History of The Mini
Due to an oil and gas crisis in the mid 1950's bubble or micro cars such as the BMW Isetta, appeared on the streets in all of the European countries. Driven by competition in the market British Motor Corporation (BMC), one of the world's largest manufacturers of small and medium cars decided to build a small car to compete with the bubble cars.
Designer Alec Issigonis was given the job of producing a miniature version of a car he had designed some 10 years earlier, the highly successful Morris Minor. Lenoard Lord head of BMC instructed Issigonis to come up with something that would drive the bubble cars off the road. The new miniature car should be less than 10 feet in length, capable of accommodating four adults and use an existing engine. The design team shortened miniature to "Mini" and the name of the car was born.
Mini Car Dimensions. Scheme 94
In order to achieve his design objectives, Issigonis decided to devote 80% of the space to passengers and luggage leaving little more than 18 inches in which to place the engine and gearbox.
He decided that this could only be achieved by using a transverse engine and front wheel drive. While this layout had previously been used by other manufacturers, Issigonis could not package a conventional transmission within the confines of his vehicle size objectives. He eventually settled on the unique idea of positioning the transmission in the engine sump. To maximize interior space he decided to adopt the 'wheel at each corner' configuration. The design was not without its problems as many technical difficulties had to be overcome. The drive shafts used technology from submarine periscopes, the small tires had to be specially developed for longer wear and an oil was needed that could be shared by the engine and gearbox
In August of 1959, just two years after the prototype had been driven, the Mini rolled off the production line in two versions - the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven. The motoring press was immediately impressed with the handling of the car and its space efficiency.
While not designed as a sports car, its dynamic capabilities ensured the Mini would be driven like a sports car.
Engine Integral Transmission. Scheme 95
Car. Scheme 96
The Cooper Name
John Cooper a Formula 1 car builder, having driven the Mini during its development saw more than just a simple economy car and wanted to exploit the Mini's power to weight ratio for racing.
In 1961 the first version of the Mini Cooper was launched with a larger (997cc) more powerful engine (55bhp) and disc brakes fitted to the miniscule "10" Mini wheels. The Mini Cooper was continuously developed and the name quickly became synonymous with affordable motor racing and rallying.
1963 saw the emergence of the Mini Cooper S with larger more powerful engines, improved brakes and gearbox, larger wheels and the beginning of the trademark white roof. The Cooper S took the motorsport world by storm with its outstanding chassis and power to weight ratio. Produced with an assortment of engines (1071cc, 970cc and 1275cc) a Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
BMC ended its relationship with John Cooper in 1971 and the Mini Cooper disappeared until it was re-introduced in 1991.
Mini Variations
In addition to the Mini and Mini Cooper, four other badge names owned by British Motor Corporation were used on the Mini, these being the Austin, Morris, Wolseley and Riley. In later years the ERA badge was used for a very special low volume turbo-charged version.
Over the years many different body types were available. Pick-up, van, estate and cabriolet versions were produced along with Wolseley and Riley versions which had their own distinctive vertical grills and tail fins. Perhaps the most unusual model was the Mini Moke which was an open-air utility vehicle originally designed for agricultural and military use but which eventually found favor as a fun vehicle. The Moke was also used as a test-bed for a bizarre four wheel drive design which was fitted with a separate engine at each end of the car. This idea was eventually abandoned.
The Mini proved to be an accessories "Gold Mine" . A huge market unfolded as customers demanded the ability to personalize their Minis with every conceivable body, chassis and engine tuning accessory.
Between 1959 and 2000 some 5.3 million Minis were produced in various plants in Birmingham and Oxford, U.K., Belgium, Italy and Spain.
Car Models. Scheme 97
Introducing The New MINI COOPER
The design objective for the new MINI COOPER was to produce the most emotive small car in the world. To achieve this target the MINI is the best handling, performing and equipped car in its class.
Manufactured in an updated version of the original Oxford plant the MINI COOPER preserves the unique character of the old Mini, while fulfilling the BMW basic product values of safety, quality, efficient cost of ownership and environmental responsibility.
MINI COOPER. Scheme 98
Model Range MINI
- MINI COOPER
- MINI COOPER S (Supercharged)
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) code between BMW and MINI is different.
BMW Cars: WBA / MINI: WMW
Mini Badge. Scheme 99
Mini Badge
The style of the old Mini badge has been retained for the MINI, but has been updated to give a crispier, more modern look to the match the product.
MINI Service
The MINI COOPER is fully integrated in the organization. All data relating to the MINI COOPER is available in the BMW Service infrastructure on BMW CDs (DIS, TIS, KSD and EPC), and in the BMW network.
Technical Data
| MINI COOPER (ECVT) | MINI COOPER S | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Length (mm) | 3626 | 3650 |
| Width (mm) | 1688 | 1688 |
| Height (mm) With Aerial Base | 1428 | |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2467 | |
| Turning Circle (m) | 10.66 | |
| Track Front/Rear (mm) | 1460 / 1466 | 1454 / 1460 |
| Body Capacity(L) | 160 | |
| Fuel Tank Capacity(L) | 50 | |
| Empty Weight( kg) | 1050 (1075) | 1120 |
| Weight Distribution Front to Rear(%) | 62.9:37.1 | |
| Maximum Vehicle Weight / Maximum Payload (kg) | 1480 / 430(1505 / 430) | 1550 / 430 |
| Drag Coefficient | 0.35 | 0.36 |
| Engine Data | ||
| Design | 4Cyl Transverse Mounted 4 Valves Per Cyl | |
| Displacement (cc) | 1598 | |
| Bore/Stroke (mm) | 77/85.8 | |
| Power (hp) | 115 @ 6000 RPM | 165 @ 6000 RPM |
| Torque | 149 @ 4500 RPM | 210 @ 4000 RPM |
| Compression | 10.6:1 | 8.3:1 |
| Engine Management | Siemens EMS 2000 | |
| Cooling System Capacity (L) | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Engine Oil Capacity (L) | 4.8 | |
TECHNICAL DATA
| MINI COOPER (ECVT) | MINI COOPER S | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive line Data | ||
| Gearbox (Optional) | 5 Speed R 65 (ECVT) | 6 Speed Getrag 285 |
| 1st | 3.417:1 | 4.167:1 (11.425) |
| 2nd | 1.947:1 | 2.619:1 (7.181) |
| 3rd | 1.333:1 | 1.333:1 (5.397) |
| 4th | 1.054 | 1.089:1 (4.407) |
| 5th | 0.846:1 | 1.333:1 (3.656) |
| 6th | 1.089:1 (2.986) | |
| Reverse | 3.58:1 | 2.75:1 (11.131) |
| Final Drive | 3.94:1 (4.1:1) | 2.74/4.05:1 |
| Transmission Oil Capacity (L) | 2.0 (4.0) | 1.7 |
| Chassis Data | ||
| Tire Size | 175/65R15 84T | 195/55R16 87V |
| Wheel Dimensions | 5.5 J x 15 Alloy | 5.5 J x 16 alloy |
| Front Brakes Diameter/Thickness (mm) | 276/22 Ventilated | |
| Rear Brakes Diameter/Thickness (mm) | 239/10 Solid | |
| Performance Data | ||
| Acceleration 0 to 62 MPH (seconds) | 9.2 (10.2) | 7.4 |
| Maximum Speed (MPH) | 124 (115) | 134 |
| Fuel Consumption(MPG) | TBA | TBA |
DRIVE LINE DATA
Vehicle Length. Scheme 100
Vehicle Height. Scheme 101
Vehicle Width. Scheme 102
Vehicle Turning Circle. Scheme 103
Vehicle Height With Aerial Base. Scheme 104
Loaded Heights
| With Antenna Base | Without Antenna | |
|---|---|---|
| Empty | 1428mm | 1416mm |
| 2 Front and 1 Rear Passenger | 1405mm | 1396mm |
| Fully Loaded | 1365mm | 1356mm |
HEIGHT CHART