As we get more and more facts and figures out the R56 MINIs, we’ll try to share them with our readers as soon as possible. This latest number is for all those Cooper owners out there.
According to several sources, the 2007 120bhp Cooper is excepted to get around 40-mpg on the highway on using the US system. This efficiency this is primarily due to the new naturally aspirated Cooper engine which features BMW’s Valvetronic and Bi-Vanos technology. Valvetronic means that there is no need for a throttle butterfly control making the valve timing infinitely variable. Like-wise Bi-Vanos changed the valve opening time for infinitely variable camshaft adjustment for greater efficiency.
Expect the MCS to see gains from its new turbo powerplant as well, but not quite in the same ballpark.
Great news! My ’04 hits the EPA 36mpg on the highway averaging 80mph w/ac on… my record is 39mpg on several occassions, so if the new one is rated at 40mpg, maybe no ac and 75mph with the better drag coeff will push 40+ nlly…
Got to love valvetronic and the lighter block.
Let’s hope the interior shapes up well…
We have a 2005 JCW MCS and coming back from Oshkosh last weekend we saw our best mileage yet. We filled up just as we left Oshkosh. From Oshkosh, WI to Trempealeau, WI we averaged 36.9 MPG with an average speed of 56.2 mph. Not bad for our little rocket ship. 😉
That’s great. A bit more power and more fuel efficiency as well. Now that’s progress!
Too bad these aren’t around in time for the WRR mileage contest!
Interestingly, the UK Peugeot 207 brochure details the EU consumptions figures for the 1.6 and 1.6 turbo versions of that car as exactly the same over urban, extra urban and combined.
Will the Cooper & Cooper S be the same, bearing in mind that the engines are nigh on identical?
Guess it’s all about how you use your right foot…
I’m not seeing the improvement, I got 40mpg on the way to work this morning in my 03 cooper.
Over 40mpg would make the new MC eligible for an HOV sticker in NY and that would please me greatly.
>I’m not seeing the improvement, I got 40mpg on the way to work this morning in my 03 cooper.
The current Cooper is rated at 36mpg in the US. The new one is on target to get 40mpg – a 4mpg or roughly 10% increase.
That is interesting, strangely, despite the fact that the Mini is tiny my old MCS when I still had her was a total petrol guzzler and returned a shocking 22-26 mpg! Oh boy it was fun though!
“What kind of gas mileage does that thing get?”
It’s always been the one question I hate answering, especially when I owned an MCS. MINIUSA can advertise about “sip, don’t guzzle” all they want, but for the size of car the MINI is, the general public expects the car to get better gas mileage than it does (like Toyota Prius type numbers).
An efficiency boost will be welcome. Maybe now MINI will be able to live up to its advertising.
Anyone asking about the mileage of an MCS has no idea what the car is about. They think it must get incredible mileage because it’s small. The general public is clueless as to the car’s capabilities and purpose (and that’s fine with me).
As for a 40mpg MC with 120hp and weighing 2400 lbs (?) – that is a tempting combination. If I weren’t looking forward to a time without car payments, I would certainly consider going from my 04 MCS to an 08 MC (let others deal with the 07 teething issues!).
<blockquote>Anyone asking about the mileage of an MCS has no idea what the car is about. They think it must get incredible mileage because it’s small. The general public is clueless as to the car’s capabilities and purpose (and that’s fine with me).</blockquote>The reason is that MINI is styled like a cute little city car. I fully understand why people do not associate it with performance. Normally a car with MCS performance would have far more aggressive macho styling.
I am thrilled that I getting 21 mpg with my 2005 modified MCS.
It I a common question isn’t it.
My MCS averaged 14.7 mpg last month. But then the tank lasted all month. 🙂
The week before that I averaged almost 34 mpg yet drove so much I had to fill up 6 times over the long weekend.
The thought of getting better milage, while appealing, doesn’t seem worth the cost of upgrading. Between the price differences of the cars, and taxes it’d probably be well over $5000 to upgrade, and that would buy a lot of fuel.
I don’t think I would “upgrade” from my MCS to a new MC, but if I were looking to get a new Mini I would consider the MC. I think it will be a more attractive alternative to an MCS than the current MC represents. The new MC looks like it will have a respectable power-to-weight ratio for an everyday driver. The new MCS, meanwhile, it moving into even sportier territory and could be overkill. More fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, you know.
This is definitely expected by me on the MCS, the direct injection accounts for a lot of fuel savings. Heck on my MKV GTI I get about 26 MPG in mixed driving, pretty much identical as my friend in his MCS. And thats a 2.0 vs. a 1.6 liter engine and the GTI is way heavier. So that design in the new MCS should account for a lot better efficiency plus other new design elements
I can get pretty close to 40 hwy now with my 06 MC if I keep the speed to around 60 or 65. The problem is that the city mileage is pathetic. I’m at less than 20 for my current tank of gas which is as bad as my C-class MB used to get.
40 mph is some serious braggin’ rights these days. Excellent news!!
Gabe, I assume you’re referring to the manual transmission model. (Automatics are less fuel efficient in most cases, certain hybrids being an exception.)
I agree that the MINI Cooper is going to be more attractive with the 2007s. Besides fuel economy (and higher fuel prices in the marketplace), and the boost in base horsepower and torque, another reason is that $%&(*%# faux hood scoop. Unless there’s a JCW kit waiting for that scoop.
>Gabe, I assume you’re referring to the manual transmission model. (Automatics are less fuel efficient in most cases, certain hybrids being an exception.)
Yes – sorry about confusion.