The writing is on the wall at Tritec, current manuafcturer of the MINI’s 1.6 litre engines. With BMW’s agreement with Daimler Chrysler set to expire at the end of 2005, Tritec has added another carmaker to it’s portfolio. The Chinese automaker, Chery, has recently begun using the same naturally aspirated 114 hp version found in the Cooper for it’s A105 sedan. In fact, to date over 90,000 have been sold in China. Could this eventually be the most successful car (by total number produced) the venerable tritec is used in? Based on a quick Google of China’s current population, my guess is a resounding yes.
No word on when the A105 will be coming to the rest of the world but don’t be surprised if you see this car outside Asia soon. That said an engine is probably all the MINI and the A105 have in common. Except maybe an odd stumble or rattle.
[ Chery A160 ] motortrader.com
<p>Does this mean that the new range of PSA engines will make their appearance sooner than expected?</p>
<p>i really love the tritec engine. super reliable. what more could anybody ask for in a powerplant. sad to see it go.</p>
<p>yer..what will Mini use between the beginning of 2006 and the proposed 2007 date for the PSA engines?</p>
<p>pswh. please. how long will CHERY get away with ripping off other car makers designs? The article alludes to this without making any outright accusations and then fails to mention the pending court case between CHERY and GM/Daewoo over their QQ Daewoo Matiz clone. I can’t believe they go as far as to copy the interiors as well. Yikes.
I’m holding out for them to release a MINI clone, complete with tritec engine…</p>
<p>I will be suprised to see this car outside of Asia. I don’t see it happening.</p>
<p>I’ve read many many articles, online and in print, that Malcolm Bricklin intends to import these Chery cars within the next few years. Bricklin is the man responsible for the original importation of Subaru cars from Japan, and unfortunately, the importation of the venerable Yugos!</p>
<p>If these cars do get imported to the US, they will be sold next to the lawnmowers and picnic tables in front of Wal Mart. The boy who collects the shopping buggys will have to chain the cars to the picnic tables, like they do the lawnmowers.</p>
<p>“Except maybe an odd stumble or rattle.”</p>
<p>The MINI being the one with the rattle, right? :)</p>
<p>“venerable Yugos”…that’s funny</p>
<p>Ahhh, the Yugos! The ultimate bargain mobil of the late 1980’s!</p>
<p>The Yugo truly qualifies as the best counterfeit MINI made to date. During its last year of importation from the former Yugoslavia (I believe was 1988-89), Yugo released a convertible model called the “GVX” complete with electric folding top and power windows unbelievable luxuries in this rather crude econobox. Actually, it didn’t look that bad either without the top.</p>
<p>Yugo production ended with the war. For those of you who don’t know, the Yugo powertrain was sourced from Fiat and I believe it was derived from the Italian Fiat 147.</p>
<p>Yeah, he’s hired the fired Mitsubishi exec to run the US ops:
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000213035321/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000213035321/</a></p>
<p>Other articles here:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/search/?q=bricklin&submit=Search+%BB" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoblog.com/search/?q=bricklin&submit=Search+%BB</a></p>
<p>Supposedly </p>
<p>Is it just me, or does the A160 look like a knock-off of the VW Jetta with a modified front-end and the T240 looks like a virtual copy of the Toyota RAV4?</p>
<p>It is a total knockoff and will sell about as well as the Yugo.</p>
<p>If you’re familiar with SEAT, which is what the A160 is based on, you know that they are based on old VW models – in this case the Jetta.</p>
<p>I liked the Tritec website… it was pretty cool.</p>
<p>The stumble in our much-loved MINI is NOT from the TRITEC Engine itself, or is it?</p>
<p>I understood that almost ALL of those problems, starting right from the very first deliveries through to Version 38.2 or so, were the result of BMW Group/MINI Software that was not quite ready for Prime Time??? Software, absolutely nothing done to the motor, completely changed the car on at least two version downloads (for us at least). I remember saying at the time that MINI “gave me a new car” with CD#38.2. Yes, it was that dramatic after three flatbed trips to the Dealer.</p>
<p>The motor and drivetrain have been stone-cold reliable for the entire time we’ve owned our car (7/2002). Changed oil and filters, put gas in it.</p>
<p>Ricardo did the MINI integration of the Tritec motor, ZF and Getrag gearboxes, EMS2000 computer, the BMW Group software, the very cool multiplexed wiring, and … I don’t know who should take the hit on this one. There are many things to specifically comment on.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s fair to attribute software problems to the motor — unless I’m just wrong on this?</p>
<p>You’re absolutely right. But it doesn’t mean that the Chery won’t stumble on it’s own. That’s more of what I meant.</p>
<p>The Tritec is I understand heavy for its output by modern standards… but that is about the only place I guess it can be faulted.
Its a very reliable engine and I would not be supprised if the weight of its design is a part of that… I also will be very sad to give up the wonderful sound of the supercharger for a turbocharger even if the new engine is as much more efficent as it is said to be… I wonder how long it will take for after market supercharger kits to show up for it? the thing I like the least about the 07 MINI is the loss of the supercharger… everyone uses turbos and the supercharger was one of the things that makes the MINI a bit diferent… after all how many volume production surpercharged cars are ther besides the MINI? I can think of cars like some of the SVT Fords but thos are very low volume by comparison aren’t they?
Cheers</p>
<p>Can’t wait for the Counterfeit RAV4 site… ;-)</p>
<p>i believe malcom bricklin also built the awsome Brickin V-1 (?) i drove one and i love it. something about a mustang with a plastick body with gullwing doors just lites my fire…..prolly why i like deloreans so much too…those gullwings are so damn sexy!</p>
<p>Sidenote… This development just makes me want to laugh at the US carmakers crying that they are ‘threatened’ by the possibility of cars from China. Yes, it may cut into the sales of domestic (and I use that term loosly) cars, but not only did they agree to share technology with the Chineese government so they could sell their cars in China, but now they are even sourcing engines to China. Great plan.</p>