Driving fun and individuality fuel the pace of growth: The latest MINI model range.
MINI has earned itself a worldwide reputation for the driving fun, compact dimensions and premium quality of its cars. The relaunch of the brand in 2001 saw these attributes brought together for the first time in the small car segment and, with the added appeal of an unmistakable design, low fuel consumption and impressive scope for customisation, the concept’s international success has since mushroomed. MINI quickly developed into a byword for style-conscious and experience-focused, yet also efficient, mobility.
The brand has enjoyed 10 years of success – and counting – in the US car market. Indeed, the legions of fans lapping up the celebrated MINI go-kart feeling and distinctive appearance continue to grow in number. And MINI has added fuel to the fire with a steady stream of new models; the MINI Paceman poised to go on sale in the USA in 2013 is the seventh member of the British brand’s model family.
The MINI Paceman is set to become the latest model to attract new target groups to the inimitable MINI style, lending further substance to the brand’s status as a one-off in the small and compact premium car segment. The increasing variety in its model range is also allowing MINI to strengthen its leading role in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Likewise expanding steadily is the line-up of John Cooper Works models, whose race-derived powertrain and chassis technology sets them apart from the crowd and which express their performance-focused character in the form of bespoke design features inside and out. The latest arrival among this accomplished elite is the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman, set to be unveiled to the public for the first time worldwide at the NAIAS 2013 in Detroit.
MINI Paceman: unique looks, unmistakable driving fun. With its two doors and large tailgate, the MINI Paceman brings an air of sporting elegance and individualism to the premium compact segment. The exterior design of the MINI Paceman projects a clear expression of this fresh new sportiness, individuality and versatility. Powerful proportions and dynamically stretched lines provide a window into the car’s agile driving characteristics. Inside, the passengers in the two individual rear seats also enjoy generous levels of space, outstanding lateral support and impressive comfort in a lounge-style ambience.
Driving fun and individuality fuel the pace of growth:
MINI Countryman optimises ease of use and offers a refined premium ambience. The successful launch of the MINI Countryman has also made a significant contribution to the brand’s growth in the US market in recent times. The first MINI with four doors, a large tailgate and optional all-wheel drive takes the brand’s hallmark driving fun into another new vehicle segment.
The launch of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman has coincided with the introduction of carefully judged modifications to the MINI Cooper Countryman and MINI Cooper S Countryman when it comes to ease of use and interior design.
Newly designed door inserts also help to enhance the car’s premium ambience, comfort levels and practicality. Remodelled door armrests provide an even more comfortable place to take the weight off your arms, and the controls for the electric windows are now also positioned in the door trim. A full control panel is integrated into the door armrest on the driver’s side. The switches clustered here include the controls for all the windows, the deactivation facility for the rear window controls and the adjustment for the exterior mirrors. Moving the window controls away from the centre console also optimises access to the enlarged storage compartment below it. Other eye-catching revisions around the centre console include newly designed surrounds ringing the Centre Speedo and four air vents.
These now all come in Carbon Black and with the addition of an inner ring in high-gloss black or – as part of the optional Chrome Line Interior – in chrome. Both in standard trim and with options specified, the fresh appeal of the colours and materials adds further lustre to the high-quality character of the MINI Countryman interior. The MINI Countryman now comes as standard with a three-seat rear bench, while a pair of individual seats are available as a no-cost alternative.
Go-kart feeling expressed in every possible way.
The focus on the needs of additional target groups first encountered with the MINI Countryman and continued purposefully with the development of the MINI Paceman injects the MINI model range with even greater variety. The driving fun, distinctive design, premium quality and individuality of these two models lift them – as with their MINI siblings – head and shoulders above their rivals. The MINI Hatch continues to embody, in the most classical fashion, the characteristics that define the British premium automaker’s cars.
Its distinctive MINI style is also authentically reproduced in the other vehicle concepts in the brand’s range – the MINI Clubman with its extended wheelbase and extremely versatile interior, the MINI Convertible, and the MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster two-seaters.
The MINI is available in three different engine variants in the US: the 121 hp MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S with 181 hp and the MINI John Cooper Works developing 208 hp. A six-speed automatic gearbox can be ordered as an option for each of the variants as an alternative to the six-speed manual, and these engine and gearbox combinations can also be specified for the MINI Clubman, MINI Convertible, MINI Coupé, MINI Roadster, MINI Countryman and MINI Paceman. The MINI Cooper S Countryman and MINI Cooper S Paceman are also available as an option with the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, while the power from the brawny turbocharged engine under the bonnet of the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman and MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is channelled to the road through all four wheels as standard.
The MINI John Cooper Works GP occupies a special place in the brand’s product range. A potent serving of motor sport technology makes this the fastest MINI ever to roll off the production line, its 211 hp turbocharged fourcylinder engine joining forces with a six-speed manual gearbox, adjustable coilover suspension, an ultra-powerful sports braking system, bespoke lightalloy wheels and sports tyres. The MINI John Cooper Works GP is designed as a two-seater, and a combination of its extra-low weight and optimised aerodynamic attributes helps to maximise performance; the sprint from rest to 60 mph is all over in 5.9 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 150 mph.
The extravagant sporting flagship of the MINI range will be produced in a limited run of 2,000 units, 500 of which have been set aside for MINI fans in the USA
