Horsepower Mini Cooper S

[Pricilla Igoe]

BMWfirst unveiled the Mini hatch concept car at the 1997 Frankfurt International Motor Show, when the Mini brand was still part of the BMW-owned Rover Group. Developed as a successor to the original Mini, the styling of the concept car was well received by the public and further developed. The new Mini range was launched by BMW in 2001, one year after their sale of the Rover Group in March 2000, and the classic Mini's discontinuation that same year. Under BMW ownership, the brand later grew its line-up by adding larger models such as the Clubman in 2007, the Countryman in 2010, the Paceman in 2012, and the Aceman in 2024.

The second generation was launched in 2006 and the third, adding a longer 4/5-door hatchback, in 2014. A two-door convertible version was added in 2004, followed by its second generation in 2008. With the launch of the fourth generation in 2024, the Mini Hatch has been renamed to Mini Cooper.[2]

BMW also developed several battery electric versions of the Mini, starting with the Mini E in 2009 developed only for field trials, followed by the mass-produced Mini Electric in 2019, and succeeded by the Mini Cooper E/SE in 2023 which uses a dedicated electric vehicle platform.

Mini models under BMW ownership are produced in Cowley, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom at Plant Oxford. Between July 2014 and February 2024, 3-door production was shared with VDL Nedcar in Born, Netherlands.[3] The Mini convertible was only assembled in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2024.[4] From 2024, all next generation combustion engined Mini hatch and convertible production will be centred at Oxford.[5] Since late 2023, the electric Mini Cooper is developed and produced in China at the Spotlight Automotive joint venture facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu.

The Mini Hatch (US: Hardtop) was designed by Frank Stephenson,[6] and drew inspiration from the original two-door Mini. Development of the car was conducted between 1995 and 2001 by Rover Group in Gaydon, United Kingdom and BMW in Munich, Germany. During this development phase, there was continual contention between the two design groups, especially concerning the positioning of the car; Rover wanted a straight economy car (which would also replace the Rover 100 Series, which had evolved from the Metro in a 1994 restyle), whilst BMW supported a small, sporting car. Plans for an all-new supermini to replace the Metro in the mid 1990s were shelved when Rover was sold to BMW in January 1994, with the existing Metro model gaining a restyle and a new designation.

The concept was originally unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show at a joint BMW/Rover press conference, with details of the Chrysler/BMW joint venture Tritec engine, and proposed trim levels including Mini Minor (not used) and the Cooper/Cooper S.[7]

Ultimately, BMW prevailed, and in 1999, they assumed control over the entire project following the departure of BMW's CEO, Bernd Pischetsrieder.[8] When BMW sold off Rover in 2000, it retained the Mini project, and moved the planned production site of the car from Rover's Longbridge plant, to BMW's Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, England.[8] The team of designers working on the 2001 Mini had finished the full-sized clay mock-up of the Mini in plenty of time for a presentation to the board of directors. However, the American chief designer, Frank Stephenson, realised that the model did not have an exhaust pipe.[6] His short-term solution was to pick up an empty beer can, punch a hole in it, strip off the paint and push it into the clay at the back of the car, which took just a few minutes.[6] The overall design for the mock-up was so good that the board members told him not to change a thing, resulting in the distinctive exhaust tip seen in production cars.[6][9]

The first new generation Mini Hatch was introduced in July 2001,[14] being the first model launched under the Mini marque after the original Mini was discontinued in the same year. In some European markets, the Mini One was powered by a 1.4-litre (85 cu in) inline-four version of the Tritec engine,[15] but all other petrol powered Minis used the 1.6-litre (98 cu in) version.[16][17] From 2004 through 2008, the soft-top convertible R52 was made.

There are numerous styling and badging differences between the models, including the Cooper S having a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet. The Cooper S also has twin exhausts which exit under the centre of the rear valance. The non-S Cooper has more chrome parts than the Mini One and has a single exhaust. The Mini One D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.

In some markets, such as Australia and the US, only the Mini Cooper and Cooper S were offered. Other trim lines and special editions of note, sold in varying markets around the world, are the Mini Seven, Mini Park Lane, Mini Check Mate, and Mini Monte Carlo.

The first generation of the new Mini received a facelift in July 2004 for the upcoming 2005 model year. This was also when the new convertible was introduced; it was not available with the pre-facelift design. Aside from minor design changes (mostly up front, and the steering wheel) and improved equipment, the Rover R65 manual gearbox was replaced with a Getrag five-speed for the MINI One and Cooper.[18]

The vehicles produced during the 2001 to 2006 model years included four hatchback models (UK and some international markets: Hatch, US: Hardtop, other markets just plain Mini): the standard "Mini One", the diesel-engined "Mini One/D", the sportier "Mini Cooper" and the supercharged "Mini Cooper S"; in 2005, a convertible roof option was added to the Mk I line-up. In November 2006, BMW released a facelift version of the Mini Hardtop as a 2007 model-year vehicle.[19]

From March 2002, the Mini was exported to Japan and sold at Japanese BMW dealerships as well as Yanase locations. The car complied with Japanese Government dimension regulations and the introduction of the Mini coincided with several vehicles in Japan that exhibited a retro look that Japanese car companies were offering.

The names Cooper and Cooper S are the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options. The John Cooper Works company also created a higher spec model of the Mini Cooper S, the Mini Cooper S Works. It has a higher volume exhaust and air filter, and uprated brakes and suspension, and different 17-inch (430 mm) wheels from the S models.[20]

The last Mk I variant to be produced using the supercharged Tritec engine was the Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, a light-weight, quasi-race-prepped John Cooper Works model. Hand-finished by Bertone in Italy, it was offered as a limited-production run of 2000 cars during the 2006 model year, with 444 of those originally intended for the UK market, although ultimately, 459 were sold. The GP has more bolstered Recaro front seats but had no rear seats, which along with reduced sound-deadening, removal of the rear wash-wipe system, optional air-conditioning and radio, and other weight-reduction steps, resulted in a weight saving of around 40 kg (88 lb) compared to a Cooper S.

The Mk I Mini One, Cooper and Cooper S all used variants of the Brazilian-built Tritec engine, co-developed by US-based Chrysler and BMW; the Mini One D used a Toyota 1ND-TV diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that future engines would be built in Great Britain, making the car essentially British-built again. Final assembly took place at Cowley, Oxford, and the body pressings were made in nearby Swindon at BMW's Swindon Pressings subsidiary.

All models used a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. The wheels are pushed to the corners of the body to improve handling. The styling of the car, like that of the Volkswagen New Beetle, is a retro design that is deliberately reminiscent of the original Mini. The retro styling retains other classic Mini touches such as contrasting roof colours, optional bonnet stripes, optional rally lights, and black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels that mimic the wide wheel flares found on many classic Minis.[6]

All Minis had a drive by wire electronic throttle, anti-lock brake electronic brakeforce distribution, and BMW Cornering Brake Control. Stability options were BMW's ASC traction control system and DSC electronic stability control, to improve control and handling in adverse conditions.[20][26]

BMW introduced an all-new, second generation of the Hardtop/Hatch Mini model in November 2006, on a re-engineered platform incorporating many stylistic and engineering changes. It uses the Prince engine, the architecture of which is shared with PSA Peugeot Citron and is designed to be more cost-effective and fuel-efficient, and is manufactured at the BMW Hams Hall engine plant in Warwickshire, Great Britain.[27] The engineering was done in the United Kingdom by BMW Group UK Engineering, in Munich, Germany at BMW Group headquarters, and by other third parties, BMW Group hired Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG) in Turin, to coordinate the engineering, including the development and validation of the body, structure and chassis of the new Mini. Key Production Associates from affected areas in the assembly process at Plant Oxford were seconded to IDG for the duration of the build to ensure a smooth integration of the new model back in Oxford.

Initially launched in the Cooper and Cooper S trim levels; the range was completed in 2007 with the Mk II Mini One. An economical version called the First was added in 2009.[28] From April 2007 a diesel was available badged as the Cooper D, which was supplemented in 2010 by the lower powered One D[29] and in January 2011 with a new 2.0 L diesel badged as the Cooper SD.

The second generation was again offered in Japan at Japanese BMW locations 24 February 2007, and it continued to be in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations which supported sales of both the hatchback and the convertible.

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