Fly the flag with MINI

The new MINI Cooper S joins the MINI squad on Saturday 8 June, as the first of
over 4,000 pre-ordered cars leave the UK's 148 MINI dealerships. The star of
the new MINI team comes with increased power and performance, a beefed up look
and extra equipment, complemented by a great line-up of factory-fit options and
aftermarket accessories. Two such accessories are proving a great hit for
supporters of Queen and country - Union Jack and St George's Cross roof flag
decals.

MINI Cooper S costs £14,500 on the road. Adding a flag to the roof in support
of the Golden Jubilee, England's World Cup bid or even Great Britain's upcoming
Commonwealth Games efforts takes the cost up a further £95 (plus fitting) and
MINI dealers have been reporting increased interest in the flags leading up to
the big kick-off this weekend. A number of aftermarket specialists are also
offering flags from other countries and any enthusiast who owns 32 MINIs could
line up all the teams in the World Cup.

Trevor Houghton-Berry, General Manager for MINI and Chelsea fan said: "The
build up to the MINI Cooper S launch has been sensational and orders have been
flooding in since the Birmingham Motor Show in October 2000. Coincidentally,
the launch date falls the day after England plays Argentina and we're hoping
that a proliferation of England flags on MINI roofs sends a bit of good luck
over to the boys in Japan. I'm hoping that Sven's lads can mirror the MINI
Cooper S and guarantee a great performance!"

MINI Cooper S arrives just 11 months and 26,000 sales after MINI One and Cooper
hit the streets. State-of-the-art supercharger and intercooler technology
pushes the standard 1.6-litre MINI engine to an impressive 163bhp, breaking the
rarely attained 100bhp/litre mark. Stiffer suspension, uprated brakes and a new
six-speed gearbox complement the increase in power, guaranteeing an
exhilarating driving experience.

MINI Cooper S is easily recognisable by the air intake on the bonnet which
channels cool air over the supercharger. Other exterior features include 16"
alloy wheels with run flat tyres, rear roof spoiler, chrome-plated fuel cap and
centrally mounted twin exhaust pipes. Inside, the Cooper S has sports seats,
leather steering wheel and a chrome/leather gearstick all as standard.

In addition to the much-loved Mini trait of personalisation that roof flag
decals offer, there is a wide selection of options available and the £100 five
year/50,000 mile MINI tlc service pack is also available on MINI Cooper S,
benefiting residual values and ensuring that owning the hottest supermini
around makes financial sense too.

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