MINI2 launched January 15th 2001

Several months prior to the MINI Cooper being released on sale, and at a time when workers at BMW Plant Oxford were debating with unions whether or not to accept the latest pay deal offered to them by BMW, a strike was a very real possibility. Our first story after launch (18th January) was also a fairly down beat report on public reaction from the Detroit Motor Show.

15th March 2001, and we scored our first “exclusive”, a chance for MINI2 members to put their questions to MINI Chief Designer, Frank Stephenson and a few days later I bumped into a new MINI on the open road, resulting in a lucky “guided tour”, and a sit behind the wheel.

In April that year, full scale MINI production started in time for a summer launch, and in late May, MINI2 were invited to attend the international media launch of the MINI Cooper in Italy.

Fast forward to 2002. In February MINI2 scores another exclusive with MINI Cooper S photos and Video and a month later the MINI Cooper & MINI Cooper S have a fantastic launch in the USA, and we’re off on another launch event, this time the 163 bhp MINI Cooper S debut in Lisbon, Portugal. The car lived up to all expectations.

May 2003 was a busy month. The BMW board confirmed their intentions to build a Convertible MINI, and in another MINI2 exclusive Jack Pitney, General Manager of MINI USA answers MINI2 members’ questions , and MINI2 test drove the new MINI One D on the Isle of Man.

So, what does the future hold?

Well, this year will see a new look MINI, inside and out, as well as the launch of the Convertible MINI Cooper, One, and S. The MINI Convertible will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2004, and of course MINI2 will be there to report it.

Over recent months pictures and information have been leaking and sneaking their way on to MINI2 from various sources, so we thought now, about a month before we expect further official news and images, would be a good time for a brief summary. Lets start with a collection of photographs and some explanations of what can be seen.

Seen here is the new orange to be offered by MINI, we believe these shots come from the factory in Oxford, and the colour will feature exclusively on the soft top MINI.

The first photo shows the rear quarter of a MINI Convertible, complete with orange colour coded dash sections!

The second photograph is a close up of the externalboot hinge that will of course be a unique feature of the MINI Convertible. This, as we have seen, will probably also be available in chrome on some models.

Shown in the photos is the new Cool Blue.

This colour is a pearlescent blue shade, with a strong grey “lowlight”. The effect is quite dramatic.

These photos were taken recently in London where MINI2 received a tip off, and luckily found a Convertible MINI Cooper S being filmed for commercials.

This car also features new R91 17″ alloy wheels, one a new range of wheels that MINI will be introducing in the course of the coming year.

The colours on the MINI are due for an update in 2004, for example, we expect there will be two exclusive colours for the Convertible when it is introduced.

The photos below show a Cooper Convertible, with the optional chrome hinges. The rear shows how the brake light will be integrated in the chrome trim, as well as poorly disguised new lights and bumper trim details.

This exclusive photo shows the new front bumper for the MINI Cooper, with chrome line trim.

We now believe that this is also the new Cool Blue colour, which we didn’t appreciate when it was first published!

And this is the a rear bumper, with colour coded, not chrome trim.

This is the trim you can see so poorly disguised on the above South African Cooper Convertible photos.

Also showing is the new fog light.

The pictures above show the new light configurations.

The far left image is a photograph of the new rear tail lights, these feature on both the shots of Convertibles shown above. The reverse light now forms part of the main structure, the fog light is in the rear bumper.

The second image is a design drawing we have acquired of the new headlight internal configuration. Sadly we don’t know much more about this at this time.

This, we’re told, is the new interior. Changes from the current spec are subtle, many non MINI owners or enthusiasts wouldn’t see them.

The new three spoke wheel is already being sold, but this also features chrome instrument rings, and a locking glove box. The airbag has also been moved and dash simplified.

Our final images from our current “previews” collection show a design drawing of the new optional instrument cluster, and the rear passenger area of the Convertible,
with the hood down.

Well, we hope our pictorial guide to upcoming, some unconfirmed, changes to the MINI range has been interesting to you. To read more about what may be in store for the MINI this year, you might want to look through our archive of news articles.