MINI2

1st April 2008 the new MINI Cherished website will go live, improved and upgraded to help would be used MINI purchasers in their quest for the ideal ride.

According to a MINI press release, sales of used MINIs via the official MINI Cherished scheme have rocketed recently, and the revamped website is part of their response to ever increasing demand for used MINIs.

The stats speak for themselves, in February 2007 there were 518,018 searches for Cherished MINIs, February 2008 saw an increase of over 90% to 992,269 searches. Sales are also up over 25%, January 2007 saw 2178 Cherished MINIs leave dealer forecourts, and the same month in 2008 saw 2580 used MINIs purchased.

Thanks to the manufacturer-backed scheme, with every Cherished MINI coming with the following range of benefits:

• Minimum 12 months MINI Warranty
• Minimum 12 months MINI Emergency Service Cover across the UK and Continental Europe
• Minimum 12 month MOT and MOT Cover
• Full Service History
• Independent vehicle history and mileage checks
• Finance and Insurance available through MINI Financial Services

The MINI Cherished website address is www.minicherished.co.uk

Fleet News has become the latest media outlet to nominate MINI as a green winner. In the publication’s 20th Annual Awards ceremony, MINI was named Best Small Car 2008 thanks to the introduction of new fuel-saving technologies and amazingly strong residual values.

Cost-conscious, practical and desirable motoring topped the awards criteria. The Fleet News panel cited the new Clubman model as key to the appeal of MINI for business car drivers, with one judge claiming: “There is no other car in the sector that drivers would like to have more.”

MINI’s new range of Hatch and Clubman models shot to prominence in 2007 thanks to technologies based on BMW’s EfficientDynamics systems. With carbon emissions-based taxation a key factor in this week’s Budget announcement, many MINI owners could now actually find themselves in a stronger financial position.

Emitting just 104 and 109g/km C02 respectively, the MINI Cooper D Hatch and Clubman models will be exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty as of 01 April 2009 under the Budget ruling. This follows earlier news from Transport for London that from October 2008, cars emitting less than 120g/km C02 will be exempt from congestion charging.

Company car tax thresholds have also been revised and the Cooper D derivatives are again winners, thanks to the income tax rate cut and reduced 13 per cent taxation on diesel cars emitting less than 120g/km C02.

The Fleet News Environmental Award was claimed by BMW Group. This award recognises the fleet industry’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment. EfficientDynamics developments, available across BMW and MINI products, positioned BMW Group as the clear winner in a hard-fought category.

22 BMW derivatives and 5 MINI models now emit less than 140g/km C02. From April 2009 every one of these sub-140g/km cars will fall in to VED band E or lower, meaning owners will then pay a maximum of £115 for their annual road fund licence.

As with the original MINI, the second generation MINI will soon be due a nip and tuck, a mid life facelift and refresh. Rumours suggest that the facelift for the second generation car may be more dramatic than we saw first time around, and we’d like to know what you would like to happen.

The first MINI facelift took place after three years of release, in the summer of 2004. Changes were cosmetic as well as mechanical across the range, but to the untrained eye, very little changed. Most of the exterior and interior changes involved plastic or clip-on components. The bumpers, grilles, lights, and other ‘easy to change’ parts were updated to match the new look of the MINI Convertible.

Apparently with the second generation this pattern will continue, with the Convertible leading the way for hard top changes. However, we’ve heard that sheet metal changes, as well as the previous bolt ons, will be updated this time around, suggesting perhaps a more dramatic (while still in no way a full ‘generation change’) update will take place this time around.

We’d like to know, what cosmetic, and perhaps subtle mechanical changes would you make to the second generation MINI to make it appeal more to you as a MINI enthusiast?

The second generation MINI Cooper hardtop earned impressive scores for front and side impact and roll-over testing in the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing.

In the NCAP side impact testing, the 2008 MINI Cooper received a 5-Star rating for front seat occupant side-impact protection - the highest rating issued by NHTSA. In the same test the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for rear seat occupants.

In frontal impact testing the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for both front seat occupants. In addition the MINI Cooper carries a 5-Star rating for rollover safety.

We are delighted that the NHTSA tests confirm MINIs excellent occupant protection in crash situations

said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA.

It is a testament to the level of safety we engineer in our cars, making MINI one of the safest small cars on the road today.

The MINI Cooper and Cooper S help to maximize occupant safety with a total of six airbags - two frontal impact bags, two seat-mounted side impact bags and an impressive Head Protection air bag curtain that protects both front and rear passengers in the event of a side impact or roll-over. MINI’s crash worthiness is also enhanced by a rigid steel safety cage that helps to redirect impact forces away from occupants.

Of course it is better to avoid an accident and MINI offers a palette of advanced electronic braking and traction management technologies to help keep the car safely on the road. In addition to standard Anti-Lock Brakes, and All Season Traction, (AST), MINI offers Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Corner Brake Control (CBC) and available Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

An interactive MINI advert which appeared on a newspaper internet site has landed MINI in hot water with the ASA (Advertising Standard Agency) in the UK.

The animated promotional banner showed a close-up of a man sat at the wheel of a MINI, driving down the road - including instructions for surfers to “FLOOR IT” using an interactive pedal.

When users pressed on the pedal icon the car in the graphic accelerated until the driver’s face appeared to ripple with the G-Force caused by the speeding.

And the ad finished with the words:

NOW WITH EXTRA OOMPH THE ALL NEW MINI ONE MINI COOPER MINI COOPER S AND MINI COOPER D

The ASA said it accepted that the ad was only shown to people who clicked on the pedal and not those who were just browsing the site and also took into account the fact the ad was “surreal” and that a Mini could not get up to the speeds shown in the graphic.

However, it added:

We nonetheless considered that the ad encouraged users to interact with it and cause the man to be shown travelling at excessive speeds.
We considered that the ad made speed and acceleration the predominant message and could be seen to encourage speeding.

The ASA ruled the ad had breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) code clause 10.1 about safety that states ads should not “encourage or condone unsafe practices”.

And the ad was also deemed to breach three motoring codes.

Ad agency Glue London, responding to complaints on behalf of BMW, claimed marketing campaigns were

aimed at people who enjoyed the Mini’s sense of fun and cheekiness.

And maintained that

speed and acceleration were not the predominant message of the ad,

but that it was intended to

generate interest in the launch of the new MINI range and to promote the new MINI engine, which had improved emissions and fuel consumption.

This summer MINI (and the recently released MINI One in particular) are an official partner of the Skipper Beach Tour 2007 and will be touring the beaches of Italy, from Rimini to Milan.

The Skipper Beach Tour is an established event that tours the coasts of Italy bringing Music, Sport and a good old fashioned Part Atmosphere to popular seaside resorts. The MINI One will be on show as the official car of the tour, and MINI will have a stand with accessories and collectables on offer at each event.

The tour calendar is as follows:

• Rimini 29th June to 1st July
• San Benedetto 6th to 8th July
• Cagliari 20th to 2nd July
• Cattolica 27th to 29th July
• Vasto 3rd to the 5th August
• Ostia 10th to the 12th August
• Jesolo 17th to 19th August
• Milano  31st August to 8th September

So if you live nearby, or are visiting on holiday, why not check it out.  Looks like a good giggle to us from where we’re sat, in an overcast and gloomy English village.

MINI Ireland have announced record breaking sales in 2007.

By midday on Tuesday, 13th June 2007, MINI sales in Ireland had hit 1012 units.  Quite incredibly, this surpasses the previous sales record of 1001 units that was achieved in total in 2005!

Nicola Bissett, MINI Manager Ireland, is quoted as saying;

We are delighted to see the MINI success story going from strength to strength in Ireland. The launch of the All New MINI in November 2006 has greatly attributed to the success that MINI is enjoying along with the launch of a 1.4 litre MINI One launched in April of this year.

The MINI hatch model is available in four variants in Ireland: MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper D and MINI Cooper S, which are being sold in 13 MINI Dealers across the country. Prices start from €21,950 on the road.

MINI hatch models are to receive technological revisions later this year, resulting in jaw-dropping performance and efficiency figures.

Following on from Yesterday’s great news about the demand for the MINI Cooper D, Today’s press release from BMW (to follow), will no doubt push demand even further through the roof!

MINI hatch models are to receive technological revisions later this year, resulting in jaw-dropping performance and efficiency figures. Already BMW Group’s cleanest ever car, the MINI Cooper D will be capable of returning an astonishing 72.4mpg, with CO2 emissions of just 104 g/km.

When production of the revised models begins in August 2007, there will be no requirement for alternative fuel sources or hybrid technology to achieve these stunning stats. All model variants will instead be supplied as standard with high-tech engine tweaks, providing exceptional economy and minimal emissions without compromising the MINI driving experience.

Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start-Stop Function and Switch Point Display complete a package that will come at no extra cost to future MINI customers.

Continue reading 72.4mpg. 104 g/km C02. No batteries required.

As of August 2007, all MINI hatchback models with reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels as standard.

As of August 2007, all MINI hatchback models with reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels as standard - maximum efficiency in the new MINI Cooper D: 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres, 104 grams CO2 per kilometre.

Continue reading Increased driving pleasure, reduced fuel consumption: the new MINI in the model year 2008

Little Engine, Little Car. A Match Made in Heaven?

The MINI One first time around was an interesting little motor. Basically it was figured out very early on after it’s release to market that the 1.6 litre version of the MINI One was basically a MINI Cooper with an “un tweaked” ECU and more basic trim. Although never as popular as the Cooper, probably purely as a result of lower performance figures and the lack of the heritage appeal the Cooper badge carries, the MINI One was a popular choice. This was no doubt enhanced by the fact for a relatively small outlay you could have the engine management poked about to give performance equal to or better than the more expensive Cooper.

First time around the MINI One and MINI Cooper came first, the S we all had to wait for. For the second generation the base model is one of the last (alongside the Cooper Diesel) to come to market.

Continue reading Exclusive: MINI2 Drives the new MINI One