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2013 MINI Clubvan breaks cover

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

MINI Clubvan

Handle with care, deliver in style: the MINI Clubvan gets ready to roll up.

Munich. With two seats, five doors and wall-to-wall MINI style and personality, the MINI Clubvan – the world’s first premium compact delivery van – has it all. With this groundbreaking model, based on the MINI Clubman platform, MINI is translating the brand’s hallmark driving fun and inherent charisma to new applications aimed at the urban user. As the first premium vehicle of its kind, the MINI Clubvan sets new standards of style, quality and driving fun in the small car-based van segment. For the first time, trend-conscious commercial users can now make a stylish and sophisticated statement when carrying out deliveries to their equally discerning customers.
The enhanced functionality offered by the MINI Clubvan is based on a closed-off load area extending from the rear doors right up to the driver’s and front passenger’s seats. Cargo can be easily accessed either through the wide-opening split rear door or via the right-side Clubdoor. With its two-seater configuration, its fixed partition between the passenger compartment and load area, and its opaque, blocked-out rear side windows, the MINI Clubvan is classed as a commercial vehicle and therefore taxed at a lower rate. So as well as being the world’s only premium model in its segment, the Clubvan is also the first MINI commercial vehicle.
The MINI Clubvan comes in three model versions: the 72 kW/98 hp MINI One Clubvan, the 90 kW/122 MINI Cooper Clubvan and the 82 kW/112 hp MINI Cooper D Clubvan. This charismatic cargo carrier will hit the showrooms in autumn 2012.

The MINI Clubvan: unique concept with historic roots.
The MINI Clubvan is built at the MINI plant in Oxford. Its roots, too, are firmly in the British Isles. They can be traced back to 1960, when the original Mini – just one year after its launch – was followed up by a further creative and space-efficient solution in the form of the Morris Mini Van. This van model, with a wheelbase extended by ten centimetres, a closed-off load compartment and split rear door, offered exactly the sort of extra functionality urban commercial users of the time were looking for.

Now the MINI Clubvan is poised to follow in the footsteps of its early forerunner and carry this tradition forward into the 21st century – in the same way and with the same panache as the MINI Clubman is already reprising the success of the fully glazed, four-seater Morris Mini Traveller, also from the 1960s.

First-class styling coupled with premium-class cargo transport.
The MINI Clubvan is a versatile choice both for upmarket commercial applications and for non-mainstream leisure and lifestyle use. It is in its element whenever special cargo-carrying jobs need to be handled in style. Its dimensions, with a length of 3,961 mm, a width of 1683 mm, a height of 1,426 mm and a wheelbase of 2,547 mm, are the same as those of the MINI Clubman. Its tailored and functionally minded design has been achieved by taking out the rear seats and adding a range of customised features. The blocked-out, opaque rear side windows are body-coloured, with an interior polycarbonate reinforcement. In combination with tinted glass in the rear doors, this keeps the load compartment well concealed from prying eyes.

In the interior, the flat loading floor and the side walls are trimmed in high-quality carpeting, while an anthracite roof liner runs the full length of the vehicle. 12-volt sockets in the cargo area can be used to power electrical equipment. Six attachment loops recessed into the floor at the edge of the load area can be used to secure cargo of all shapes and sizes, preventing items from sliding around when the vehicle is on the move.

The partition behind the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, comprising a lower solid aluminium section and an upper section of stainless steel mesh, is firmly attached to the vehicle body. The partition prevents objects in the load compartment from slamming forward into the passenger compartment under heavy braking. It also allows loading right up to the roof, so that full use can be made of the rear compartment’s 860 litres of load space. The cargo area is 115 centimetres long and, even at its narrowest point just behind the rear doors, is 102 centimetres wide. Maximum payload capacity is 500 kilograms.

Typical MINI driving fun in three different power ratings.
The MINI Clubvan brings an unprecedented level of driving enjoyment to delivery assignments. The powertrain and chassis technology is familiar from the MINI Clubman: the Clubvan boasts powerful but efficient four-cylinder engines, the familiar MINI front-wheel-drive set-up, Electric Power Steering, MacPherson strut front suspension, multi-link rear suspension and powerful brakes. An extensive range of MINIMALISM features including Auto Start/Stop, Shift Point Display, Brake Energy Regeneration and on-demand operation of ancillary units keeps a tight rein on fuel consumption and offers unbeatably low running costs. For example, with average EU test cycle consumption of 3.9 litres/100 km (72.4 mpg imp), the MINI Cooper D Clubvan offers better fuel economy than any other model in the compact delivery van segment, despite delivering up to 20 hp more power.

For all three engines, however, it’s not just from a cost point of view that the balance between driving fun and fuel consumption is so attractive. Even the entry-level MINI One Clubvan offers trademark lively MINI performance. Its 1.6-litre engine with fully variable valve timing produces maximum power of 72 kW/98 hp and provides 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration in 11.1 seconds, with a top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph). The MINI One Clubvan’s average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres (51.4 mpg imp), with CO2 emissions of 129 grams per kilometre. The MINI Cooper Clubvan, which develops maximum power of 90 kW/122 hp, is livelier still. This model has a 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph). Once again, average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are 5.5 litres/100 km (51.4 mpg imp) and 129 g/km respectively.

The most fuel-efficient model in the line-up is the MINI Cooper D Clubvan, whose four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with common rail direct injection delivers 82 kW/112 hp, accelerating this model from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 10.2 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 197 km/h (122.4 mph). EU fuel consumption is 3.9 litres/100 km (7.4 mpg imp), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 103 grams per kilometre.

As an alternative to the six-speed manual transmission which is standard specification for all three models, the MINI Cooper D Clubvan can optionally be supplied with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Distinctive style and personality as standard, personalisation by request.
The MINI Clubvan is available with a choice of four exterior paintwork shades: Pepper White, Ice Blue, British Racing Green metallic and Midnight Black metallic. The roof, rear side window area, C-pillars and exterior mirror caps are body-coloured on all model versions. Optionally, the standard 15-inch wheels, with exclusive MINI Clubvan Delta Spoke styling, can be replaced by 15, 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, black seats with Cosmos fabric upholstery, a black interior colour scheme and Fine White Silver trim strips are standard. This combination stresses the functional, clean and uncluttered character of the vehicle. At the same time, the interior design can be customised to suit individual requirements, for example with black sports seats (available in the versions Ray Leather, Punch Leather and Lounge Leather), optional alternative interior trim strips, three different interior Colour Lines and a leather-trimmed instrument panel. Like the other model series, the MINI Clubvan too can be supplied with an extensive range of optional extras to enhance convenience, driving enjoyment, safety and practicality. These include xenon headlights, black headlight shells, Adaptive Headlights, Automatic Climate Control, Park Distance Control, automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors and a trailer hitch. In place of the standard MINI CD radio, the MINI Boost CD radio and MINI Visual Boost radio are also available. The optional MINI navigation system, which keeps the MINI Clubvan heading in the right direction on its delivery runs, is a further useful option.

The MINI Clubvan lends business an individual and exclusive touch.
The MINI Clubvan’s innovative blend of clean and uncluttered practicality and exclusive premium characteristics makes for a distinctive presence around town. This innovative vehicle concept is tailored in particular to the needs of commercial users such as fashion designers, event caterers, architects or photographers whose businesses supply exclusive products and services to discerning customers and who are also looking to express their appreciation of premium quality and individual style in their choice of vehicle. Whether as a mobile calling card for small businesses or as a stylish addition to a wider vehicle fleet, the MINI Clubvan makes a bold and innovative choice of delivery vehicle for commercial users, and one whose typical MINI driving fun and instantly identifiable charisma are guaranteed to make a winning and lasting impression.

: MINI Clubvan

: MINI Clubvan

: 2013 MINI Clubvan

2013 MINI Clubvan

MINI Clubvan

Tags: 2012 MINI Clubvan, breaks cover
Posted in Automakers, Mini | Comments Off

2013 MINI Rocketman Concept breaks cover

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

2013 MINI Rocketman

A Tribute to the Capital of Britain: The New-Look MINI Rocketman Concept

This summer the best athletes from some 200 countries will gather in London, England for the London 2012 Games – the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet. A total of 302 medals for the Olympic Games and 503 for the Paralympic Games will be up for grabs between July and early September, but the Games are about more than outstanding sporting achievement alone. The event plays a particularly important role as a platform for cultures to interact. And for London itself, there is the opportunity to once again put its best foot forward as host city. British premium car brand MINI will roll out the red carpet for the Olympians and Paralympians with the new edition of a spectacular small car study first presented at the International Geneva Motor Show 2011. The new design of the MINI Rocketman Concept combines innovative ideas for personal mobility in major cities with classical, unmistakably British design features inside and out. This extraordinary car will be on show in the BMW Group Pavilion, which is located close to the Olympic and Paralympic Village and will act as a showcase for the company during the Games.

The MINI Rocketman Concept caused quite a stir at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 as a ground-breaking new concept car majoring in driving fun in tight spaces. The 3+1-seater, with its three doors and an exterior length of just over three metres, is imbued with the timeless core values of the brand: irresistible design, clever functionality, smile-inducing agility and exceptional efficiency. In the process, it also offers a very contemporary take on the “creative use of space” principle that has held sway at the British carmaker for more than 50 years. The concept car approaches classic Mini territory in terms of dimensions, while advanced technology underpins a lifestyle-focused mobility solution equipped for life in large cities such as London over the years ahead. The MINI Rocketman Concept’s spaceframe is made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, enabling a lightweight construction. Its innovative interior concept accommodates three full-size seats and an extra seat suitable for short journeys.

A commitment to British style and the roots of the brand.
The new edition of the concept car sees MINI reaffirming its commitment to the brand’s British roots. The classic Mini reached out from its homeland to leave an indelible mark on roads around the world, and MINI Plant Oxford now produces no fewer than five models for the brand’s global markets. The new MINI Rocketman Concept wears its British heritage on its sleeve, most prominently in its exterior and interior colour schemes and more subtly through the use of extremely high-quality materials and stylish details. All in all, it embodies a typically British form of sporting elegance.

The colours of the British national flag, the Union Jack, come to the fore on both the outside and inside of the car, red and white accents accompanying the dominant dark blue. The body’s non-metallic paintwork is interspersed with exposed carbon components at the front end and around the doors. And the 18-inch light-alloy wheels have white polished areas and a metallic red accent. Matt Porcelain White paintwork is also used for the mirror caps, boot opener and surrounds for the radiator grille and headlights.

The grille structure – made up of MINI logos – could certainly be described as an “eye magnet”, thanks also to its red metallic paint finish and contrasting white surround. A red strip emphasises the path of the hallmark MINI diagonal link between the wheel arch and door at the foot of the A-pillar. This takes a particularly chunky form on the concept car and also makes a feature of the door hinges. The two-section split boot opening consists of one upward-pivoting element and a second segment which extends out of the body in the form of a drawer – and which is also painted blue on the inside in the new MINI Rocketman Concept. The rear lights have a trapezoidal stirrup design and work using projector technology.

Another special feature is the distinctive lighting design for the roof. The concept car has a full-surface glass roof, whose illuminated braces recreate the look of Britain’s Union Jack flag. Even when the roof is not illuminated, the braces – running horizontally, lengthways and diagonally – continue to shine in bright Porcelain White. In darkness, the integrated optical fibres provide a pleasant indirect illumination of the interior and a compelling night design visible from the outside. On the new MINI Rocketman Concept, the roof’s transparent surfaces are bordered by a metallic red painted strip.

All aboard for a sporting ambience and tribute to London.
The Union Jack-led colour concept is also employed extensively and to stylish effect inside the new edition of the MINI Rocketman Concept. The interior exudes a sporting ambience, while intricate details emphasise the car’s connection to London. The inner door panels and rear side sections are trimmed in dark blue nubuck leather, while the familiar MINI elliptical door rings provide an effective contrast with their white leather. The circular surrounds for features such as the air vents, door pulls and stereo speakers, are split into two sections and consist of a red inner ring and white outer ring.

The exposed carbon elements in the interior accentuate the MINI Rocketman Concept’s high-tech character and are incorporated into its colour scheme. For example, the blue paintwork used for the dashboard merges smoothly into black around the steering wheel, producing a harmonious flow of colour into the dark carbon surfaces. The most distinctive element of the dashboard is the cockpit surface, which is bordered by a red bar and has a striking 3D effect. Its relief structure depicts the name of every host city of the summer Olympic Games in the modern era using artistically intricate lettering, with London given particularly prominent billing.

The seat surfaces blend blue nubuck leather with an innovative textile fibre. The upper sections of the seats’ side bolsters, which provide additional support under dynamic cornering, are made from a rubberised material whose composition takes its cues – in terms of both style and function – from high-performance sports textiles and shoes. The seat belts also share the dark blue tone of the seat surfaces, while thin red and white strips add extra flourishes.

The new design of the MINI Rocketman Concept also displays its sporting spirit, Brit-chic style and eye for extravagant details through the range of sophisticated accessories for the interior. The stowage compartment on the centre console between the driver and front passenger symbolises a basketball court with miniature players. The key fob for the new concept car, meanwhile, comes in the form of a rocket decked out in British national colours. Other interior features include a rucksack attached behind the front passenger seat, which is made from the same rubberised material used for the seat bolsters and also sports the three-dimensional cockpit motif.

The new edition of the MINI Rocketman Concept cuts an unquestionably British and unmistakably MINI figure. Designed to welcome the athletes taking part in the “greatest sporting show on earth” to London this summer, the new edition of the concept car underlines the central role played by typically MINI customisation in every new product idea from the brand. The MINI Rocketman Concept also captures the imagination with its innovative technology, giving it all the ingredients it needs to lay on an irresistible combination of driving fun and sustainability. This, then, is further evidence of the brand’s extraordinary creativity in the design of solutions for urban mobility over the years ahead.

: 2013 MINI Rocketman

: 2013 MINI Rocketman

: 2012 MINI Rocketman Concept

2012 MINI Rocketman Concept

2013 MINI Rocketman

Tags: 2012 MINI Rocketman Concept, breaks cover
Posted in Automakers, Mini | Comments Off

2012 Mini John Cooper Works GP Official Revealed

Monday, May 14th, 2012

2013 Mini Cooper

Big on performance, small in number: The MINI John Cooper Works GP. Fastest MINI ever built – Best lap of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife: 8 min. 23 sec. – Extensive use of motor sport technology – Racing feeling transferred to the road – Preview at the MINI United festival – Production limited to 2,000 cars.

Only once has there been anything like it, but even that wasn’t as quick. With the MINI John Cooper Works GP, the British premium brand has come up with another car of exceptional talent designed to deliver extreme performance on both the race track and the road. The sportiest road-registered MINI ever made will go on sale later this year in a limited run of 2,000 cars. It is currently completing a programme of testing in preparation for series production, part of which has involved setting an impressive fastest lap of the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit. The MINI John Cooper Works GP lapped the erstwhile Grand Prix course in 8 min. 23 sec. In so doing, the new model has put clear asphalt between itself and numerous sports cars from loftier perches – and beaten the lap time set by its predecessor, the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, by almost 19 seconds.

Underpinning the performance characteristics of the MINI John Cooper Works GP is exclusive powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics technology inspired directly by motor sport. Its twin-scroll turbo engine generates outstanding torque, displays remarkable elasticity and demonstrates a healthy appetite for revs. Specially developed, adjustable race suspension channels this superlative output into spectacular yet precisely controllable handling.

As well as being undeniably imposing visually, the design of the body also gives the MINI John Cooper Works GP ideal aerodynamic balance in extreme driving situations – a key element in delivering that handling flair. Large front and rear aprons, striking side skirts and a bespoke roof spoiler are complemented by a newly developed rear diffuser which optimises airflow around the underbody. The interior of the MINI John Cooper Works GP also contributes to the car’s inspirational racing feeling; with the rear seats removed, it focuses unashamedly on the needs of the driver and co-driver.

Concentrated motor sport expertise – faithfully embodied at MINI by its John Cooper Works sub-brand – is the not-so-secret ingredient in the MINI John Cooper Works GP recipe. The “GP” tag on the model title tells you exactly where the extreme sports edition of the compact MINI most tellingly reveals its potential. The GP’s chassis configuration, the effectiveness of its race-spec braking system, the grip offered by its likewise bespoke racing tyres, and its aerodynamic properties have been honed into a high-performance whole on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, erstwhile venue for Formula One races and lauded as the world’s most challenging race track. The noteworthy lap time set by the MINI John Cooper Works GP is the product of this extensive testing programme.

The unadulterated transfer of motor sport expertise into the everyday driving environment has history at MINI; it was this approach that made the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit the epitome of extreme driving fun in a small car when it was unveiled in 2006. Specific output of 100 kW/136 hp per litre of displacement and similarly impressive reserves of racing technology have secured its status as a sought-after collector’s item today.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP follows eagerly in the tyre tracks of its predecessor – and with an even greater spring in its step. It will be in similarly short supply; the world will have to make do with just 2,000 examples. Hosting the preview of the new model is another grand prix race track with history etched into every corner. The MINI John Cooper Works GP will be unveiled publicly for the first time at Le Castellet in France, venue for the MINI United festival on 11 – 13 May 2012.