There’s nothing like witty and creative advertising to drum up the interest of the public. When you create the buzz necessary to generate interest in your product, you know that you hit your product is going to stick on a lot of people’s consciousness. In the case of the new MINI Cooper S commercial, we can’t say enough good things to say about the ad.
Created by Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, the MINI ad is emphasizing the sleek maneuverability of the new Cooper S as it tries to evade a mass onslaught of rampaging shopping carts in a parking lot. It’s a scene straight out of an old school martial arts flick where the young apprentice battles a pack of ninjas bent on slicing his head off.
In this case, the Cooper S tries to fend off the attacks of scheming shopping carts and in doing so, proudly shows off to the audience just how fun driving a Cooper S can be. Hey, if it can maneuver in and out of tight spaces like that, then that’s definitely something that’d stick in the mind of consumers for a long time.
Even if the Mini Cooper S is appreciated especially for the way it looks, there are people that want to take the classic English compacts looks to the next level, and so they did! The guys from Prior-Design have come up with this extreme tuning package for the sporty Cooper S that maintains the general look of the car, and then accentuates the vehicle with some extreme changes to the front and the rear of the vehicle.
The customization program includes a new front bumper for 429 Euro which was designed cleverly to allow the use of the factory MINI fog lights, as well as improves the airflow to the engine and adds an overall more aggressive look to the exterior. There is also an optional rear diffuser for another 419 Euros which allows you to install either center exit or a true dual exhaust system on the Mini, the side skirts go on sale for 349 Euros and tie the modified front and rear ends together quite nicely and gives the entire vehicle a harmonious appearance. The three part tuning package can be ordered as a whole or individually to suit the owner’s taste.
It looks like the bad news keep coming for the US market. After announcing that the Alfa Romeo MiTo will no be offered on the US market, here’s another bad news: Mini will also not offer the Cooper D for us. But while for the MiTo the problem was its size, for the Mini the problem is the cost: converting European Diesel engine to US specifications will cost way to much for the car to be profitable.
Even if MINI USA charged 10%-15% more, they’d never make any money and at the end of the day based on our sources. On the other side of the equation, is MINI USA priced the car at 40%-50% more to pay for the re-engineering required, few would buy them at today’s moderately low fuel prices.
The cooper D is powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine that delivers 108bhp. The car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 9,9 seconds.
It’s been quite a historical year for MINI to say the least.
After celebrating its 50th year anniversary with a number of special edition MINIs, the celebrants have reached yet another milestone: Number 1.5 million.
The particular model is a Mini Clubman in Chili Red and it was recently rolled out of the plant in the presence of BMW big wigs Ian Lucas and Ian Robertson.
After being resuscitated from its deep slumber in 2001 by BMW, the MINI has rebounded quite well with newer models that have caught the attention of the younger generations. The classic British car, which was made famous in a number of movies and TV shows throughout the years, is now being sold in over 80 countries, a remarkable achievement considering that the brand was nowhere to be seen at the turn of the millennium.
Touring car driver turned Fifth Gear host, Jason Plato had a chance to compare two lightweight convertibles that you wouldn’t normally put in the same category. He admits to liking the Mini Cooper S Convertible but he says that the Mazda MX-5 is much more fun. So which is quicker around their test circuit the Japanese roadster or the BMW owned Brits?
The MINI Equipe was built as a tribute to the legendary victory of the Equipe Arden 1969. It will be limited to only 40 units, each of them being signed by Jochen Arden.
The dash board, seats and doors completely enclosed in leather combine sportiness and luxury. The new Arden 2-Tone Design extends over each interior element. Besides hand-stitched and newly revised casings the MINI offers also new approaches in terms of performance and exterior design. Handmade stainless steel and chrome grille adorn the front and rear of the smallest Arden.
Extremely light 6.9 kilograms Arden Gram-light aluminum wheels in 8Jx18Zoll provide the necessary grip and reduce the vehicle weight by a few kilograms. The engine also received a manual work-over. The revised engine electronics, a new intercooler and a complete stainless steel exhaust system with racing catalytic converters give the MINI a performance gain of approximately 50nm and 40hp.
BMW tuners AC Schnitzer have just revealed their take on the drop top version of the classic English sport compact, the Mini Cooper. The tuners from Aachen not only focused on improving the styling both inside and out of the Mini Convertible, but paid close attention to the vehicle’s performance as well. They started off by adding a pair of aerodynamic lips to the front and rear bumpers of the car, this not only makes the Mini look like more of a racecar, but also helps it to perform like one as well. However, the AC Schnitzer decals are purely decorative.
The optional 18 inch rims not only look great, but also allow the owner to mount wider rubber; this gives the Mini a larger contact patch and greatly improves the vehicle’s handling. The AC Schnitzer suspension components take full advantage of the extra grip from the wider tires; by lowering the vehicle and stiffening the chassis the AC Mini will handle like it is on rails.
The interior of the Mini is already well equipped from the dealer, so AC Schnitzer decided that all it needed was a little dressing up. So the German tuners provided pieces like metal shift knobs, parking brake handles, aluminum pedals and some velour floor mats to make this Mini their own. The German engineers have tuned the little 1.6 Liter engine in the Cooper S to make 226 HP, up from the 175 HP offered from the factory, this is quite an impressive improvement considering the displacement of the motor.
Mini’s factory tuner, John Cooper Works has just revealed another special edition of the attractive little people mover with the heritage of a thoroughbred. The Mini World Championship 50 pays homage to the trio of victories at the Monte Carlo Rally that earned the compact competitor the earned the Mini its status as a giant killer. Based on the current JCW Mini, the special edition is painted in Connaught Green and is signed by John Michael Cooper, offspring of the man himself, John Cooper.
The Mini WC 50 is powered by a 1.6 Liter turbocharged four cylinder tuned by JCW to produce 211 HP, resulting in an outstanding power per liter ratio. The 50 rides on 17 inch cross-spoke alloy wheels, and is dressed up by carbon trim pieces throughout the vehicle.
Like all of Mini’s special editions, the World Championship 50 will come in limited supply, making each one of the 250 examples worldwide, an instantaneous collector’s item.
In celebration of the make’s 50th anniversary, Mini has just announced that they will launch two special edition Coopers in honor of the occasion. Both the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden will be released this upcoming September.
The special edition Minis will be available with the choice of two gas burning engines and one diesel offering. Power will range from 120 HP all the way up to 175 HP thanks to a twin scroll turbocharger. The alternatively fueled Mini will make only 110 HP, but because it’s a diesel, should make loads more torque and boast an impressive range.
Dressing up the special edition Coopers, the MINI 50 Mayfair will come with a set of exclusive 17 inch, 12 spoke alloys painted to match the vehicle. While the MINI 50 Camden features a se of similarly sized rims featuring a trio of Silver, White and Black paint.
The next generation Mini Cooper should hit showrooms in about two years from now. Based on the current model, the new Mini will feature some new sheet metal, revised interior and bigger engines.
The front end of the 2011 Mini Cooper will be much different from the current model. The future Mini will feature more aggressive headlamps, a new nose design with a much shorter hood and a redesigned front bumper. The beltline of the future Cooper will be raised up and the taillights will become trapezoidal in shape. Overall the car will have a much more dynamic coupe-like appearance.
The latest spy shots have revealed a larger grill and wider air dam; these touches hint that the 2011 car could have one of BMW’s Valvetronic engines under the hood. That would make for a much more spirited drive for future Mini owners.
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