Les cadres de chez MINI parlent de la MINI E

Sur le micro-site de Mini (est-ce que c’est redondant ?) MINISpace, les éditeurs ont posté une entrevue avec le Dr Wolfgang Armbrecht, Vice Président Senior du management de la marque MINI, et Ulrich Kranz, chef de projet pour la nouvelle voiture électrique de la compagnie. La MINI E sera officiellement dévoilée mercredi matin à Los Angeles, même si nous aurons le point de vue technique un jour plus tôt. Armbrecht et Kranz n’ont rien révélé que nous ne sachions déjà sur la deux places actionnées à pile, mais si vous n’avez pas porté attention, c’est un bon moyen de rattraper ce retard. La MINI E est essentiellement un test bêta pour les ingénieurs de BMW pour en savoir plus sur l’alimentation au lithium-ion en conditions réelles. Dans un mouvement relativement inhabituel, les gens dans les climats chauds de la côte ouest ne seront pas exclusifs. Les clients de New York/New Jersey seront en mesure d’essayer la MINI E dans le froid également. Nous serons intéressés de voir comment elle se débrouille.

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Fifty Years Of MINI

Fifty years ago today, the first Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley, now called Plant Oxford. For the first time in half a century that very car is returning to its birthplace for a celebration of 50 years of production.

Plant Oxford built 602,817 Minis from 1959 to 1968, before production was moved to Longbridge. Since 2001 more than 1.4 million new MINIs have been built at the production facility and in total, more than six million classic and new MINIs have been sold since the car first went on sale in 1959.

BMW Group member of the Board of Management for Production, Frank-Peter Arndt said: “Anniversaries are always a wonderful opportunity to look back at the past. But on days like today, it’s also good to look to the future. Therefore, our objective is absolutely clear: We are going to continue the success story of MINI and continue to strengthen it”.

BMW Mini Cars 2009

BMW has announced plans to sell all-electric versions of its popular Mini car in the U.S., starting from summer 2009.

BMW Mini car photo gallery

BMW Mini Cars 2009

Mini join a growing band of car-makers planning to sell electric cars over the next few years, including global brands like Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Mercedes, as well as new start-ups and independent companies such as Tesla and Th!nk. Given the Mini’s style credentials and proven customer demand, this announcement is bound to ruffle a few feathers amongst the competition.

Marvellous Motors:

Corvette

Marvellous Motors:

Porsche

Mini 50 Mayfair Still Enticing At 50

The Mini is making headlines once again because just like Barbie for whom a customized mini was revealed a few months back, the Mini is also turning 50 and what a way to turn half a century. The iconic brand will have a birthday bash in the United Kingdom called the Mini United Festival.

Unlike traditional birthday parties though it is the celebrant which will give gifts to its fans in the guise of two new Mini 2010 models and one of those is the brown Mini 50 Mayfair. The moniker “new models” may give the wrong impression though because these are not really new models but more of a makeover…

MINI Coupé Concept Presented At The Brand’s 50th Birthday

For the auto-industry, there’s no better way to celebrate than presenting a new car. So for its fiftieth birthday, MINI reveals the new Coupé concept that will perfectly represent the brand’s vision of providing real driving pleasure.

The MINI Coupé Concept offers a truly exceptional performance. It comes with the 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged engine carried over from the MINI John Cooper Works. The maximum output is 155 kW/211 hp, peak torque 260 Newton-metres/192 lb-ft increasing through the over boost function for a short period to an even more extensive 280 Newton-metres/206 lb-ft.

Developing a reconstructed classic MINI, the exterior features hexagon radiator grille and large round headlights at the front view, while…

Yokohama Making Tires Out Of Orange Peels

Who knew you can make tires out of orange peels? Well, Yokohama does.

Yokohama’s newest dB E-spec tire has already been in the market for quite sometime now, but it is gaining popularity with its unique approach at integrating orange oil from discarded orange peels from juicing industry in to their tires.

According to Yokohama, orange oil and natural rubber share a similar architecture which allows them to form an excellent bond which is the core of Yokohama’s new Super Nano-Power Rubber Compound.

The Super Nano-Power Rubber Compound has the qualities that are very applicable to passenger vehicle tires—it provides extremely low rolling resistance in typical straight driving, but increases in grip when…

Mini Countryman Crossover Unveiled

This new Mini will no longer be hiding under its codename Colorado as its development stage has wind down. It will now be officially known as the Countryman.

The Countryman will be the first Mini assembled outside United Kingdom as Mini is running out of space at their current facilities in UK. Magna Steyr, an Austrian manufacturer, will be building the car for Mini.

The quirky 4-seater will be available in front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive, and is expected to be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine at introduction.

The Mini Countryman will be released in Europe in 2010, and will arrive in the US in 2011.

2011 Mini Countryman Now Off road

New images of the upcoming Countryman have been made public by Mini. Along with the photos, more details about the four-door, all-wheel-drive vehicle have also been made released.

The Countryman is a mix between the “classic concept” and a modern “Sports Activity Vehicle.” The front-wheel-drive will be a standard, but another version—ALL4—will also be offered that will come standard with all-wheel-drive.

A pair of rear doors has also been added to the Countryman for easy way in and out the rear seats. The rear seating area is slightly elevated to increase visibility, and t will be available with either two bucket seats with a long center console the Min Central Rail or…

First Feedbacks For the Mini E EV

BMW and the University of California, Davis has conducted a joint study to find out the feedback of the first users of the Mini E EV have about the vehicle.

The study shows that the customers are generally satisfied with their cars after six months of usage. However, Financial Post reports that customers mostly complain about “range anxiety.”

Although a fully-charged MINI E can keep the car moving for 160 kilometers, a full recharge with the included high voltage cables takes between four and eight hours. If a MINI E owner is forced to plug the car into a standard 110-volt household outlet, recharge time takes up to 23 hours.

One Mini E…