I dunno tho'. The 206 is about the same size.......

Mini back in WRC...now there's a thought.
But to homologate 206, Peugeot made the GT version with great bumpers! :D

if you want 4x4 you needn't get a BINI get a real mini drop in a golf vr6 engine in place of the backseats and strengthen everything else - would cost nowhere near as much and would go like stink!!!

and is making really well.

see it for your self

http://www.sportcar.com.mx


WRC is out of the question because the Mini is too small...

The only car FWD V8 that i known is Lancia Thema 8.32 powered by Ferrari 328 engine. And it's a **** of car! :D


Cadillac (a GM brand) Deville has had a fwd v8 (4.6ltr) for years. Was advertised as the most powerfull fwd car in existance for a while.

I just read an article in the new magazine GoMini about the heavily modded, blue, Cooper S, and apparently the owner is currently working on a mind-meld between an Audi Quattro drivetrain, and a Cooper S.:eek:

Steve

The MINI Wagon variant mentioned in another thread adds 250mm to the length. Still not enough by about 175mm but if that works then there is no reason you couldn't extend it further.

From a Globe and Mail article by Brian Harper, on the MINI event at the Col de Turini (Mike Cooper in attendance):

"Some of us think BMW should commit the Mini to a season of competing in the WRC. Mike Cooper says he can put together a team of 360hp, four-wheel drive versions and campaign them for $80 million (repotedly what Citroen is spending to compete this year)"

In case you missed it first time round:

"360hp, four wheel drive"

Now THAT would be worth seeing...

How about an AWD Toyota Celica or Eagle Talon trans and rear diff?

Let's not forget the new generation R56 coming soon! It's supposedly longer and will introduce the new, lighter, more powerful BMW/PSA engines. With the new car might come a floorpan and drivetrain that could be designed from the beginning with an AWD model in mind. I hear WRC!!!

Let's not forget the new generation R56 coming soon! It's supposedly longer and will introduce the new, lighter, more powerful BMW/PSA engines. With the new car might come a floorpan and drivetrain that could be designed from the beginning with an AWD model in mind. I hear WRC!!!

And at the same time as making the Mini cheaper....sure they will

;)

I have been working with a leading robotics firm, and we have been toying with high torque DC brushless pancake motors. They are small enough that you could stuff them into the wheels of a MINI, and power them from some sort of internal battery bank. Using a good planetary gearbox and a custom hub, you could power the rear wheels directly... Or you could stuff it into the battery compartment area, and use small stub shafts to power them together...

It wouldn't be true 4WD, but it would be ON-Demand 4WD. With some electronics and some good electrical engineering you could basically make a hybrid electric 4WD system.

Mitsubishi's new concept car (supposedly a replacement for the Eclipse) uses a similar system, they call it E-boost.

It is probably the best system in a car as small as the MINI...no driveshaft to bother the floorpan, just wires.

ciao
RM

And at the same time as making the Mini cheaper....sure they will

;)

All I'm saying is let's not forget a new model is comming out with new potential. With a roadster, wagon, and god knows what else, planned for that chassis, who knows?!! Sure, an AWD version won't be at the bottom of the price lists, but it is still possible to make one all the same.

Besides, VW has the Haldex AWD version of the Golf and that thing is built no better than a toaster!

All I'm saying is let's not forget a new model is comming out with new potential. With a roadster, wagon, and god knows what else, planned for that chassis, who knows?!! Sure, an AWD version won't be at the bottom of the price lists, but it is still possible to make one all the same.

Besides, VW has the Haldex AWD version of the Golf and that thing is built no better than a toaster!

All i am saying is with the added expense of R&D costs, manufacturing costs, tooling costs combined with limited marked demand i can't see it being viable.

The Golf platform is also used by Audi, which is designed to accept a 4x4 powertrain. The platform is also used in by Seat and Skoda so economies of scale swallow the development and manufacturing cost. Sadly Mini do not have the same volume sales to justify it.

Cheers

Pete

All i am saying is with the added expense of R&D costs, manufacturing costs, tooling costs combined with limited marked demand i can't see it being viable.

The Golf platform is also used by Audi, which is designed to accept a 4x4 powertrain. The platform is also used in by Seat and Skoda so economies of scale swallow the development and manufacturing cost. Sadly Mini do not have the same volume sales to justify it.

Cheers

Pete

Agreed and you can buy a VWR32 for not much more than a tricked up MCS 200+ HP, 4 Motion ina Golf body/frame....

As far as a WRC MINI -- I have Pro Rallied in a Suzuki Swift, and little cars bounce you up and down a whole lot more .... tough on the competitors ;)

I just read a (dutch) article about BMW supported testing of a 4x4 MINI Cooper S by Getrag (known from the gearboxes).
It says the BMW development guy Goschel was impressed after driving the prototype.

Autoweek MINI 4x4 article (http://www.autoweek.nl/newsdisp.php?cache=no&ID=2883)

I just read a (dutch) article about BMW supported testing of a 4x4 MINI Cooper S by Getrag (known from the gearboxes).
It says the BMW development guy Goschel was impressed after driving the prototype.

Autoweek MINI 4x4 article (http://www.autoweek.nl/newsdisp.php?cache=no&ID=2883)


he he i saw this on another site *cough* and i lauged when i saw one of the pics that the mini was nearly sideways, really 4 wheel drive ??? !!! hmmmmm i wonder :p

the most interesting on this article is the rear axle FIRST then front, power distribution. Which is not the case, the oposite happens, for all those automatic 4x4 systems in the market like in VW. Also in a picture we can see active control over the differentails like EVO VIII has. If all this true we might have a, partialy, RWD S :D :D... someone should kindly ask BMW to build this car.

In case anyone hasn't seen:

http://www.mini2.com/news/news268.html

i'd buy one :D :D :D

I would gladly trade my FWD JCW for one of those with JCW - gimme, gimme :D :cool:

Paul...
how long do you think it could be until we would see one in production? Would they offer it on both MC and S or just S? Only on a manual tranny or CVT/auto?
I would def. switch.:):)
Thanks!!

As an example, every car Subaru currently makes is AWD equipped, so there's no reason, a priori, why AWD couldn't be offered on all/most MINI variants (not sure about the CVT though because Audi doesn't offer AWD with their CVT system), but it could depend on which AWD system they opt for. Would they want to offer AWD on all variants given the added weight, drop in fuel consumption & decrease in power-to-weight.....probably not. However, if some of the rumours are true about them entering the WRC arena, then AWD is a must and would certainly make sense on their flagship model.

Heck, I'd trade up for a Getrag AWD MCS. Wow, how much better can it get? :D

Heck, I'd trade up for a Getrag AWD MCS. Wow, how much better can it get? :D

...and can I please keep my soft-top too?????
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I would definately buy one.

Definitely put me on the list.... That would be very interesting around a track and on tarmac rallies :D:D:D

Definitely put me on the list.... That would be very interesting around a track and on tarmac rallies :D:D:D
How about just going up to the ski areas during the winter? To have AWD on snow packed roads with some nice studded snows, Ahhhhh sweeeeet!

I don't know if somebody already posted, but my dealer said the four wheel drived version is confirmed and we can expect it in about two to three years. And the main purpose of the AWD will most likely be to bring all the power of the new turbo engine to the street :)

And besides that there will be some 3-door (2 on the passenger side, the rear one will open towards the back), longer version of the Mini.

... And besides that there will be some 3-door (2 on the passenger side, the rear one will open towards the back), longer version of the Mini.


That sounds hideous :o

But definitely - turbo 4WD MCS - I'd have one in a flash :D

I would be interested if getrag made a conversion kit for all the mcs's that are already out there. And rear wheel first!! :D Sweet! :D Sign me up!