2012 MINI Cooper Coupe by AC Schnitzer

 BMW Group tuning specialist AC Schnitzer has gotten a hold of a 2012 MINI Cooper Coupe and has wasted no time outfitting the tiny two-seater with off-the-shelf bolt-on upgrades. Surely, we can expect more comprehensive tuning in the form of body styling and engine performance enhancements, but we'll have to wait as they are currently in development. In the meantime, MINI Coupe owners can start to improve the already competent handling even more with AC Schnitzers limited slip differential, height-adjustable racing suspension, aluminium strut tower brace and rear axle antiroll bar. With improved handling a high performance brake system is also needed. 4-piston fixed calipers with slotted discs, upgraded brake pads, caliper holder and braided steel brake lines can be supplied while AC Schnitzer's Mi2 BiColor wheels in 18 inches or the Mi1 silver wheels in 17 inch can complete the suspension upgrades. Other components available include the AC Schnitzer complete sport exhaust system with chromed racing tailpipe trim from the MINI Cooper S and the John Cooper Works Coupe, "Technology & Design" sticker set, gear knob with digital gear display, aluminium pedal set, foot rests, handbrake handle and velours foot mats.

Mac Audio MINI Clubman S

German manufacturer of amplifiers and loudspeakers, Mac Audio has customized a MINI Clubman S as their unique show car.
Dressed with a John Cooper Works body kit and a matte white exterior, power has been modestly increased to 230 PS (169 kW / 227 bhp), compared to 184 PS (135 kW / 181 bhp) for standard version, courtesy of a Wimmer Rennsporttechnik's ECU upgrade, modified exhaust system and optimized air intake pipes.
Unsprung chassis components have been enhanced by 8x18 Oxigin rims with 215/35-18 Yokohama Advan Sports tires and Stoptech four-piston high performance brake system while sprung components include KW Variant 1 coilovers. Inside, Sportster Recaro CS-seats top off the performance package.
While that's all nice and dandy, Mac Audio put their true talents into an audio installation that includes:

• 12 sq meters of Dynamat Xtreme insulating material
• Mac Audio Star X 2.16 front and rear loudspeakers system in modified door panels
• Handmade 90-liter bass enclosure equipped with 3 x Mac Audio STX Reference-Woofers
• 6 Micro X Series amplifiers with the maximum capacity of 3,900 Watts
• Extra batteries, buffer capacitors and cabling by Stinger
• Audiovox VME 9325BTA head unit with navigation control using iPod, iPhone, USB, DVB-T and Bluetooth via touchscreen

A visual highlight includes amplifiers mounted in the headliner where they stand out over a giant mirror in the trunk floor.

Press release:

MINI GOES LOUD!
The new BMW-built edition of MINI, the British cult compact car, can be spotted on our streets with different body modifications. The Clubman, first presented in 2007 at the International Automobile Exhibition, was awarded with the Red Dot Design Award for its concept only a year after its release.
Mac Audio, manufacturers of amplifiers and loudspeakers, has customized Mini Clubman S, the most powerful version, into a unique Showcar.
The exterior of Mac Audio Mini radiates the glow with its new matte white special color. The previous quite sporty car appearance has been emphasized by John Cooper Works Bodykit. Thanks to the professionals on the Wimmer Rennsporttechnik team, the Mini features impressive 230 HP due to adjusted engine electronic system, a modified exhaust system and optimized air intake pipes.
To reap the fruits of this enormous performance potential on the streets, the Mac Audio Mini rolls on the tire/wheel combination of 15-inch Oxigin rims, 8' x 18' wheels (also painted in white with use of special coating) and 215/35-18 Yokohama Advan Sports tires . The Stoptech four-piston high performance brake system, the KW coilovers Variant 1 in Inox and the Sportster Recaro CS-seats convincingly top off the performance package.
Mac Audio put the greatest emphasis, however, on the interior of its Showcar. Here the job was entirely done by the company's own Professional Installation Team headed by Nic König.
12m2 of Dynamat Xtreme insulating material was used in order to eliminate vibration and rattling. Installation experts have mounted Mac Audio Star X 2.16 front and rear loudspeakers system in the modified door panels. This sophisticated job has resulted in brilliant high tone playback, clear midtones and a springy kickbass. The handmade 90-liter bass enclosure equipped with 3 x Mac Audio STX Reference-Woofers makes the Showcar quake and guarantees a real feeling of music. The 6 Micro X Series amplifiers with the maximum capacity of 3,900 Watt have enough sound in store for any musical taste. A visual highlight has been created by mounting the amplifiers in the headliner where they dramatically stand out over a giant mirror in the trunk floor. Extra batteries, buffer capacitors and cabling by Stinger provide ideal connection. The brain of the whole system is the Audiovox VME 9325BTA Head unit which enables the user to control navigation using iPod, iPhone, USB, DVB-T and Bluetooth by touchscreen. Perfect visual integration of audio components and an exclusive interior combination of leather and Alcantara puts the Mac Audio Mini way ahead of the series base model.
Being on the road in this four-wheel rocker is ... sheer joy.

MINI Countryman 150° Anniversario by Romeo Ferraris

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification, Romeo Ferraris has created a unique MINI Countryman S.

On the styling front, the crossover has a matte blue exterior with black accents, chromed racing stripes and 19-inch OZ Racing wheels with Yokohama Advan Sport tires. Inside, the cabin has been outfitted with premium leather seats with blue contrast stitching and tri-color embroidery.

Under the hood, the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine has been equipped with a new intercooler, a high-flow air filter, a revised ECU and a sport exhaust system. Thanks to these tweaks, it produces an additional 43 PS (32 kW / 42 hp) and 88 Nm (65 lb-ft) of torque.

BMW Group Publishes Results of first Mini E Trial

We all know about the merits of electric vehicles but have you ever wondered how it would really be like owning one and driving it on a daily basis?

In collaboration with the British government, the BMW Group launched a trial program in the UK with 40 pure-electric MINI E cars given to 62 citizens and 72 pool users over two six-month periods, from December 2009 until March 2011.
Now that the trial period is over, MINI and the Oxford Brookes University, which undertook the research, have released their findings.
Here are the MINI E trial project results in numbers:

• 40 MINI Es


• 12 Months


• 138 Drivers (32 women, 106 men)


• 258,105 miles (415,380 km)


• 33,345 Journeys


• 80,282 kWh Electricity


• Highest mileage by an individual driver over six months: 7,954 miles (11,270 km)


• Average mileage per vehicle over six months, including fleet pool cars: 3,226 miless (4,830 km)


• Average single trip distance: 9.5 miles (15.3 km), compared to UK average of 7 miles (11.3 km)


• Average cost to charge over six months: £60, less than 2p per mile


• Virtually all recharging carried out at home.


• Almost all participants said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part in the program.


• 80% of the participants trips were made exclusively in the MINI E. With the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, this number would increase to 90%.

The MINI E is powered an electric motor that produces 204HP and 204 Nm, while drawing energy from a 35kWh Li-Ion battery. It has a top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) and an official maximum range of 149 miles (240 km), although the company admits that 112 miles (180 km) is a more realistic figure.

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MINI UK Launches New Soho Editions

Following the release of the MINI Clubman Soho edition last year, the British automaker decided to name all of its special edition models after London boroughs, districts, streets and landmarks.

As a result, the Soho nameplate has now been applied to the three-door hatchback and soft-top convertible model, both of which will be available in the United Kingdom in Cooper and Cooper D models from now until March 2012.
The Soho editions sport an exclusive ‘White Silver’ metallic paint, which is not available on any other current MINI Hatch or Convertible model, as well as 17-inch Black Star Bullet alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights with black interior reflectors and white indicators.
As for the interior, the two MINI Soho models gain Anthracite headlining, a 3-Spoke sport leather steering wheel and ‘Piano Black’ interior surfaces.

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MINI Cooper S R53

The second generation of the new MINI from the BMW Group has been with us since 2007 but the tuning industry has yet to let go of the Mk1 hatch and especially the Cooper S model with the R53 designation.

German tuning house CoverEFX has just launched a new package for the MINI Cooper S Mk1 that includes both cosmetic and performance modifications.
The transformation begins on the outside with a flat gunmetal grey vinyl wrap for the body contrasted by the orange colored roof and front fenders as well as the glossy black trim for the aero package and body trim.
The smoked out lights and the new 17-inch multispoke alloy wheels in black with an orange rim further enhance the car's looks.
Under the hood, the MINI's 1.6-liter turbocharged engine is boosted to 240-horsepower while the three-door hatch rides on a lowered sports suspension.
The total cost of the package is set at €8,000 which comes to around US$11,400.

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BMW Boss: Front-Wheel Drive Bimmers will be “The Ultimate Driving Machine

The times, they are a-Changing sang Bob Dylan, and they did. And for the most part, it’s for the better –or we’d still be living in caves. But when one of the staples of the motoring world embraces a new philosophy, be prepared for the purists to cry “FAIL”. The news of BMW adopting front-wheel-drive for its future compact models is the perfect example.

For decades Munich has bombarded us with its naturally aspirated in-line engines, be that with 4, 6, 8 or 10 cylinders along with 50/50 perfect weight distribution and the “ultimate driving machine” tag.

Now turbos are all the rage, even in the M-division and they are trickling down to the rest of the lineup in the name of fuel economy and CO2 emissions. But a FWD BMW? Where is this world coming to?

BMW Group board member Ian Robertson has a perfect counterargument: “In the last 10 years we have built nearly two million front-wheel-drive Minis and no one has ever told me the driving dynamics are questionable”, Robertson told Australia’s Drive magazine at this week’s 6 Series coupe launch in Germany.

And true enough, he does have a point there as the Mini is one of the most fun to drive hatchbacks on the market. Robertson is confident about the new direction his company is taking:

“I think we are very, very capable of developing a front-wheel-drive platform that has certain advantages in terms of design and the use of space, and at the same time will be a BMW as you always expected it to be,” said Robertson.

“Take the badge and the heritage out of it and put the capability into it. Capability is what is important. The whole essence of what you experience from a rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive, customers expect it to be a BMW … and that is what is driving us,” he added.

The reasons behind the change of heart, at least for smaller models in the range, are the obvious advantages of FWD vs RWD in packaging, interior space and, of course, cost. Besides, even Mercedes-Benz and Audi, with their A-Class and A1 respectively, insist on the benefits of this layout.

Therefore, the recently launched second generation of the 1-Series may well be the last small BMW with RWD, as its successor will most likely adopt the firm’s new FWD platform architecture.

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