Mini Cooper News

This car, caught by Carparazzi, is regular Mini but with extra rear doors to make it more family friendly. European sources say it is part of the third-generation Mini family and should be ready for showrooms in the second half of next year at around $50,000. 

The once staunch rear-wheel drive car maker says it will use its new front-drive platform for future BMW models - including the Concept Active Tourer on display at this week's Paris motor show - and for the new Mini. The new Mini Cooper, expected in early 2014, will be the first to use the shared platform that is called UKL. Speaking at the Paris show, BMW board member Ian Robertson indicated a range of front-drive models with the BMW badge that could arrive together in 2014. “One of the big advantages of UKL is that we are able to launch a lot of products almost simultaneously because we are doing the engineering at once,” Robertson says. In reference to the Concept Active Tourer, he says: “This is the first car that we are showing.” BMW is on record as saying the premium small car market will become the fastest growing segment because it offered flexibility in design, spaciousness and a compact footprint. “We will attract a broad profile of customers, from young families to people entering the later phase of life,” Robertson says. “You get a lot of flexibility.”

Being unveiled at Paris motor show, it is the fastest Mini ever. Just 30 of a limited production run of 2000 worldwide - the current car's swansong before an all-new Mini in 2014 - will roll off boats in Australia, wearing a sub-$60,000 price tag and promising serious performance. Mini product communications manager Scott Croaker says the JCW GP was the current Mini's last hurrah before the new car arrived. “This is the last hurrah of current Mini, given the new Mini is due to premiere next year this would be a similar thing - a limited edition of the R56 as we call it,” he says. Mr Croaker said just 30 out of limited production run of 2000 had been secured for Australian customers to arrive in Australia during the first quarter of next year, and many already had names on them - but if more became available the Australian arm would look to grab them. “There are quite a number with names on them already, there are not too many left at the moment. Getting any more depends on whether other markets take up their allocation.” The 1160kg six-speed manual two-seater wears a fully-functioning aerodynamic body kit and sits on specialist sports suspension and has upgraded brakes beneath 17in Mini Challenge alloy wheels. A Mini first will be adjustable coilover suspension, which will allow the ride height to be dropped by up to 20mm and give owners the ability to tune the suspension for racetrack work. Other track-related changes include the stability and traction control, which has a Sport mode function as well as a GP racing mode. The extra mode deletes any power reduction from the system and gives the GP the ability to brake the inside front wheel in corners to prevent wheelspin. The system loads up the outside wheel in corners to improve drive out of the corner, which is going to be a requirement given these outputs. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbo direct-injection powerplant has been upgraded and wound up to 160kW and 260Nm (with 280Nm on offer during overboost), enough to lay claim to a 6.3 second sprint to 100km/h, a 242km/h top speed and an 8m23s time around the northern loop of the Nurburgring - 18 seconds quicker than the previous JCW machine. The JCW GP also lays claim to EU fuel consumption figures around 7.1 litres per 100km. Race-bred brakes will bring it to an eye-watering halt - six-piston fixed-calipers gripping 330mm ventilated front and 280mm solid rear discs - as well as a features list will also include xenon headlights, foglights, air conditioning, Recaro sports seats, a cargo bay guard to keep luggage in place, a JCW thick-rimmed leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and gearshifter knob. Also on the cards for Australia is the Mini Countryman JCW - which will have the same engine outputs as the lighter GP but will be all-wheel drive and have an automatic available. “That will be similar in terms of timing, we'll see that at the start of next year, its performance won't be similar but it gets similar outputs and will be available with an automatic, which will flow through into other models in the JCW range,” Mr Croaker says.  

See the effort and technology that goes into making that one perfect image. Filmed at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

The new look is dominated by a large flat front with huge headlights on the end of a longer nose for pedestrian protection.Carparazzi says the cabin loses the centre-mounted speedo that has been a retro link since the sixties icon was re-birthed by BMW Group. 

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.  

According to Carparazzi, tweaking to the hot Mini - lowered suspension, new grille, rear diffuser and central exhaust - point to a John Cooper Works challenge edition.

At some point in the evolution of the Mini portfolio the designers started to reinterpret the new Mini rather than the original.  The latest variation, the Mini Coupe, is a case in point, because it has little in common with the 1960s original designed by the late Sir Alec Issigonis.  The coupe is the fifth variation of the theme and the first two-seater to bear the famous moniker.  Makes you wonder how many more they've got up their sleeve?  Mini's masters BMW claim the coupe offers a depth of driving fun unmatched by any rival in the small car segment.  It will be available in 135kW S and 155 John Cooper Works form. The engines, chassis set-up, weight distribution and aerodynamic properties of the new model all serve the cause of optimum performance.  Making its an active rear spoiler is integrated into the boot lid and pops up automatically when the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.  At maximum speed the spoiler provides 40kg of extra downforce. With its contrasting coloured roof and odd, stepped rear end the design is sure to polarise opinion.

...with camouflaged bodywork reflecting a longer and wide body than today's car.Carparazzi expects big changes in the cabin, including a dash that ditches the centre-mounted speedometer for a more traditional instrument cluster.