Mini Cabrio 2016 News

The new unit is based on the one in the 1.6-litre Mini Cooper S, with twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel-injection and variable valve control. The turbocharger is tweaked for extra boost and the engine has been fitted with a new high-performance exhaust system – finished with twin stainless-steel tailpipes. Engine outputs are 155kW of power at 6000rpm, and 260Nm of torque from 1850-5500rpm, with 280Nm available for a few seconds on overboost between 2000-5200rpm. It will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard, but there will still be the option of a six-speed automatic with a manumatic mode and shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. Mini says the new engine gets a weight-saving aluminium block and bearing mounts, lighter crankshaft, reinforced pistons and a high-strength cylinder head. The manual transmission gets a fuel saving stop-start system, and the load on the electrical system is reduced by brake energy recapture with the alternator disengaging at high revs – combining to cut your fuel burn by about 500ml per 100km.  

Mini designer Alec Issigonis and performance tweaker John Cooper had a brain explosion in 1964 and developed a model with twin motors. Cooper crashed it, spent eight months in hospital and the idea was officially shelved. It hasn't stopped many backyard mechanics from having a go ever since, including Brisbane dentist Bill Westerman."Five years ago I was drinking beer with my friend Fred Sayers and we both decided to build one," he says in his garage littered with Mini engines in various states of rebuild. "Right from the word go — when the hangover cleared — we got stuck right into it."His 1964 Mini Cooper S with a "worn-out" 1293cc engine in the front and another in the back is called "Nuts". "Because you have to be nuts to drive it and it's better with two," says Westerman with a cheeky grin."I don't know what I paid for this one. It came from a shell. I had a shed load of Minis at the time. It's a sickness, you know."The graduate dentist began learning his mechanical skills from his first car which was a composite Series II Land Rover he made from two he bought at auction. His love of Minis started with his second purchase in 1969 when he bought a new Cooper S for $2500 and headed off to work in outback Waikerie, South Australia."I realised fairly quickly that what you really need in the outback is a V8, so I bought an XY Falcon ute," he says. "It went through a set of tyres every 6000 miles (9656km), a set of shocks every three months and universal joints at least once a year over those corrugated roads."His next car was a modified VB Commodore V8 wagon donated to the young dentist by Holden. He had it about five years before returning to Brisbane, more study at the University of Queensland and the start of his amateur career racing Minis from 1986 to today."The aim was to race all the circuits in Australia and I've just about done that except for Perth and Darwin," he says. "I've had a lot of fun. Racing has been very good to me. I've always been in the middle of the pack because I didn't spend enough money on the race car to win."His efforts to get more power out of a Mini and get further to the front of the pack led him down the ignominious Issigonis path of a twin-engined model. "We were worried after the first drive as it was an extremely difficult beast to keep on the road," he says. "There has to be co-ordination between the two motors. The gearing is the same and all the internals in the engine are the same, but we set the front so it was revving slightly harder so there is a bit of a pull factor."The revelation that kept the beast on the road came from an article in a 1960s Sportscar World magazine about the Formula One Ferguson all-wheel-drive race car. "We got a lot of hints from that; you need an overdrive diff on the front and back," he says. "We put one in the front and it made a bit of a difference and then we put one in the back and all of a sudden it goes. The diff takes up the front-to-back bias. It used to crab before that."The other major problem was the suspension. "Minis usually understeer, but this one was really taily at the start, not because of the weight in the rear but the front suspension we put in the rear. The problem was the back castor ... it had too much toe-in and we had to remove it. Instead of a steering box and steering geometry we made it into a straight-ahead suspension. Now I can drive it over all the ripple strips and still maintain control of the car. We have handling reasonable so now we are after more horsepower."Two more powerful engines in various stages of rebuild are sitting on the floor of his garage waiting to be thrown into the "Nuts" car. "I have the theoretical knowledge of mechanics to build an engine but Fred has the practical knowledge to make it work," he says. "It's been an interesting engineering exercise."Unfortunately, the car won't be ready in time for the second annual Cootha Classic hillclimb which Westerman organises for the Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland. "Maybe next year," he says.The Cootha Classic will be held on May 29-30 featuring more than 250 cars and about 50 motorcycles from the 1920s to today in timed sprints around a 1450m track up and down Sir Samuel Griffith Drive with seven corners and chicanes.Racing starts at 8.30am. Entry is $20 a day, $15 for concession, $30 for a two-day pass and $5 for parking in the J.C. Slaughter Falls carpark.Visit: www.visitbrisbane.com.au.

The popularity of the legendary Mini has surprised most, especially BMW, which admits it underestimated just how successful the reborn brick would be.With the introduction of the Mini Cabrio – which will go on sale after the Sydney Motor Show – this popularity is expected to further cement the little three-door hatch's place in the market.A price premium of less than $8000 is expected on both Mini Cooper Cabrio and Mini Cooper S Cabrio models over their fixed-roof counterparts. That would make the Cooper Cabrio about $42,000 and the Cooper S Cabrio about $47,000.Mini has made a significant contribution to the success of the BMW Group: "In all, we have sold more than 400,000 Minis since its introduction not quite three years ago," says BMW board member Burkhard Goschel.The Mini Cabrio is a real looker with the roof down. It rises slightly to the rear and the waistline gives the car a sporty profile accentuated by a chrome strip.The Mini is renowned for its go-kart-like abilities, precise handling and generally fun characteristics and the Cabrio does not disappoint.It was surprisingly quiet with the top down – high in the mountains the wind nearly knocked you over when outside the car but felt like a light breeze when inside due to the high-pitched windscreen, high windows and standard wind deflector. (The wind deflector double folds to the size of an A4 sheet of paper and about 2cm thick when not in use.)Rear vision is compromised with the top off and the wind deflector in place but it is expected the Cooper S Cabrio will receive a standard reverse-parking aid.With the roof closed the boot is 165 litres, and 120 litres when it is open.Flexing noises were heard with the roof closed, only a tiny amount of scuttle shake was felt and there was no steering kickback. Even in the wet the 15-inch wheels did not want to let go.The Cabrio has a 1.6-litre engine that produces 85kW at 6000rpm and a top speed of 193km/h. It consumes just 7.3L per 100km.Despite a revised five-speed gearbox with shortened throw, the Cooper Cabrio's 150Nm of torque let it down, especially as it carries 100kg more than the fixed-roof model.Despite being able to corner at fast speeds the gearbox was unable to pull the 1175kg out in the same gear, meaning the car was either over-revved in second or struggling in third.The Cabrio is, however, just as nimble as its roofed counterpart, featuring larger and sturdier body parts, an extra-strong floor pan and side sills, along with additional V-struts between the underbody and the rear axle and stiffening between the engine mount and strut tower to provide further reinforcement.The side sills' thickness has been increased and reinforcement pockets have been integrated, increasing body stiffness and preventing the door sills deforming in a head-on collision. The underbody has been reinforced with new crossbars in the area of the B-pillar.The Cabrio has two front airbags, two seat-integrated side airbags, a reinforced A-pillar and a roll-over bar capable of holding three times the car's weight.While the back seat room is not huge it can take two people in relative comfort.All Mini models gain a new headlight design, and tail lights with clear glass covers. Xenon headlights are optional.The Cooper Cabrio adds Hot Orange and Cool Blue paint to its palette and the Cooper S Hyper Blue, bringing to 10 the number of paint options. There are 11 upholstery options, nine interior variants, three roof colours and seven different light-alloy wheels.Buyers can opt to colour-code one of four exterior paint colours to the dash panel, replacing the brushed-aluminium look.You can also opt for a round centre instrument panel for the fuel gauge and the coolant temperature, run-flat and service-interval indicators. All Australian specifications are yet to be finalised.The Cooper S Cabrio will come with a new supercharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 125kW at 6000rpm and a revised six-speed manual gearbox. Maximum torque is 220Nm at 4000rpm. The supercharged sun lover hits 100km/h in 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 215km/h, 0.2 seconds and 7km/h down on the fixed-roof model.