There are a lot of one-make racing series' being held around the world using exotic equipment like Porsche 911 GT3 Cups, Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeos and Ferrari F430 Challenges, but devastatingly fast as they are, none are as impossibly adorable as the MINI John Cooper Works CHALLENGE, rivaled only by the Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse for go-fast cuteness. But while the series takes place in locations around the world, the U.S. series has yet to take off. For most American MINI racing enthusiasts, that will mean holding out a while longer to get their hands on the hottest MINI yet. But at least one sufficiently motivated buyer can have one now. This solitary American example was privately imported by a buyer in California, who drove it for two hours around Infineon Raceway at Sears Point before deciding to put it up on eBay. The car's features a full race package, including 17" Borbet alloys, adjustable competition-spec suspension and aero kit, electronic telemetry system, AP Racing brakes, competition exhaust, fire suppression system, Recaro buckets with 6-point harnesses and more. Of course, the car is in no way street legal, but it can be had for a Buy-it-Now price of $64,900. Act fast, though... the auction ends today.
Let's set the scene: You've just returned from a jaunt to pick up Grandma and parked your 2007-2008 MINI Cooper S in the driveway. After leading the sweet lady up your steps and into the house, you return to the car to unload the assorted goodies and gifts that she's brought for you and the fam. You pop open the hatch, reach over to grab a foil-wrapped plate of her legendary baklava and start to feel a burning sensation on your shin. It's official. You've been indoctrinated into the Club of Cooper S owners who now sport a circular prison tat on their legs. According to the NHTSA, the problem affects some 28,450 2007-08 MINI Cooper S models due to the dual tailpipes that protrude too far from the center of the Cooper's rear bumper. The problem has been documented on several MINI-specific forums, and BMW is stepping up to address the issue and offering Cooper customers a new, shorter exhaust, free of charge. The recall begins in January and owners can contact BMW at 800.831.1117 to schedule a replacement of the offending exhaust.
Now that the 2009 Mini Cabrio has been unleashed onto the interwebs, expect to witness a full-court advertising press as the automaker tries to keep up the positive momentum in sales over last year. MINI has always had clever ads for its retro hatches, and that trend will continue with the latest 2009 Cabrio, which is officially set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Previous marketing attempts have humorously suggested that it's never a good idea to lower the top, and a similar theme is being used again, except in a much more eye-catching manner. Seriously, how disturbing is the ice-covered guy? That's the stuff of nightmares.
Besides print materials, some screen captures of upcoming UK commercials indicate that lowering the soft top is never permissible, even in the face of freezing temperatures, monumental rain puddles or, um, the occasional Ninja attack.
Well, here's one car we'll all be able to cover in Detroit come January. BMW has officially announced that the second-generation MINI Cabrio will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show. No need to wait to place orders; you can do that now. The Cooper ragtop is priced at $24,550 while the Cooper S convertible costs $3,000 more. Customer delivery kicks off on March 28.
So, what's new? Well, for one, the new Cabrio looks like the current-gen Cooper. Likewise, it shares the hardtop cars' 1.6L engines -- 118 hp NA for the Cooper, and 172 hp turbo for the Cooper S. The Euro-market cars get BMW Efficient Dynamics features including brake regeneration and stop/start. The U.S.? Not so much. Out back, the fold-down tailgate's hinges are now internal, giving the car's tush a smoother look. The fixed roll hoops of the current car have been replaced by a pop-up system behind the back seat. This makes for a good-looking, clean top-down profile and should improve rearward visibility for the driver. Speaking of the top, it can be operated at speeds up to 20 mph or so, and it fully disappears in just 15 seconds. The sliding sunroof feature can be utilized at even higher speeds -- up to 60 mph or so. Stability control is standard equipment.
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Now that the very last of the first-gen convertible MINI Coopers has officially rolled down the assembly line, all eyes turn their attention towards the new R57 model. There are some undisguised spy shots floating around, though all but the most die-hard fans would be hard-pressed to spot the differences. The top works the same, featuring the same partly opened 'sunroof' style and the fully opened wind-in-you-hair mode of the last model. Also, the top does not stow away like many modern convertibles, instead sitting atop the rear deck like many of the classics MINIs. Also conspicuously absent is the large external roll-bar of the old model, replaced with a single pop-up unit for '09. It's under the skin where the changes are most apparent, most notably the new 1.6-liter BMW/PSA/Peugeot-Citroen mill. Expect standard Cooper and up-level Cooper S models to make it to the U.S. with the Cooper One and Cooper D added for Europe. Rumor has it that MINI is set to debut the new '09 'vert at the Detroit Auto Show in January. We expect production to be fully ramped up so that customer deliveries will begin in earnest before summer. And if you don't have your order in yet, expect a very long wait.
MINIs have a long history of racing, though most of the iconic hatch's focus has been on its slot car-like handling than its prowess down the 1320. That's set to change with the collaboration between MINI and ABF Performance to create the world's quickest Cooper. How quick? In a taped performance for an upcoming episode of the show Pinks on Speed TV, the Cooper in question, which is an S model from 2002, scored a 10.48 second quarter-mile time while reaching a trap speed of 135 miles per hour. That's seriously quick, especially for a car driven by the wrong wheels. Powering the beast is a 1.6-liter engine that's had its stock supercharger thrown out in favor of one very large Garret turbocharger. A new computer from Motec keeps things running smoothly and allows the 650 horses to be unleashed to the front wheels. Look for more coming in the near future from ABF, including some cool mods and parts at the SEMA Show in November. For some extra fun, watch this MINI run down a couple of hard-charging classic muscle cars on its way down the track after the break.
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High fuel prices or no, MINI offers a solid entertainment-to-efficiency ratio. The neo-teeny MINI is fun to fling around, and if you can keep your boot out of the turbocharged engine in the Cooper S, you can have your fuel economy and eat it, too. To emphasize this point, MINI is launching a new campaign focused around what it calls the Carfun Footprint, and the new ad push includes its own website and new print ads and billboards with typically clever MINI taglines. If you're curious to see how your current vehicle stacks up against the MINI's Carfun quotient, head on over to carfunfootprint.com and plug in your vehicle info. Of course, you're not going to score as high as the R56, but you expected that, didn't you? At least MINI has avoided getting all preachy and kept its trademark whimsy intact.
Fans of the MINI Cooper Convertible take note: the last of the first-generation R52 models has now rolled off the assembly line. The last of the breed was a Cooper S with the Sidewalk package, painted metallic White Silver. If you were hoping to get your hands on this climactic machine, don't get your hopes up -- it's already been sold. Don't fret, though, there is a good side to this story. This stoppage was all planned, of course, and it means that the line will begin retooling for the second-generation R57 model. The next MINI convertible will be powered by the newer BMW/PSA/Peugeot-Citroen 1.6-liter four cylinder engine that should make it a little more frugal than before. Also of note are the new pop-up roll bars that replace the fixed units from the older model. Lastly, the R57 convertible will come in a few new colors, including Interchange Yellow (think hi-liter), Space Blue and the Hot Chocolate hue that had previously only been available on the Clubman.
One of the apparent keys to creating a viral video is mimicking reality by showing young people attempting stunts. The main difference is that in Virals, the injuries aren't real, and the camera work is better. Oh, and the payoff is usually CG that's been fussed over, versus pimply little Johnny trying to figure out chromakey in his bedroom. MINI wants to put across the point that the Cooper S with the John Cooper Works package is more extreme than extreme. The very definition of extreme, perhaps. Extremus maxiumus. Whatever. Corralling a big-power MINI is first rate entertainment, but a lesson in how levers work from a massive crane would tickle the adrenal gland more. The fact that we just expended a bunch of words about the video means that MINI hit its mark, though -- the whole point of Viral ads is to get people talking, so... as Linda Richman would say - "tawlk amongst yuhselves..."
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We've had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a few MINI variants, including a 2007 Cooper S and more recently a 2008 Cooper Clubman. Despite some quirky interior design cues and limited practicality, it's hard not to love the MINI for its superb handling and slick-shifting transmission. Still on our to-do list, however, was to experience some of the John Cooper Works options that were absent on our previous test cars. Fortunately we were able to schedule a short drive with a 2008 MINI Cooper S with a few select JCW options. Are the upgrades worth the price of admission?
