Published
on 8
Feb 2014
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All rights reserved.
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To remake an icon
would never be easy, especially if that icon is Mini. How to make the
new Mini looked as small as the original, to drive as entertaining as
its ancestor and to attract eyeballs in equal measures? The answer was
a retro design by Frank Stephenson, an engineering done mostly by Rover
guys and a production taking place at Oxford, aka the ex-Rover Crowley
plant in the Great Britain. Further helped by some clever marketing, it
emerged to be an immediate hit in 2001. From there, the Mini expanded
from one car to 2 model lines with 7 variants. Sales grew steadily from
100,000 to 300,000 copies a year. Although the second generation Mini
was no longer engineered in Britain, its design and packaging largely
followed the Mk1, thus no matter visually or dynamically it remained
closely tied to the classic. So far the retro strategy has been working
very well.
However, for the third generation new Mini, more drastic changes come
to play. There have always been issues that BMW wanted but did not dare
to sort out, such as the lack of space, the incompatibility with modern
crash standards (due to that extremely short front overhang, obviously)
and,
probably more important these days, the low level of component sharing
hence higher costs. The last generation Mini used to share its petrol
Prince engines with PSA, but the rest of the car was unique. Because of
its
smallness, because of its FF layout, it could not share platform with
any other BMW vehicles. Now it is time to change. As you might have
heard before, BMW is going to turn the next generation 1-Series
to front-wheel-drive. This opens up an opportunity to share platform
with Mini. On the plus side, customers will get more/better ingredients
for the same money. On the downside, the resultant UKL1 platform
inevitably needs to be enlarged a bit to suit the BMW model.
Consequently, the Mk3 Mini would be more un-Mini.
From these cleverly angled pictures you might not notice the negative
effect. If you see it in fresh, you will find the nose is noticeably
longer, so long that it has lost some of the super-compact feel of the
old car. Tape measures find the new car has grown 122 mm longer, 44 mm
wider and 7 mm taller. Half of that extra length goes to the front
overhang to improve its crash worthiness. In contrast, the wheelbase
gains a relatively modest 28 mm. As a result, the body profile becomes
more conventional.
Despite of the longer nose, the Mini Cooper is still easily
recognizable because it has kept most features of the old car, such as
the round headlights, clamshell bonnet and "floating" roof. The
windscreen is set at slightly faster angle but still considerably more
upright than other cars. By blackening the middle section of front
bumper, the chromed radiator grille appears to be larger, and its
hexagonal perimeter looks more stylish. Not so good is the hot Mini
Cooper S, whose additional lower intake doesn't gel with the rest of
the nose, and turns the car into a bulldog! To me, the lesser Cooper is
more tasteful. At the back, the new car has its taillights enlarged and
added with more jewel effect. In short, it still looks very much a
Mini, though you need some time to get used to the extended nose.
Better news on the inside. The old car used to be a premium hatch
without a premium interior. Its cabin design looked funky enough, but
the plastics were low rent and ergonomics was flawed. BMW worked harder
in the new generation. The dashboard and door panels are now made of
high-quality soft plastics like BMW 1 and 3-Series. Fit and finish is
better, and the perceived quality is greatly enhanced by the new
steering wheel, instruments and head-up display. The funky styling
theme is kept, with plenty of circles in the form of vents,
instruments, switches and door locks. The center console is again
dominated by a big circle, but instead of the previous speedometer (the
"Big Ben") it is now the home of an 8.8-inch infotainment screen.
Ergonomics is greatly improved by relocating the speedometer to the
normal position, i.e. right above the steering column together with the
rev counter. Other ergonomics enhancements include bigger air-con
controls, relocated window switches (from the console to the doors),
larger adjustment range for the steering wheel and the more intuitive
control of i-Drive.
The larger doors allow easier access to the cabin. The front seats are
supportive and comfortable. There is slightly more head and legroom for
both front and back, although the rear is still best reserved to
children, or adults for short trips. No problem, as the Mini is not
sold as family car anyway. Nor it is a load carrier. Its 211-liter boot
might be slightly better than before, but remains comical in the
hatchback class.
More interesting to me is the new engines, in particular the 3-cylinder
1.5-liter on the Cooper. This is the first application of the BMW 3-pot
engine. It is not necessarily cheaper to build than the outgoing
1.6-liter Prince motor, but it is certainly lighter and significantly
more economical to run. You may see it as the N20 with one cylinder
chopped off because they are of the same modular family, sharing the
same bore spacing and the same cylinder capacity of 500 c.c., which
according to BMW is the optimized figure for efficiency. It also shares
all the high-tech features of the N20, such as direct fuel injection,
Bi-Vanos variable cam phasing, Valvetronic variable valve lift and
turbocharging. The turbo is different though, as twin-scroll turbo is
not suitable to a 3-cylinder engine (ridiculously, BMW still dubs it as
"TwinPower Turbo"). Output is rated at 136 hp, a considerable increase
from the 120 hp of the old 1.6-liter normally aspirated unit. However,
the real difference lies on torque delivery. Instead of 118 lbft, it
now produces 162 lbft (or 170 lbft on short overboost), and this is
available from as little as 1250 rpm. This gives the Cooper a really
lively performance. It feels far brisker and far more flexible than the
old car. 0-60 mph sprint is greatly shortened from 8.6 to 7.4 seconds,
and you no longer need to work hard to deliver such performance.
Meanwhile, top speed is raised to a remarkable 130 mph, thanks in part
to cutting the drag coefficient to 0.28. Fuel consumption is reduced by
17 percent.
Worries about loss of refinement is unfounded. A balance shaft is
fitted
to make sure the 3-pot runs as smooth as a 4-pot. Adequate engine mount
also helps. The three-cylinder exhaust pulses are only evident at low
rev. On motorway, the new Cooper is noticeably quieter because it
doesn't need to be revved as hard as before. Other improvements in NVH
suppression also result in a more relaxing ride.
The new 6-speed manual gearbox is also more refined to use. It should
be praised for short throws and a positive shift action. Comparatively,
the Aisin 6-speed automatic is less impressive, as it is unresponsive
in manual mode.
Reversing the downsize trend, the Cooper S employs a 2.0-liter turbo
with 192 hp and 206 lbft (221 lbft on overboost). It is the 4-cylinder
version of the 1.5-liter rather than a
BMW N20 turned to transverse mounting, though it packs all the same
technology. This engine seems to be
deliberately detuned and leave room for the upcoming John
Cooper Works model. As a result, its performance is barely improved
from the old car, with 0-60 mph quoted at 6.5 seconds instead of 6.7.
However, its extra flexibility is evident, as is a sweeter top end
delivery. That said, I would say the 3-cylinder Cooper is a smarter
choice, offering more than adequate performance and refinement for
lower
costs – and don't forget its nicer looks.
Other models include Mini One (102 hp, 1233 c.c. version of the
3-cylinder turbo) and Mini D (116 hp 1.5 turbo diesel 3-cylinder). They
are more decent than the old versions, and no longer need to share
engines with other manufacturers.
Despite of the larger body, weight increase is limited to 20-30 kg
thanks
to the use of more high-strength steel and optimized construction.
While
suspensions remain to be MacPherson struts up front and Z-axle
multi-link at the rear, they are practically new. The front suspension
employs aluminum bearings and high-strength steel wishbones to save
unsprung weight. The rear axle also employs higher percentage of
high-strength
steel. Anti-roll bars are now hollow. Electronic-controlled adaptive
dampers are available for the first time as option. A
rotary control switch alters the suspension, steering, throttle,
automatic gearshift etc. The electrical power steering has added
torque-steer compensation.
On the road, you will be pleased to find the new Mini has retained the
go-kart-like handling of the old car while improved on refinement. The
combination of wider tracks and new suspension provides more grip and
better poise. You can carry more speed into fast corner without
worrying of roll or understeer. The steering is lighter, quicker, more
accurate and comes with less kickback. At slow corner, it feels nimble
and eager to steer. Push too hard and it will understeer, but lift off
throttle abruptly will tighten its line again. The fun factor remains.
Ride quality is firmer than your Fiesta but it is generally improved
from the old car, especially at motorway speed. However, on bumpy roads
it
still lacks adequate absorption, especially on the hotter Cooper S
fitted with oversized 17-inch wheels. Even with adaptive dampers
installed it is not going to shine in terms of ride comfort. That is
the price you pay for its remarkable handling. After all, the original
Mini was also known for a harsh ride.
That ride quality problem will be left for the next generation to sort
out. For the time being, let us applaud for its vastly improved
interior, engines, performance and fuel efficiency. Most important, it
still looks and drives like a true Mini, in spite of a bigger nose.
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Verdict:  |
Published
on 19
Sep 2014
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All rights reserved.
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Mini 5-door
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Mini owners are
mostly singles or young couples. When they have children, they have to
change to a more practical alternative with proper rear seats and
luggage space. Previously, Mini tried to capture those demands with the
odd Clubman, but not many were convinced by its single rear door. Now
BMW has finally built a 5-door version of the Mini.
The 5-door Mini looks quite strange, doesn't it? It sounds like a Mini
LWB or Mini Limousine, because its wheelbase has been stretched for 72
mm compared with the 3-door hatchback to make room for the rear doors
and more
rear legroom. Besides, its rear overhang gets another 89 mm to free up
luggage space. The overall length now reaches 4 meters – nearly a meter
longer than the original Mini! If you already found the Mk3 Mini taking
some time to get used to, the LWB version will take even longer.
Inside, you will find all the extra wheelbase goes straight to rear
legroom, which is now suitable for adults up to 6 feet tall (assuming
the front occupants are no taller). The prominent transmission tunnel
and limited width still rob the possibility of fitting the 5th
passenger though. The rear doors are small, so access to the rear seat
is not very convenient. Luggage space is improved by 50 liters to 278
liters, but it still trails almost any supermini rivals. On the plus
side, the funky interior styling and premium material quality are
carried over intact from the 3-door.
The 5-door also has all the powertrains and chassis components
unchanged. Its longer wheelbase and 60 kg extra weight have little
effect on its acceleration and handling. This means it keeps the quick,
grippy and agile characteristics. The ride remains too firm and noisy
to family men and women, but hey, this is a Mini! Don't think it was
really a Mini Limousine!
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| Verdict: |
Published
on 14
May 2015
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All rights reserved.
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Mini John Cooper Works
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52 years ago, a guy
called John Cooper modified Mini into a high-performance small car that
won a hat-trick of Monte Carlo rally. Since then the Cooper name became
an indispensible part of Mini. This is strengthened further in the new
era of BMW ownership. In the model tree of Mini, there is not one but
three Cooper models – Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW),
covering a wide performance and price spectrum rarely seen in B-segment
cars. The range-topping JCW is expensive – it starts at £23,000
in the UK but, given the vast array of desirable and costly options,
you can easily take it north of £30,000, which is the same money
of a Golf R or a decent Audi TT. Design aside, is the Mini JCW worth so
much?
Judging purely from performance perspective, it might not be. Yes, 153
mph top speed and 0-60 mph sprint under 6 seconds are undeniably fast
for its kind, but it is no match with the aforementioned Golf R. The
Mini is powered by BMW’s new modular 4-cylinder engine with 500 c.c.
each cylinder. It is also used by the lesser Cooper S, but whereas that
engine is detuned to 192 horsepower, this one produces 231 horses.
Remarkable? Yes for the class which consists of mostly 1.6 turbo
rivals, but no for a 2-liter-class engine. Mind you, the same B48
engine on the latest BMW 330i yields 252 hp, while the mad
Mercedes A45 AMG trumps it by a massive 130 hp! The 2-liter engine of
Audi S1 ties with it on horsepower, but overwhelms it in terms of
maximum torque, i.e. 273 versus 236 pound-foot. In fact, from its flat
torque curve, which peaks from an incredible 1250 rpm all the way to
4800 rpm, we can see the Mini engine is deliberately restricted,
probably to improve drivability or not to overwhelm its
front-wheel-drive chassis, which has neither a limited-slip
differential nor torque-steer-reducing suspension geometry.
The outcome? Its power delivery is smooth and highly tractable. There
is no turbo lag, no surge of power hence no memorable points throughout
the rev range. It spins eagerly but ultimately it stops at merely 6500
rpm. The
exhaust note is sportier than that of Cooper S but never gets wild.
Overall, it’s a civilized powertrain, especially when mated with Aisin
6-speed
automatic transmission. Civilized is good to a premium car, but
shouldn’t we expect a wilder character from the hottest Mini?
The JCW has adequate brakes to match its straight line performance. Up
front is a pair of 330 mm discs and Brembo 4-piston calipers. Coping
with just over 1200 kg, they provide strong and fade-free stopping.
The suspension setup is the same as the Sport option of Cooper S. This
means it is considerably stiffer. In fact, so stiff that it prefers
smooth highways over mountain roads, ridiculously. The optional
adaptive dampers is a worthwhile investment, but even with that
installed and set to Normal mode the ride quality on B-roads is
borderline acceptable, lacking the compliance of Peugeot 208 GTi 30th
Anv or Ford Fiesta ST. If you love driving a hot hatch in the twisty
like most buyers do, the Mini JCW might not be the most sensible
choice.
However, the stiff suspension does bring steady cornering. As always,
the Mini has a quick steering rack to enable a sharp turn-in
reminiscent of go-kart. This brings a strong sense of sporty appeal. It
feels agile and responsive without to the extent of nervous.
Unfortunately, the electrical power steering is not too feelsome,
despite of adequate weighting.
Ultimately, its chassis is default to understeer near its pretty high
cornering limit. Without an LSD (unlike Peugeot or Opel Corsa OPC), the
JCW
is not going to overcome tight corners as cleanly as hoped. However,
its tail is mobile enough. Lift off throttle mid-corner will kick its
tail outward a little, just like Ford Fiesta ST. This makes it more
interactive thus more fun to drive than Audi S1. It might not have the
tremendous traction of Audi, but whenever it gets out of shape, torque
vectoring by brakes will eventually correct things.
The Mini JCW is a good hot hatch unquestionably. Its iconic looks and
premium packaging are peerless. Its driving dynamics is excellent, too,
being fast, agile, sharp and fun to drive. However, as a hot hatch is
driver appeal its limited by a stiff ride, which makes it less
enjoyable
to exploit on B-roads where hot hatches matter, and a high price which
elevates it straight into the league of C-segment wonders like Golf R
or Megane RS.
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| Verdict: |
Published
on 5
Mar 2020
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All rights reserved.
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Mini Cooper SE / Electric
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Electrification
comes at a good value.
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In 2008, BMW experimented
with the idea of an electric Mini. It was called Mini E. 600 cars were
built and leased to test the feasibility of EV. Unfortunately, they
found the technology then was far from matured, weighing too much,
costing too much and engaging too much space – at the price of rear
seat, actually.
12 years on, EV technology has progressed substantially. BMW has also
gained a lot of experience from the innovative i3. It is time to take
the electric technology to the production Mini. The new car is called
Mini Electric at its home market or Mini Cooper SE elsewhere – the
latter denotes Sport Electric instead of Special Edition, obviously.
The first to notice is its keen pricing. Starting from £24,400 in
the UK or $23,250 in the USA after government grant, the electric Mini
represents great value for money. It is significantly cheaper than a
Honda E, Peugeot e-208 or Opel Corsa-e. It ties with a top-spec Renault
Zoe, which offers none of the Mini’s premium image, build quality,
performance or handling. Yes, Mini used to sell cars at premium prices.
This is probably the first time it undercuts the mainstream brands.
Inevitably, a smaller battery is the compromise. The 32.6kWh battery it
employs is the smallest in class. It is roughly the same capacity as
the 94Ah battery offered by the i3, although packaged differently. It
forms a T-shape, occupies the space inside the transmission tunnel and
under the rear seat (in place of fuel tank). It provides a range of
just 235-270km (146-168 miles), but the plus side is that it engages no
luggage space, and it keeps the car relatively light. While an e-208
weighs 1455 kg and a Honda E tips the scale at 1520 kg, the Mini is the
lightweight champion at 1365 kg. That’s only 145 kg more than a petrol
Mini Cooper S with automatic transmission. It goes without saying less
weight benefits handling and performance.
Speaking of performance, it is another strength of the car. It takes
the 184-horsepower motor straight from the i3s, just install it at the
opposite end of the car. Brilliantly, although the electric conversion
was never in the original plan of the current generation Mini,
engineers managed to put it together with its bracket on the same
mounting points, thus the car could be assembled on the same production
line at Oxford. The car is good for 0-60 in 6.9 seconds, quicker than
everything else bar the i3s and Chevy Bolt (both are more expensive).
It is not fast though, as top speed is limited to 93 mph.
Predictably, the battery improves weight distribution from 63:37 to
58:42 and lowers the center of gravity by 30 mm, even though the car’s
body is lifted by 18 mm to make room for the battery. As a result, it
keeps the trademarked sharp handling of the Mini Cooper mostly intact.
Its front wheels bite as hard as before, thanks to resisting to use
energy saving tires. It steers with the same directness, although
torque steer emerges under hard acceleration out of corner. It corners
just as flat, if not flatter. The only noticeable downgrade is ride
quality, which gets even more hardcore, since its suspension is
stiffened to cope with the added weight.
Cosmetic-wise, the electric Mini differs only slightly from its
siblings. Outside, the biggest change is the covered front grille, as
its electric machine needs little cooling. Inside, it replaces the
analogue instrument with a small screen in order to display power
consumption, remaining range etc. It feels a little outdated beside the
Honda E, but the quality feel is still obvious, and it makes you
concentrate on driving rather than fancy screens.
The big question mark is still driving range. A Mini should be driven
on mountain roads to enjoy its great handling. If the range limits its
usage in urban area, why not buy something more comfortable and more
practical? However, for fans admiring the iconic style of Mini, the
electric version is a sensible and affordable alternative to the
regular Cooper S.
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| Verdict: |
Published
on 8
May 2020
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All rights reserved.
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Mini JCW GP
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How
many hot hatches can top 165 mph?
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This is the third
incarnation of Mini John Cooper Works GP, which stands for Grand Prix.
John Cooper was a maker of F1 cars, and his cars won 16 Grand Prix from
the late 1950s to early 1960s. However, to link the Mini to Grand Prix
is a bit comical. Shouldn’t it have been Monte Carlo rally? Anyway,
name aside, the JCW GP is a superb car. It is not only the fastest ever
Mini but also one of the fastest hot hatches in the world. Tell me how
many hot hatches can top 165 mph?
Like its predecessors, the new JCW GP is a limited edition. Only 3000
lucky drivers will be able to buy one, and the price is a reasonable
£34K, certainly easier to afford than a Renault Megane Trophy-R.
For that price, you get not only a lot of performance but also a look
to match: there are extended wheelarches made of carbon-fiber
reinforced plastics recycled from the residuals of BMW i3. They enable
the tracks to be widened by 40mm. There are also extended lip spoiler
and a prominent rear wing, which generates sufficient downforce to keep
the car planted at 165 mph. Inside, you will find the rear seats are
ditched to save weight, and the space is occupied by a cross brace
which reinforce the chassis. Up front, there is also a suspension tower
brace to stiff up the structure. The suspension is modified
extensively, including 10mm lower ride height, stiffer springs,
dampers, bushings and metal ball joints for the rear wishbones. Larger
18-inch forged alloy wheels are shod with 225/35 tires, accommodating
360mm brake discs and 4-piston calipers up front, 330mm discs and
single-pot calipers at the rear. Apart from rear seats, a lot of sound
insulation materials have been removed, keeping the car relatively
light at 1255 kg DIN.
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Rear
seats are ditched to save weight.
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The engine still comes from the B48 family that powers the lesser
Cooper S and JCW, but this version is almost identical to the one
employed by BMW M135i. Key upgrades include a stronger bottom to handle
its extra torque and an overhauled cooling system to cope with the
extra heat it generates. Double-Vanos and Valvetronic are retained, but
the direct injection gets higher pressure and flow, and the twin-scroll
turbocharger gets larger to produce higher boost pressure. Compared
with the M135i motor, the tighter engine compartment on Mini
necessitates a redesigned intake and exhaust system. This makes its
power and torque band slightly narrower, but the maximum power and
torque are just the same, i.e. 306 horsepower and 332 pound-foot of
torque. That’s a huge leap from the 231 hp and 236 lbft of JCW. The car
is capable to sprint from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat, which is as good
as you can get from a front-wheel-drive hot hatch.
The same engine powers also the JCW models of Mini Clubman and
Countryman, but while those larger cars employ 4-wheel drive, the GP
persists in front-wheel drive. I like that, because a hot hatch should
be compact, light and relatively simple. The GP fits all these
requirements. Despite the extended wheel arches, this car still spans
just 1762 mm across its shoulders. Its length is just under 3.9 meters,
and its wheelbase is shorter than 2.5 meters. Make no mistakes, this is
a B-segment car, and one of the smallest B-segment cars, too, but Mini
manages to pack over 300 horsepower into its compact body, which is
magical. It offers even higher performance than the fastest C-segment
hot hatches. It is just like returning to 1964, when Cooper packed a
76hp 1275c.c. engine into the Mini. Small car. Big power. Huge fun.
But the downside is, BMW group does not have a transverse manual
gearbox capable to cope with so much torque. As a result, the GP has to
settle with an 8-speed automatic like the aforementioned 4WD cousins.
What? A hardcore hot hatch with a self-shifter? The Aisin unit is
pretty good, as we found on M135i. It shifts rapidly on paddles and
accurately on its own, but lacking involvement is still a sin to a hot
hatch, especially one so hardcore.
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Small
car. Big power. Huge fun.
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At least, the automatic tranny incorporates a limited slip differential
to help the GP to place its tremendous power to the road. There is some
torque steer when accelerating hard in corner, in which the steering
fights with your arms, but this is not unusual for a hot hatch without
specially-designed front suspension. The engine shows a little lag
below 1500 rpm, but beyond that it is punchy, linear and lively up to
6800 rpm cut-out. The noise is not particularly musical, but there are
pops and crackles engineered into the overrun, and the stripped-out
cabin allows a lot of noise to keep you entertained, or tired.
The GP is really quick on the road. On Autobahn it feels stable at over
160 mph on straight or just about any high-speed corners, but its
strength remains to be its maneuverability in tighter corners. Its
stiff suspension keeps the car planted, with very little body roll. The
tires offer tremendous grip for such a small car. The Mini’s
trademarked quick steering and resistance to understeer make the car
incredibly sharp and agile. However, since its cornering limit is so
high, it is not prone to oversteer on lift off at slower corners,
unlike a Fiesta ST. This is a much more serious performance car than
any B-segment hot hatches. You should judge it by the standards of
Megane Trophy-R or Civic Type R.
Any weaknesses? Yes, the ride is very hard and busy, blame to the stiff
suspension as well as its short wheelbase. It feels happier to live
with A-roads rather than B-roads. The torque steer corrupts the
steering sometimes, and the steering feel is not great either. The lack
of rear seats is another, although hardcore drivers can live without
them. The JCW GP is certainly not for everyone’s taste. A Civic Type R
is far more usable and comfortable, just as quick and feels more
delicate in its controls. The Mini GP is more hardcore. It seems to be
less car for more money, but its attraction is exactly its compact
package.
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| Verdict: |
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