Here’s your second batch of photos from the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, that makes it 155 photos in all. We start part 2 with the very cool Maserati Alfieri concept and end with the very cool Volvo Concept Estate. Cool!
Category: MINI
Here’s a couple of videos from BMW showcasing the MINI Clubman Concept. They may not the most exciting clips you’ve ever seen, but if you take the time to appreciate them we’re pretty sure you’ll agree the details and overall look of the Clubman Concept are pretty cool. This is MINI in fine form and we only wish we were in Geneva to see the concept with our own eyes.
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MINI Clubman Concept revealed
MINI has released details for this new Clubman Concept prior to its launch at the Geneva Motor Show. Larger than the first-gen model and with four-proper doors, at last, the Clubman starts to make some real sense.
How the F54 Clubman will sit alongside the Countryman we’re not too sure—will it be too similar in size and role? The dimensions from the original Clubman have grown by 260mm in length and around 170mm in width; this will be one big MINI.
The Clubman Concept keeps the barn-style rear doors and while that’s quite cool it clearly presented the designers with an awkward moment when trying to work out where to put the MINI badge. The answer they’ve reached to this point is very cumbersome.
The outside of the concept looks as though it should make it down the production line without too many changes. Inside, though, it’s a bit pie in the sky, albeit quite nice to look at. Expect the finished model to resemble the F56 interior a bit more closely.
It’s worth noting the air curtains, first seen on the BMW 1M, have made an appearance on the Clubman Concept. Their task is to improve air flow around the front wheels and is another example of the increasing closeness between MINI and BMW.
We like this concept and will watch its development with interest.
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Five-door MINI Cooper S spied
This F55 five-door MINI Cooper S prototype was spotted in Germany recently and gives us the first look at the size of the rear doors. While the F55 will have a slightly lengthened body compared with the F56 the rear doors do seem quite small.
The angle of the photo above may not be the best representation for the rear opening and you can follow the source link below for more pics.
We’re expecting the F55 to be launched later this year, perhaps at the Paris Motor Show in September.
[Source: Gmotors]
Richard and Nik are back with the latest update on Project Binky. Without giving anything away they’ve made made great progress and are in fine form.
We like this bit of text from the YouTube description:
“It finally dawns on us that it just might be possible to get the 3SGTE engine in the car and the project might just work!”
Our question, had we been organised enough to ask it in time for the Q&A session, would have been: “Did you spend any time making sure these two cars could actually fit together before you started, or are you really just working it out as you go along?”
That statement above kind of answers our question, we think, and scares us a little at the same time!
The best news is the view counts for all Project Binky episodes have really increased in the last month or so and these guys are finally getting some of the credit and attention they deserve.
Crack on lads!
MINI has announced it will be building the new F56 MINI hatch at the VDL Nedcar plant in Born, the Netherlands. Plant Oxford will remain as the focal point for MINI production, with VDL Nedcar brought on board to provide additional capacity.
“Contract production is a vital flexibility tool for us, and our experience gathered over the past ten years has been nothing but positive,” said Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW AG’s Board Member Purchasing and Supplier Network. “Splitting production of the new MINI Hatch between Oxford and Born will give our global production network additional leeway.
“The MINI brand is showing substantial growth. This is why we need additional, external production capacity on top of the capacity of the MINI plant in Oxford which stands at about 260,000 units per year in the medium term. VDL Nedcar has many years of experience in producing high quality vehicles, so the company is an ideal partner for us.”
MINIs will begin to roll off the VDL Nedcar production line in a few months. It will be the first time under BMW’s ownership the hatch has been built outside of Oxford.
VDL Nedcar joins MSF in Austria who have built over 125,000 Countryman and Paceman models for MINI. Almost 2.8 million MINI vehicles have been made since BMW relaunched the brand in 2001.
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The F56 MINI in detail
The new MINI was revealed in November last year, but it’s just been give its full media launch. Which means you’ve got another chance to pore over details of the all-new F56 range.
As is the norm these days the new MINI has grown and it’s now a little bit longer (98mm), a little bit wider (44mm) and a little bit taller (7mm) than the model it replaces. MINI will be hoping it’s a little bit better as well.
It will be interesting to sample the lower-spec models which use 1.5 litre three cylinder engines. The Cooper S employs the biggest engine in a MINI yet, a 2.0 litre turbo four cylinder. Turbocharging features across the MINI range now in the chase for low down torque and fuel efficiency.
New pics and press material are all yours after the break.
This video will tell you how much of a car nerd you are. It shows some of the processes involved in building a new F56 MINI. The clip runs for 12 minutes and if you really are a car geek you’ll watch it non-stop and enjoy every moment of it, quietly saying to yourself from time to time, “That’s pretty cool.”
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Like it or not the four-door MINI is coming
Whether out of the chase for higher profits or more simply as a means to remain viable the four-door MINI is coming. No, this is not the oft-complained about, and therefore underrated, Countryman, but a regular four-door based on the new F56 two-door hardtop.
This F55 four-door development mule without camouflage has been spied for the first time by a poster from the Dutch New MINI Club forum. There’s two pics in all showing the new layout and we’ve also included an older shot below from MotoringFile showing the F55 prototype being prepared for evaluation.
It’s expected the F55, which will be around 50mm longer than the F56, will debut later this year. And after initially being a bit reluctant to accept this model we can see where BMW is going with this approach. After all, we don’t even give a second thought to a Volkswagen Polo with two or four doors, and MINI has every right to compete in that space.
[Source: MotoringFile]
Bad Obsession Motorsport updated us with Episode 3 of Project Binky on Christmas Day. As you know we’ve been enjoying a leisurely festive break as far as regular updates to AUSmotive are concerned, so a few days late here’s your chance to see how things are progressing in this very challenging, but very cool project.
This installment is all about fitting the rear suspension and sub-frame from the donor Celica GT4 into the tiny Austin Mini. If you’ve watched the first couple of episodes and wondered if these guys are making the challenge of merging these two cars together look harder than it really is, then this ep should put things right. What a ball ache!
Thankfully the lads are doing a sterling job and we can’t wait to see the end result.
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MINI John Cooper Works Concept previewed
MINI brings an early Christmas present for fans of its John Cooper Works range by previewing a new concept model, based on the F56 hatch, which will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show next month.
There’s no technical details yet, so we don’t know what benefits the introduction of a 2.0 litre turbo engine will bring to the next-gen JCW. It should be good! We do know the car has new 18″ wheels, is finished off in Bright Highlands Grey paint and has too many red highlights, which makes the car looks a bit fussy.
But consider our interest piqued. We’re very keen to learn more in January, after we’ve imbibed too much festive spirit.
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Four generations of MINI side by side
Along with all of the other F56 material MINI released photos showing all four generations of MINI side by side. Well, that should probably three generations of MINI lined up next to the classic Mini (where the upper case letters indicate BMW’s ownership of the brand).
The four models aren’t quite the automotive equivalent of matryoshka dolls, but they’re not that far off.