Archive for January 2004

MINI Takes Seven Recent Awards

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 31st, 2004 4 Comments

From MINI Press:

MINI enters 2004 with a bevy of awards from Automobile Magazine, Consumer Digest, Autobytel, Inc. Strategic Vision, The Car Book, Automotive.Com and Edmunds.Com. These accolades add to an impressive list of over 40 awards, continuing a winning streak for MINI since prior to the car's launch in March 2002.

“We are thrilled that MINI is a winner in the eyes of the press and public. We have built a lot of fun, safety and substance into every MINI and these seven awards are a testament to what we offer our customers”, commented Jack Pitney, Vice President, MINI USA.

Automobile All-Star Awards Following last year's Reader's Choice All-Star Award for Best Small Car, the editors of Automobile Magazine have chosen the MINI Cooper as this year's All-Star for Best Small Car. Fun, style and substance were at the heart of their decision - all at an affordable price. As the editors stated, “Spend a little, get a lot, drive small, smile big.”

Consumer Digest “Best Buy” For the second year in a row, Consumer Digest named MINI a “Best Buy” reinforcing the tremendous amount of fun, safety and value the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S offer. Consumers Digest typically scores vehicles on a number of criteria including safety, reliability, performance and resale value.

Autobytel, Inc.'s 2004 Consumer Choice Award MINI has received notable recognition from Autobytel, Inc., winning a Consumer Choice Award for the highest percentage of increase for any car requested through their service. Buyers' requests for MINI increased almost 250% over the last year, showing that interest for MINI remains vibrant.

“Most Delightful Vehicle” Strategic Vision's Total Delight Index For the second year in a row, the MINI Cooper won the Strategic Vision Total Delight Index's “Most Delightful Vehicle” in the “Small Specialty Coupe” category. The index measures the overall delight owners have for their vehicles, an indicator of how strong the customers' bond and emotional commitments are to the product, brand and manufacturer. MINI owners are truly passionate about their cars and their ownership experience, as shown by the high ranking in the index.

The Car Book 2004 Best Bet The Car Book has awarded the MINI Cooper a “Best Bet” for 2004. In cooperation with The Center for Auto Safety, The Car Book looks at objective sources and establishes criteria based on the safety and performance needs of today's consumers. Reinforcing MINI's safety and substance, the MINI Cooper scored well in key categories to earn the notable recognition.

Automotive.com, Best Compact Car The MINI Cooper was voted Best Compact Car in Automotive.com's 2004 New Car Awards. Consumers visiting the automotive research and car-buying site ranked cars that they felt represented exceptional value, superiority in class and overall customer satisfaction. Yet again, another accolade that underscores MINI's appeal in the market place.

Edmunds.com Top 10 List - “Top 10 Sound Systems in Car Under $30,000″ Edmunds.com awarded MINI a spot on the list of “Top 10 Sound Systems in Cars Under $30,000″. Praised were the sound quality and features of the MINI Audio system, specifically, MINI's optional Harman Kardon (HK) sound system. The system earned kudos for unique one-touch audio adjustments to fit individual music styles and passenger locations - another way MINI owners can customize their MINI motoring experience.

While most of these awards have already been posted on Bridger.us/MINI it's nice to see a listing of all of them to get an idea of just how smitten the automotive press still is with this car.

MINIUSA Expands 2004 Race Awards Program

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 31st, 2004 3 Comments

From MINIUSA Press:

MINI USA announces new changes in its motorsport awards program for 2004. Following a successful 2003, the program is now expanded to include more classes and offer increased prize money in select categories for MINI competitors.

MINI is now included in all classes under Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo competition. In addition, MINI USA has doubled the prize payout for first, second and third place finishes in the Tire Rack Solo II National Championship with a first place cash prize of $1,000.

In road racing, classes for MINI have been expanded, most notably to include the MINI Cooper S in Showroom Stock B (SSB), marking the first time a forced induction competitor has been allowed to run in the class. Also, road racing now allows for first generation and second-generation MINI competitors to run fender-to fender in GT5/H Production Class.

Start bonuses have also been added to select events. MINI USA now pays out a $500 start bonus for the Speed World Challenge and the Grand Am Cup as well as National Auto Sport Association's (NASA) US Touring Car Championship (USTCC).

Motorsport enthusiasts have taken MINI to heart thanks to the cars' great handling and performance. Successful MINI competitors now have more choices and an additional incentive to compete by being eligible to win up to $7,500 depending on their standing in each given series. Both the new MINI (2002+) and the classic MINI (1959+) body style are eligible for prize money.

MINI has a rich motorsport heritage that started soon after the car's introduction in 1959 and Classic MINI became a legendary giant-killer in a host of road-race and rally championships. This continues today with many privateers campaigning both new and old MINIs in various motorsport events, including rallying, auto crossing and road racing.

“An excellent motorsport pedigree combined with the superb dynamics, make MINI an ideal choice for anyone who wants to drive competitively in sanctioned motorsport”, said Jack Pitney, MINI general manager. “MINI offers a lot of bang for the buck to grassroots motorsport enthusiasts. This is our way of saying, 'thank you' and encouraging MINI owners to 'get out there and give it a go'”, he added.

Can the MINI Handle the Cold?

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 30th, 2004 13 Comments

Yes it can…

The Yo-Yo Chronicles

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 29th, 2004 26 Comments

As quite a few MINI owners can tell you the recently released V36 of the engine management software was a welcome addition. However this recent software update didn't fix one problem that has afflicted a good percentage of Cooper S owners - the dreaded Yo-Yo. Ryan Malcolm (Ryephile on North American Motoring) has researched this subject extensively and gives us the following insight into what exactly the Yo-Yo is: “The Yo-Yo is the oscillation of the supercharger bypass valve, which is excited by an under-damped P.I.D. throttle body servo controller. The parameters of the Yo-Yo occurring are simple: typically during medium acceleration, on-boost, and with the throttle pedal reasonably steady. Amplitude of the Yo-Yo seems to vary per vehicle, ranging from imperceptible to an almost violent bucking.”

Further, Ryan is in a good position to understand this process as he works at Motorola SPS Automotive group and has access to powertrain engineers on a regular basis. He goes on to explain the solution he and a few of his co-workers came up with:

“Tying the bypass valve shut, or implementing a stiffer rate bypass valve return spring will eradicate the Yo-Yo. Furthermore, a retuned PID that is critically damped can and may result in usage of the stock bypass valve return spring, and may not excite the physical instability. Recommended solution is implementation of the stiffer bypass valve spring plus a critically damped PID controller.

The process of determining the above is a collaboration between Motorola SPS Automotive Groups volunteered expertise in engine management, combined with research carried out by myself, consisting of known-good parts swapping, fabricating prototype supercharger bypass valve springs, sampling a plethora of various other Cooper S vehicles, and using a variety of ECU versions and Maps. Deductive logic was exclusively implemented to ensure the highest quality datum possible.

My contact (who wishes to remain anonymous so he doesn't risk his contact at MINI) says that MINI Engineering is aware of and impressed with my research, though have not officially investigated the problem further. I don't like to push this hearsay, but it's the only communications with MINIUSA I'm aware of!

A big thanks to Ryan for all the work done on this topic - not to mention contributing so much to this post!

JCW Kit Install Pictures

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 29th, 2004 11 Comments

We've all read the reviews and seen the debate… now you can experience the installation. Ian Cull has detailed (and we mean detailed!) the installation of his JCW kit on his MCS. You can check out all the fun here: www.gbmini.net/JCW.

The Classic Minis Final Rally

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 29th, 2004 2 Comments

Since the rally topic has been batted around lately I thought this news might be of some interest (from Rallysport News):

Homologation of the famous Mini Cooper runs out at the end of the 2004 season, and to mark the end of an era, brothers Robert and Michael Plant have been given a wild card entry to Rally Australia this year.

The brothers, from England, took part in Rally Australia in 1997 at the wheel of a Mini, finishing second in class A5 and 49th outright.

Rally Australia is the final round of the 2004 World Rally Championship and will make the end of the Minis competition career at an international level.

The Chevy MINI… errr Nomad

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 29th, 2004 36 Comments

As some of you may have seen Chevrolet introduced a concept at the Detroit Auto Show that looked quite familiar. Eric over at Rocketboy's MINI Weblog has a nice summary of the Nomad's MINI similarities. Here's an excerpt:

Tech TV's Tech Live was doing a story about the Detroit Auto show, and I happened to see something which caught my eye. What was it? The New Chevy Nomad. Which looks just a WEE bit like the front end of a MINI. Click here for a huge pic from Autospies.

Coincidence? Well, according to article by BBC's Top Gear, it's not. And I'm wondering if MINI/BMW is currently calling their lawyers.

According to the article, “Simon Cox, Director of the GM Advanced Design UK studio in Coventry, is the man behind the Nomad. He says: “I wasn't strictly targeting the Mini, but there are certain similarities. I wanted this car to have real personality, something the Mini clearly has - it has a character, a soul. The Mini's appeal also crosses a lot of generations. You can equally imagine younger and older people driving it. While the Nomad is very compact, it's lower, wider and much more flexible,” he says. “I envisage it being used by business people, families or the sort of driver who'd want to paint a great big white stripe down the middle of it and take it to a track.”

…”The moves also to make the Nomad a more practical proposition than the Mini further stretch to the rear seats. “The Mini really isn't terribly clever in terms of its packaging,” says Cox. “That's what we wanted to target with this car. It's a proper four-seater, where the Mini is strictly speaking a 2+2.”"

You can read the entire article and find out yet more info here.

When Cox says that the MINI isn't terribly clever with some of it's packaging I can only assume he's referring to the rear seat/suspension area. Which of course is somewhat true due to the fact that BMW/MINI rigorously engineered the car to accept the famed z-link rear suspension. While this does cause for some lack of space in the rear it's a major part of why the MINI feels like it does. It doesn't surprise me that a GM designer didn't quite understand that.

More Details on MINIs Upcoming Engine Change

Sections: In the Press, R56 Jan 28th, 2004 23 Comments

This news comes from this week's Autoexpress:

“Bosses at MINI are playing it cool on the future of the popular supermini's engine range - but pictures in the current issue of Auto Express magazine will send a shiver down their spines. We've scooped two prototypes putting hot new powerplants through their paces.

Although they don't sport the facelifted front first revealed in issue 779, the cars do have a mysterious bulge on the bonnet. Insiders at the company have confirmed that an engine development project is well underway. And while the changes will be hidden from the eye, they are expected to revolutionise the way the model drives.

The BMW-developed MINI currently uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit developed jointly with Chrysler. In the past, the South American-built engine, which is available with 100, 115 and 163bhp power outputs, has been criticised for lacking refinement and low rev torque. So a new 1.6-litre - to be assembled at the Hams Hall plant in the Midlands - will replace it next year. Not only will it offer better performance and smoothness, but also improved fuel economy. Base versions, to be fitted in the MINI One, are tipped to offer around 110bhp, while a new 130bhp unit is planned for the Cooper. However, future motors for the Cooper S are still under discussion.

We've learned there's support for a new 2.0-litre with around 180bhp, plus a similarly powerful 1.6 turbo. The three engines will feature in the forthcoming Cabriolet. Prices for cars with the new units will be revealed closer to launch. Dan Strong “

From what I can gather these figures are a bit off of BMW internal forecasts. In fact you can see the entire model development in this previous post. From MINI's internal forcast it would seem the Cooper will be around the 140hp mark with a 6-speed (most likely a Getrag) and the Cooper S will have a turbocharged 170hp engine - both 1.6L in size.

Regardless of hp numbers I think I can say with some confidence that AutoExpress is not referring to the 2005 model year when they mention the roll out dates of these engines. Again from the information I've seen the Cooper version comes out first (in the current R50) in late 2005 as a 2006. Then it gets tricky, again according to the supposed timeline, the new MINI (codenamed the R56) comes out in late 2006 as a 2007 model. That's when the MCS will join the MC with the new engine - it's output around 170hp.

For more information on this engine you can check out these posts from last year: New MINI Engine Caught Testing and The MINI Gets a Prince.

The MINI and the WRC

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 27th, 2004 40 Comments

From time to time the question comes up, “why doesn't MINI take part in the WRC (World Rally Championship). They took place in it's equivalent in the 60's and were obviously quite successful. Wouldn't it be a great way to bridge the two models both classic and new? Well Stuart from the BMW Group recently explained (in an answer to a comment on Bridger.us/MINI) what some of the reasoning is behind not being involved in the WRC at the moment:

“The current car is too short, it would have to be grown by a good bit, and we'd have to make 5000 to that spec in order to fulfill the rules and regs of homologation and type approval. Aerodynamic aids could, if built in to the body, be the answer. So if 5000 of you want to volunteer to be owners of MINI WRC cars, then it might be possible I guess. Oh yes they might cost a little more then a current 'S'.”

Another reason may also be the enormous amount of money that BMW spends on it's F1 program as well as taking all those M3s racing across the US and the rest of the world. Of course this is not to mention all the 3 series touring cars that BMW supports in Europe. So with all that in mind the MINI going racing might just be considered a bit low on the totem pole for BMW these days.

I suppose it also begs the question what percentage of MINI owners actually follow the WRC. It's certainly becoming more popular in the US due to the SpeedChannel's coverage but is it enough to justify what must be substantial start-up costs when you know that one of your largest markets simply doesn't get it? Beyond that a homologized WRC MINI for sale to the public would have to be all-wheel drive (using BMW's xDrive maybe) and would probably need to pack at least 300hp. Tempting?

The MINI and Color Forcasting

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 26th, 2004 38 Comments

Here's are some interesting observations from MINI owner Lee Johnson about color and MINIs:

I don't know about the Chicago area, but here in the western Carolinas there are a LOT of silver MINIs. I always assumed they were just folks who mistakenly thought their cars were small BMWs, people who didn't understand that these English cars have their own proud — and colorful — heritage (it was a red Mini that won the Monte Carlo Rally 40 years ago, right?). I waited an extra two months so I could get my MCS in Indi Blue/white. The color is a big reason that I still smile when I walk into the garage and see the MINI.

According to an article on the front of yesterday's NYT style section — “Coloring America Hopeful — we may be seeing fewer DS/B MINIs and more cars of color. America's post-millennial, post-9/11 depression seems to be lifting, according to consumer researcher Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille of Boca Raton, Fla., (quoted in the article) and it will affect the colors we choose:

“Colors represent the mood of the time. After 9/11, the mood was not very happy and more sober, so we had more black and white and gray. It was not proper to be too colorful.'

“Now, he added, 'People are feeling better and they want color.”

The Times cited Christopher Webb, a 28-year-old color stylist at GM, who said that bolder colors will soon be appearing in the American car palette:

“The coming trends? More metallic colors, silver blended with bolder shades like blue or orange, in contrast to the past decade of minimalist silver, gray, white and black. There will be more splashes of primary colors.”

Let's hope so; I like seeing brightly colored, happy MINIs on the road. I don't think I'm enough of an extrovert to own a metallic orange MINI, but I know I'll smile when I see one.

Lee Johnson

First off we at Bridger.us/MINI believe that color choice is a very personal thing and there really isn't a right choice for everyone.

That being said as a designer I've seen some of this recent change in color with my own eyes. In fact this has been predicted by such organizations as the Color Marketing Conference for well over a year now. Further it would seem that MINI is uniquely positioned as a brand to take advantage of this general mood swing in our culture. I think MINI clearly sees the aforementioned trend and we'll see next years factory colors that probably reflect this.

40 Years Ago…

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 25th, 2004 6 Comments

40 years ago Paddy Hopkirk and his co-driver Henry Liddon, to the astonishment of the entire racing community, won the famous Monte Carlo rally in a Mini Cooper S. To commemorate this amazing achievment MINI is both releasing a limited edition MINI Cooper S (US only) and has chronicled this win at their international home MINI.com.

You can check out the history of the event now at MINI.com and you can check out the limited edition MINI right here February 4th around 8pm.

Vehicle Distribution Center… Pictures

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 25th, 2004 15 Comments

David Bunting, of North American Motoring, recently took a tour of the BMW/MINI Vehicle Distribution Center in Port Hueneme in Oxnard, California with the local chapter BMWCCA and managed to take quite a few interesting photos. If you want to see what your MINI goes through upon entering the US on it's way to delivery you'll want to check out these photos. Thanks Dave!

The MINI Mania Stage III Review

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 25th, 2004 4 Comments

Over the next several months we're going to highlight some of the more impressive MINI performance kits available. First up the MINI Mania Stage III kit. Motor Trend has a nice review of the kit for the MCS in this months issue. Here's an excerpt (courtesy of MINI Mania):

Although a variety of upgrade levels is available, we tested MM's big-gun Stage III package. For just under $5000, the Stage III delivers 245 horsepower from the Mini's micro 1.6-liter I-4 — that's an impressive 50-percent gain. Upgrades include Mini Mania's cold-air intake system, a new super-charger pulley for more blower boost, a custom water-to-air intercooler with pump, Nology plug wires, a ported cylinder head, and an ECU upgrade.

Downstream, the engine benefits from a custom header, a special high-flow cat, and a free-breathing cat-back exhaust system. Helping get those 87 extra horsepower to the ground are a Fidanza lightweight flywheel and a Phantom Grip limited-slip differential. As expected, the Stage III components increase the Mini's fun factor to near carnival-ride proportions.

The stock Cooper S is already a wonderful handler, but Mini Mania ups this bar, too, with a more aggressive suspension kit, including Mania's lower/stiffer coil springs, adjustable Koni shocks, adjustable rear-control arms, adjustable rear anti-roll bar, and titanium front strut tower brace. You'll also get cross-drilled and slotted brake rotors shod with EBC Green Stuff brake pads — all for just $1800. If you want something other than the Cooper S's standard wheel/tire combo, Mania can set you up with the same BBS RK alloy wheels wrapped in Kumho Ecsta 215/40ZR17 tires (as fitted to our Stage III tester) for another two grand.

At the track, Mini Mania's power and suspension upgrades proved a well-enginered package. The Stage III Cooper delivered results that crushed a stock Cooper S. Senior Road Test Editor Chris Walton notes, “You gotta love a front-driver that can get into the elite 70-mph-slalom club. The secret to the Mini Stage III is to drive it like you're running from the cops. You must trust that the tires will eventually regain grip — and they do — on the way to the next slalom cone where you gotta slide it by that one, and so on. I could really feel the limited-slip working at the exit. Where the stock Cooper S hesitates before all the wheels are going the same speed in the same direction, the Stage III says 'Right now!', everything hooks up, and the car blasts out the other side.”

You can read the entire article here.

What to Expect When Expecting Your MINI

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 25th, 2004 24 Comments

The New York Times has a fasinating article about how different automakers cope with popular cars and the waiting periods that many of their customers must endure. The spend about half the article on MINI and some customer experiences. Here's an excerpt:

When BMW introduced the restyled Mini in early 2002, owners waited more than 10 months for their cars. Shortly after the introduction in the United States, Mini created the “Where's My Baby?” program on the Internet, so customers could check on their cars' progress. But that didn't seem enough for what were shaping up to be rabidly enthusiastic Mini owners. “It was a little impersonal to just be able to know the basics,” Ms. Martin said.

So the company added online message boards, where owners can ask one another about maintenance and warranty issues or just swap stories about their cars. Owners, or soon-to-be-owners, can even write journals, some of which have become quite elaborate. The site has about 12,000 registered users.

nstead of waiting up to 18 months to get his car through dealers in San Francisco, where Minis are in especially high demand, Mr. Bradbury ordered it from a dealer outside Chicago last October. When his car was ready, after about two months, he flew to Chicago and was met at the airport by his “motoring adviser,” as Mini calls its dealers. He picked up his car the next day and drove 2,200 miles back to Berkeley, later chronicling his journey in detail online.

Some Mini owners say their experience was much better than their previous car-buying episodes.

“When my husband special-ordered his Acura, the dealer simply said, 'It'll be here in three months,' and that was it,” recalled Angel Durham, 40, whose online name is Minimom.

By contrast, Mrs. Durham said, her entire neighborhood in suburban Atlanta knew about her car, which she named Maggie. Her family also became accustomed to all the gifts Mini sent while she waited more than two months for the car.

You can read the entire article here. In fact you can read the original MINI Owners Lounge thread here (thanks John for the link).

BMW Cautious with MINIs Initial Sales Numbers

Sections: Uncategorized Jan 23rd, 2004 1 Comment

This news comes from Autoweek and it's sister publication Automotive News:

BMW's top U.S. executive says the company publicly downplayed its sales ambitions for Mini.

The Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper S went on sale in March 2002, and 24,590 of the tiny cars were sold in the United States that year. U.S. sales reached 36,010 units in 2003, the first full calendar year of U.S. sales.

The official forecast was lower. “We were very careful with our enthusiasm,” says Tom Purves, president of BMW of North America LLC. He says BMW executives believed the Mini would reach at least the levels of the now-defunct BMW Z3 - between 18,000 and 20,000 a year. Worldwide, 175,000 Minis were sold last year.

Purves says the brand's sales success does not mean that BMW will step up exports of Minis, which are built in the United Kingdom, to the United States. He says overstocking would force BMW to offer incentives that would drag down residual values.

You can read the entire article here.