First official pictures of 170 bhp MINI Cooper S Convertible and a minor MINI refresh for hatchback models.

MINI UK is delighted to announce pricing and specification details of its new
range topping MINI Cooper S Convertible. The MINI Cooper S Convertible will
make its UK debut at The Sunday Times Motor Show Live on 25th May. It will be
priced at £17,595 and will go on sale in the UK at the end of August. Just
like the MINI One Convertible and MINI Cooper Convertible, the MINI Cooper S
Convertible will be built at Plant Oxford in the UK.

The MINI Cooper S Convertible is powered by the flexible 1.6 litre,
four-cylinder engine used in the MINI One and the MINI Cooper. However, the
addition of supercharger and intercooler technology enables the MINI Cooper S
Convertible to produce 170bhp at 6,000rpm. Maximum torque of the MINI Cooper S
Convertible is 220Nm at 4000rpm. This means that the MINI Cooper S Convertible
has an additional 7bhp, and 10Nm more torque than the original MINI Cooper S.

The MINI Cooper S Convertible races from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and accelerates
from 50-75mph in fourth gear in 6.6 seconds. Top speed is 134mph and fuel
consumption is 32.1mpg.

The MINI Cooper S Convertible is fitted with a fully electric roof, Park
Distance Control and 16 inch 'X lite' alloy wheels as standard. An exclusive
17 inch, five star bullet alloy wheel is available exclusively for the MINI
Convertible range. Just like the MINI One Convertible and MINI Cooper
Convertible, the MINI Cooper S Convertible will be launched with a choice of
ten exterior paint colours including Cool Blue, Hot Orange and two exclusive
MINI Cooper S colours - Hyper Blue and Dark Silver.

A minor refresh for MINI One, MINI One D, MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S.

From July 2004, the MINI hatchback range will receive an enhanced interior and
exterior look. In addition, modifications to the transmission will increase
engine flexibility in the mid range. Trevor Houghton-Berry, general manager
MINI UK said: "Clearly we did not want to change a winning formula - customers
love the friendly face and retro interior of the MINI. This model update is
merely a few subtle tweaks to make the MINI even more desirable than it already
is."

New transmission
A new five-speed 'Getrag' gearbox with modified gear ratios will feature in all
MINI One and MINI Cooper models. The modification results in improved
acceleration for both models. The MINI One now accelerates in fourth gear from
50-75mph in 11.9 seconds (previously 12.8 seconds).

Torque on the MINI Cooper has been increased from 149Nm at 4,500rpm to 150Nm at
4,500rpm. This minor improvement helps the MINI Cooper knock 0.1 of a second
off its 0-62mph acceleration sprint to record a time of 9.1 seconds (previously
9.2 seconds). Acceleration in fifth gear from 50-75mph takes 13.5 seconds, an
improvement of one second.

MINI One and MINI Cooper engine power remain the same at 90bhp and 115bhp
respectively but the Cooper S posts a 7bhp increase in performance taking its
maximum output to 170bhp at 6,000rpm. Top speed is increased by 3mph to 138mph
and the all-important 0-62mph is achieved in just 7.2 seconds, a reduction of
0.2 seconds. Also, torque has been increased by ten Newton metres, peaking at
220Nm at 4,000rpm.

The exterior
All MINI models receive new clear glass headlights that provide brighter
illumination. The optional xenon headlights have also been modified to include
an additional ring of light spots for increased visibility.

The MINI One and MINI Cooper also get a re-designed front and rear bumper. At
the front, the bumper has been lowered, while at the rear, the rubbing strip
has been split with the fog light re-positioned neatly between the two halves
(previously the rubbing strip was a single unit with the fog light above).
Reversing lights are now integrated into the newly designed rear light
clusters.

Two new metallic exterior paint colours will be introduced from July - Astro
Black (replaces Cosmos Black) and Black-Eyed Purple (replaces Indi Blue).
Another new metallic colour, Hyper Blue, will be reserved for Cooper S
models. Electric Blue will be extended as a colour option on all models with
the exception of the MINI Convertible range. This means that there is a choice
of ten exterior colours for every MINI in the range.

The interior
All MINIs will receive the following ergonomic improvements:

· New storage area
· New 'coin tray' area under the handbrake
· Larger rear cup holder
· Door armrest with improved ergonomic grip
· More spacious door bin for improved storage
· Additional side mounted sun visor for driver
· Improved side support from seat bench side bolsters
· Addition of passenger grab handle above window
· Larger rear view mirror
· Clock repositioned from headlining to central instrument panel
· Improved interior ambient lighting
· ISOFIX and CD preparation as standard
· Rev counter (previously not standard on MINI One)

Upholstery choices have been expanded to offer 14 different cloth, cloth/
leather and full leather designs. Cloth Dragon replaces Cloth AQUA as the
standard upholstery for MINI One and MINI One D, and Cloth Octagon replaces
Cloth KALEIDO as standard on MINI Cooper models.

A new 'body coloured' trim has increased MINI Cooper S interior trim choices to
five. Colours available are Chili Red, Liquid Yellow, Electric Blue and Hyper
Blue. Alternatively customers can choose from silver, anthracite, alloy
patina, and wood.

Prices have been moderately increased by an average of 2.5 per cent across the
range to reflect the new additional specification. The price increase is
effective on all cars produced from 1st July 2004. Adjusted MINI prices are
as follows:

MINI One £10,780.00
MINI One D £11,695.00
MINI Cooper £12,100.00
MINI Cooper S £15,180.00
(Prices shown are on the road prices)

The refreshed MINI model range will make its UK debut at Motor Show Live on
25th May - 6th June at the Birmingham NEC.

Ends