World Premier: The F56 MINI One & One D
When MINI was launched in 2001 it went to to market with two models – the One and the Cooper. A year later (coinciding with the US market launch) the Cooper S joined the ranks and shortly after a number of diesel variants appeared. Now with the F56 Cooper and Cooper S successfully launched MINI is turning to the One range. Read on for the full specifications of both. The One and One D will be available in various markets (not North America) throughout the world later this summer.
<p>Can someone explain the one to me? I’ve never really seen them here in the US or on the mini web site. And I can never find a clear awnser to what makes it different.</p>
<p>Less expensive. Less power. Different tax qualifications in the UK.</p>
<p>Basically in the UK and Europe this is the no frills base model. It usually comes in at around £2,000 cheaper than the Cooper and with less standard kit, around just 90-100bhp and only available without a contrast roof. You can get most of the kit and accessories from the rest of the range on them, but in a sense they are a budget cooper with less of the ‘bling’ on the exterior; which actually in my opinion for the F56 makes it the best looking in the range, simple styling rather than the over the top goofiness of the cooper and cooper s. Basically less power and higher MPG means a lower insurance group (basically the risk-rating of that car, the lower the better as the UK insurance industry is the most diabolical and exploitative anywhere) and less annual road tax, which is how we pay to use the road basically and these days is based on the fuel efficiency and CO2 output of a motor. Therefore you get all the MINI thrills and looks as well as lower running costs in return for sacrificing a little bit of power and some extras.</p>
<p>I’m with you/ This is the best looking car in the next generation. Unfortunately that’s not saying much, and it still looks like a MINI that ate at McDonalds every day for the past 10 years.</p>
<p>Spot on James. MINI One and Countryman One are also very popular with UK business users and, in particular, have become the ‘darling’ of UK Estate Agents and Letting Agents, especially around London and other major UK cities. They not only have the right image, but are a good business choice because the One versions are cheaper to run and have stronger residual values than either the Cooper or ‘S’.</p>
<p>Let’s not forget the MINI ‘First’, the super economy model produced initially for the Germany market, and then throughout Europe at the height of the global economic downturn. The First had the same 1.6 engine, but with only 75 BHP.</p>
<p>It was also called One on other markets in Europe</p>
<p>Both models now appear on the MINI UK configurator. MINI One starts from £13,750 and the MINI One D is £14,890.(UK Pounds)</p>
<p>The attached front view photo is one of very few on the internet of the F56 without the optional LED headlights. The design is quite different and in my opinion is less attractive than the R56 standard headlight which itself is less attractive than the F56 LED headlight.</p>
<p>Those wheels look tiny. As the car has gotten bigger maybe the 16″ wheels should be standard.</p>
<p>oh my god, those gaps! 35mm lowering at least and 17″ are a must for F56.</p>
<p>Bit off the subject of the MINI ONE, here in the US the F56 Cooper & S are suppose to hit dealers sometime in April, although my own dealer couldn’t say if it’ll be early mid, or late Apr. When will it arrive Euro dealers…this month or also in Apr?</p>
<p>Likewise re official F56 mileage figures for US…still no word despite it to hit dealers in the next month or so. Why the delay on official mileage info????</p>
<p>Autoexpress says this has a 1.2L not 1.5L version of the three cylinder engine. This doesn’t seem to make sense in the context of BMW’s 500c-per-cylinder stuff… why make a new engine for the lowest-cost, lowest-margin model?</p>
<p>There is marketing, and there is reality : two different things</p>
<p>But in reality it would make more sense simply to detune the 1.5? (surely?)</p>
<p>That’s what I think too. Perhaps the 1.5 litre comes with greater technology and costs more to produce.</p>
<p>That’s what I think too. Perhaps the 1.5 litre comes with greater technology and costs more to produce.</p>
<p>The data is in the specification PDFs.</p>
<p>Yes, the data says it is a 1.2…</p>
<p>This engine appears to have all the gizmos (turbo, etc…) that the 1.5 does, just with smaller displacement.</p>
<p>In that case, why not put a 1.8L version of the B48 in the BMW 18i models and so on… Or, why use a 3cyl 1.5L in the MINI and not a 1.6L version of the B48? I guess the 500cc strategy is not as universal as they make out?</p>
<p>It of course doesn’t really matter, it just seems odd to contradict their own hype of complete commonality among the 500cc generation before production has even started! (to any great extent)</p>
<p>They have done this with the 2AT designation as well.</p>
<p>I sound like a Jalopnik reader now, better stop!</p>
<p>I would add : whatever the marketing says (i.e. the 500cc strategy) it doesn’t really matter either</p>
<p>And yet another version of the car that looks better than the S</p>
<p>The bore and stroke size of the 1.2L (1198cc) 3 cylinder petrol engine in MINI One (78mm x 83.6mm) bears no relation to the bore and stroke size of the 1.5L (1499cc) 3 cylinder petrol engine (84mm x 90mm). It is highly unlikely that BMW would go to the expense of producing a one-off engine for the economy MINI. I strongly suspect that the 1.2L engine is supplied by another manufacturer under contract.</p>
<p>Nissan is the UK’s largest car manufacturer and just happens to manufacture a 1198cc 3 cylinder petrol engine with an identical bore and stroke size of 78 x 83.6. Could this be the same engine?</p>