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BMW Mini Cooper Promo Video
In Portugal and Greece, the MINI One is powered by a 1.4 litre version of the Tritec engine but all other petrol powered MINIs use the 1.6 litre version.Since 2004, a soft-top convertible option has been available across the entire range.
There are numerous styling and badging differences between the models, perhaps the most obvious being that the Cooper S has a distinctive scoop cut into the bonnet. The Cooper S also has twin exhausts which exit under the center of the rear valance. The (non-S) Cooper has more chrome parts than the MINI One and has a single exhaust. The MINI One D has no visible exhaust pipes at all.[8]
In some markets, such as Australia and the US, only the MINI Cooper and Cooper S are sold because the MINI One's engine was considered to deliver insufficient power to run an air conditioner — a necessary feature in those climates. Almost fifty percent of all MINIs sold in Australia and about seventy percent of those sold in the US are the top-of-the-range Cooper S model.
The names Cooper and Cooper S echo the names used for the sportier version of the classic Mini which in turn come from the involvement of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Company. The Cooper heritage is further emphasised with the John Cooper Works (JCW) range of tuning options that are available with the MINI. John Cooper also created a one-off racing model of the MINI One named the MINI One S Works. This car features many extras which help to improve performance, such as a racing exhaust and air filter as well as uprated suspension. The car also has one-of-a-kind 17-inch racing wheels.
The "Mk I" MINI One, Cooper and Cooper S used a Brazilian-built Chrysler-designed Tritec engine, while the MINI One D used a Toyota-built diesel engine. In August 2006, BMW announced that engines would in future be built in the UK, making the car essentially British-built again, with final assembly at Cowley and the body pressings being made in nearby Swindon at BMW's Swindon Pressings Ltd subsidiary.
While the modern MINI uses none of the engineering of the original Mini, it does capture much of the spirit of the classic car. Like the original, it uses a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. All four wheels are pushed to the corners of the body which is a 'two-box' or 'hot hatch' design. The styling of the car, like that of the Volkswagen New Beetle, is a retro design that is deliberately reminiscent of the original Mini with contrasting roof colours, optional bonnet stripes, optional rally lights and with black trim around the wheel arches and rocker panels that mimic the wide wheel flares found on many classic Minis.
The MINI One and MINI Cooper were available with a continuously variable transmission or with a conventional Midlands five-speed manual transmission (model year 2001-2004), later replaced with a GETRAG five-speed unit for 2005 onwards. The Cooper S comes with a six-speed GETRAG manual or (from the 2005 model year onwards) a fully automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
As standard, the MINI had a 'drive by wire' electronic throttle, electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control and electronic stability control (standard or optional, depending on model and region) to improve control and handling in adverse conditions.
Adding a supercharger to the 1st generation Cooper S model required that the battery be relocated into the rear of the car - leaving no room for a spare tyre. Hence this model comes with run flat tyres as standard.
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