GENEALOGY
The Austin Motor Company wasn't bashful when it called the original 1959 Mini "an entirely new concept in motoring." Engineering genius Sir Alec Issigonis crammed seats for four, luggage space, and a four-cylinder engine into a ten-foot-long box to create Britain's Beetle and a cultural icon. Formula 1 constructor John Cooper waved his wand over the car in 1961, bestowing the Mini Cooper with front disc brakes, an improved suspension, and a 1.0-liter engine producing 55 hp (up from 37 hp). More than 5 million originals, roughly 10,000 of which were initially imported to the United States, including those badged Morris Mini-Minor, were sold in forty-one years.
In 1995, BMW and Mini parent Rover began collaborating on what became the new Mini. BMW carried on after the liaison failed, introducing a hit revival in 2001 that combined the look and spirit of the original with extensive chassis and powertrain upgrades. The U.S. Mini Cooper arrived in 2002 powered by normally aspirated and supercharged 1.6-liter engines mated to manual and CVT automatic transmissions.
The second-generation Mini Cooper came for model year 2007 with a face-lifted appearance disguising a modest 2.3-inch increase in length. The clunky iron-block SOHC four-cylinder was replaced by a DOHC aluminum-block design with direct fuel injection.
Displacement remained at 1.6 liters, but base power climbed from 115 hp to 118 hp. In the Cooper S, a twin-scroll turbo replaced the previous supercharger, boosting output to 172 hp.
Variations on the new Mini theme include a convertible introduced in 2005 and the stretched-wheelbase Clubman wagon that arrived this year. ...next page >>