A MINI Cooper S has been spied with an unusual feature at the rear. The car was sporting what appeared to be a removable tow bar/ hitch and modified exhaust pipes. Normally the Cooper S's tailpipes are found plugged together at the centre just below the rear bumper. This is the first group of MINIs being tested with this new system in Germany.
At the moment the MINI is offered with an OEM tow hitch/ bar for the MINI One, the MINI One D and the MINI Cooper in Europe and the UK. The kit is manufactured by Westfalia in Germany. Its European towing capacity rating is 1,000 pounds (454kg) for trailers with no brakes and 1,400 pounds (635kg) for one with brakes. The US has a few aftermarket applications available but whether this particular OEM unit will be approved by the US's DoT or not remains to be seen.
MINI does sell a rear-mounted apparatus as an option in a number of other markets but that equipment is for carrying goods like bicycles, rubbish bins and so on.
This tow hitch could be timely in light of a recent story that showed an Airstream trailer design concept being pulled by a MINI Clubman S. It may also be fitted to the upcoming Cross Crossover.
Bristol411S3
April 23, 2009 3:30 PM
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