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  • Mini Cooper: New Changes Attempt to Modernize

    The first generation of the new Mini Cooper was released in the United States in 2002, and, since then, the world has not looked back. Sales of Mini Coopers have nearly doubled over the past 12 years, even though the car has not seen much change in terms of aesthetic or performance. In 2014, customers should expect that trend to change.

    The 2014 Mini Cooper will be the third generation of the new Mini. For the first two generations, BMW depended upon the kitschy, retro appearance of the Mini to sell its product. While that strategy has worked quite well, BMW realizes that it must adapt to the changing climate of the automobile scene if it wants to keep up with the competition.

    Hence the new reboot apparent in the 2014 Mini Cooper. The first notable aspect of the 2014 edition is the increase in size. When the Mini was first released in the US in 2002, the size growth was one of the first things Mini aficionados noticed. Despite being bigger than the classic Mini, however, the mini-moniker was still apt and fitting. The 2014 Mini Cooper, though, pushes the boundaries of what it means to be called mini; The 2014 edition is 4.5 inches longer, 1.7 inches wider, and .03 taller, while the wheelbase extended 1.1 inches with the track growing 1.7 inches in the front and 1.3 inches in the rear. Overall, these dimensions have led to a total growth of 8 cubic feet in the interior and 3 cubic feet in the luggage compartment.

    The most noticeable change, however, comes in the Mini’s interior. The classic center-dash speedometer has been relocated to the more traditional location behind the steering wheel, removing part of the “British feel” of the vehicle. In the speedometer’s previous location, BMW has installed an 8.8 inch Mini Controller Dial. This dial’s features include providing feedback for any changes made by the driver in the car, as well as providing the driver with changes in the outside environment. The controller dial also allows the driver to connect to infotainment news by tethering to one’s smartphone.

    Perhaps the neatest component of the Mini Controller Dial, however, is that it works with a navigation system in order to assess the terrain before one traverses it. What this allows the Mini to do is adjust its driving performance to meet the challenges of the road, resulting in better-timed gear shifts and better overall engine performance and gas mileage.

    BMW is confident that the changes the company has made to the 2014 Mini Cooper will be cherished by the Mini community. In fact, the company expects such a drastic increase in product demand (with a sales target of 2 million by 2016) that it has decided to produce Mini’s outside of the UK for the first time in its history. Production of the 2014 Mini Cooper Hatch will take place VDL Nedcar in the Netherlands, a company which has previously produced several version of Mitsubishi vehicles.

    If one is impressed by the new changes exhibited by the 2014 Mini Cooper, the vehicle will roll off of production lines and into dealerships in March for the almost-mini-but-not-quite price of $20, 745 for the base model and $24, 395 for the Cooper S.

    Image via MINI USA

  • Redesigned 2015 Mini Cooper Unveiled

    Since BMW launched the Mini Cooper in the U.S. back in 2002, over 550,000 various models of the car have been sold, spanning two generations. Now Mini Cooper has unveiled its latest, redesigned 3rd-generation vehicle, just ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens on November 22 at the LA Convention Center.

    One of the biggest modifications of the 2015 Mini is the base model’s three-cylinder, direct-injected 1.5-liter engine, which produces 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Mini Cooper joins the ranks of a select group of automakers that offer 3-cylinder cars in North America – Ford Motor Company has a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine set for its Fiesta sub-compact, and the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage will incorporate a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine in all models.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3wPfheIbX4

    Three-cylinder cars are already popular overseas, and Mini Cooper is curious to how they’ll sell in the U.S. Dave Sullivan, an analyst at AutoPacific, said, “They’re really going to try to test waters here that vehicle. Marketing a fun-to-drive car with a 3-cylinder engine will be a challenge here. A lot will depend a lot on how the engine sounds, as with the Mirage or the Ford Ecoboost.”

    When the Mini Cooper first arrived in North America, gas was roughly $1.30 a gallon, and driving a huge SUV wasn’t so costly. Jim McDowell, Mini’s North American vice president, noted, “A 12-foot car was a really hard sell in the U.S. We didn’t have much in the way of competition, except cars that were vastly larger.”

    The November 8th world debut of the new models is significant, in that it coincides with the birthday of Sir Alec Issigonis, the creator of the original Mini. The car was commissioned after the 1956 Suez Crisis, and the subsequent fuel shortage experienced in the UK. The front wheel drive Mini had excellent fuel economy, and boosted slumping auto sales at the time of its inception.

    Here’s a clip of some classic, if not tiny, Mini Cooper action:

    In related news, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C7 was recently named “Automobile of the Year” by Automobile Magazine.

    Image via YouTube.