Mini Cooper News

Mini bigwig Dr. Michael Ganal said all new models of the Mini had completely new four cylinder engines, which he claimed increased performance and decreased fuel consumption by 20 per cent.Other new features included an optimised chassis, new six-speed transmission and electro-mechanically assisted power steering.The new Mini is boasting itself as the safest car in its class with six airbags as standard. Ganal said the exterior changes are subtle because Mini buyers don’t like change, so the rounded headlights and hexagonal grille have had only slight design tweaks to bring them up to date.Inside is a different story, with a complete revamp for a more spacious and sporty feel, he said.The CARSguide test team is currently in Barcelona for the official worldwide launch of the new Mini, and our test drive reports will be available in coming weeks.

"It was really different; you can't describe those sorts of feelings," he says."It gave me a different attitude to lots of things, I was usually on the bottom of the barrel, suddenly I was on the top."And it wasn't just a success for Holden and his partner BMC's Finnish works driver Rauno Aaltonen, but for Mini cars overall, which filled the top nine places.On Sunday October 8, Minis and Mini fans will gather at Bathurst before the 2006 Great Race to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their victory. Holden will lead a parade of more than 50 Minis, mainly older models, including a replica of the 1966 Cooper S he raced. The original was stolen from outside a Sydney nightspot, never to be seen again.Mini is also considering making a return to Bathurst next Easter for the 12-hour race for production cars."We're considering our options for 2007 and if the 12-hour race fits with our program we'll be there," Mini spokesman Alexander Corne says. "It has appeal to us because Mini and Bathurst have a strong history."Holden plays a big part in that history, launching Minis into the spotlight with his 1 1/2-lap victory in the 1966 event."I only drove little cars, which means you don't get noticed until something like Bathurst and you beat all the bigger ones, then you're on top again," Holden says.The racing legend's rise to success was one of determination and commitment.Born with what he describes as "twisted feet" and contracting polio while in hospital at the age of five, Holden was told he would never walk. But he was determined to "get mobile".Walking led to riding bicycles and competing, until an injured knee forced him out of the sport. It was a simple progression into his next sport of choice when he was 18."I wanted to do something else, so I started playing around with motorcars," he says.Even today, Holden doesn't hesitate to showcase his talents on the track, driving a Mini in last weekend's Speed On Tweed and competing at Eastern Creek and Queensland raceways in recent weeks. Earlier this year, Holden raced a V8 ute at Bathurst. "I still win races every now and then," he says.Holden's resume includes racing Peugeots, Holdens, MGs, Escorts, BMWs and Corollas and stretches to "thousands" of events spanning more than 56 years.He competed at Bathurst 34 times and says he particularly enjoyed driving the Minis."The car itself did things that no other car did in those days," he says."They were pretty important, they were attainable, it wasn't very expensive. You haven't got overhang, everything was balanced, it was front-wheel-drive which, at that stage, wasn't thought of very much."Minis began production in Australia in 1961 and Corne says they quickly became part of the racing scene.The Cooper S was introduced in 1964 and although production stopped in 1971, the cars were still racing up until 1976.At the upcoming anniversary, Holden will get behind the wheel of a 2006 model Mini Cooper S.This is one of three 2006 Minis that has been competing and will continue to compete in the big motorsport events throughout the year. And Holden says the new version of the car that has developed a cult-like following over the decades, is just as much fun to drive, even though it's a little bigger. "I love it," he says. "It's still got all the atmosphere. It has front pockets, it's front-wheel-drive; all Mini things."As with the cars he drove, Holden is kicking on and says he feels better now than ever. Even recent battles with cancer can't slow him down. "I love being me and being able to do this," he says."When you are told you're never supposed to be walking, every day's a bonus."People ask why I'm still racing. If I stopped, I'd stay stopped. I wouldn't get going again. I want to keep going."Mini launched a search for colour photos of the 1966 victory through CARSguide and they have reaped rewards, with the discovery of several colour pictures.The 2007 Mini will be going on display at the Paris Motor Show next week.

Outrageous styling, Euro flair and retro features have taken a grip on this year's Paris motor show, which starts next week. Many of the world's leading carmakers will unveil futuristic concept cars as well as their next generation of production cars at Europe's biggest show of 2006.Paris and Frankfurt alternate as the host every year - and with 2006 being the turn of the French capital, the local manufacturers seem set to steal the show.Renault will unveil its stunning four-seater cabriolet, the Nepta. Underneath the retro gull-wing doors is a 3.5-litre V6 twin turbo engine that puts out 313kW of power and 560Nm of torque at 3000rpm. An aluminium strip covers the hinges on the bonnet, which gives off a shooting-star effect. Renault spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says the gull-wing doors are certainly unusual and the first time a Renault has featured them."The object of designing concept vehicles is to experiment with new technology and design with a view to assessing their suitability for application to future production vehicles," she says.The Nepta is quick off the mark, accelerating from 0-100km/h in just 4.9seconds through its seven-speed automatic gearbox, which features flick shift steering-wheel-mounted controls. With fluid lines and a thoroughbred profile, the Nepta has a long body shape, accentuated by the wave-shaped side panels, the lower part of the body's aluminium colour treatment, the front and rear spoilers and the mud flaps. The rear has a longer overhang than the front and the car sits on massive 23-inch tyres.Citroen, meanwhile, will show off its masterwork, the low-riding four-door coupe, the C-Matisse. It is showcasing diesel-electric hybrid technology, a system Citroen wants to introduce on its production cars by 2008.The concept is powered by a V6 diesel engine with 150kW of power and 400Nm of torque delivered through the front wheels.There are also two electric motors that drive the rear wheels. These motors, which are powered by a bank of batteries, sit in the rear wheel hubs. Not to be outdone, Citroen's sister company, Peugeot, will display its monster 908RC concept car which, unlike the other concepts, is a pointer to the firm's racetrack future. Peugeot is going back to the Le Mans 24-hour race with a diesel.The 908RC, however, is a giant luxury limousine with futuristic looks and a swag of new technology. Its 5.5-litre V12 diesel engine will also be at the heart of Peugeot's racer.Peugeot says the concept car will reach 0-100km/h in less than five seconds, thanks to a six-speed manual gearbox and a rear-mounted powerplant that has been arranged in a similar layout to the race car. Closer to production from Peugeot is the 207 Epure, an all-white pointer to the next generation 207CC cabriolet to go on sale next year.Not to be outdone, Mercedes is unveiling the latest interpretation of its SLR supercar genre, the SLR McLaren 722 Edition. Developed with its Formula One partner McLaren, the brutish 722 is named after a famous victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, the classic Italian road race from that golden era.Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson drove a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, numbered 722 because it started the race at 7.22am.The new car has a supercharged 5.5-litre V8 that has 478kW of power on tap. It will rocket from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, and will hit 300km/h just 25 seconds later.Maybach, Mercedes' ultra-luxury arm, will show off its first ever white model - a 5.7m-long 57 S model in mother-of-pearl finish. It will go into production this year.Red, however, is the colour of choice for Alfa Romeo owners and the first photos of the production version of its 8C Competizione supercar illustrate just how stunning the Italian machine will be. However, Alfa buyers shouldn't get too excited. The 336kW, 4.7-litre, V8-engined two-seat GT hotty will be produced in limited numbers.And as with the Mercedes SLR, it owes its naming history to the Mille Miglia race - this time the winning 1950 6C Competizione.From the other side of the Atlantic, Dodge's new Avenger may officially still be a concept, but it is on a fast track to production status. The D-Segment, or mid-sized, concept will be unveiled to what should be strong acceptance. With Dodge already announcing that an all-new D-Segment model will hit showrooms late next year, the Avenger is the US manufacturer's red-hot favourite to fill that bill. Reaction to the car has already been positive, according to DaimlerChrysler Australia's Simon Johnston."The official company line is that all concept cars will be judged on the public reaction to them ... reaction has already been positive from the limited exposure the car has had and the next sedan model for Australia will be (a new) mid-sized car late next year," he says.The styling of the Avenger is sharp and chunky, with strong sporty appeal for Dodge's declared youth demographic.The Avenger concept is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo diesel - an unusual choice of powerplant for an American-centric vehicle. GM, meanwhile, will debut a new Chevrolet concept car, which was designed by an Australian, Ewan Kingsbury.This concept, called the WTTC Ultra, features a 142kW diesel engine and is loosely based on Chev's World Touring Car Championship racing car.Korea's Hyundai is unveiling its Arnejs concept, which it hopes will eventually lead to European sales of a down-the-track production car. Arnejs - pronounced Ar-nez - is a C-segment small car competitor.Volkswagen will show off its new Iroc concept, seen as a pointer to a future generation of the old Scirocco sports coupe. The Viper, a green-coloured four-seater, marginally bigger than a Golf, has a "twin-charger" powerplant featuring a supercharger/turbocharger combination.Fuel economy unusually unites BMW and Suzuki at the show.The luxury maker is showing its new Hydrogen 7, a hydrogen-engined 7series prestige machine. Suzuki, currently enjoying a resurgence thanks to the Swift, unveils its new 1.2-litre Splash concept - aimed only at Europe - claiming petrol fuel economy of 3.6L/100km.FAST FACTSNew model production cars to be unveiled at the Paris motor show include:* Audi Q7 V12 diesel and R8* BMW Hydrogen 7 saloon* Citroen C4 Picasso* Honda Civic Type R* Honda CRV* Mini Cooper* Mitsubishi Outlander* Mitsubishi Pajero* Nissan Qashqai small 4WD 

You need more than just pictures, and a side-by-side staring match would be best of all, but the 2007 Mini is different from the car that brought the British star back from the dead.This time, BMW - which owns the rights to the Mini name and shape - has made the car bigger, faster and more efficient.And it also has a BMW engine in place of the wheezy DaimlerChrysler four that was fitted to the outgoing car.There will also be a turbocharged motor in the new Cooper S, replacing the previous supercharged engine and continuing the push towards turbos that BMW began with the latest leader in its 3-Series coupe family."Mini hasn't been re-invented, just refined," spokesman for Mini in Australia Alexander Corne says."It proves that Mini has grown up a little bit, but it has not lost any of its cheeky fun. The biggest difference is going to be the new engine and the new interior."We'll be doing two models again. The Cooper and the Cooper S."The car is expected in Australia in the first quarter of 2007, almost exactly five years since the rebirth of the baby boomer.The base motor lifts power from 85kW to 88kW and 150Nm to 160Nm, though the 0-100km/h sprint time is unchanged despite a 10kg weight reduction.But the Cooper S will be one-tenth quicker to 100km/h, at 7.1 seconds, with the BMW turbo-motor good for 128kW and 240Nm against the 125kW and 220Nm on the old car.There is also an overboost feature that lifts it to 260Nm in brief bursts. The Mini will come with six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, still with front-wheel-drive, with steering wheel buttons for auto change.The package for Australia will still have six airbags, anti-skid brakes and stability control, although the exact specification will not be set until closer to the on-sale date."It will be here next year, around the time of the Melbourne Motor Show. So on sale in March," Corne says."Orders are still very strong for the current car," he says.The plan is already set for the changeover, with Mini pushing hard on the visible changes inside the car and the mechanical overhaul."It's got state-of-the-art engineering in the engines. The Cooper has valvetronic and the S has a turbocharger with direct petrol injection, so it's the same technology as the six-cylinder engine in the BMW 335 Coupe," Corne says."The growth is at the front for improved pedestrian impact safety, and slightly at the rear to balance the proportions. It's pretty minimal, 60mm overall."The interior is new. There is a new dash, new seats, and the effect is more masculine and quite sporty. It retains a central speedo design and toggle switches, which are Mini icons, but everything has been upgraded."Mini has confirmed the base car, but there is no news on a change to the convertible or the introduction of the third model in the lineup, almost certain to be a multi-purpose wagon."There is going to be another model, but it won't be coming for a while. And the Cabrio continues unchanged, with the same body and engines, for the foreseeable future," Corne says.

"This will be a brand and image shaper for MINI," MINI national manager Shawn Ticehurst says. "We expect it will attract new target groups and grow MINI volumes by greater than 30 per cent to more than 2000for 2005."While not all of the growth will be Cabrio sales – Ticehurst says research shows that when a drop-top model is launched, hard-top versions also enjoy a popularity boost – MINI is expecting to move at least 600 of the new cloth-tops."The small convertible market has enjoyed considerable growth in recent years," Ticehurst says."It started with the Peugeot 206cc and Holden has proven with the Astra convertible that there is a good market for a well-designed small convertible at the right price."The MINI Cabrio will arrive in both the 85kW Cooper and 125kW Cooper S models at $35,900 and $44,900 respectively.A five-speed manual is standard on the Cooper while the Cooper S has the same compact six-speed manual shifter as its hard-top stablemate.A CVT (continuously variable transmission) is a $2200 option on the Cooper while from March a six-speed automatic with a sequential manual mode will be available for the Cooper S for the same premium.Both models come stacked with the same level of specification as the hard-top versions – and the same availability of "personalisation" options that in the most extreme case can lift the cost of a Cooper S to beyond $86,000."MINI owners love to customise their cars to be different," Ticehurst says. "There is a saying in Oxford that you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to see two MINIs exactly the same."The options run from a full John Cooper Works tuning kit – now upgraded to produce a spanking 154kW Cooper S – at $9850 through bonnet stripes, xenon headlights, rain sensor wipers, satellite navigation, automatic airconditioning, a range of 17 and 18-inch light alloy rims, a high-spec Harman Kardon sound system and a wind deflector.Another personalisation option is the choice of three colours – black, green and blue – for the cloth roof to co-ordinate or contrast with the 12 available body colours, two of which – hot orange and cool blue – are exclusive to the Cabrio.The fully automatic folding roof will drop in two stages in 15 seconds either from a button inside the car or from outside using the remote key fob. The "integrated sunroof" function allows a first-stage opening of 400mm at speeds of up to 120km/h.The Cabrio claims a safety rating equivalent to the hard-top with four airbags.Mechanically, the main difference between Cabrio and the hard-top is in the suspension, where the settings have been shifted down a notch towards a softer ride. The Cooper S has the Sport setting – Sports-Plus in the hard-top – while the Cooper Cabrio is fitted with the standard suspension against the Sports in the hard-top model.Structurally the Cabrio has been stiffened through the A-pillar and along the bottom rails of the cabin section, as well as with a cross member under the seats and through the use of the aluminium cross-brace, which doubles as the rear roll-over loop."Since its launch MINI has seen a fairly strong 70:30 male bias in ownership and while that is softening a little recently we believe the Cabrio will bring more women into the showrooms," Ticehurst says."Obviously we don't want this to be seen as a 'chick's car' ... it is a very worthy sports car in its own right, but it is a style of car which could attract more female buyers."FIRST DRIVEIf you like the MINI there is every chance you will love the MINI Cabrio.The drop-top version of the modern brick has all the same go-kart-like driving characteristics of its hard-top stablemate, the same stylish cabin, the same potential for personalisation with an added dash of look-at-me flair ... and a few extra compromises.Melbourne's weather didn't play fair during the launch drive for the Cabrio this week, with fog and rain reducing the opportunity for top-down and adrenalin-up testing.Consequently, a judgment on the level of scuttle shake noted by several overseas reviews will have to wait until a more thorough test drive but it was not obvious with the clever sliding/folding cloth roof in place.What was noticeable was the effect of the softer suspension settings nominated for the Cabrio models.For the hard-top versions MINI Australia had opted for the firm Sports-Plus setting on the Cooper S and the slightly more compliant Sport on the Cooper.That has been wound back a notch further with the Cooper having standard settings and the Cooper S the basic Sport package.While the effect on the Cooper is minimal, the difference in the Cooper S ride is fairly dramatic. The car is more prone to being jiggly over broken surfaces and has a certain nervousness to its ride quality.The Cooper S, coupled to the six-speed Getrag manual, remains a barrel of fun with its 125kW and 220Nm on tap and willing over a good spread of the rev range.Even the extra 100kg of the Cabrio and the softer suspension cannot take away the fun factor.Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the 85kW Cooper with the CVT automatic.Using the "manual" shift mode with six nominated "ratios" does little to improve the experience as the box is more interventionist than US foreign policy.It changes up without being asked and resists changing down even when requested.Steering and handling remain sharp. There is still a slight propensity for push understeer if too aggressive with the wheel input – but it does take quite gross movements to induce it.The rear seating positions have been compromised, presumably squeezed to make room for the workings of the automatic folding roof.The upshot is that rear-seat passengers have been forced to sit at a rather awkward angle by the intrusion into the outsides of theseat space.For a single-layer roof the Cabrio's cloth-top is a benchmark.Wind noise is at a minimum, the fit is drum-tight and there was no noticeable stretch or drumming of the roof on the launch vehicles driven.Operation is a simple one-button affair with no manual catches to release.The first 400mm of the roof travel is a slide rearwards, opening up what MINI calls the "integrated sunroof".While that operation can be done at up to 120km/h the folding and storage of the remainder requires the car to be stationary for about 15 seconds.With the roof down, wind buffeting is not a major issue, at least for the front-seat occupants – an advantage of the (relatively) huge upright windscreen.To aid loading of the boot the rear skirt of the roof can be lifted when the tailgate is dropped, providing a quite large opening for difficult-sized objects.