Tiscali.co.uk Drives the MINI Cooper D

Sections: Efficiency | In the Press | R56 (Hatch) Apr 18th, 2007 23 Comments

A great review of a car that those of us in the US can only dream of getting, the MINI Cooper D.

The latest MINI Cooper and Cooper S have earned a reputation built on the driving experience. MINIs last diesel effort, the 88 bhp One Diesel was almost the black sheep of the family. Whilst there was no denying its sharp handling characteristics shared with the rest of the last MINI range, there was a bit of a shortfall in the performance department.

The biggest change can be found under the bonnet. Unlike the One D’s Toyota-sourced D-4D unit, the Cooper D is powered by a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo-diesel developed in association with PSA, Peugeot Citroen and Ford. And more importantly MINI’s sporty diesel has standard kit including electric windows and mirrors and the all-important chrome-plated grille.

[ MINI Cooper D Road Test ] Tiscali.co.uk

[ MINI Cooper D Gallery ] Tiscali.co.uk

Written By: DB

Brian

OK, somebody needs talk to MINI about bringing this to the US.
Larry

I’ll take a diesel clubman!
Steve

Getting a diesel would be enough to let me overlook the issues I have with the R56 styling cues.
Gregg

Why yes, I’d like to see a Coop D, too.

However, even more, I’d like to see wind-up windows and non-power mirrors. I can happily reach both sides of the car without too much of a stretch, and I’d gladly give up the chances for breakdown and the extra weight.
Pretzel Logic

Any word on whether the Cooper D will pass environmental muster with the new low-sulfur diesel we have in the States? As I’ve said before, I’d snap one up in a New York minute.
Greg Zito

Did I read that correctly? The “D” has the same power as an “S” at 60 miles a gallon? Sounds great except for the price of diesel fuel.
http://motoringfile.com/2007/04/18/mini-cooper-d-review/#more-5749 Wetworth

My wife wants a Diesel Clubman too!
MINItron

I want a diesel too!!! I’m not real concerned about top end speed. I am a HUGE fan of lots of low-end torque combined with great MPG.
Greg W

Surely if someone in the USA wanted to buy a MINI Diesel they could get one from an adjoining border country and ship or drive it back? MINI USA is selective in offering a limited range of models to the market, just as BMW NZ does with 3 series 4-cylinder cars. The only issue is special tools and training of which they may choose not to have and do.
Greg W

Surely if someone in the USA wanted to buy a MINI Diesel they could get one from an adjoining border country and ship or drive it back? MINI USA is selective in offering a limited range of models to the market, just as BMW Na does with 3 series 4-cylinder cars. The only issue is special tools and training of which they may choose not to have and do.
http://www.rustysteeldesigns.com rustysteel

I’d love a MINI D Clubman, can somebody make this happen?
Ketan

Why would you guys want to drive a diesel? I don’t see any advantages of owning a diesel. Yes the MPG and low end torque but I like petrol.
bavarian racing green

…was ist das???

…diesel ist sehr ausgezeichnet!!!

…petrol ist kaput!!!

…yeah, two years of college german and an immigrant father and that’s all i got…

…furchtbar…
http://dbmini.us DB

MINI USA is selective in offering a limited range of models to the market, just as BMW Na does with 3 series 4-cylinder cars.

Actually, the MINI diesel, while very clean burning, isn’t clean enough for California and 7 other states. The argument used to be too low of horsepower (the MINI One -D had only 95 I believe), but that’s not so much an issue anymore.

Why would you guys want to drive a diesel? I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t see any advantages of owning a diesel. Yes the MPG and low end torque but I like petrol.

I drive over 500 miles a week. If I had a diesel MINI, my fuel costs would be cut in half, and that’s factoring in the increased cost of diesel fuel here in California. In my case, the increased cost of the car and fuel would still save me money in the long run.

But really, as much torque as an R56 S, but all available at about 2K-2500K RPM? Oh yea, I’d love to have that!
GregW

So DB – tell me… does that mean Diesel trucks are banned in California and 7 other states? As for the power firgures maybe Gabe can do a comparison for us. Also i read somewhere about the ommissions being MINImal. I will tell you that Europe has gone turbo diesel mad and it isn’t an issue with the EU. An Audi diesel car won Le Mans last year!
Z4MINI

The problem with diesel emissions is not the fuel, but the combustion cycle. The high combustion temperatures of diesels produce prodigious amounts of NOx, which cannot be scrubbed out by conventional catalytic converters but which require expensive Blue Tech type urea injection. NOx is one of the main ingredients in smog and acid rain.

While European laws tend to look the other way with regards to NOx, US states like CA are extremely strict. Anyone who remembers CA during the 70s knows why.

Different laws apply to trucks than to cars with regards to emissions.

Also the price difference between Diesel and Gas in the US is much less than in the EU where diesel is not taxed as much as gas.

That said, a diesel would be great.
http://dbmini.us DB

So DB – tell meÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ does that mean Diesel trucks are banned in California and 7 other states?

No, it only applie to cars and light trucks.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has declared that all light trucks and mini-vans up to 8,500 pounds, as well as all diesel-powered vehicles, must meet the same new, more stringent tailpipe standards as gasoline-powered passenger cars.

Dieselmakers say they did not expect their engines to be included in the Nov. 5 ruling, and were thus unprepared. They claim they presently cannot meet the new Low Emission Vehicle II (LEVII) standard, which basically halves present gasoline-engine emission levels. Under existing California levels, known as TLEV, gasoline-fueled light trucks were allowed to emit up to 2.5 times as much as cars.

The new LEVII regs will be phased in over three years, beginning in the 2004 model year. If vehicles do not meet LEVII, they will not be permitted for sale in California. Last year light trucks comprised nearly 45% of the 1.6 million new vehicles sold in the Golden State, with diesels accounting for 10% of the truck mix.

But a new generation of diesels, being readied by Cummins, Detroit Diesel, GM, Mercedes and Navistar, offer 40% fuel economy gains for sport-utilities and minivans as well as pickups. Automakers are counting on this technology to boost Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE).

You can read the entire article here
heyduard

Supposedly Honda is working on lower NOx output without urea for diesels. I saw the mention of a blurb about it in Motortrend. If they can do it and are willing to license/joint venture it out (unlikely), that would be a good thing. Remember the CVCC? That gase engine did not need a catalytic converter because it burned so clean.

So it may be possible without the extra tank for the Urea.
JohnDough

Think biodiesel. I want one.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/study-e85-emissions-could-cause-as-many-deaths-as-gasoline-or-more.html nina simone

which way to go– greenly?

see the E85 test results at leftlanenews.com?

the professor’s results
JohnDough

Hi, nina simone. Probably not really here to debate fuels, but biodiesel is way, way different from ethanol (E85). And as long as I have fuel for my ’05 MINI Cooper, I’m happy!
http://www.AutoSpies.com nina simone

right, right.

but they’re renewable resource alternative fuels, betwixt economic and environmental trade-offs.

higher mpg does not equate to greener motoring.
JACK HAYES

Here is what most dont realize. A diesel engine has 40-50 percent fewer parts than a gasoline engine. The diesel engine will last 3-4 times longer than a pampered gasoline engine. Have any of you ever been to Germany, where diesel cars and trucks are king ? Germany has the clearest sky I have ever seen, and are more mountainous than Calif. I could find no smog. A diesel engine has 80% fewer breakdowns than a gasoline engine, and those were caused by serious abuse. The diesel engine is the future, but hungry oil companys here in the U.S, lobbied to keep efficient diesels out of America, as they would sell much less fuel to consumers. The diesel does not pollute the ozone as Americas media proclaims. Go anywhere overseas where diesels are predominant and try and find smog or haze. American propaganda is a very powerful tool against the silly putty minds here today. American industrialist here know that opening imports of efficient diesels would further finish off, the lazy American auto market. Diesel fuel is a first stage fuel proccess from refinerys. Dirt cheap to make. Basically, its crude filtered of sand and debre. To make gasoline, it takes 4 more stages to get gasoline from crude oil. There are atvantages to propaganda, by having worked for oil companys. So if you went by effort alone,,Diesel should be 1/4 the price of gasoline. If Americans were someday to become truely wise, they would demand that fuel be taken off the stock exchange (a traded product speculated on,artifically driving up its price) and have all government taxes removed, and you would once again see your fuel well below the price of a dollar. Everyone should travel overseas, or anywhere out of America. You can be sure that your perspectives ( will ) change, and that haze that has been blinding you to great truth will vanish. You will realize that everywhere you go that has 50% gasoline burning cars, or more, there will be a pollution haze; where that percent starts to deminish below 50%, you will see the skys clearing along with your preconceived notions (propaganda induced) about the diesel engine. One more thing. Over 25 years ago, my brother and I, were noticing these well made Japanese imports coming to our shores. We noticed how tough they were, along with their reliability, and fuel economy. We, watched on T.V. the Japanese auto factorys; how healthy the workers looked; their speed at their task; how they exercised every morning, and were fed a healthy fat free diet by the company; how they were encouraged to come up with new Ideas ect. Then we were shown years later our workers in our American Auto Mfg Plants. Our people looked slow; overweight; uninspired; moving like snails compared to our Japanese competitors. Funny thing. I made a statement over 25 years ago that is true today. “You know, if our American auto mfgs dont start to compete with these well made overseas Auto Mfgs; someday theyre going to find themselves in the bread lines. If we dont compete; an observation might be that the oil companys must own the American auto industry and dont want fuel efficient cars.” Hmmm.

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