The Mini: Stories untold
The Mini is an automotive brand owned by the BMW Group that they have used for the successors of the original Mini since April 2001. The names Cooper and Cooper S echo the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn, come from the involvement of John Cooper and the […]
The Mini is an automotive brand owned by the BMW Group that they have used for the successors of the original Mini since April 2001.
The names Cooper and Cooper S echo the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn, come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the Mini. John Cooper also created a one-off racing model of the Mini Cooper S named the Mini Cooper S Works.
This is a car that has good handling and is well planted on the road- especially with its low profile tyres. The sweetest part about the car is if you are careful enough you can use it for one year before servicing. Looking from long term report from Automobile Magazine, the car was serviced after eight months cost free. Normally outside Nigeria most Mini Coopers are serviced at least the first time at no cost to the owner. The cost is usually covered by the selling price of the car.
Recently, the Mini has unveiled the official details on their new family models. The new models have gone on sale since September 18, 2010 featuring a new exterior styling, a new interior, and an improved engine line-up.
On the exterior, the air intake in the front bumper gains visual emphasis and there is also new eye-catching brake air ducts with the rear lights received newly designed LED lights. The interior receives high-quality materials and an extremely harmonious color scheme. Though Mini Cooper S is very much talked about as the best but here in Sunday Trust Motoring our choice is the Clubman. It still enjoys the glory of the Cooper but we reckon it is a better cruiser than a hot hatch car. Though our concern is we haven’t seen it being sold by any dealer yet. Our thought would have gone to Coscharis Motors but then they have the BMW 1 series- but that too is not a hot hatch.
Under the hood, Mini added a new generation of turbo-diesel engines that offer lower fuel consumption and improved emission. The new Cooper S receives a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a new 2.0-liter. The new Cooper S accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 7.0 seconds, has a fuel consumption of 48.7 mpg, and a CO2 emissions of 136 g per km.
All models come with innovative equipment features aimed at enhancing comfort, safety and the trademark MINI personality. For example, the optional xenon headlights can be ordered with black headlight reflectors or the Adaptive Headlights function, while an automatic dimming function is available for both the rear-view and exterior mirrors, and the optional ambient lighting uses a trio of LEDs to provide a broad spectrum of color.