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Mini
Mini Cooper arrives in the USA.....Part 2
By Mini & BMW Press Group
Nov 27, 2002, 23:11 PST

Wow! London to Brooklyn and no traffic!

MINI History in the United States

The MINI brand is reintroduced to the U.S. in 2002. The Classic MINI was sold in the U.S. from 1960-1967. The Classic Mini was withdrawn from sale in 1967 with the introduction of new emissions regulations. Approximately 10,000 Classic Minis were sold in this period and 12,000 Minis are on U.S. roads today. Mini Owners’ Clubs exist throughout North America.

U.S. On-Sale from Spring 2002

The MINI Cooper made its U.S. debut at the North American International Auto Show in January 2001. The exhilarating 115 horsepower MINI Cooper will go on sale in spring 2002 and the even more powerful 163 horsepower MINI Cooper S will follow shortly after. Prices will begin below $18,000. Some 20,000 units per year are scheduled to reach U.S. shores and the cars will be sold through approximately 70 dealers.

MINI Creates a New U.S. Segment

There is no other car like the MINI Cooper in the U.S. marketplace: MINI Cooper's size, quality, engineering, and distinctive design gives the car a unique position. MINI is creating a completely new market in the U.S., the small, premium car sector.

The new MINI Cooper is the first all-new product from the MINI brand since its inception in 1959. The 11' 10" Cooper features the latest in BMW Group engineering and safety technology such as six airbags, all‑round disc brakes as standard, and features such as Dynamic Stability Control and Electronic Brake Distribution are available as options.

MINI Power

Cutway of 1.6 liter engine

MINI Cooper is powered by a four cylinder, 1.6 liter engine. The unit was developed jointly by BMW Group and DaimlerChrysler. The Cooper engine delivers approximately 115 hp at 6,000 rpm and 110lb/ft of torque at 4,500rpm. The MINI Cooper’s engine is a very clean unit, meeting the EU4 emissions requirements. The engine is one of the few on the market that requires no secondary air injection or exhaust re-circulation to achieve this.

MINI Cooper’s engine has an overhead camshaft with control chain and four valves per cylinder. It features roller tip levers, which control hydraulic valve balancing elements. The cast iron engine block ensures low levels of noise and vibration. The cylinder head is aluminum.

The engine is managed by a Siemens control unit (EMS 2000). This unit also controls the continuously variable transmission that is offered as an option.

MINI features throttle-by-wire electronic technology, which replaces the direct mechanical link between the accelerator and the engine. When the driver presses the accelerator, the action is transmitted to the control unit, which then determines the ideal amount of fuel to supply to the engine. With more powerful acceleration, the system can determine the best fuel feed for maximum performance and minimum emissions.

The most important task for the control unit is to monitor the engine torque, optimizing torque values and guaranteeing an even fuel take-up. If the required torque is below the maximum value available, it is possible for the unit to retard the ignition timing and create a torque reserve. The driver experiences this as rapid pick-up and improved driving characteristics, especially at low speeds.

MINIs running costs are kept to a minimum. The Cooper has a service level indicator, which determines the best time for the car to be serviced, taking into account the manner in which it is being driven. The first service will be between 10,000 and 12,500 miles. After this, the interval is every 15,000 to 20,000 miles.

Chassis Cutway

The original Mini was the first car to have a transverse front engine with the transmission underneath. This created far more space in the front of the vehicle, and allowed the wheels to be pushed out to the car’s corners. Issigonis achieved his ambitious goal of building a small family saloon with room for four adults and in so doing, he also created the first small saloon that could be driven like a sports car.

With the MINI Cooper, this time-honored concept has been transferred to the 21st century. Using the same design ethos, the center of gravity has been kept very low with weight distributed 63 percent on the front axle and 37 percent on the rear. This has two advantages: the front of the car is heavy enough to give excellent traction, while the weight distribution between the front and rear axle guarantees excellent dynamic balance, particularly when cornering. These qualities are further enhanced by the torsionally rigid body, the multi-link rear suspension and the extremely direct steering. The transmission, water pump and air-conditioning compressor are attached directly to the engine block, making optimum use of the engine compartment. This also creates maximum space for the critical impact zones.

Advanced Airbag Safety system

Automatic MINI: Continuously Variable transmission with Steptronic.

The automatic transmission offered for the MINI is an easy-to-operate continuously variable transmission (CVT), which also contains Steptronic control. This means that the driver can choose between normal automatic mode, which makes driving in city traffic easier, and a more sporty driving mode with a six-stepped semi-automatic transmission. While being responsive to drive, the continuously variable transmission is compact and lighter than a conventional automatic transmission.

Continuously variable transmission (CVT) is different to a conventional automatic transmission. Where conventional systems need a torque converter, the CVT uses an oil bath multi-disc coupling that is electronically-controlled. The transmission itself uses a fixed-length steel drive belt to connect two double cone-shaped belt pulleys which transmit the drive output from the engine, essentially offering infinitely variable transmission ratios.

The powertrain control unit continuously monitors the position of the belt pulleys and guarantees that the most suitable transmission is provided for the current driving conditions. The CVT gearbox has been designed to incorporate six ‘steps’, which simulate the gear change of a conventional automatic box.

Excellent cockpit layout

The CVT gear stick has positions for park, reverse, neutral and drive mode. These settings are indicated by the letters P, R, N and D, and an LED next to each letter shows where the selector position is at the time.

The CVT also has a Sports driving mode, engaged by moving the gear lever from position “D” leftwards to position “S”. Sports mode contains a sporty tuning of the continuously variable operation. Within the CVT Sports mode, the driver can also select Steptronic for greater involvement in gear selection.

The Joy stick of every Mini's power

The transmission automatically changes from Sports mode to the Steptronic mode when the driver changes gear manually by moving the gear lever forwards or back. The shift status in Steptronic transmission is also shown on an LED display integrated into the speedometer. In Steptronic mode, the main differences from “D” or “S” mode are the fact that six fixed transmissions are provided. These “gears” are created by the fact that the CVT transmission is limited electronically to six pre-determined ratios.

The Steptronic function offers a more agile driving feel, since the engine can run at up to 6,000 rpm. Failsafe protective switching prevents errors, which could damage the engine or transmission.

A “Crawler” function, familiar to drivers of a conventional automatic transmission, is also provided electronically for the CVT and Steptronic systems.

Clean and smart styling

MINI Cooper ‑ Fun in Town ‑ Great on the Highway

As a small car, MINI Cooper will naturally excel in urban environments where parking, agile performance, and maneuverability are at a premium. Moreover, thanks to its stiff chassis and BMW Group suspension technology, the car will be great fun to drive on tight, twisting roads. However, urbanites need not garage their MINI when taking long trips, drivers will find the car is as much fun to drive when cruising long-distance highways.

Fun even in traffic

The MINI Cooper has been designed and engineered to capture the spirit of the Classic Mini. The car stays faithful to the classic 'wheel at each corner' configuration. Combining this with a lively engine and stiff chassis produces a great handling car that is immensely enjoyable to drive either downtown or on the highway.

Cooper S

MINI Dealers

Both the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S go on sale in the U.S. from spring 2002. MINI will be sold in the U.S. by approximately 70 MINI Dealers. Each of the 70 MINI Dealers will provide a sales environment and staff exclusively dedicated to the franchise. The predicted 18-20,000 U.S. units per year comes from a total of 100,000 units worldwide when full production has been reached.

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. The correct presentation for the Classic Mini is thus. The new MINI is presented in all caps. It is incorrect to describe the brand as ’BMW MINI’