Press Release
Page 1: Short Version
Page 2: Exterior Design
Page 3: Interior Design
Page 4: Power Units
Page 5: Transmission/Chassis
Page 6: Safety
The latest generation of the MINI comes with brand-new power units of the highest calibre. Upon its introduction into the market in late 2006, the MINI will be available with two petrol engines ??????????????????????????????????????? a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated power unit developing 88 kW/120 hp in the MINI Cooper and a turbocharged engine displacing the same capacity but churning out an even more impressive 128 kW/175 hp in the MINI Cooper S.
The range of engines will then continue to grow only a bit later, with addi????????????????????tion????????????????????al petrol and turbodiesel engines further enhancing the range: These will be the ???????????????????????????????????basic???????????????????????????????? engine in the MINI One, a 1.4 litre power unit developing maxi????????????????????mum output of 70 kW/95 hp, and a sporting turbodiesel, both to be launched in the first half of 2007.
MINI Cooper: fully variable valve management instead of a throttle butterfly.
The 1.6-litre naturally aspirated power unit in the MINI Cooper develops maximum output of 88 kW/120 hp at 6,000 rpm. Engine torque reaches 140 Nm/103 lb-ft at just 2,000 rpm, peaking at 160 Nm or 118 lb-ft once the engine reaches 4,250 rpm. So thanks to the wide range of useful engine speed, this compact power unit combines superior driving pleasure with equally supe????????????????????rior fuel economy.
This ultra-modern four-cylinder features fully variable valve control based on the BMW Group??????????????????????????????????????s unique VALVETRONIC, innovative valve management ad????????????????????justing intake valve lift and opening times within fractions of a second to current power and performance requirements. The big advantage of this system is that it replaces the conventional throttle butterfly serving on ???????????????????????????????????nor????????????????????mal???????????????????????????????? engines to translate movement of the gas pedal into rising or falling engine speeds.
In addition to variable control of valve lift on the intake side, valve timing may also be changed in both the intake and outlet stroke, optimising the torque curve and the development of engine power in the process. The re????????????????????sult is not only powerful torque at low engine speeds, but also high power at high speeds.
Together, these two technologies reduce fuel consumption, depending on the route the driver is covering, by up to 20 per cent, with fuel consumption in the EU test cycle down by approximately 12.5 per cent.
MINI Cooper S: twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection.
Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine developing maximum output of 128 kW/175 hp, the new MINI Cooper S combines superior performance with moderate fuel consumption.
Maximum engine power comes at 5,500 rpm, with peak torque of 240 Nm/177 lb-ft being maintained consistently 1,600 and 5,000 rpm. When accelerating all-out, torque is raised to an even higher level of 260 Nm or 192 lb-ft by briefly increasing charge pressure (overboost).
Fuel is supplied to the four-cylinder by direct gasoline injection, with intake air being pre-compressed by a twin-scroll turbocharger complete with inter????????????????????cooler. With this new technology, the ducts of two cylinders at a time are separated from one another in the exhaust gas manifold and in the turbo????????????????????charger itself.
This particular configuration enhances turbocharger response and almost completely eliminates the usual ???????????????????????????????????turbo gap???????????????????????????????? when accelerating so typical in the past. Indeed, the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is very similar in its re????????????????????sponse and behaviour to a much larger normal-aspiration power unit.
This superiority in performance is also ensured by sophisticated and highly advanced valve management, the four valves per cylinder being operated by two overhead camshafts. The camshaft on the intake side comes with infinitely variable phase adjustment setting valve timing to current power re????????????????????quirements and optimising both engine output and torque on minimum fuel consumption and emissions. The outlet valves, in turn, are filled with sodium in order to set off the higher temperature loads typical of a turbocharged engine.
Innovative technologies also around the engine.
The power units featured in the new MINI boast a wide range of innovative solutions. The two-piece bedplate structure of the crankcase, for example,
is an advanced and sophisticated technology carried over from motorsport. The cylinder block and bearing housing are made of cast aluminium alloy, while the camshafts on both engines are composite structures and not the usual castings in order to reduce weight. Contrary to the conventional cast????????????????????ing process, the procedure in this case is to shrink-fit cam rings made of high strength stainless steel on to the camshaft as such.
The ancillary units backing up the newly developed engines of the MINI Coop????????????????????er and MINI Cooper S feature further significant innovations.
A par????????????????????ticular novelty in this segment is the volume flow-controlled oil pump driven by a chain and limited in its delivery volume as of a certain, predetermined pressure level. This reduces the power required for driving the pump and cuts back fuel consumption by approximately 1 per cent.
The on-demand water pump in the coolant circuit has a similar effect: It is only activated when the engine has reached its regular operating tempe????????????????????ra????????????????????ture.
This helps to save fuel in the warm-up phase, and the catalyst is able to reach the temperature required for optimum operation with an optimum effect at an earlier point.
The alternator and air conditioning compressor, in turn, are driven by one single poly-V-belt.
The water pump is driven by a friction wheel, again helping, together with the other improvements in the package, to place the power units in the new MINI among the most compact four cylinders in their class.
