News > Motoring Forward: A Closer Look
at the Next-Generation MINI Cooper
The R56 is still a couple of years away – and cloaked in secrecy –
but recent spy information is giving us a pretty clear picture of what the next
generation MINI Cooper is going to look like inside, outside and under the hood.
Before we continue, we must take a moment to feel for poor old Bavarian Motor
Works. They acquire the car that, for a complex mixture of reasons, has been
one of the world’s most popular designs and now, a scant four or five
years later, they are changing it. There will always be those people who will
hate them for it – not matter how minor the change – and there will
always be those who don’t think they’ve enhanced it enough. Be that
as it may, read on and arrive at your own conclusion.
The Powertrain
Certainly, BMW will be supplying the engine. It’s a four-banger they
worked with Citroen/Peugeot on (for logistic support) and it will pump out 115
bhp. A new turbocharged (yes!) engine for the MINI Cooper S is slated for 170bhp
and features a twin-scroll exhaust turbocharger that will virtually eliminate
turbo lag.
What’s particularly nice about both of these engines is the level of
maintenance they require. Oil changes will be approximately 20,000 miles, depending
upon your driving style. The spark plugs and air filter only need changing about
every 40,000 miles. The timing chain driving the camshafts is not only very
precise and reliable, but is also completely maintenance-free for the life of
the engine. And something called “automatic hydraulic valve play compensation”
is supposed to eliminate the need for service or maintenance on the valve drive.
Both engines will feature the 6-speeder, and there is a strong possibility
that the near future of the next generation MINI Cooper will feature the Getrag all-wheel-drive
version that the powertrain company created and demonstrated on a current MINI
version for the automotive media.
The Exterior
Don’t panic, but the MINI will sport an updated face, a necessary modification
due to the new 2005 EU pedestrian crash regulations and the new engines that
will be fitted behind it.
The front will become slightly more upright and the lights will be moved a
bit to the outside and, as a cost-cutting measure, will include the running
lights and fog lights within the headlamp assembly. The bumper will be more
rounded and noticeably larger. The wipers will move down and the black air vents
will become a single vent that stretches across the width of the vehicle. The
hood itself will keep the clamshell design, but the lights will no longer be
integrated into the hood but rather mounted underneath. The side vents and side
marker lights will stay where they are currently but will grow substantially
in size.
In the back, the lights will be wider, shorter and feature a large round starburst
red light with a yellow turn indicator inside it. The third brake light will
move from the roof to just inside the top of the rear window to provide more
room for the new rear spoiler, which is longer and taller.
The Interior
While nothing appears definite yet, it is rumored that the interior is being
thoroughly re-thought, maintaining the same basic design (the tachometer isn’t
moving or shrinking!) but using better, less plastic-y materials and improved
ergonomics. The center stack, for instance, will be narrower and more tapered
to provide more legroom, the toggle switches will grow in size to accommodate
big American fingers, and the cupholders will also change so they can handle
more than the standard-sized cola can.
It is also likely that we will begin to see some BMW design begin to creep
in, such as the ignition system that uses a pushbutton system and a key fob
rather than the traditional key, an iDrive (with the optional navigation system),
more intuitive seat controls and a better Bluetooth wireless communication system
installed at the factory.
In back, legroom is reported to be much improved and behind the seats we should
look forward to better storage, with a shallow area under the floor (as in the
current 3-Series Beemer wagon) and an umbrella holder integrated into the gate.
The Verdict
While the jury is still out on these changes, two things are important to remember.
First, all of these modifications are still being tinkered with and nothing,
as they say, is written in stone. Second, when the new MINI design first came
out, there was plenty of uproar from the traditionally minded faithful, yet
the car went on to win the hearts and minds of the world undeterred.
All – or at least, most – of these changes seem good to us, but
even if you don’t like them there is still an up-side. You can hang on
to your existing MINI and expect that its pre-mod style and features will bring
an enthusiast’s price down the road.
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