Tag: MINI

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MINI WRC

Dave Richards talking MINI and the WRC

Dave Richards

Dave Richards, Prodrive chairman, has been talking recently about the return of MINI to the world rally stage. You can see a brief television piece after the break. A more in-depth interview is also available on the WRC website. Here’s a snippet:

“The traditional way of producing a rally car is that a manufacturer comes along and asks you to make a car out of this product. Instead, we took the new regulations and said, right, what would the ultimate car look like? We used reverse engineering. Three months in, we looked at what we’d got and analysed this against the cars of all the manufacturers in the world. By March 2009 we had come up with 11 target cars. Then we went to talk to the manufacturers.

“Ironically the MINI wasn’t on that list because the car as we knew it was too small. It just didn’t fit the rules. But during discussions we found out that a new, larger car was in development – the four-door Countryman – and it went straight to the top of our list. Firstly, as being just about perfect in dimensions and layout, and secondly being one of the most iconic names and rally brands ever.”

Follow the source link below for the full interview.

[Source: WRC | Thanks to Chris for the YouTube tip]

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MINI WRC

MINI and Prodrive ready to announce WRC entry

MINI WRC

News has emerged that an announcement from MINI and Prodrive confirming a WRC entry is imminent. As the rendering above shows the rally car will be based on MINI’s new four-door Countryman model and will derive its engine from the 1.6 litre John Cooper Works range. It is expected the announcement will be made before the end of this week.

Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg is understood to undertaking a chief testing role with the MINI/Prodrive program and will likely sign on as one of the drivers for the 2011 season.

Despite these latest murmurings the car is still in its early stages of development. As a result the MINI is not expected to debut in the WRC until Round 5 of next year’s championship.

More news as it comes to hand.

[Source: Autosport | Pic: theSwitchback]

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MINI Challenge

MINI Challenge locks in Gold Coast 600

MINI Challenge, Melbourne

Last month confirmation came through that the MINI Challenge has been locked in as a support category for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 to be held in October.

With no open wheelers from Indy Car or the scuppered A1GP categories the Gold Coast event offers an all Australian cast. Organisers have modified the well known street circuit reducing it from 4.7km in length down to 2.96km.

Ted Toleman, MINI Challenge Category Manager, says, “The new circuit and great entertainment planned by V8 Supercars is going to make for a fantastic show in October and the category is pleased to be able to support one of the country’s most iconic races.

“We have seen some thrilling MINI Challenge action this year as the category continues to grow and I’m sure the same exciting racing will be on offer when we head to the streets of Surfers Paradise.”

Full press release after the break. The MINI Challenge returns to on track action next weekend for the Dunlop Townsville 400.

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MINI

MINI John Cooper Works image gallery

MINI John Cooper Works

As part of MINI’s mid-life refresh the John Cooper Works model has been adorned with a raft of cosmetic changes. The option of a Chili Red roof is the most obvious introduction.

The red theme continues inside, too, with contrast red stitching and red trim panels now available. Also included are anthracite dials for the dash and Lounge Leather seats with red piping. Back outside, the JCW’s Cross Spoke Challenge wheels can get a free coat of shiny black paint if you so desire.

Sadly, there’s nee no mechanical changes or increases to the 155kW from the current John Cooper Works model.

Here at AUSmotive we’re not so sure about the red roof. Take a look at the images after the jump and let us know what you think.

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MINI

MINI release details of latest model refresh

MINI Cooper S

MINI have just given their model range a bit of a spruce up. Part mid-cycle model refresh and part counter-attack to the Audi A1 and its ilk, the new MINIs probably don’t look terribly different to most punters. Lucky, then, that MINI gave us some really big pictures of the bits that have changed.

Notably the front and rear bumper assemblies have been tarted up. So too the lighting visuals, with de rigueur LED rear tail lights now available. Those chrome trimmed scoops on the lower front grille actually feed air to the brakes to aid cooling. That’s a nice touch.

For the more frugal minded folk out there in MINI land you’ll be pleased to know there’s some new diesel engines on the way too.

The market launch of the model updates is not scheduled until mid-September so we can deduce that a) this early release of information shows MINI is keen to remind buyers not to forget them while they’re busy checking our Audi, Alfa Romeo and Fiat dealerships and b) that we may not be seeing these changes in Australia until early 2011.

Full details in the form of MINI’s press release can be read after the jump. Also included is a brief video and a Cooper S image gallery.

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MINI Porsche

Porsche > MINI

MINI v Porsche

For those of you who have been following the MINI v Porsche challenge you’ll be pleased to know the results are in. The course was announced a couple of days ago and MINI USA provided a makeshift motorkhana style track for its Cooper S to take on the Porsche 911. Despite this attempt to tailor a course to in favour of the MINI’s excellent handling characteristics the result was predictable, as the grab above from the video shows.

You can watch the full race after the jump, including a pre-race interview with each of the drivers—Brad Davis (MINI) and Corey Friedman (Porsche). At this stage there’s been no official response from the man who started it all, MINI USA President, Jim McDowell. He has one last chance to save face, let’s see what he comes up with.

Over the years MINI’s marketing across the world has been first class; mostly cheeky, witty and engaging. This stunt, though, well, let’s hope it is only MINI USA that has jumped the shark.

[via Autoblog]

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Hyundai MINI

Hyundai v MINI

Hyundai v MINI

There’s big news for those who have been following the MINI USA challenge to race a Porsche 911. Like Porsche, you might have stopped worrying about the try hard Jim McDowell, even though there have been developments since our last update—including a Rocky IV spoof.

Back to that big news, well, the article title kind of gives it away I guess, but Hyundai have thrown their hat into the ring and have laid down a counter challenge to race MINI. After the break you can see the YouTube reply from the Korean upstarts who still have a lot to learn in Slick Marketing Presentations 101. (Although, the Hyundai Top Gear spoof was very well put together).

That said, in their 3.8 litre V6 Genesis Coupé, Hyundai might have already prepared a match for the best MINI can offer around Road Atlanta. It seems this desperate PR stunt originally launched by MINI won’t go away, so let’s wait and see what happens next…

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MINI Porsche

MINI USA cheek begins to lose charm

MINI v Porsche

Round 3 of the MINI v Porsche challenge, driven by MINI USA President, Jim McDowell has been launched. What started as a fun piece of usual MINI cheekiness is fast becoming a MINI USA President looking desperate and trying just a bit too hard. After being knocked back by Porsche, the video below is, apparently, the best Jim could come back with.

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MINI Porsche

Porsche declines MINI novelty race

MINI v Porsche

Porsche have declined the invitation to a race from MINI USA President Jim McDowell with a wonderfully succinct reply.

The response took the form of an open letter written by Detlev Von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. In his letter, available in full below, he states, “Porsche doesn’t race for fame, stunts or publicity. We race to challenge ourselves; we race to push sports car technology; we race to translate every win on the track to our cars on the road.”

Von Platen didn’t miss a second opportunity to remind McDowell that Porsche’s racing history is proud and grows with many major events each year, “While your challenge seems like a fun and lighthearted campaign, we’ll stick to racing the way we have over the decades. We welcome you at Sebring, Le Mans, Daytona or any other sanctioned race where there is more at stake than T-shirts and valet parking spaces.”

An invitation of his own was issued by Von Platen when he included a link to a Porsche advertisement that highlights its racing pedigree. The ad has been featured on AUSmotive before and can be seen again after the jump.

So, for now, at least, the MINI v Porsche party is over. Although, given MINI’s cheeky marketing prowess they’ll likely have a new tack ready to tack in this battle of wits which aims, if nothing else, to put the MINI name alongside Porsche in a new way to create brand association.

[Source: Autoblog]

UPDATE: MotoringFile brings us news that MINI USA are getting ready to flog a dead horse.

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MINI Porsche

MINI v Porsche

MINI v Porsche

This is Jim McDowell, President of MINI USA and former Porsche employee. In the video after the jump Jim presents a challenge to Porsche by daring them to race a MINI. Part PR stunt, part madness but typical of the brash MINI marketing methods employed around the world since the car was launched in 2001.

MINI have proposed a date for the showdown of 21 June, so we don’t have long to wait and see what happens next. The cars to take part would be a MINI Cooper S and a Porsche 911. The track? Road Atlanta, a purpose-built 4km long track conveniently located near Porsche USA headquarters.

For their part Porsche seem interested with Steve Janisse, Porsche’s Media Relations Manager, saying, “Porsche has the most racing victories of any manufacturer out there – 28,000 and counting – maybe we should go for 28,001.”

More info available from facebook.com/MINIUSA.

[Source: Jalopnik via Kilometer Magazine]

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MINI

MINI Cooper S facelift spotted

MY11 MINI Cooper S facelift

MINI is about to give its bread and butter model range a bit of a spruce up. While development cars have been spotted in the past these pics from Auto Express give us the best look yet at the 2011 spec MINI which is close to production.

The car photographed is the Cooper S model and you can see at the front the lower grille has some new intakes—which offer increased cooling to the front brakes. It is understood buyers will be able to option a Chrome Line package which would see those new intakes have the brightwork shown in these pics. If you’re a real trainspotter you might even notice the headlight cluster has had a minor tweak as well.

Round the back of the car (see pics below) more chrome trim has been added to the lower skirting to match the front. While this car is mostly undisguised there is still some tape covering the rear tail lights. Likely to be hiding the expected LED lighting detail.

From the side on view you also get a good look at the new Cooper S alloy wheels. Euro customers should be seeing these changes in their MINI Garages around August. That means we’ll probably have to wait until September-October here in Australia.

As always more detail on the latest MINI news can be read over at MotoringFile.

[Source: Auto Express]

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MINI

MINI gives Countryman an early preview

MINI Countryman preview

Earlier in the week MINI gave journos from around the globe a sneak peek at the new MINI Countryman. Yeah, I know, must be another lost invitation in the mail for AUSmotive. Anyway, MINI didn’t muck about either, sending the hacks out on a track with the most powerful Cooper S version, and fitted with the company’s new ALL4 all-wheel drive system.

So, is this just a big lard arse that will damage the excellent reputation BMW has forged for the MINI brand? Here’s a snippet from the MotoringFile review:

“So here it is. My chance to rip the Countryman apart for being overwrought and overweight. When it was first announced no one at MotoringFile hid their feelings of disdain for the idea of a MINI crossover. Why? It was against what we all knew the brand to be. But more than anything it was an affront to the performance mind-set that so many of us have when it comes to these small cars. And yet I’m sitting in Munich after just driving a pre-production R60 trying to conjure up the adjectives that best describe how shockingly good the car really is.”

Sounds promising. Well, for those readers who can get past the fact that MINI are a) making a crossover and b) making a proper mid-size car at all. There will be a lot who won’t. And that’s probably fair enough, too.

The MotoringFile article is quite detailed and includes some great information on the new Countryman, so do check it out if this car floats your boat. Below you will see more images from the preview. Also included is MINI’s press release from Munich. Not sure why the cars are wearing camouflage given official images of the Countryman were released in January, but there you go.

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