MINI Clubman StreetWorker by Schmidt Revolution

The MINI Clubman isn't a sight for sore eyes, but the folks at Schmidt Revolution have decided to try their luck with the Cooper XL.

Based on the Clubman S, the laughably named StreetWorker features a matt blue wrap, black accents, and 18-inch Cirrus wheels with Continental tires. Additionally, the company fitted a Streetec air suspension which can raise or lower the vehicle 40mm and 60mm, respectively.

Under the hood, the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine has been tuned to produce 200 hp (149 kW / 203 PS) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. This enables the car to hit a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph).

NHTSA Investigates '04-'05 MINI Cooper Over Power Steering Issue

After having received 54 complaints from owners of the 2004-2005MY Mini Cooper over an alleged loss of power steering, the National National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to take action and open a preliminary investigation into the matter.

Here's what the safety agency said on its website:

"The Office of Defect Investigations has received 54 complaints and a confidential number of field reports alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle. When the power steering assist stops working it requires increased force to steer the vehicle. Some drivers reported experiencing difficulty while trying to steer or control the vehicle. The reports indicate that the loss of power steering assist may be related to a power steering pump failure."

If the government agency's investigation reveals there is indeed a problem with the power steering, then up to 80,000 2004 and 2005 model year Mini Coopers may be affected.

We'll follow up the story and keep you posted as soon as we learn more.

MINI Scooter E Concepts: First Official Photos

Just after Smart published the first real life pictures of its 'escooter' study, MINI went ahead and released official photos of its take on the pure electric scooter concept. To be precise, the BMW Group owned maker will display three individually colored and trimmed versions of its lithium-ion battery-powered scooter study at next week's Paris Motor Show.

One of the Scooter E Concepts is themed after the MINI E electric car, the other is finished in a classic British Racing Green with a brown-colored leather seat and the last pays homage to the UK Mod subculture.

The MINI Scooter Es borrows some styling cues from the firm's automobile range including the headlamp and mirror designs.

Like Smart's scooter concept, the MINI models also utilize a smartphone that slots between the handlebars offering its service as a navigation system among other things.

More information on MINI's Scooter E concepts will be revealed at the Paris Auto Show.

First Videos of MINI's Countryman WRC Testing in Portugal!

Thanks to a tip from Carscoop reader Rafael, we can now share with you the first video footage of MINI's new Countryman WRC prototype, which was caught testing earlier today (Tuesday) at Ponte de Lima in Portugal.

The Prodrive developed and built World Rallying Championship version of the Mini Countryman is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport to comply with the new Super2000 regulations. Like the road-going model, it also gets four-wheel drive.

According to MINI, the Countryman WRC will be ready to compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.

Hat tip to Rafael!

MINI-E Testing Halfway Finished in the UK, Results And Pricing Look Promising

Just as Audi ramps up its A1 e-tron project, Mini UK will soon begin part two of the E's 12-month real-world test. Now that the first half of the test is complete, what are the results? Scroll down for some of Mini's findings.

Concerned that people may be driving differently than they usually would with the electric E, a control group was created using Mini Cooper and BMW 116i drivers.

The results speak for themselves: an average daily trip is 7.3 miles in the Cooper and 6.8 miles in the Bimmer, while the average E came in at 8.5 miles (the UK average is 8.6). The Mini E's average daily distance traveled (26.7 miles) also lands smack-dab in between the Mini Cooper (27 miles) and BMW 116i (26.1 miles).

So, apparently Mini E drivers didn't treat the vehicle too differently than other drivers when it came to worrying about range.

The only major issues detected with the Mini E include space (it's called a Mini for a reason) and cold weather performance. These are problems that are being looked at before BMW's Megacity debuts in 2013.

The provided charging boxes were a plus, with Mini E drivers finding them useful, adaptable, and necessary for a charge "every two to three days" for the most part. Also, many people got into the habit of charging overnight (they sleep, the car charges at a cheaper rate, and everybody wins). The clear majority of people (87.5%) would say that public charging stations would likely be needed and appreciated, although 75% said they wouldn't absolutely require them.

Mini UK director Jochen Goller says, "The early learning from this first stage of the MINI E trials has given us very positive feedback and pointers as to where we will need to improve...One has to remember that MINI E, despite being very thoroughly engineered for its task, is in the end a modified existing production MINI Hatch. An EV designed from the ground up will be able to address some of the criticism on packaging and driving range."

Goller continues, "We are very confident that the full 12 month trial under real road conditions with real people will help us greatly in producing an exciting and extremely efficient vehicle for the urban environments of the future."

And how about pricing? According to Mini UK, 44% of consumers say they would be willing to spend as much as 33% more for an electric Mini in the future. That would make it approximately £16,000 (about $24,800 US) in the UK. At that price, would YOU buy one?

By Phil Alex

Key findings from the first six months of the MINI-E's UK field trial:

- MINI E usage differs only marginally from a control group of MINI Cooper and BMW 116i drivers in terms of average journey distance, daily mileage and frequency of use.

- Before the trials began, users expected limitations in terms of range and charging times. In practice these have only proved to be barriers in a very few specific cases.

- Users felt reassured that both the MINI E itself and the charging process are completely safe.

- There was a very strong feeling from both private and fleet users that renewable energy should play an important role in future electricity generation. There was also a strong feeling that the battery of an electric vehicle (EV) should be charged using renewables to optimise the ecological advantages of an EV.

- The BMW Group is trusted to provide a technically mature solution to the challenges presented by EVs.

- Users reported a need for more interior space for journeys requiring more passengers and more storage capacity.

- Users felt strongly that public charging facilities for EVs were desirable and even essential. However, at the same time, the majority claimed that they coped without public charging facilities.

- In summary, users liked MINI E's lack of noise, the convenience of home charging, low off peak power charges, not having to go to a petrol station and queue, driving a zero emissions vehicle, MINI E's acceleration characteristics and regenerative braking.

- Drawbacks include current mileage range for certain journeys, limited carrying capacity and sub-optimal car performance during the extremely cold weather conditions in December 2009 and January 2010.

Paris Debuts: MINI Countryman WRC

MINI has unveiled the new MINI WRC debuted at the Paris Auto Show. The new MINI WRC, which will contest the FIA World Rally Championship from 2011, will receive its world premiere at this international motor show. In addition, Kris Meeke (GB) has been confirmed as one of the drivers who will contest the championship with this brand new rally car.

The MINI WRC, powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder Di turbo-charged engine, recently received a baptism of fire, acquitting itself well during initial testing at Prodrive’s rally track. The company commenced development of the car in 2009, and a concept of the MINI WRC will be displayed in Paris.

The power transmission takes place via an Xtrac 6-speed, sequential gearbox. For its outings on the rally stages, the MINI Countryman chassis has been fitted with a roll cage developed by Prodrive, which exceeds the strict safety.

Source: MINI




Press Release

Paris.Visitors to the 2010 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris (FR) can look forward to a special treat: The new MINI WRC, which will contest the FIA World Rally Championship from 2011, will receive its world premiere at this international motor show. In addition, Kris Meeke (GB) has been confirmed as one of the drivers who will contest the championship with this brand new rally car.

The MINI WRC, powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder Di turbo-charged engine, recently received a baptism of fire, acquitting itself well during initial testing at Prodrive's rally track. The company commenced development of the car in 2009, and a concept of the MINI WRC will be displayed in Paris. "The Paris Motor Show is the perfect stage, on which to launch our MINI WRC," says Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing. "The response to our announcement that MINI will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive. The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car isrunning on schedule, and the preparations for the world championship are in full swing. The MINI Countryman production model provided the ideal basis for our new world championship challenger."

The 2011 World Rally Championship will see the new MINI WRC contesting in six of 13 scheduled rounds, with MINI competing in the full 2012 season. In addition, Prodrive plans to make available customer versions to independent teams for use in the championship.

Rallying is hardly unchartered territory for MINI. In the past this popular motor sporting genre decisively shaped the image of the brand. The MINI Cooper S became a true legend through its numerous victories on Rally Monte Carlo. The European Rally Championship, too, saw MINI notch up serial successes. "MINI can look back on a successful tradition in rallying," says Dr WolfgangArmbrecht, Senior Vice President Brand Management MINI. "The interest in motorsport among the present generation of MINI customers is massive. The WRC provides an excellent communications platform for the MINI Countryman,upon which the MINI WRC is based."

Prodrive, an experienced motorsport operation, was chosen as the partner in the quest to continue MINI's success story. The company, founded by David Richards, is viewed as one of the most respected and successful in rallying. "This project is a truly passionate opportunity," believes Richards. "MINI is a cult brand which left a lasting impression during its previous motorsport campaigns. We are both extremely happy and proud to be on board as a partner when MINI returns to rallying. We aim to use 2011 as a preparatory year, amassing experience in order to ensure we are fully competitive from the start of the following season. But let's not underestimate the task ahead of us nor the stiff competition we will face on the way, however our target is firmly set on winning the World Championship title again with MINI."

Prodrive was founded in 1984, and has established itself as one of motorsport's leading independent teams. Currently employing over 500 staff, the company is based in Banbury (GB). Among other successes, Prodrive has to date won six World Rally Championships, five British Touring Car titles, and scored three class victories in France's classic Le Mans 24 Hours.

Kris Meeke has been confirmed as the first driver to compete for Prodrive in the MINI WRC. The rally ace from Dungannon (GB) first came to prominence when he won the British Junior Rally Championship in 2002. Numerous victories and titles were to follow. With support from his long-term mentor and former rally world champion, the late Colin McRae (GB), Meeke has been able tosuccessfully establish himself on the rally scene. The Northern Irishman celebrated his most recent success last year, when he won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

The MINI Countryman is the youngest MINI model and also the first to be equipped with an all-wheel-drive system. Therefore this model provided the logical basis for a competitive rally derivative. The flagship MINI Cooper S Countryman is powered by a 1,6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, supplemented not only by a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection, but also fullyvariable valve management - so offering by far the best relationship between engine power and fuel consumption in its class. The engine produces an impressive 135 kW / 184 bhp, and accelerates the MINI Cooper S Countryman from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

As part of the MINIMALISM concept, a range of fuel- and emission-reducing features are fitted as standard and/or in appropriate combinations, including Brake Energy Regeneration, the Auto Start/Stop function, Shift Point Display and the need-based operation of ancillary components.

All MINI Cooper S Countryman and MINI Cooper D Countryman are optionally available with permanent MINI ALL4 all-wheel drive, with an electro-hydraulic differential positioned directly on the final drive varying the distribution from front to rear in an infinite process. Under normal driving conditions up to 50 per cent of the engine's power goes to the rear wheels; under extreme conditions up to 100 per cent, offering a new, high-traction rendition of the agile handling so typical of MINI.

The heart of the MINI WRC is the BMW Motorsport-developed 1.6 litre, fourcylinder Di turbo-charged engine which can be deployed not only in the WRC, but also in other championships running to the FIA's Super2000 regulations. The power transmission takes place via an Xtrac 6-speed, sequential gearbox. For its outings on the rally stages, the MINI Countryman chassis has been fitted with a roll cage developed by Prodrive, which exceeds the strict safety.

Mini Core Concept - Too crunchy

This is a PROPOSAL MADE for the Mini Mk3 is the most successful and talented mix with neo-retro design, modernity and a true compact that goes against the current trend is to make the Mini ever "and Maousse beefy "to the detriment of the charm, sex appeal and sportiness that has always been delighting fans of Mini.

This very attractive design, we must not for Mini or BMW, but Neil Steinhoff, a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich (Hochschule), automotive design option that conducted the Mini Core as part of its plan to end studies.