were easy to find and simple to use, although we did take a bit of time fumbling our way a round the audio system.All the talk about the Cooper S range handling like a go-kart is on the money. The bigger wheels at each corner give it plenty of grip. Diving in and out of corners, the car was always direct and true.The turbo charger gives the Chilli all the nip it needed. We did find giving it too much squirt took enough weight off the front wheels to liken it to an untethered hose on full whack, which was a little unsettling.The suspension could have been slightly more forgiving which would have ironed out a few rattles and knocks over rough bitumen, but there was little to no body roll given its extremely low centre of gravity and ideal weight distribution.But overall, this is a fun and feisty car – with all the pocket performance you could want, and great looks to boot.

But for how long will it hang on to the title.BMW'S two—door Mini will soon snatch away from rival Smart the bragging rights of having Australia's greenest new car — but it looks like its reign is going to be short lived.The diesel version of the Mini arrives in June, promising an average a budget friendly fuel consumption of 3.9 litres per 100km — or a remarkable 3.5 litres on the highway — giving it a range of just over 1000km on a tank from an engine which produces just 104g of CO2 per kilometre.That will make the Mini D cleaner than the much vaunted Toyota Prius hybrid and the current green car king, the Fourtwo from Mercedes—Benz subsidiary Smart which has a mild hybrid system.But Smart isn't lying down and will fight back with an even cleaner two—seat FourTwo, which may go on sale as early as August. It will lower the green bar even further to 3.3l/100km and promising an astonishing clean exhaust for a conventional combustion engine of just 88g/km of CO2.And waiting in the wings will be an equally smart 1.2—litre Fiat 500 cabriolet, due to be launched at the Geneva Motor Show next month which will use the same fuel saving stop—start engine technology as the Mini. It's due in Australia next year to take its share of the frugal limelight.Meanwhile, all eyes are on the new diesel version of the cute—as Mini, and the big advantage it has over the Smart is that it at least has a back seat, of sorts.The stylish Mini's maxi appeal is you can have fun and at the same time feel good about being environmentally responsible. It promises class leading fuel economy from its direct injection turbo engine, jointly developed with Peugeot and Citroen, without the need for expensive and hefty batteries which are the millstone of existing electric/petrol hybrid systems.Pricing is yet to be fixed but the Mini D is expected to come into the market for about $34,000 for the base Cooper version and just under $38,000 for the better equipped sporty Chilli.But the diesel Mini nearly didn't make it to our market. A year ago it would not have been possible for BMW to sell it here.The Mini D's remarkable fuel economy is largely achieved by automatically shutting down its engine when at idle, such as stopped at traffic lights. Depressing the clutch instantly fires up the engine again. It also switches off ancillaries, such as the alternator and water pump until needed to reduce engine load to save fuel while energy traditionally lost when braking is recaptured and fed back to the battery.As well, there's even a gauge to tell the driver when to change gears for maximum efficiency.But most of this technology, developed by Bosch, works best with a lean burn diesel engine and until last month Australia's diesel was too high in sulphur to make it work. The sulphur level was reduced in December, opening a flood gate to companies like BMW to bring in high tech engine technology.The green friendly message will be a big marketing draw card for Mini as buyers look to downsize and look at fuel efficient alternatives.BMW Australia last year successfully convinced Germany there was a sound business case for adding the diesel to the Australian Mini range. It was, in hindsight, a brave move considering the majority of Mini owners scoffed at such an idea of having a diesel under the bonnet. But times have changed and being seen to being green is now OK. So how does the diesel Mini drive? The quick answer is a lot better than many critics thought.DrivingGood grief, a Mini with a diesel. What next? But hang on, there's some sound reasoning for going down the diesel path, not the least is the feel good factor.And by the way, you can spot the diesel by the slight power bulge — or is that a pot belly — on the bonnet and the D badge on the boot, otherwise it looks like a regular Mini.For those who frown at the thought of a diesel Mini: be prepared for a culture shock. This one comes high on the fun factor scale.There are a couple of minor downsides — at highway speeds there's some wind noise around the A frames, the engine sounds harsh over 3000rpm and there's some old fashioned diesel clatter on start up and engine shudder when it automatically shuts down and goes into idle mode.And the engine shutting down when the car is stopped feels strange but you get used to it and you can switch it off if not needed.But the positives here far outweigh the negatives. This is no sprint car but underway this oil burner is remarkably quiet and refined.Punting it along dead smooth German autobahns and average quality rural roads proved the Mini, despite the extra weight of the diesel motor, sits well on the road with a compliant suspension setup , good dampening and precise gear shifting.It certainly has the potential to shine on Australian roads and the claimed 3.9l/100kmh looks achievable. The ride from the runflat tyres is firm without being uncomfortable. And it retains the Mini magic of crisp point to point steering.It may only have 80kW under its belt, and zero to 100km/h takes a leisurely 9.9 seconds but you don't buy the this Mini for off the line pace. This is a fairly relaxed engine: at 100km/h it is only pulling 1800 revs.Torque is what the Cooper D is all about — 240Nm of it spread between 1750 and 2000rpm which can be briefly boosted to 260Nm under full throttle. To put that another way, the diesel produces the same amount of torque as the existing turbocharged Cooper S, but uses substantially less fuel and will be markedly cheaper to buy. The Cooper D will sell for about $34,000, the petrol Cooper S sells for $42,100.And that's the conundrum facing Mini buyers. Can they live with the D for diesel badge on the boot?If not, hide the badge and still boast to your friends you are doing your bit to save the planet.Let them guess what's under the bonnet. On sale: JunePrice: $34,000 to $38,000Engine: 1.6—litre turbo diesel, 80kW at 4000rpm, 240Nm torque from 1750rpm; peak torque 260Nm under full boost.Transmission: Six—speed manual or six—speed automatic optionalEconomy: 3.9l/100km combined, 104g/km CO2Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it. 

As I jumped into an electric Mini in Los Angeles, as one of the very first journalists anywhere in the world to drive the Mini E, I was surprised as it drove so much like a normal petrol- powered car.The Mini E is spritely, has excellent air conditioning, rides nicely and has the same quality construction and funky looks as the regular petrol-power Mini models in showrooms in Australia. And, as you would expect, it is very, very quiet.Then again, it is charged through a high-voltage cable connected to the electricity grid ...The Mini E also drops from a four-seater to a two-passenger car, as the tail end is loaded with the giant 200-kilogram battery pack which makes it one of the cars at the sharp end of the move from unleaded to volts.There are many other electric cars at the Los Angeles Motor Show this week, and California has become a hotbed of electric action as major carmakers accelerate their plans for zero-emission cars to battle global warming "This is about re-inventing mobility. Change and progress is coming,"the head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker, Carlos Ghosn of Renault-Nissan, said at the opening of the Los Angeles Motor Show.He forecasted global sales of around seven million electric vehicles a year by 2020, although that will still only be around 10 per cent of total worldwide sales.The Mini E is already the poster car for the green movement with significant advantages over other contenders including the Mitsubishi i-MIEV mini-car.For a start, it has 240-kilometre range. It can also zap to 100km/h in just 8.5 seconds, which is better than many petrol cars, and it has a top speed of 155 km/h.It can also be recharged in just 2.5 hours.The bad news, for now, is that Mini is only building 500 Es and they will only be leased to people in the USA for around $1500 a month.There is no plan to bring the car to Australia, except for demonstrations.But the BMW Group, which produced the Mini E, is committed to alternative energy and is working on everything from cleaner petrol engines to hydrogen power and the eventual switch to electric.Mitsubishi will easily beat Mini to showrooms when it introduces its plug-in i-MIEV towards the end of next year and Daimler also has battery-power plans for its Smart ForTwo and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, probably early in 2010.But everyone on the electric bandwagon knows that cars such as the Mini E will only be workable in Australia once there is a significant network of plug-in charging stations like the one already in place in LA.That is one reason why the head of the i-MIEV project, Kenichiro Wada of Mitsubishi, is coming to Australia next month."I am sorry, but without any infrastructure we cannot supply this car to Australia. It is chick-and-egg relationship," Wada said."If possible, I would like to talk to governments and power utility companies. They have to prepare for the arrival of electric cars."