Mini Hatch
The Mini is a supermini car which has been made since July 2001. Colloquially known as the New Mini, all four generations have been produced as three-door hatchbacks and two-door convertibles, with a five-door hatchback body style added from the third generation. Introduced following the acquisition of the Mini marque by German carmaker BMW, it is a family of retro-styled cars with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The range has been marketed under various names, such as the Mini Cooper, Mini Hatch, Mini Hardtop, Mini One, and Mini John Cooper Works.
The Rover Group first unveiled the Mini hatch concept car at the 1997 Frankfurt International Motor Show. Developed as a successor to the original Mini, the styling of the concept car was well received by the public and further developed. BMW sold the other parts of the Rover Group in May 2000, but retained the rights to Mini, although MG Rover were allowed to continue production of the original until October of that year. The new Mini entered production on 26 April 2001 and went on sale in July of that year, initially only as a three-door hatchback, in contrast to the original Mini which is predominantly a two-door saloon car.
The first-generation model was facelifted in 2004, coinciding with the introduction of the convertible variant. The second generation hatchback was launched in 2006, with the first-generation convertible replaced in 2008. The third generation entered production in 2013 and went on sale in 2014. With the launch of the fourth generation in 2024, the Mini Hatch has been renamed to Mini Cooper. BMW also developed several battery electric versions of the Mini, starting with the Mini E in 2009 developed only for field trials, followed by the mass-produced Mini Electric in 2019, and succeeded by the [|Mini Cooper E/SE] in 2023 which uses a dedicated electric vehicle platform.
Mini models under BMW ownership are produced in Cowley, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom at Plant Oxford. Between July 2014 and February 2024, F56 3-door production was shared with VDL Nedcar in Born, Netherlands. The F57 convertible was exclusively assembled at the Born plant between 2015 and 2024. From 2024, all F65/66/67 combustion engined Mini hatch and convertible production will be centred at Oxford. Since late 2023, the electric Mini Cooper is developed and produced in China at the Spotlight Automotive joint venture facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. Since BMW's relaunch of the Mini brand, the marque's line-up has added larger models such as the Clubman in 2007, the Countryman in 2010, the Paceman in 2012, and the Aceman in 2024.
Initial development
The Mini Hatch was designed by Frank Stephenson, and drew inspiration from the original two-door Mini. Development of the car was conducted between 1995 and 2001 by Rover Group in Gaydon, United Kingdom and BMW in Munich, Germany. During this development phase, there was continual contention between the two design groups, especially concerning the positioning of the car; Rover wanted a straight economy car, whilst BMW supported a small, sporting car. Plans for an all-new supermini to replace the Metro in the mid-1990s were shelved when Rover was sold to BMW in January 1994, with the existing Metro model gaining a restyle and a new designation.The concept was originally unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show at a joint BMW/Rover press conference, with details of the Chrysler/BMW joint venture Tritec engine, and proposed trim levels including Mini Minor and the Cooper/Cooper S.
Ultimately, BMW prevailed, and in 1999, they assumed control over the entire project following the departure of BMW's CEO, Bernd Pischetsrieder. When BMW sold off Rover in 2000, it retained the Mini project, and moved the planned production site of the car from Rover's Longbridge plant, to BMW's Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, England. The team of designers working on the 2001 Mini had finished the full-sized clay mock-up of the Mini in plenty of time for a presentation to the board of directors. However, the American chief designer, Frank Stephenson, realised that the model did not have an exhaust pipe. His short-term solution was to pick up an empty beer can, punch a hole in it, strip off the paint and push it into the clay at the back of the car, which took just a few minutes. The overall design for the mock-up was so good that the board members told him not to change a thing, resulting in the distinctive exhaust tip seen in production cars.
First generation (R50/52/53; 2001)
The first new generation Mini Hatch was introduced in July 2001, being the first model launched under the Mini marque after the original Mini was discontinued the year before. In some European markets, the Mini One was powered by a inline-four version of the Tritec engine, but all other petrol powered Minis used the version. Naturally aspirated Cooper hatchbacks receive the R50 model code, while the supercharged Cooper S is called the R53. From 2004 to 2008, a soft-top convertible was also made.Though still considered very compact, the 2001 hatchback's length was, or 19%, greater than the long 1959 Mini. Also, at, the 2002 five-door hatch stands, or some 21%, longer than the original Mini estate versions.
There are numerous styling and badging differences between the models, including the having a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet. The also has twin exhausts which exit under the centre of the rear valance. The non-S Cooper has more chrome parts than the Mini One and has a single exhaust. The Mini One D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.
In some markets, such as Australia and the US, only the Mini Cooper and were offered. Other trim lines and special editions of note, sold in varying markets around the world, are the Mini Seven, Mini Park Lane, Mini Check Mate, and Mini Monte Carlo.
The first generation of the new Mini received a facelift in July 2004. This was also when the new convertible was introduced; it was not available with the pre-facelift design. Aside from minor design changes and improved equipment, the Rover R65 manual gearbox was replaced with a Getrag five-speed for the MINI One and Cooper. This was referred to as the 2005 "model year" version in North America.
Models
The vehicles produced during from 2001 until 2006 included four hatchback models : the standard "Mini One", the diesel-engined "Mini One/D", the sportier "Mini Cooper" and the supercharged "Mini Cooper S"; in 2004, a convertible roof option was added to the Mk I line-up. In November 2006, BMW released a redesigned version of the Mini Hardtop as a 2007 model year vehicle.From March 2002, the Mini was exported to Japan and sold at Japanese BMW dealerships as well as Yanase locations. The car complied with Japanese Government dimension regulations and the introduction of the Mini coincided with several vehicles in Japan that exhibited a retro look that Japanese car companies were offering.
The names Cooper and Cooper S are the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini, which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works range of tuning options. The John Cooper Works company also created a higher spec model of the Mini Cooper S, the Mini Cooper S Works. It has a higher volume exhaust and air filter, and uprated brakes and suspension, and different wheels from the S models.
A race-prepared version, with rear-wheel drive, called the Mini Cooper S3, competed in the Belcar championship from 2002.
Mini John Cooper Works GP Kit (2006)
The last Mk I variant to be produced using the supercharged Tritec engine was the Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, a light-weight, quasi-race-prepped John Cooper Works model. Hand-finished by Bertone in Italy, it was offered as a limited-production run of 2000 cars during the 2006 model year, with 444 of those originally intended for the UK market, although ultimately, 459 were sold. The GP has more bolstered Recaro front seats but had no rear seats, which along with reduced sound-deadening, removal of the rear wash-wipe system, optional air-conditioning and radio, and other weight-reduction steps, resulted in a weight saving of around compared to a.Mechanically, it has a less restrictive intercooler, recalibrated engine management, high-volume injector nozzles, and a freer-flowing exhaust system. Extra cooling capabilities let the supercharged engine run longer on cooler temperatures for better track performance, rated at at 7100 rpm and at 4600 rpm of torque.
Specifications
The Mk I Mini One, Cooper and Cooper S all used variants of the Brazilian-built Tritec engine, co-developed by US-based Chrysler and BMW; the Mini One D used a Toyota 1ND-TV diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that future engines would be built in Great Britain, making the car essentially British-built again. Final assembly took place at Cowley, Oxford, and the body pressings were made in nearby Swindon at BMW's Swindon Pressings subsidiary.All models used a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. The wheels are pushed to the corners of the body to improve handling. The styling of the car, like that of the Volkswagen New Beetle, is a retro design that is deliberately reminiscent of the original Mini. The retro styling retains other classic Mini touches such as contrasting roof colours, optional bonnet stripes, optional rally lights, and black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels that mimic the wide wheel flares found on many classic Minis.
The Mini One and Mini Cooper were available with a ZF VT1F continuously variable transmission or with a conventional Midlands 5-speed manual transmission ; the latter was replaced with a Getrag 52BG 5-speed unit for the remainder of the Mk I production. The Cooper S came with a 6-speed Getrag G285 manual or an Aisin 6F21WA/TF60SN fully automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The gear ratios of the 6-speed Getrag manual transmission were changed from July 2004 production and onwards.
All Minis had a drive by wire electronic throttle, anti-lock brake electronic brakeforce distribution, and BMW Cornering Brake Control. Stability options were BMW's ASC traction control system and DSC electronic stability control, to improve control and handling in adverse conditions.
The addition of a supercharger to the Mk I Cooper S required that the battery be relocated into the rear of the car leaving no room for a spare tyre, so the S models came with run-flat tyres.