An English car in Paris: MINI - better, faster, more open.

Munich. Paris - city of fashion and love. It goes without saying that
heart-breakers, especially those consistently smart, good-looking charmers, are
always bound to cause a stir there. Whether rushing through narrow streets to
the next appointment, standing sophisticatedly in front of the opera house in
the evening or on a trip to the channel coast at the weekend, MINI has won the
hearts of people not only in 70 other countries, but also in Paris and the
whole of France. La Grande Nation is now the fifth largest market for the
English mini car from Oxford.
The MINI will turn up at the Mondial de l'Automobile held in the fashion city
of Paris sporting fashionable colours and an even better design. The MINI
Cooper S will boast an enhanced power output and John Cooper Works, the bespoke
tailor of particularly sporty MINI models, will be displaying an extended
collection of awesome tuning kits, add-on components and accessories.
MINI Cooper S: More powerful than ever.
Within the framework of the comprehensive MINI model update, the top-end
version MINI Cooper S will receive a modest increase in power output. Even
before, it was not exactly slow, but now it delivers an impressive 125 kW/170
bhp at 6,000 rpm
(+ 5kW/ 7 bhp), torque having been boosted by 10 Nm to 220 Nm at 4,000 rpm.
These figures show clearly that the MINI Cooper S is undoubtedly the
thoroughbred sports car amongst its kind. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 7.2
seconds and a top speed of 222 km/h can be considered a benchmark. The two new
metallic finishes "Hyper Blue" and "Dark Silver" are exclusive to the MINI
Cooper S, bringing the total number of body colours available for this
powerful-looking little car from England to twelve. For the interior there is
choice of fabric, fabric/leather combinations or a full leather design.
Voilà: MINI Cooper S Convertible.
Having already shown the MINI One Convertible and the MINI Cooper Convertible
in Paris, the MINI Cooper S Convertible is now being shown there publicly for
the first time at a large motor show. Like its hardtop counterpart, the
four-seater convertible delivers 125 kW/170 bhp. The 100 km/h mark is reached
in a mere 7.4 seconds, acceleration from 80 to 120 km/m taking just 6.6 seconds
in fourth gear. Top speed is 215 km/h, the average fuel consumption 8.8 l/100
km.
The fantastic open-air experience in the MINI Cooper S Convertible is
complemented by a fantastic range of standard equipment which includes central
locking with comfort opening, electrically operated exterior mirrors and window
lifts, Park Distance Control, 16-inch light alloy wheels with 195/55R16 runflat
tyres and runflat indicator. With the MINI-exclusive Easy Load System, the MINI
Cooper S Convertible is able to accommodate larger items of luggage. Simply by
folding down the rear lid and raising the back end of the roof, easy access to
up to 605 litres of storage space is gained (when rear seat backs are folded
down). When all four seats are occupied, the capacity of the luggage
compartment is 165 litres, which increases to 120 litres when the roof is down
(the rear seat backs can be locked for safety purposes).
MINI half closed or half open?
Uniquely extravagant: MINI Convertible with sliding roof.
The MINI Convertible's roof is available not only in black, blue, green and
with a glass rear window. The MINI Convertible is also the only automobile
worldwide to feature a sliding roof in addition to an open top. At the push of
a button, the sliding roof moves back up to 40 cm on the entire width of the
vehicle and at a speed of up to 120 km/h. Sun worshippers are really going to
love travelling in an open-top MINI.
Likewise, the roof of the MINI Cooper S Convertible opens fully automatically.
In just 15 seconds, faster than any stop at the traffic lights, the MINI
Convertible is transformed into an open-top, allowing the sun to shine directly
into its passengers' hearts so to speak.
Needless to say, the MINI Cooper S also provides the highest standards in terms
of safety. The stiff body forms the basis, followed by two front and two
seat-integrated head-thorax side airbags, two chrome-plated roll bars with
integrated headrests at the rear, disc brakes all round, ABS and electronic
driving assistants such as Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Cornering
Brake Control (CBC),
ASC+T and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). And they all come as standard.
MINI Update 2005: Better looking and more practical across the board.
500.000 satisfied customers in over 70 countries worldwide - but MINI still had
to put in a great deal of effort to keep this love relationship alive. A close
look at the attractive front and rear ends and it becomes evident - headlights
behind clear glass and rear light clusters in LED look, this is MINI 2005.
Featuring a modified 5-speed gearbox, the MINI One and MINI Cooper will move
faster, both models also being significantly more agile, particularly within
the crucial range between 80 and 120 km/h.
All MINI models now feature even more space in the centre console and door
panels in which to store everyday essentials such as CDs, perfume and
sunglasses. There is now a larger interior rearview mirror for taking a
critical look at oneself the morning after: And, as the MINI simply adores
going round bends, the front seats now offer even better side-support. An
additional sun visor on the driver's side, an extensive lights package and
revised key programming for the automatic climate control complete the 2005
update of the entire MINI model range.
If desired, the new Chrome Line interior package will put a shine on the inside
of the MINI, and the Cockpit Chrono Pack features three additional round
instruments emphasizing a rather more sporty ambience. The optional Xenon light
is now surrounded by a ring comprising eight light points. Front and rear
cameras may not make city parking spaces bigger, but at least nobody will be
afraid of getting into smaller ones. The accompanying music - for MINI
passengers and the neighbours - is supplied by the new Digital Power Sound
Module.
John Cooper Works (JCW) Tuning: super MINI with go-fast modifications.
If a MINI Cooper S should leave anything to be desired, John Cooper Works has
the solutions. JCW Tuning Kits, add-on components and accessories are available
for all MINI models (including the convertible) from all MINI partners. In
Paris, JCW will be showing the new tuning kit for the MINI Cooper S for the
first time: Supercharger with higher engine speed and supercharger compression
levels, modified cylinder head, newly designed air filter housing with
secondary air valve, injection valves with higher throughput, modified engine
control unit, special exhaust system and final silencer. This all results in
154 kW/210 bhp and 245 Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 6,6
seconds, fuel consumption is around 8,6 l/100 km. Top speed is 230 km/h. That
may mean a rough time for the tarmac, but a lot of driving fun for the driver
in any situation and wherever he may be, and that's a promise.
The new JCW Tuning kit for MINI Cooper S will be available from end of
September 2004 on. It's price in Germany will be around 4.400 € (incl. tax).
JCW tuning is carried out by specialists, everything is refined and
hand-picked, which is the only way to ensure that the works warranty for a
JCW-upgraded
MINI retains its full validity. Like the MINI, John Cooper is a legend. In 1959
and 1960, the racing stable belonging to John Cooper sr. won the Formula 1
Constructors World Championship, Jack Brabham (also a legend) becoming world
champion as his racing driver. Following that, John Cooper transformed the
classic Mini into a go-fast version, with Mike Cooper jr. now teaching the MINI
to fly. This is achieved with the help of the JCW sport suspension (inter alia
lowered by 10 mm and featuring bright red coil springs) to which the dome strut
in the engine compartment can be added, 18-inch JCW light alloy wheels, JCW
sport seats and further JCW components such as air intake and interior carbon
fibre trims.
A JCW sound kit for the MINI Cooper (air filter, adapted engine control unit
facilitating a 2 kW/3 bhp increase in power output) will be available this
year. Moreover, at the end of the year, Mike Cooper will be offering a JCW
sport brake system featuring larger, more effective brake discs on the front
axle with clearly visible, red lacquered brake callipers. These ensure that the
MINI retains its stability even under higher thermal strain or when it is being
driven to its limits.
The individual JCW add-on components complement each other and the MINI
perfectly, providing a well-harmonized overall package.