How do you replace a car that’s been on sale for four decades? That was the headache facing Rover, especially when BMW took the helm in 1994. Concepts debuting in 1997 kept Classic Mini fans guessing, but as it turns out, these were all designs rejected before the final Frank Stephenson-styled model. That model, or the R50 MINI as we now know it, finally made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of that same year. However, with Rover’s sale to the Phoenix consortium, BMW keeping the MINI brand and production moving from Longbridge in Birmingham, to Cowley in Oxford, it took a further four years for the New MINI to be revealed in production form.
Buyers continue to be attracted by the New MINI’s mixture of cheeky but sympathetic styling, quality build, impressive safety features, low running costs and whether you choose the One or Cooper, both are great fun to drive.
A BRIEF HISTORY
On July 7, 2001, MINI dealers opened for business within BMW retailers across the UK, with One and Cooper models availableof 112mph. The Cooper is powered by a retuned version of the same engine delivering 115hp at 6000rpm, along with 110lb ft at 4500 rpm, and that resulted in a 0-62 time of 9.3 seconds and a top speed of 125mph. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with Steptronic automatic an option.
