Extreme driving fun on any terrain: The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman

Munich. The MINI family is constantly expanding, and new additions have also been made to the range of John Cooper Works models available to customers. For the first time, race-bred thrills can be experienced in combination with the transfer of engine power through all four wheels. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, fitted as standard with the all-wheel-drive system ALL4 and powered by a newly developed four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 218 hp, assures the driver of extreme driving fun on any terrain.

This is also the first John Cooper Works model available for order with a six-speed automatic gearbox as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual.

Powertrain and chassis technology developed on the back of vast motor sport expertise, and the concept underpinning the first MINI with five doors and four/five seats, merge to establish the customary handling characteristics and appearance of John Cooper Works models in another new segment.

The global introduction of the MINI John Cooper Works will get under way in autumn 2012.

It soon becomes clear that the brand’s first five-seater shares the racing genes which define the character of every MINI – and John Cooper Works polishes these inherent talents to dazzling effect. The new engine brings another hike in output, transferred onto the road with impressive élan by ALL4 all-wheel drive. And the John Cooper Works suspension ensures every change in direction is imbued with addictive agility. The

MINI John Cooper Works sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in a paltry 7.0 seconds, while average fuel consumption of 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the EU test cycle represents an outstanding return when you consider the performance on offer (performance and fuel consumption figures are provisional).

The distinctive style of the sixth John Cooper Works model in the MINI line-up is also expressed through the car’s design, including the exclusive selection of paint finishes, light-alloy wheels and interior materials available for order. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is equipped as standard with an aerodynamic kit, 18-inch light-alloy wheels, a sports exhaust system with chrome tailpipes and door sills bearing the John Cooper Works logo. The colour shade Chili Red can be specified as a contrasting paint finish for the roof and exterior mirrors. And Chili Red flourishes for the interior, such as in the exclusive design of the sports seats, also add a distinctive flavour to the sports car ambience carried over from the other John Cooper Works models.

The most powerful member of a new generation: the engine in the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman.

The motor sport roots of John Cooper Works are reflected in a constant thirst for new performance benchmarks. This ambition has inspired even more power from the new four-cylinder engine in the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, as well as ensuring further gains in efficiency. The latest generation of the twin-scroll turbocharged engines benefits from both petrol direct injection and a variable valve control system based on the BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology. This throttle-free load control development significantly improves both the engine’s responsiveness and its efficiency. Reinforced pistons and intake valves, and further optimisation of the cooling, air supply and exhaust gas discharge system, enable additional increases in output and torque. Added to which, the

1.6-litre engine’s turbocharger is given a particularly large intercooler.

The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman’s engine reaches its maximum output of 218 hp at 6,100 rpm and generates peak torque of 280 Newton metres between 2,000 and 5,600 rpm. The Overboost function briefly pushes this figure up to 300 Newton metres between 2,100 and 5,200 rpm. The sports exhaust system – its slanting tailpipe embellishers providing an extra dose of the hallmark John Cooper Works design – gives this outstanding power delivery the soundtrack it deserves.

All-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox both offered for a John Cooper Works model for the first time.

The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is the first model to send the extreme output from its motor sport-inspired engine through all four wheels. The new car’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system uses an electromagnetic centre differential to distribute drive seamlessly between the front and rear axles. This ensures the engine’s power always finds its way to where it can be converted most effectively into forward motion. In normal driving situations ALL4 diverts 50 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels, rising to as much as 100 per cent under extreme circumstances. This provides a traction-led expression of the handling talents for which MINI is famed, ensuring maximum directional stability and dynamic performance whatever the weather and road conditions. Together, the engine’s imposing power and the technology employed to harness it lay on a full-blooded brand of driving fun.

The market launch of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is complemented by another powertrain premiere, with the introduction of an optional six-speed automatic gearbox for John Cooper Works customers as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual. Detailed tweaks have been made to both the gearboxes themselves and the clutch for the manual variant to take into account the extra engine power and ensure outstanding performance combined with optimised efficiency. Both the manual and automatic versions of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 225 km/h for the manual and 223 km/h for the automatic. An extensive array of MINIMALISM technology – including Brake Energy Regeneration, and the Shift Point Display and Auto Start/Stop function for models with the manual gearbox – allows the engine to work extremely effectively and with impressive efficiency, especially when you consider the power it develops. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman posts average fuel consumption of 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres (automatic: 8.0 litres) in the EU test cycle and CO2 emissions of 167 (187) grams per kilometre. (Note: All performance, fuel consumption and emissions figures are provisional.)

Sporting flair, John Cooper Works style: chassis, aerodynamics, design and interior.

Chassis technology including a front axle with MacPherson struts, central-arm rear axle, Electric Power Steering and a model-specific, exceptionally high performance braking system is also in keeping with the sporty character of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. The standard sports suspension includes particularly stiff spring and damper settings, strengthened anti-roll bars and a 10-millimetre drop in ride height. The standard-fitted DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) includes DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) mode.

Pressing the likewise standard Sport Button, meanwhile, tweaks the engine’s responses and the character of its soundtrack, and adjusts the power assistance provided by the steering. 18-inch Twin Spoke light-alloy wheels with polished spoke fronts and black rim wells are fitted as standard. 19-inch light-alloy wheels – also designed exclusively for the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman – can be ordered as an option.

The muscular front and rear aprons and bespoke side skirts of the standard specification aerodynamic kit ensure visual impact and optimised airflow. Customers can choose from seven colours for the exterior paintwork. A contrasting paint finish can be specified for the roof and exterior mirror caps – in the Chili Red shade exclusive to John Cooper Works models, as well as Light White and Jet Black. Also available as an option are Sport Stripes in the same colours. The John Cooper Works logo on the radiator grille, tailgate and door sill strips and near the side indicators highlight the car’s identity even more clearly.

The interior of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman also comes with additional sporting touches as standard. Sports seats in Diagonal Track Carbon Black cloth trim with red contrast stitching have been designed specially for the new model, while options such as the similarly exclusive sports seats with Lounge Leather trim in Carbon Black Championship Red can also be ordered. The trim strips around the cockpit, door panels and centre console come in Piano Black as standard. The optional Chili Red trim elements, meanwhile, are exclusive to the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and include red flourishes for the cockpit and doors, and red stripes for the black trim elements on the centre console. Added to which, the sports steering wheel with red contrast stitching and John Cooper Works logo, the dark speedometer and rev counter dials, anthracite-coloured roof liner, gearshift lever with red shift pattern lettering, red contrast stitching for the gearshift lever gaiter and floor mats with red stitching add further depth to the sports car ambience.

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About BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

During the financial year 2010, the BMW Group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees.

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