Hrmm... At my dealer I have seen someone pay, and I kid you not, 46K for a JCW Mini S with every option. Yes....46k. 4-6. $46,000.00. I didn't believe it myself at first either.

So with the next gen R56 having Peugeot power...you never know!! AWD turbo mini. Sounds hot. Too bad it will be too expensive.

 

...to its senses, perhaps? I'd rather see this than a large SUV.

 

My friend sells Mini Coopers and she said they had a guy buy a EDM Mini for $75k. That was during the Mini craze, but hell he could have spent the money on a faster car, say an M3.

 

VW says they plan to continue selling the current Beetle in its current shape/design ......................... indefinitely. Until the market says, no.

 

That huge bump in the hood of this Mini 2 mule provides space for turbocharger testing.

When BMW reintroduced the Mini to the United States in 2002, it got just about everything right—except, maybe, the engines.

The German producer of the quintessential Brit driving machine will fix that when the next-generation Mini debuts in early 2007 with a new range of all-aluminum, twin-cam engines that BMW will build in partnership with French carmaker Peugeot. The new powerplants include two turbocharged units that will replace the normally aspirated and supercharged four-cylinder 1.6-liter engines in the current Cooper and Cooper S.



The new Mini, dubbed Mini 2 by some, will stick with the same four-cylinder 1.6-liter capacity, but the BMW design will be a higher-tech mill than today’s iron-block Tritec engine, which was designed in double-quick time by Chrysler.

The engine will come in four power outputs: 75 hp, 115 hp, 143 hp and 170 hp. The 75 and 115 outputs are normally aspirated, while the 143 and 170 outputs are turbocharged and intercooled. Fortunately, the Mini won’t get the 75-hp unit; that is reserved for Peugeot.



The two turbo units mark a major change for the two best-loved Mini models, the Cooper and Cooper S. The Cooper will get a major power hike to 143 hp from today’s 115-hp engine. While the power output of the S stays at 170 hp, the turbo*charged engine promises a big improvement in driveability and power delivery over the current supercharged setup.

Mini may pull one more trick as well. AutoWeek sources say BMW is considering sticking with a low-power Cooper model with the 115-hp non-turbo engine, which would provide two Cooper engine options, and one Cooper S engine.

All engines get variable valve timing and other controls inspired by BMW’s six-cylinder engines, with the turbo units featuring common-rail direct-injection fuel delivery and twin-scroll turbos.

Otherwise, the new Mini sees few engineering changes under its revised sheetmetal. The new body will clothe a carryover platform in which key dimensions increase by a few millimeters only, while the go-kart handling will remain a key feature of the replacement.

Most importantly, the three-door hatchback body will still be the mainstay of the range and the styling will retain today’s fun-to-drive character. Rumors of a switch to twin headlights have been rudely squashed by insiders.


A rendering of what the Mini 2 could look like.

Test mules photographed while running the new engines reveal a new grille shape closer in style to the 1959 original Mini and much more upright than today’s car, a feature necessary to comply with new European Union pedestrian impact regulations. Below the grille, the air dam features an open lower intake to improve airflow through the intercooler.

Inside, the new Mini will get styling themes similar to today’s car, like the central speedometer, but executed in higher quality materials.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101477

 

pic of the turbo engine

 

The original Mini came in an estate version, and I thought there was talk that that might be a possibility.

 

Once you get past the new turbocharged engines for BMW’s next-generation Mini due for 2007, the biggest news is the stretched wheelbase as revealed in these recent spy shots.

While the core body style will remain a three-door hatchback (with a two-seat speedster rumored), BMW is working on a longer-wheelbase version that will open the door for a wider range of Minis, including a five-door with more rear legroom and added cargo area. Could a three-door version of this herald the return of the Clubman? We can only hope.

The stretched Mini features a more upright rear hatchback, along with a pair of rear-hinged doors for easier access to the rear seats. The five-door will likely feature a Rolls-Royce electronic locking system that will allow the rear doors to open independently of the front ones—a major convenience improvement over most suicide-door systems.

The interior is new, and features a dashboard design with a centrally mounted speedometer but a much narrower fascia bounded by circular air vents. The dash will be available in wood trim as well as body color.

A new front end features bug-eyed headlights, and while the overall feel of the face is familiar, details change. The nose is a more upright design to satisfy new European pedestrian-protection laws, while the grille is moved above the bumper line, making for a cleaner license plate mount and allowing space below for an enlarged lower air intake.

This is needed because the Cooper and Cooper S models will feature new 1.6-liter turbo fours requiring an intercooler located fairly low in the front fascia of the new Mini. BMW is considering two turbo versions, making 143 hp in the Cooper and 170 hp in the S, and a base non-turbo Cooper model producing 115 hp.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102232

 

Better than wasting 30 grand on an esuvee.

 

Some pics of the interior. There appear to be two distinct themes.



http://www.wheels24.co.za/Wheels24/G...-19353,00.html