In love with your Mini? Well, then you better not be driving it as hard as this fella’. This Mini Cooper S was being driven by its owner, a mango farmer, during a Mini Challenge race at Queensland Raceway, Ipswich, Australia when it suddenly hurled into the crowd of unsuspecting audiences. Fortunately, no one was hurt except for two men who suffered minor injuries.

The driver, Kain Magro, was going around corner six when he bumped into another Mini, causing his car to roll over, slide on its roof and finally cascade over a barrier into the spectators’ area. Magro, despite being shaken up, is determined to race in the next event. Now, that’s what you call enthusiasm in the face of danger.

Source: Jalopnik

Green is the color of victory for John Cooper's 50th anniversary

Here it is, ladies and gents – the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works World Championship 50. Doesn’t its name sound too long? Maybe not.

Well, as promised, after its debut at the Silverstone Mini United Festival, it’s now officially out in the open press. Marking the 50^th year of Mini’s victories in motor sports, and of course, founder John Cooper’s reeling in the Formula One Drivers’ and Constructor’s Championships with driver Jack Brabham, this special-edition Mini will be limited to only 250 units.

The MCJCWWC50 (it’s definitely too long) has under its hood a 211 horsepower quad-turbo engine plus a whole lot of glimmer and gab. It’s available only in the Connaught Green theme which has Pepper White twin stripes running over its hood and roof. This theme supposedly brings back memories of the livery of Cooper’s Formula One cars. It rides on cross-spoke Challenge alloys with black finish, plus a whole lot of carbon fiber all over. Its seats are carbon black leather with red linings plus carbon fiber inner fixtures. You grab control over an Alcantara steering wheel and a six-speed manual tranny.

Don’t expect this limited edition Mini to come cheap. With all the flare going on plus strong engine and a whole lot of carbon fiber, this will definitely fetch a huge price tag. So be ready to spend your savings and year-end bonuses to get your heel-toes on this one.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/10/officially-official-mini-cooper-jcw-world-championship-50-detai/

One of a kind MINI on its way to Silverstone

Take a little time off your daily drive and check out this one-of-a-kind MINI. It’s the latest incarnation of BMW’s MINI-brand.

Penned as the Special Edition F1 Cooper, this MINI will be flaunting Formula One badges all over. It stands out from all other MINIs with its British Racing Green non-metallic paint, black stripes and white roof and mirror caps. It comes packing the JCW aerokit, engine and powertrain. Its 1600cc inline-four engine is turbo-charged and intercooled, and can muster a shocking 208 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque – very impressive for a stock engine.

According to MINI, this car is to coincide with the first-ever Formula One car created by John Cooper, a legend in the history of British racing and the company’s namesake.

This Special Edition Cooper is set to take center stage at the MINI United event this 22^nd of May at England’s Silverstone. So if you’ve got nothing better to do on that day and have a taste for small, powerful cars, be sure to drop by.

For more info, hit the link below.

Source:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/29/report-MINI-to-launch-special-edition-f1-cooper-at-MINI-united/

The Mini Cooper Convertible

Let’s take another look at a Mini, shall we? Only this time, it’s something less celebrated than the Cooper S. It’ll give you a more open-aired kind of thrill. Introducing the 2009 Mini Convertible. I don’t take much fancy in driving convertibles, but this Mini may just change my mind. I don’t really like the idea of pulling lateral-G’s in an open ride. It reminds me of riding in a roller-coaster where the only thing keeping me from catastrophe is the ride operator. However, in this case, I’m the one controlling the ride.

The Mini’s small frame will be extremely easy to push through traffic, especially with its twin-turbo. I don’t know. So many people like their tops down. I guess it gives them a greater sense of freedom while driving. Or perhaps they’re just claustrophobic. If so, why choose a Mini? Well, anyway, it’s longer than the Cooper S, giving you more room for your stuff. Though I’m sure a lot of car owners like to keep their cars clean, as in, no stuff whatsoever except their wallet. You won’t be spending too much on gas, either. This Mini, as like all Minis, is extremely fuel efficient thanks to its light weight. But mainly due to its Efficient Dynamics system that enables it to conserve energy through StartStop and brake regeneration technology. It’s much more fuel-efficient than its predecessors, and has lower carbon dioxide emitting from its exhaust, which makes for a very clean and non-expensive ride.

With its twin-turbo engine, the Cooper S Convertible’s power-to-weight ratio is enough to really blow you crazy. It churns out around 172 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. It’s powerful enough to drive on Japanese mountain passes, whether uphill or downhill. But you can choose the Cooper version, with its less powerful engine. With 118 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque, you won’t be short of power in everyday urban traffic.

Either way, both variants come with a 6-speed gearbox, meaning you’ll have more than enough range to really squeeze out each engine’s speed. At $24,550 and $27,450 a piece respectively, each variant can really give you a run for your money. Plus, Mini has dropped in standard goodies such as quadruple airbags and anti-lock braking system. You won’t have a problem braking in high speeds or cornering, because its electronic force distributor and cornering brake control ensures braking force is applied to the tires which have the most traction. Brake assist and stability control also add to its extremely rigid handling and performance. It’s like a small supercar that has no roof.

But I’d advise you not to take such systems lightly. As do all drivers who get used to such automated features in modern cars, you might become insensitive to the road itself. In order to really push a car to its limits, you have to understand the road. To unlock a vehicle’s potential, you really have to see how well its tires grip in corners, and how its weight can be used to lighten the load on the engine in maneuvering.

Even though it’s small, it can easily overtake a car with more horsepower given a large momentum. If you have large enough momentum upon exiting a corner, you can easily outrun a much more powerful car on the succeeding straightaway. If pulled off correctly, you can really stun the driver in the other car. The Mini’s light weight allows it to accelerate in a corner with incredible speed, using only its engine to adjust its trajectory. The less you apply the brakes during a corner, the more momentum you collect. Such is the secret to pushing a light car to its boundaries.

Source:

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/01/30/396140.html

The Italian Job (2003) featuring the MINI Cooper S

How would you describe a car so small yet it packs a lot of potential? Sensational? Super? Sexy? Nah. Simply, small. Introducing the MINI Cooper S.

Of all the European cars I’ve come across in my life, so far only one has fired up my interest – the MINI Cooper S. Man, this baby rocks. There are so many reasons why I like this ride. First and foremost is its size – compact and lightweight. If you’re into drifting, the chances are high that you would be a cult follower of the Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86, otherwise known in Japan as ‘Hachiroku’ (translated as Eight-Six).

Now, the Cooper S shares a few of the invaluable qualities of the Eight-Six that has earned the legendary Japanese car its cult status in the drifting world – lightweight with a 1600cc, 16-valve engine, and its compact size. However, there is one big difference – the drivetrain. The Cooper S has a front engine-front wheel drive (FF) configuration, while the venerable Eight-Six is an FR (front engine-rear wheel drive).

For me, it doesn’t really matter. What I’m after out of this European sports, uhm, street car is its compactness. If I were to live in Europe and was privileged enough to drive my own car, this would be my choice. Compared to its big-bodied sisters in BMW (by the way, MINI is owned by the BMW Group), the Cooper S has the potential to blast through traffic in a way most BMWs can’t, given the right driving skills.

Its 1600cc engine (manual transmission) gives a maximum of 175 horsepower at 5500 revolutions per minute, while it chunks out a hefty 240 Nm of torque around 1600-5000 revs. In Overboost mode, it raises the bar to 260 Nm within 1700-4500 revs. Thanks to its weight of only 1205 kg, the Cooper S is pretty fuel efficient, being able to spend only around 7.9 liters of gasoline for every 100 km in urban traffic. And with 50 litres of fuel tank volume, the Cooper can go long until its next visit to a gasoline station.

Oh yes, have I mentioned that it has a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox? But I doubt if you’ll ever go beyond fourth gear in this baby. If you’re the type who prefers downshifting to braking, then third to fourth gear would be your ceiling. Besides, what’s the fun in blasting in a straightaway compared to hugging the corners at 5000 revs in second gear? Its low center of gravity and strong body gives it unfaltering stability. With its twin-scroll turbocharger, the Cooper S can pull away from most big bodied European cars in the corners.

On the looks department, its classic round headlights retain that vintage, nostalgic feeling that seasoned drivers look for. The racing stripes on its hood unmistakably represent the Cooper S as a sports car. I wouldn’t have it any other way, actually. Pedal to the metal is the way to go to appreciate this ride.

For a teaser on what the Cooper S can do, I suggest watching the 2003 film The Italian Job which stars Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. Shot mostly in Europe, the film is about a group of high-class thieves who takes revenge on their ex-compadre who betrayed them in a past heist. They steal around a ton of gold bars and pack them in three souped up MINI Coopers S’s.

With that kind of heavy load, the agile Coopers were able to leave their pursuers, which include several sports bikes, a subway train and a helicopter, eating dust. Never mind if it was all choreographed. If this movie doesn’t infect you with the Cooper virus, I don’t know what else will. If I haven’t convinced you to try out the Cooper S, then you’ll have to see for yourself. Visit www.mini.com to explore the world of MINI Coopers.

Sources:

http://www.motortrend.com/womt/112_0305_mini_bts/photo_02.html

http://www.mini.com/com/en/mini_cooper_s/index.jsp

Since we discussed about the new Mini Cooper in our last post, let’s now take a quick look at its ancestor – the Mark 1 Mini.

The Mark 1 Mini first saw the light of day way back in 1959 when its first version was produced by British Motor Corporation. This small, yet very useful, car right here was defined by its sliding windows and a grill that looks like a moustache. This British car came out with an engine size of 848cc that can only reach 72 miles per hour. Why so slow? Well, we should take into consideration that this car was produced back in the late 50s. Back then, road restrictions about speed were in plenty and in full swing.

Even though it has a modest engine size, the Mark 1 Mini can seat four adults inside it and transport them to wherever they need to go to. This was made possible with the help of a bodyshell that housed these four adults inside the Mini. Plus, the removal of transmission tunnel in the floor pan of the Mark 1 Mini gave the car more space inside. The overall length of the Mini was lessened too with the absence of a luggage compartment in the back. This was done to accommodate as many people inside.

For its wheel size, the Mark 1 Mini came with 10” wheels. Back then, this was acceptable but if you use that wheel size today for your car, you’d probably be laughed at. But mind you, these small wheels served a purpose – to lessen the intrusion of the wheel arches into the interior of the car.

Sure, the Mark 1 Mini may not have been comfortable or easy to drive but its significance is tremendous. Think of it people. Without it, our roads may not have any Mini Coopers on it.

Whatever they say, size doesn’t matter in everything. Just take a look at the 2009 Mini Cooper. It sure is small but this car can send your adrenaline levels jumping off the charts. And just like a jack of all trades, the Mini Cooper has something for everyone.

In my own opinion, this little guy right here is a paradox of sorts. The Mini Cooper is fuel efficient but it also has the tendency to become a speed demon on the road when you step on the pedal. At the same time, it may look small on the outside but a normal guy/gal can fit everything he/she needs inside.

The 2009 line-up of the Mini Cooper comes in two variants: the Cooper and Cooper S. The standard Cooper has a 1.6 L engine that contains the power of 120 horses inside it. For the souped-up version, the engine is equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger that boosts its output to 172 horsepower.

Aside from these engine variants, both models of the Mini Cooper come with electronic brake force distribution and cornering brake control to make its handling as superb as possible. Of course, safety isn’t forgotten. That’s because this little car comes equipped with high-end safety features like airbags, a reinforced passenger cell, crossbars and so much more.Among its other features include a navigation system, 17” wheels and an iPod interface to name a few.

Too bad we still have to wait for 2008 to pass by to have this car. Oh well, patience is indeed a virtue when it comes to these things anyway.