Mini News

Mini is going back to basics - and back to the past - as it readies yet another model for the market. But the mini-Mini - rumoured for some months - is claimed to be more a styling exercise than a commitment for production, says Mini director Cypselus von Frankenberg. It will be unveiled at Geneva next month and is the ninth derivative to be shown to the public. Seven of those exercises are either in production or nearing launch. Though Mini won't commit its as-yet unseen concept to metal, it has a history of taunting the public. Given that Mini takes two to two-and-a-half years from concept to production, the Geneva star car may hit the showrooms in mid-2013 and sit on the shared Mini-BMW platform. Mini is busy on current commitments. It will release the Paceman - built on the long wheelbase Countryman platform - at the end of 2012. It will be built in Austria. Late this year, it will start selling the UK-built and Cooper hatch-based, Coupe and in early 2012, the Roadster. In late 2013 it will move into the third generation of the Cooper hatch. This year, Mr von Frankenberg expects the sale of the 2-millionth Mini. "It is in 80-plus markets and 1300 dealers - not bad for a new car company that started 10 years ago," he says. Mini has moved on from its diesel engine deal with PSA Peugeot Citroen. It is replacing the 1.6-litre PSA turbo-diesel next month with the BMW 107kW 2-litre turbo-diesel, to be known as the Cooper SD. The smaller diesel alternative, the 1.6-litre Cooper D, will remain as will the PSA 1.6-litre turbo-petrol. "There's no reason to change that (petrol) engine," says von Frankenberg. Mini's main problem, he says, is that demand is outstripping supply. The company last year expanded its manufacturing outside of its English home base. Mr von Frankenberg says the Oxford plant produces 240,000 cars a year and has a capacity of 260,000. The expansion into Austria - initially to build the Countryman but next year also the Paceman - is hoped to appease growing demand. "We're not looking at producing in other countries," he says. "But demand in China is growing - it's now our sixth biggest market - with 10,000 units already and the US is expanding. But we have no plans to add manufacturing in these markets." Minis most popular model remains the Cooper hatch at 60 per cent of sales. The Cabrio and Clubman each have virtually all the remainder but sales of the Countryman are expected to eat up to 30 per cent of total sales once it comes on stream this year in the key markets of China, Japan and the US. "Its longer wheelbase, more cabin room, high driving stance and the optional all-wheel drive will make the Countryman very popular in places like China," von Frankenberg says. The prestige small-car hero, the Mini, isn't threatened by the imminent arrival of BMW's first front-wheel drive hatch. Expected in 2013 to coincide with the third generation Mini, the front-wheel drive BMW will share the Mini's platform and perhaps many drivetrain components. BMW is coy about its details but the so-called 0-Series is now known to be bigger than the Mini hatch and will have the ability to be offered in two wheelbases. "It will sit, in size, between the Mini and the 1-Series," says one BMW insider. "It's a B-segment car. It will compete with the Audi A1, for example." Mini boss Cypselus von Frankenberg sees no conflict. "They will be two different cars for two very different buyers," he says. "They will also have a different retail approach. The Mini is all about lifestyle - our customers think differently. Our customers are aged less than 40 - we have the youngest customers of any carmaker - so compared with BMW we are not in the same sphere."

A giant product push is underway, led by the Paceman - a Mini coupe - confirmed for production just over a month ago at the Detroit motor show. BMW Group has plans for cars that will stretch the Mini lineup to more than eight models and also deliver a front-wheel drive BMW that is smaller than its existing starter car, the 1 Series. The key is an all-new front-wheel drive mechanical platform and a small-car strategy called UKL. "The whole group is always looking at new niches. The next big step in that direction for us is the UKL strategy where we will bring a group of cars which are below our current entry points," Ian Robertson, global head of sales and marketing at BMW Group, tells Carsguide. "It's the front-wheel drive BMW and there will be Mini products off it as well. It is underpinning the Mini lineup as well. There could be upwards of 10 derivates of this car, across the two brands. Could be. Not finalised yet." Robertson confirms the production plan for the Paceman coupe but says some speculation on Mini's future is wide of the mark. "What we haven't got is a mini Mini, despite what might have been in the press. We haven't decided if that is the place to be. We have to be very careful." Robertson says BMW Group sees massive growth potential in its small-car strategy, comparing the eventual production targets to the 600-700,000 cars a year delivered by the 3 Series range at its peak. "Where all the growth is coming in the premium segment is in the small and compact cars as we go into the future," he says. "In our view, in the next 10 years, this is where we will see major growth. And the markets growing around the world are also likely to take these sort of cars." Robertson will not give an detail on the plan, beyond confirming the Mini models will still be built in Britain and there is no intention to move to low-cost production in countries such as China or India. "They will be built in several places, but primarily in Europe, he says. Although BMW was beaten in Australian showrooms in 2010 - a result it challenges - Robertson predicts a down under comeback in 2011 and continued growth in every country where the country sells its products, driven by new models and updates of existing vehicles. "We will replace around 60 per cent of our model lineup by the end of 2012. We have the same targets across the world. We want to be the leading premium manufacturer," Robertson says.

The Mini SUV will be launched in Australia next month and BMW Group Australia executive Piers Scott says there are rumours of a WRC kit being made available.  "We will be able to do things to build a replica," he says."I haven't seen the details of what the changes would be, but they would be more than just cosmetic.  There are also John Cooper Works kits in the pipeline but there is no conformation of an engine variant yet; but I wouldn't rule it out."The Countryman will start at $37,700 for the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre Cooper in two-wheel drive only.  The turbocharged Cooper S Countryman will start at $47,500 for the two-wheel-drive model and $50,400 for the "ALL4" four-wheel drive.A two-litre turbo diesel Cooper D will start at $40,950 and will also have a choice of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.  Scott says there may also be another diesel engine choice down the track.The Countryman will compete in six European rounds of the WRC starting in Sweden on February 13, but not Australia.  "However, we have been offered drives for Australian guests and journalists in the shake-down at some of these events," Scott says.He points out that the WRC vehicle bears few similarities to the X-Raid Countryman entry in the recent Dakar Rally in South America.  "That entry was at arm's length from BMW," he says.The X-Raid Mini was running a respectable ninth overall when driver Guerlain Chicherit rolled it three times during routine testing on a rest day.The Countryman was launched internationally in July last year."The lag in right-hand-drive production for Australia is because it has been extremely popular in the UK where there's a three-month waiting list.  But we should have enough supply here."The car has been anticipated for a long time so we have a lot of orders, mostly for the high spec.  There are a lot of aftersales accessories already on the market because it has been out so long."Piers also says Mini electric scooters - revealed at the Paris Motor Show last October -  are "still on the cards" and that the Mini Coupe two-seater will arrive in July.

It's the latest in a long line of study models and, given the BMW Group's penchant for using concepts to gauge public reaction, is a real possibility as a production model. It also marks the 10th years since the Mini brand was re-launched in the US.The Mini Paceman Concept coupe rides on the same raised platform as the four-door Countryman, but the front-end has been restyled along the lines of the regular Cooper S, though with extra intakes in the front bumper to improve brake cooling.The engine has been transplanted from the top-spec John Cooper Works production model, meaning a turbocharged 1.6-litre mill with 155kW/260Nm. That should give it a 0-100km/h time close to the JCW Clubman's 6.8 seconds.Mini describes the Paceman as the first "sports activity coupe" in the small vehicle segment and is pitching the concept at extrovert urban professionals who like a unique look, and don't mind being looked at.The raised ride height is designed to be matched with Mini's optional All4 all-wheel-drive system. Drive is split equally between the front and rear wheels, but the electromagnetic centre diff can direct all power to the rear if required.The concept rides on 19-inch wheels and is 4110mm long and 1789mm wide, making it a Mini in name only.The exterior design has focused on horizonal lines, with a a flat roof, wrap-around glass and rising waistline giving the car a wedge-shaped profile not unlike the Range Rover Evoque."In contrast to the more vertical design of the Countryman, we've given the Paceman Concept a horizontal emphasis and accentuated the width of the car rather more," Mini's exterior design chief Marcus Syring says.The rear lights have been pushed to the outer edges to continue the stying theme, while a rear diffuser is intended to enhance the car's look and aerodynamics.The Mini theme of pushing the wheels to the extreme edges of the body are continued along with MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear set-up, so it can be expected to handle as well as the rest of the range.Inside are four leather-trimmed and contoured seats, while the centre console and instrument cluster are instantly recognisable to anyone what has sat inside a Mini.Mini Paceman ConceptEngine: turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinderOutputs: 155kW/260NmBody: Three-door coupeSeats: Four

The German polizei have added what is believed to be the world's first all-electric police car, a Mini-E, to their fleet.  The Mini-E, unveiled at the recent Essen Motor Show, is part of a campaign encouraging German car enthusiasts who modify their cars with aftermarket tuning products to do so within safe and legal limits. Police began the campaign in 2005 in response to a massive increase in the number of shoddy and potentially dangerous tuning products entering European markets. The Mini, complete with full police livery and flashing lights, has been given a thorough going-over by legendary tuning house AC Schnitzer.  The result is an electric car with 175kW of power that can sprint to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 152km/h. Its range is claimed to be up to 240km between charges. The car receives AC Schnitzer's racing suspension, front and rear skirts and bonnet vents, "MI 2" (7.5J x 18") alloy wheels and a high performance brake system from AC Schnitzer with four-pot fixed calipers on the front axle. It is fitted with 18-inch AC Schnitzer alloys and Hankook Ventus S1 evo low-rolling-resistance tyres.

Mini Australia boss David Woollcott was born in Brixworth, in North Hamptonshire, just 100km north of London and only 40 minutes from the Oxford factory where Minis are made. "While the first car I had was a Toyota LandCruiser my dad bought me because it was bomb proof, the first car I bought was a Mini Cooper S," he says.  "I've always had an enthusiasm for BMW cars since I was nine when a friend of my dad had an E30 M3." Woolcott studied engineering at the University of Bath for five years before moving to Munich to work on BMW fibre optics for vehicle data transmission.  However, he was asked to move to sales and marketing because "I like to talk". "I was a bit offended by the German engineers who didn't think I was good enough to be an engineer," he says. BMW put him through a graduate program in the UK for two years, then Woollcott contacted a BMW dealer in Melbourne and came out here for 18 months to sell cars.  BMW then put him through a product training manager course for 2.5 years. He worked in the BMW marketing department and became Mini boss in July.  "It feels quite daunting," he says.

Over the next couple of years, that number is expected to double.  The first to arrive in Australia early next year will be the Countryman compact SUV, followed by the Coupe and the Roadster, but don't hold your breath for the Beachcomber. The doorless and roofless four-seater Beachcomber, which harks back to the 1960s-70s Mini Moke, has the same all-wheel-drive drivetrain and chassis as the Countryman. BMW Group Australia product communications manager Michelle Lang says it is a "very interesting concept".  "However we don't anticipate that this will be coming to Australia, we have no knowledge of it even going into production," she says.  "We are more focused on the impending Mini Countryman, Coupe and Roasters hitting our shores." The BMW Group expects the Countryman to represent 30-40 per cent of global sales.  Mini corporate communications manager Piers Scott says the compact SUV segment is one of the fastest growing. Countryman is built on a new platform that is wider and longer than the hatch, cabrio or wagon.  It features a new AWD system that operates in front-wheel drive until the wheels slip, then power is directed to the rear wheels via a rear differential, rather than a centre diff. The Cooper S model will be available in AWD and 2WD, but the Cooper will come in 2WD only.  "It won't cannibalise sales of the X1," Scott says. "We'll more likely get customers from the Japanese compact SUVs like Subaru and Toyota."  The vehicle has 350 litres of cargo space and a 20-40-20 split rear seat with a two or three-seat option in the rear. It will arrive with a petrol engine at launch, but a diesel - likely the coming two-litre BMW engine - will arrive later.  "It doesn't have the go-kart drivability of the hatch, but it is very chuckable for a high-set vehicle," Scott says. The Countryman will be followed by the Coupe two-door model with the "helmet" roof.  It is expected to arrive here in August.  A convertible version called Roadster will follow early in 2012. "And that's not the end of it (new models)," says Scott.  However, Mini Australia boss David Woollcott says the electric Mini is not yet on the drawing board for mass production.  "We'll have a full electric maybe in four or five years," he says."We're also looking at a hybrid."

The new BMW-derived 2.0-litre diesel starts production in March and will arrive here in June mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission.  It is the first Mini engine that is not a joint venture with BMW, but a wholly BMW product, coming from the 120d and 320d.Mini corporate communications manager Piers Scott says the trend towards diesel is close to 20 per cent across the Mini range.  While this is a growing trend, it is still a long way behind the total passenger market average of 28 per cent or Mini's parent company, BMW, which recently passed 50 per cent diesel.While diesel engines are expected to appear in more Mini models in the future such as next year's Countryman compact SUV, Scott is guarded about a JCW diesel.  "As they say, never say never, but JCW is to Mini what M is to BMW, so that means free-revving engines," he says.

The three brands are all gearing-up for a major attack on next year's new-age world championship, which will be open to smaller cars with smaller 1.6-litre turbocharged engines.Downsizing in the series means Citroen is switching to its C3, Ford is moving from the Focus to the Fiesta, and Mini is coming back to rallying for the first time since the 1960s with its Countryman.Ford already knows it has a winner in the Fiesta, which claimed the Monte Carlo Rally this year without a turbocharged engine. It is shown in Paris just a week before Ford begins testing for next year's championship, when it will try to snap Sebastian Loeb's six-year run as world championship with Citroen."Countless hours have gone into the Fiesta RS WRC to reach this point, and for the car to be unveiled in public for the first time is a proud moment for us.  We are right on track with our development and the team is delighted with testing to date," says Ford's rally boss, Malcolm Wilson.Its Citroen rival is already testing and picks up the basic mechanical package from the successful C4, with aero tweaking to the DS3 body including wider guards, a giant rear wing and cooling vents in the body.  But the rally star in Paris is the Mini, which is unveiled by FIA president and former rally co-driver Jean Todt.“The response to our announcement that Mini will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive. The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand," says Mini's global marketing boss, Ian Robertson.The Countryman is massively tweaked for rallying and is displayed in Paris with giant front and rear wings, a bank of bonnet-mounted spotlights and a stripped-out cabin.The car is developed by Prodrive, the British motorsport operation that also runs Ford Performance Racing in the V8 Supercar championship, and has already run well in testing.  But Mini is unlikely to challenge Citroen and Ford in the early events of the 2011 WRC, which begins in Sweden in February.

Mini will show a plug-in electric scooter concept at the Paris Motor Show next month.  But it will have some competition from Smart with its own plug-in electric scooter at the show. The Mini features a lot of styling cues from its plug-in electric car concept, right down to the large dishplate speedo.  It features an electric motor in the rear wheel with power from a lithium-ion battery under the seat that can be charged from a standard A/C power outlet via a retractable cable. Mini is making no comments yet on whether it will go into production, but a scooter would be a better fit for the brand than for BMW, even though the German made a C1 scooter with a roof in 2001-02. BMW Motorrad last year developed an electric version of the C1 for a European study into traffic congestion, but the company's motorcycle division is concentrating more on performance bikes.  It would seem logical that Mini produce scooters, rather than diluting the BMW motorcycle brand. The Smart scooter concept uses a lithium-ion battery with 100km of range and will even include an airbag like Honda's massive Goldwing touring bike.  Smart has made no comment yet about going into production with the scooter.