2009 MINI PRESS KIT: THE 2009 MINI HARDTOPS - STILL A CLASS OF ONE

Contents: Overview - The MINI Experience Continues 2 Exterior Design - A Most Distinctive Look 8 Interior Design - More Space, More Style 12 Power Units - High-Tech for Even Greater Driving Performance 16 Manual and Automatic Transmissions - Precise, Spontaneous 21 Chassis and Suspension - Go-Kart Handling 22 Safety - Six Airbags Featured, Standard 25 Features and Equipment - Premium in the Compact Class 26 Accessories - Unique Features for the Individualist 29 Production - Tradition and Quality, Made in England 31 MINI in The United States 35

The MINI Experience Continues:

Go-kart-driving fun, an interior that provides the maximum amount of car in the
minimum amount of space and a myriad of personalization possibilities keep the
2009 MINI Cooper and Cooper S on top of the small-car premium segment as sales
continue to grow, bettering the previous year's.

The body of the latest generation MINI - introduced in 2007 - boasts
evolutionary development from the iconic 1959 Classic Mini, while the interior,
including styling cues are evocative of the original and contain the latest
technological advances found today. And powering either the 2009 MINI Cooper
or MINI Cooper S are a pair of four-cylinder engines resembling the original
MINI's in cylinder number and placement, transversely over the front axle, but
far more efficient, cleaner and powerful.

Performance plays a major role in providing driving fun and the four-cylinder
engines of the MINI hardtops deliver. The turbocharged 1.6-liter version in the
Cooper S produces 172 horsepower, eclipsing the magical "100-hp-per-liter"
measure revered by enthusiasts. This translates into 0-to-60 mph acceleration
in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 139 mph. The naturally-aspirated engine in
the Cooper, also 1.6 liters, features variable valve control and accelerates
this agile two-door athlete to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, with top speed of 126
mph.

Despite their much higher level of dynamic performance and sporting character,
both MINIs return superior fuel economy, with the MINI Cooper S having a
preliminary 2009 EPA fuel economy estimate of 26 City/34 Highway mpg for a
combined preliminary EPA estimate of 29 mpg. The MINI Cooper is even more
efficient with preliminary EPA 2009 estimates of 28/37 City/Highway for a
combined rating of 32 mpg.

Both engine variants are fitted transversely under the bonnet and power the
front wheels. Composite - instead of conventional cast - camshafts and
weight-optimized crankshafts are part of the lightweight concept of the
aluminum power units. Fuel consumption, in turn, is optimized by a volume
flow-controlled oil pump and an electronically-controlled water pump for the
coolant circuit - two technical features previously limited to larger and more
expensive model segments.

The MINI Cooper and the MINI Cooper S both come standard with a six-speed
manual transmission. Both models can be ordered with an optional six-speed
automatic transmission that features a sport mode and includes
steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

With its low center of gravity and wide stance that moves the wheels to the
extreme corners of the car, agile and nimble driving behavior is guaranteed as
is that go-kart feeling. The modified structure of the body shell as well as a
wide range of safety features, in turn, help to ensure the 2009 MINI meets or
exceeds all accident-protection requirements. In a recent NHTSA test, MINI
excelled in all aspects with four- and five-star ratings.

Compared with the MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S has a more sporting suspension
set-up, and as an option both models are available with sports suspension for
an even higher standard of driving pleasure.

The EPAS Electrical Power-Assisted Steering helps make the MINI even more
nimble and agile on the road, as speed-related assistance ensuring low steering
forces when parking and precise control at high speeds. And when the standard
Sport button is depressed, EPAS offers a sportier mode that specifically
increases steering forces for an even more direct driving experience.