MINI2

At least that’s the finding of an online readers survey conducted by the online version of What Car?

Respondents to the What Car? poll of visitors to their website voted around 70% to 30% in favour of the 500 as the “smarter, more chic car”,  despite the Fiat not going on sale in the UK, What Car?’s main market, until early next year.

The proof of the pudding is however always in the eating, and it would be interesting to see responses to the same question being asked a year from now, when those taking part will have had the chance to experience the new Fiat 500 first hand.

The MINI, as many of you will agree, is pretty much “the full package”, it looks good, and it goes great, and some early reviews have not been so flattering towards the road manners of the new 500.  Both companies don’t seem overly keen on like for like comparisons, but the media has been full of them recently, and although quite different offerings, the parallels are there to be drawn by everyone.

The full report can be found on the What Car? website, where at the time of writing they are still canvassing for opinions.

Cars.com have listed the MINI Cooper S featured in the Italian Job movie at number 10 in their “Top 10 Movie Cars” rankings for the second consecutive year.

Of the MINI Cooper S Cars.com say:

The Mini Cooper holds the No. 10 spot on the list for the second year in a row likely due to its slender physique, which allows the vehicle to escape captors on congested streets, parks and subway tunnels. Computer-rigged signals aid the getaway, stopping cross traffic at red lights. Larger cars could not have achieved the maneuverability demonstrated by the Mini as it weaves through traffic, drives down stairs and speeds along sidewalks.

The top ten list has been voted for by readers of Cars who rank the time travelling DeLorean DMC-12 from “Back to the Future” as their number one Movie Star Car.

Hybrid Technologies, Inc., emerging leaders in the development and marketing of lithium-powered products worldwide, is pleased to announce that Hybrid Technologies has moved into production with the BMW AG Mini Cooper all lithium model.

Based on market readiness and an extensive vehicle selection process, Hybrid Technologies engineers selected the Mini Cooper built in Cowley, England, a subsidiary of BMW produced by that subsidiary since April 2001.

Using Hybrid Technologies proprietary advanced lithium management and battery-balancing system, the all lithium version has already gained significant automotive industry attention.

Basic lithium-powered vehicle facts:

• Speed up to 80 MPH / 128+ Km/H
• 0-60 MPH in 6.0 seconds
• 120+ miles / 193+ Km on single charge

The Hybrid produced Mini Cooper has already gained massive international media attention from outlets such as CNN, Forbes, Popular Mechanics, and Wired magazine; as well as broadcast coverage throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Marketing Trend forecasters feel that this will be the new “it” car among the Hollywood in crowd who are by no means strangers to Hybrid’s lithium-powered vehicle developments.

Hybrid Technologies President Holly Roseberry stated,

The all lithium Mini Cooper is the perfect combination of style, performance and technology. We are proud to add this latest model to our production lineup. We look forward to enhancing the system to create a dynamic capable of satisfying the most selective automotive consumers.

The conversion to all-lithium currently takes place in North Carolina at Hybrid’s Mooresville plant.

See a review (video) by Popular Mechanics and get more details on the Hybrid Technologies website.

We’ve not noticed this new MINI Cooper S trailer we found posted on YouTube before. It’s a stylish and slick presentation that shows the MINI zipping about the country on amazing roads and heading through town to a rather swanky looking establishment, where “Mr Cool” exits the vehicle to meet with his date. It’s a very smart advert which makes the new Cooper S look very cool indeed.

Compare that, however, with this MINI UK advert, originally from 2002. Instead of “Mr Cool”, we have “Mr and Mrs Nakedoldpeople”, and instead of trashing around town to a posh bar, they’re cruising the countryside, well, you’ll see.

Both very good commercials for MINI in their own right, but thought the comparison just begged to be made. (The eagle eyed among you may notice the exterior of the MINI has been “face-lifted” with CGI, whereas the interior is “original”.

Automotive News (subscription required) have an interesting article on the “Job Swap” at BMW North America, that lead Jack Pitney leaving MINI to become vice president of marketing for BMW, and Jim McDowell taking over as VP and head of Mini USA.

The article comments on how both have brought fresh ideas, and faced new challenges in their respective roles.  With both Pitney and McDowell being charged with finding new advertising agencies after effectively being dropped by their existing marketing partners.  Eventually, as we know, MINI sided with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners to handle their account. Plus, of course, there’s been the none too small matter of arranging the impressive “MINI Takes the States” event.

More at Automotive News.

Has it really been six years? Maybe not for all of us, but it’s six years to the day since the new MINI went on sale in it’s home market in Great Britain.

In May 2001, MINI2 attended the international media launch of the new MINI Cooper, and concluded that

In summary I believe the MINI is a superb package, put together with style and a surprising number of little touches that just cap it all off nicely.There is very little to fault, as hard as I tried to find something to grumble about. The Cooper should be great both around town, on country lanes and on the open road. With less horses under the bonnet, the One will be more of a city car, and when it arrives the Cooper ‘S’ should simply be out of this world.

You can read our original review in the MINI2 archives.

But MINI2 were not the only ones brimming over with enthusiasm ahead of the official launch on Saturday the 7th July 2001.  Media reviews at the time were also incredibly positive.  The only question the assembled journalists kept asking at the launch was “how can they possibly make money on this”?  The answer was success.  BMW originally forecast “as many as” 100,000 MINIs to be produced per year.   That now seems ridiculously conservative, as the MINI continues to break it’s own sales records month after month, with over 1 million MINIs now in the hands of customers.

The buzz at the time was quite remarkable.  MINI UK had invited club representatives to a track day the week before launch to get to grips with the new car, and the reception at launch was just as enthusiastic.  I doubt anyone would have predicted the global success of the MINI back then, but long may it continue!

Happy Birthday MINI!

The BMW Group sets new sales record in June 2007, with over 150,000 automobiles delivered in a single month, with growth speeding up am impressive 15%.

The MINI brand set a new historic record for the month. In June this year, 22,465 (prev.yr.: 18,819) of the world’s most successful premium small car were sold, which is 19.4% more than in the same month last year. For the six months to June, 107,576 MINI automobiles were sold (prev.yr.: 101,065/+6.4%).

The growth in sales recorded by the BMW Group has accelerated noticeably as of the end of the first six months of 2007. In a June monthly comparison, the company increased the number of automobiles delivered to customers by 15.1% to 150,285 (prev.yr.: 130,542). Never before in its history the world’s leading manufacturer of premium vehicles has sold so many automobiles in one month. The Chinese markets were once again characterised by above-average growth rates in June 2007 with an increase of 63.2% to 5,925 units (prev.yr.: 3,631). Russia also recorded particularly dynamic sales growth, with an increase of 77.8% to 1,502 vehicles delivered (prev.yr.: 845). But Western Europe also showed healthy growth in two digits (15.9%). Here, the BMW Group delivered 90,310 automobiles to customers in June (prev.yr.: 77,926).

For the six months to June, a total of 730,285 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide (prev.yr.: 698,482), corresponding to an increase of 4.6%.

Impressive stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree!

So there’s been several MINI Clubman sightings recently, more and more are crawling out of the woodwork as we await official press imagery and specification details.

Not many outside of BMW and it’s partners would have had quite as close an encounter as MINI2 member Harpo, who struck Clubman gold recently, and has shared his experience right here on the MINI2 forums.

According to his first hand report, the boot is not significantly larger than the regular MINI Cooper, but he believed that the extra rear leg room, combined with improved storage should make the MINI Clubman ideal for a young family.  Harpo continues:

The suicide door is very impressive in operation and is a substantial component. Equally the rear doors are cool too, they are on horizontal gas struts and self open after a certain degree.

Who knows what state of completeness this particular MINI Clubman was in, or what model variant it was, but it’s great not only to hear of such a fortunate and close quarters encounter, but also to hear such positive sounds coming from someone outside of the BMW Group who’s been “hands on” with the new Clubman.

Have you seen the MINI Clubman?  Have you touched the MINI Clubman?  Have you even driven or been driven in the MINI Clubman?  If so, share your experiences in the MINI2 MINI Clubman forum, there’s an eager fan base hungry for more information waiting out there!

In a pretty bizarre story, German car magazine AutoBild are reporting that BMW and Mercedes are in talks to platform share, as is a popular trend in the Motor Industry these days.  In the same article they also claim BMW may be in negotiation with Honda, and current engine partner PSA.

The reason this may seem bizarre is that BMW and Mercedes (despite other, less high profile co-operative efforts) are regarded as arch-rivals in the premium car segment.  What seems even more peculiar is the reason sited for these negotiations, apparently:

Heavy cost pressure means Mini runs the risk of losing money should its Oxford, England, plant not run at full capacity, so parent BMW is considering finding a partner.

This is despite the fact the plant in Oxford, if anything, struggles to meet demand, and with the MINI Clubman due later this year,  followed by a Convertible and other future variants, all previous talk has been how can they relieve pressure on the Plant, not about what would happen if BMW couldn’t sell enough MINIs.

According to Reuters BMW’s sales and marketing head, Michael Ganal, suggested early last month in an interview with German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche expanding its current cooperation with Mercedes, which develops hybrid powertrains, into other fields as well.

However, a BMW spokesperson moved swiftly to dampen rumours (not that it’s worked!) by stating

He was speaking generally about possible further partnerships.

Ganal’s opposite number, Mercedes sales chief Klaus Maier, denied days later there were any plans at present to expand the partnership any further.

A spokesman for Mercedes said the brand remained open to cooperation where it makes sense but reaffirmed Maier’s comments that there were no current plans to expand its hybrid partnership with BMW into other areas.

So how much weight this story holds is pretty vague, BMW may be considering teaming up and sharing their MINI platform with Mercedes, Honda or PSA.  Full story from Reuters here.

Gordon Murray Design Limited have unveiled plans for a new, revolutionary small car which they hope will be as cool as the MINI, Smart, and Fiat 500, yet cost as little as £5000 to buy, and be so cheap to run that you should get that cost back “in savings” within four years.

Sounds quite incredible, especially from a man best known for his work designing the McLaren F1 super car. However Gordon Murray and his team appear deadly serious, have received heavy investment from US investor, MDV, and Caparo and have a two year plan to turn their ideas and concepts into reality.

Descriptions of the vehicle are understandably vague at this stage, however it is clear the focus of the mini (or maybe even micro) MPV, codenamed the T25, will be clever packaging and lightweight, strong construction.  There appears to be no intention to use alternative fuels, but rather the plan is to make the best of current technologies and to increase efficiency beyond those currently perceived as achievable with petrol engines.

The T25 will be developed for Europe and Japan initially, and should weigh in at around 500kg.  Not surprisingly for a car of diminutive dimensions, it will be designed primarily for urban use, for first time buyers and as a second car for families. A low part count will enable simple, cheap and green manufacturing. The Caparo Group, could put the T25 into production itself in its low-cost Indian manufacturing facilities, however more emphasis appears to lie with the route of offering the platform to various partners to produce their own variants of the car, similar to platform sharing we see Today among auto manufacturers.

Whether or not this new car could be a competitor to the MINI around town it’s impossible to say, but with the media hype and attention it has already received, it’s probably worth keeping an eye on this one!