Archive for December 2009
Dec 14th, 2009
Official UK Release: On 13 December 2009 at MINI’S Oxford plant, forty electric MINI E cars were handed over to their test drivers, who are all members of the public. This marks the start of two consecutive six-month field trial periods which will evaluate the psychological, social and technical aspects of living with an electric car. The findings will be used both to inform the BMW Group engineering teams, as they create zero emissions vehicles for the future, and the wider world to help guide power providers, policy makers and component manufacturers in their decision making.
The BMW Group has played a pioneering role in the development of sustainable private transport through ever more efficient petrol and diesel power plants. This is being achieved through the comprehensive application of a wide range of technologies, collectively known as Efficient Dynamics. More than 1.6 million cars worldwide have been sold with Efficient Dynamics technology integrated into their design. The company also has a long-term commitment to the development of both hybrid and hydrogen powertrains. continued →
Dec 11th, 2009
Think the WC50 is exclusive? Try a production of two.
Official Release: Guests at the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong can expect the ultimate in hospitality, delivered with a very special élan. And now they can add another exclusive facet to the experience of staying at the hotel rated by many experts as the best in the world: typical MINI driving pleasure. To mark the 81st anniversary of the Peninsula Hong Kong, two MINI Clubman have been added to the legendary luxury hotel’s fleet. Boasting exclusive interior and exterior design features, the cars will be available to guests who are looking to make their shopping trips in the port city a particularly memorable experience. Head of MINI Design Gert Hildebrand celebrated the presentation of the cars with Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. – the owner and operator of the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong – at an anniversary gala for the hotel known for decades now as the “Grande Dame of the Far Eastâ€. continued →
Dec 10th, 2009
The limited edition World Championship 50 (or WC50 for short) is now in production and will be sold only in the UK and European markets. As we exclusively reported earlier this summer, US dealers showed little interest in a pricey ultra limited edition model so this latest JCW model will be skipping MINI’s largest market.
Official UK Release: Both were revolutionary and triumphant: in the summer of 1959 Alec Issigonis presented his concept for a small car which, with its transverse-mounted front four-cylinder engine and space for four occupants plus luggage, was to become a byword for economy of space and driving fun. That same year, sports car constructor John Cooper won his first Formula One World Championship title with Jack Brabham at the wheel. 50 years on, the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 evokes both the start of the triumphal path of the classic Mini as well as victory in the F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship for John Cooper’s racing team. This MINI special edition was inspired by John Cooper’s son, Mike. His signature appears on the facia and on one of the bonnet stripes. It will have a limited production run of 250 units and was unveiled to the public at the 2009 MINI United Festival in Silverstone. The car is based on the MINI John Cooper Works and driven by a 155 kW/211 hp four-cylinder engine with Twin-Scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection. The production version of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 features numerous exterior and interior details reflecting the racing pedigree of the brand.
continued →
Dec 9th, 2009
Recently our sister site BimmerFile had a chance to talk with BMW Board Member Ian Robertson. One of things that came up was MINI potentially moving limited production out of Oxford and into another BMW plant. Some theorized it could be the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina USA. However our sources have confirmed BMW is considering limited MINI production not in the US but in Germany. And to better insulate against the currency exchange issues as quickly as possible, BMW will likely make change as soon as 2011 with the introduction of the mid life-cycle facelifted models. continued →
Dec 9th, 2009
Official Release: MINI brand volumes were considerably higher in November. With sales of 17,199 (prev. yr. 15,113) vehicles, deliveries rose 13.8%. For the year to the end of November a total of 198,163 (prev. yr. 217,415 / -8.9%) MINI cars were sold. In the past month Rolls-Royce delivered 104 automobiles (prev. yr. 110 / -5.5%). Between January and November 635 (prev. yr. 1,055 / -39.8%) of the brand’s vehicles were delivered to customers around the world.
Dec 8th, 2009
As we get closer to the Detroit Auto Show, plans continue to come into focus on MINI’s latest concept car. As we reported last August (and again in October), MINI will be releasing a R60 based “Moke” concept that could foreshadow a coming production version.
The Moke will have a more rugged off-road like appearance and will feature MINI’s upcoming ALL4 AWD system that will be optional on the R60 Countryman. The concept, if well received, could go into production as soon as 2012/2013 with the drivetrain and most of the interior being carried over from the R60.
One way to think of the Moke would be to look at how MINI has leveraged the R57 platform for the Coupé and Roadster models. The Moke will be made to look more authentic and off-road capable the same way the Coupé was made more capable on-road. Like original Moke, look for a stripped down interior with some type of open top aspect to it.
As always we’ll be updating with more details as we get them on MINI’s next concept.
Dec 7th, 2009
MINI is fast-tracking the highly anticipated Coupé and Roadster “twins” through design and development. Design tweaks to what we’ve seen in Frankfurt and LA have mostly been made at this point and engineering is well underway.
However the big news we’ve recently learned from our sources is that the first pre-production Coupés and Roadsters will hit the Oxford assembly line around June of 2010. These same sources are telling us that initial batches of production of both cars should start in October of 2010. Look for both products to hit UK and European dealers in the beginning of 2011. US sales should starting shortly after UK and Euro deliveries start.
Look for more big news on MINI production tomorrow.
Browse Pages:
« Previous Page — Next Page »
« Previous Page — Next Page »
