MINI Celebrates as it has hit the three million production mark at Plant Oxford.

• MINI Plant Oxford has built three million MINIs since 2001
• Three millionth car is a MINI John Cooper Works Clubman
• 80 per cent of Oxford MINIs built for export around the world
• Milestone comes in BMW’s Centenary year and 15th year of MINI production

Plant Oxford has celebrated the three millionth MINI to roll off the assembly line since production began back in 2001.

The three millionth Oxford-built MINI is a John Cooper Works Clubman - the first model to combine the latest John Cooper Works performance enhancements and a new ALL4 all-wheel drive system.

From around 300 cars a day in 2001 to around 1,000 built to order cars today, the 4,500 strong workforce at Oxford produce one new MINI almost every minute. Around 80 per cent of MINIs built here are exported to more than 110 markets across the world.

On Thursday, 1 December, the plant was visited by Oliver Zipse, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, who joined the team in Oxford to celebrate this major UK manufacturing milestone.

Oliver Zipse said: “It’s great to be back in Oxford to mark this fantastic MINI production milestone. Since we began building MINIs back in 2001 the car has proved to be hugely popular with customers right around the world. The passion and commitment that everyone here at the plant has for building a high-quality product is central to that success. The three millionth Oxford-built MINI is a remarkable achievement. Congratulations to everyone who has played their part in making this celebration possible.”

Frank Bachmann, Managing Director of Plant Oxford, said: “Hitting this milestone is a fantastic achievement for everyone on the team here at Oxford. Building the volume of high-quality cars that we have over the past 15 years is something everyone working here can be very proud of.”

Sales of MINI, both in the UK and internationally, have gone from strength to strength over the last 15 years. In its first year nearly 40,000 MINIs were sold worldwide. By 2015 this number had risen to nearly 340,000.

Three UK plants have a part to play in its production - Hams Hall near Birmingham makes engines, Swindon produces body pressings and sub-assemblies for MINI, and this all comes together at Oxford with body shell production, paint and final assembly. Together these plants have helped to generate and sustain employment for thousands of people directly and indirectly though the wider supply chain and retailers.

Since 2000 £1.75 billion has been invested by BMW Group at the three plants and at Oxford this has included a state-of-the-art paintshop, a high-technology body building facility, a new final assembly area, a new logistics centre, Quality and Engineering Centre and the MINIcademy, where the plant’s apprentices are trained.

Oxford, the heart and home of MINI production, has a rich motor manufacturing history. It has been building cars since 1913 when the great designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist William Morris (later Lord Nuffield), produced its first car, a “Bullnose” Morris, near today’s present state-of-the-art MINI production facility.

The classic Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis and launched in 1959, revolutionised the automotive world and was produced at Oxford until 1968 with a peak output of 94,889 cars during 1966-7.

Models built at Oxford today include three and five door MINI Hatch, the MINI Clubman, including the Plant’s first all-wheel drive ALL4 model – and the high-performance MINI John Cooper Works Hatch.

The very first MINI Hybrid nears completion with zero tailpipe emissions and catapult style acceleration available.

• Head of MINI brand management Sebastian Mackensen and Head of MINI series management Peter Wolf preview the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand.

Hallmark MINI driving fun combined with zero tailpipe emissions. With the introduction of the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand, this will soon be a reality. 

The series development process for this car has almost been completed. It features a combustion engine and an electric motor enabling purely electric propulsion for the first time in a MINI. 

This marks the beginning of a new phase for MINI, and offers a glimpse into a future that is charged with excitement for MINI customers and those drivers yet to experience the thrill of a hybrid.

Head of MINI brand management Sebastian Mackensen and Head of MINI series management Peter Wolf offer insight into this new near-series test vehicle, and explain how it retains go-kart feeling in the true spirit of a MINI during a test drive of this model.

“With this model we want to convince MINI customers of the benefits of hybrid drive”, says Mackensen, “and impress everyone who already has hybrid driving experience with MINI’s unique go-kart driving feel.” The key to achieving this lies in intelligent energy management which is used to control how the combustion engine and electric motor operate together. For this reason, the first MINI plug-in hybrid model is not solely focused on efficiency, but uncompromising in pursuit of driving fun.

At first glance, you wouldn’t recognise the test car as a hybrid model. And that’s not because of the camouflage foil used. The charging socket for the high-voltage battery is discreetly integrated in the left Side Scuttle. Everything also looks familiar in the cockpit. The start/stop button in the centre of the dashboard glows yellow instead of red. As usual,  you simply press the button to start the car – this vehicle, however, remains silent as the hybrid model always starts in electric mode. The rpm counter in the instrument cluster on the steering column has been replaced with a power display. Keeping a close eye on this display is particularly worthwhile for the first few miles as it informs the driver about the electric motor’s power reserves before the combustion engine fires up. When exactly the combustion engine starts varies depending upon on the vehicle’s speed and the intensity with which the driver operate the accelerator pedal.

“After a short time, the driver gets a feel for this”, promises Wolf. And this new driving experience promises a lot of driving fun. The hybrid MINI makes full use of the electric motor’s entire torque, which is available right from standstill, allowing for catapult-like acceleration. Even after leaving the slower pace of the city, this vehicle maintains its zero-tailpipe emissions at motorway speeds. The high-voltage battery under the rear seats provides power for long-lasting electric driving. AUTO eDRIVE standard mode permits speeds of up to 50 mph, whilst in MAX eDRIVE mode speeds of up to 78 mph are possible. For Mackensen this is a question of character: “In a hybrid MINI model, driving electrically must also be an exhilarating experience. This means that entirely electric driving is not limited to speeds of 30 or 40 km/h, but to speeds well beyond city traffic pace."

Testing the vehicle himself, Mackensen puts the car through its paces and demonstrates that you need to step on the accelerator peddle very firmly indeed to activate the second power source. Then things really start happening. With the combined output of both drives, the first MINI hybrid vehicle demonstrates unparalleled acceleration performance when compared with its combustion-only siblings.

However, MINI’s go-kart driving characteristics consists of more than just fast acceleration. Above all, this hybrid MINI has to prove how precisely it handles when taking bends on the most exciting, twisting roads. This is where MINI’s plug-in hybrid concept plays its next trump card. “As far as the chassis and suspension are concerned, nothing changes from the conventionally driven model variants”, says Wolf, “and the set-up benefits a lot from the hybrid concept”. Thanks to the eDrive components, which are positioned very low down at the rear, the car’s centre of gravity is lowered and the weight is evenly balanced between the front and rear axle – ideal for achieving an even higher level of legendary MINI agility.

The Hybrid concept provides yet another benefit: the electric motor transmits its power to the rear wheels, the combustion engine to the front wheels. Since the intelligent energy management is linked to the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction and drive stability are optimised via the drive system. “As soon as there is any risk of drive slip, the second drive unit is activated to provide additional traction when starting off or ensuring a high level of steering precision when cornering”, explains Wolf.

Intelligent energy management offers a further opportunity for both power sources to work together effectively. Driving on the motorway, Mackensen activates a third mode with the eDrive toggle switch: SAVE BATTERY. In this mode, the combustion engine powers the car whilst at the same time, the high voltage battery can retain charge at a constant level or indeed increase charge via a generator. Extended driving in SAVE BATTERY mode enables enough power generation for purely electric driving later.

After driving in SAVE BATTERY mode, the MINI drives back into town in silence at the end of the test drive. The status display in the cockpit reminds the driver to recharge the battery via wallbox or power socket. Refuelling is not necessary yet because the MINI plug-in hybrid model merely took a small sip from the fuel tank. Yet another new dimension of MINIMALISM.

MINI UK announces John Cooper Works Challenge, specifically developed for maximum track ability and on-road driving thrills

MINI UK announces John Cooper Works Challenge, specifically developed for maximum track ability and on-road driving thrills

• UK only model, limited production run, with each car numbered. Unique colour and specification combination
• Inspired by the latest MINI Challenge racing car, with key technical features developed in partnership with the same suppliers involved with the race car
• Adjustable suspension, high-grip Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, lightweight alloy wheels, limited slip differential, upgraded braking power, Genuine MINI JCW Pro Accessories
• Based on the potent MINI John Cooper Works, featuring 231hp and a 153mph top speed
• Premiere at Goodwood Festival of Speed, priced at £32,000 OTR

The new MINI Cooper John Cooper Works Challenge takes track-driving performance to a new level, while also offering a thrilling on-road driving experience that doesn’t sacrifice everyday comforts and refinement.

Based on the ultimate performance MINI, the latest John Cooper Works Hatch, the Challenge takes more than just inspiration from the current Challenge-specification racing car.

The small, passionate development team, based at MINI Plant Oxford in the UK, worked in partnership with key suppliers on the racing car to deliver the best solutions for a genuinely credible trackday machine. 

With its super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, adjustable suspension and limited slip differential, the MINI John Cooper Works Challenge takes bespoke track performance to levels never before seen in the small hot hatch class.

Limited to a maximum of 100 units, the exclusive MINI John Cooper Works Challenge features a unique colour combination and graphics, Genuine MINI JCW Pro Accessories, and is available in one fixed specification only.

A home-grown performance hero, designed and developed in the UK

The basis for the new John Cooper Works Challenge is the MINI John Cooper Works Hatch, manufactured, like other MINI vehicles, at MINI Plant Oxford. It’s there that a small group of MINI employees had a dream to create a MINI that was specifically designed and developed to excel on a racing circuit, while maintaining perfectly useable manners on the public road. They collected their ideas outside of work time, fuelled by the desire to create a car that truly unlocked the performance potential of the latest MINI Hatch on a racing circuit. Extensive testing was then carried out on a range of circuits throughout the UK, with considerable road mileage also accrued as the specification and settings of the car were fine-tuned.

MINI John Cooper Works Challenge came to life in ‘Building 71’, a non-descript unit at Plant Oxford that houses OX4 Racing, a racing team run exclusively by MINI employees. It can therefore be said that the new MINI John Cooper Works Challenge is truly a ‘works’ car for the track, in the finest tradition.

High performance starting point: the MINI John Cooper Works Hatch

The new MINI John Cooper Works Challenge uses the latest MINI John Cooper Works Hatch as its basis – itself the most potent MINI ever produced. Powered by a 2-litre four-cylinder engine featuring MINI TwinPower Turbo technology, model-specific design of the pistons, turbocharger and exhaust release 231hp and 320nm of torque. These prodigious outputs enable a 0-62mph time of just 6.3-seconds, with a top speed of 153mph. Nevertheless, when fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox (the only gearbox option available for John Cooper Works Challenge), John Cooper Works manages a remarkable 42.2mpg, with C02 emissions of just 155g/km.

MINI John Cooper Works Challenge is readily identifiable by its bespoke body addenda, including enlarged air intakes at the front for increased cooling, uniquely contoured wheel arch extensions and a rear spoiler. Inside, John Cooper Works sports seats and sports steering wheel create the perfect environment for driving enjoyment.

Bespoke tuning parts for the ultimate road and track performance

The standard MINI John Cooper Works is a formidable performance car on road and track, but the John Cooper Works Challenge’s small engineering team knew that it could be taken further still if on-track ability was prioritised to a greater degree. Realising that John Cooper Works Hatch’s exceptional, and moreover reliable and fully warrantied, power output was already ample, they concentrated their efforts in the areas of chassis, tyres and braking.

Many road cars are said to be ‘inspired by the world of motor racing’, but the link with John Cooper Works Challenge is a more genuine one than most: the engineers turned to Nitron for the suspension, Mintex for the braking requirements, Quaife for the traction benefits of a limited slip differential and Team Dynamics for particularly lightweight alloy wheels. All these brands supply the MINI John Cooper Works racing car that competes in the top class of the UK MINI Challenge.

Chassis: tuned on road and track

Not only were the team searching for ultimate track performance, but MINI John Cooper Works Challenge was also to be a car that rewarded enthusiast drivers on the public road, while maintaining everyday usability. To that end, it seemed imperative that John Cooper Works Challenge featured a suspension that could be adjusted by the driver to the environment in which the car was being driven.

UK-based suspension supplier Nitron has provided coilover spring and damper units based on its NTR R1 system. These are adjustable for bump and rebound, as well as for overall ride height. The R1 is a direct development of the racing dampers used on the John Cooper Works racing car, and is hand-built with many titanium and hard-anodised parts to the very highest quality standards. Camber adjustment plates on the front axle allow for an increase in negative camber, with John Cooper Works Challenge possessing two degrees of negative camber on both the front and rear axle. Thanks to both camber and castor being adjustable, the suspension geometry of the new car is significantly different to that of the standard car. MINI John Cooper Works Challenge is supplied with recommended settings for both road and track driving, the damper units offering adjustment through numerous ‘clicks’, but owners can choose to experiment with their own settings to tune the car precisely to their own tastes.

For superior traction when powering out of corners, John Cooper Works Challenge is fitted with a Quaife automatic torque biasing (ATB) limited slip differential in place of the standard car’s open item. This proven component, which uses helical gears instead of a plate-type LSD, offers a seamless operation without any abrupt ‘lock up’, and assists braking performance as well as transferring power away from a spinning front wheel during acceleration. The Quaife ATB differential works in combination with all standard fit electronic systems (DSC, Performance Control, etc).

Wheels and tyres: more grip, less weight

Few aspects of a car affect track performance more than tyres, and the John Cooper Works Challenge engineering team spent a lot of time during the development process testing different makes and compounds to find not only a tyre that gave the most grip on a circuit, but one that also worked well on the road.

The solution was the acclaimed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, original equipment for a host of high-performance cars, and uniquely able to summon extremely high grip levels without causing any refinement issues.

MINI John Cooper Works Challenge retains the 17” wheel size of the standard John Cooper Works Hatch, but features 215/45 R17 tyres on a 7.5” wheel, 0.5” wider than the original specification rim that uses a 205/45 R17. The wheels are also specifically chosen for ultimate performance: the Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 rims save 1.5kg of unsprung mass per corner. Combined with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, this weight advantage further increases to 2.5kg per corner.

Braking: greater reserves of retardation  

John Cooper Works Challenge employs grooved and part-drilled 330mm front discs with four-pot Brembo-developed calipers, sourced from the MINI JCW Pro Accessories range. These are paired with specially developed Mintex brake pads. This combination offers superb braking power with excellent resistance to fade on track. Even so, no compromise with on-road braking response has been required, even when used from cold.

John Cooper Works Accessories fitted as standard

The new John Cooper Works Challenge takes full advantage of the MINI JCW Pro Accessories already available for John Cooper Works Hatch.

The JCW Pro Aerokit, which features lower front splitters, rear spoiler add-ons for the already large roof spoiler, rear diffuser and rear splitters for additional aerodynamic performance, enhances the already distinctive, aggressive exterior styling. The carbon fibre air intake further complements enhances the look of this new model, as do the Carbon Fibre Mirror Covers.

A JCW Pro exhaust with carbon fibre tailpipe finishers not only maximises the flow of spent gases, but also gives John Cooper Works Challenge a purposeful roar. It can be controlled via a Bluetooth link, offering a choice of Sport and Track sound levels.

The grooved brake discs are also taken from the JCW Pro Accessories range, although the Mintex pads fitted to the Challenge are unique to this model.

Unique specification 

MINI John Cooper Works Challenge will be built in no more than 100 units, and is available with one fixed specification and exclusively with MINI’s acclaimed 6-speed manual gearbox.

Every John Cooper Works Challenge is painted in White Silver, can be readily identifiable by a bespoke graphics package, and has the 17” alloy wheels finished in black. Black roof and mirror caps complete this unique style.

Inside, the Dinamica/cloth interior combination is also finished in Carbon Black. The passenger side facia of each car bears its unique build number in the series, testament to the exclusivity of this unique model. The standard specification includes Piano Black interior trim, rear Park Distance Control, Rain Sensor with Auto headlight activation and Adaptive LED headlights. No amendments to the standard specification are possible, and the OTR price is £32,000.

MINI John Cooper Works Challenge will be unveiled to the public for the first time on the MINI stand at Goodwood Festival of Speed, 23rd to 26th June, and is available to order at MINI retailers across the UK now.

The MINI Challenge:  

The MINI Challenge has provided the best MINI racing in the UK since 2002, and is part of a family of racing championships run across Europe. For 2016, the UK MINI Challenge is split into three classes, offering incredibly close racing to drivers on a wide spread of budgets.

The top class features the current John Cooper Works racing car, best described as a ‘MINI-touring car’. With up to 255bhp and a six-speed sequential gearbox, these are the ultimate racing MINI models.

The Cooper S class is for previous generation (2006-2014) 1.6-litre Turbo cars built to Challenge specification, while the entry-level Cooper Class features normally aspirated first generation MINI models (2001-2006) and is ideal for those starting out in circuit racing. An Open Class has also been inaugurated for MINIs outside of these three classes.

The MINI Challenge is fought out over eight rounds including a meeting on the picturesque Brands Hatch Grand Prix track.

This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will host the global debut of the new special edition, MINI Seven.

This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23-26) will host the global debut of the first design model of the current generation of MINIs, MINI Seven.

Taking its name from the very first Mini, the 1959 Austin Seven, MINI Seven has been designed to fuse the brand’s classic heritage with modern design and technology.

MINI Seven joins the current MINI Hatch range in 5-door or 3-door form and features specially designed exterior and interior looks unseen before on this generation’s model line-up.  

The new car, which will also feature a bespoke option pack called MINI Seven Chili, will be unveiled for the very first time at Goodwood’s Moving Motor Show on Thursday, June 23.

As well as the world premiere of MINI Seven, MINI will also have the new John Cooper Works Challenge Edition going up the famous 1.16-mile Hillclimb course in the First Glance category during the main FOS days.

The Festival of Speed will also represent MINI CHALLENGE racer Charlie Butler-Henderson’s debut as MINI’s newest brand ambassador, since working hard to defend his title as the CHALLENGE champion in 2015.

MINI will also have brand ambassador and Dakar Rally ace, Harry Hunt on hand to drive the MINI ALL4 Racing car, in which he finished 10^th in this year’s Dakar at his first attempt on the world’s toughest road race.

BMW Group – BMW, MINI, Rolls Royce and BMW Motorrad – will celebrate its illustrious sporting past and the diversity of its brands at this year’s Festival of Speed, with BMW taking centre stage as the Honoured Marque.

BMW and MINI will continue the centenary celebrations at Goodwood, during which they will focus on the future of mobility. As part of this, MINI will showcase its ‘Vision Vehicle’, created through partnerships with three pioneering experts in the fields of design, art and interactivity.

The week-long exhibition celebrating 100 years of the BMW Group, which is free to the public will showcase its three innovative ‘vision vehicles’ to the Roundhouse in Camden from 18^th – 26^th June.

MINI laucnhes a new special edition the Seven, a retun of the name from the very first Mini in 1959

• MINI launches first design model of current generation
• MINI Seven inspired by classic Mini heritage fused with modern design and technology
• Exclusively designed exterior and interior design features
• Bespoke option pack, MINI Seven Chili developed specifically for MINI Seven
• Available as a MINI 3-door or 5-door Hatch in four engine types: Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD
• Now on sale, priced from £18,545 OTR

MINI today has launched its latest design model, MINI Seven.

Taking its name from the very first Mini, the 1959 Austin Seven, MINI Seven has been developed to showcase both the distinctive style inspired by the original Mini and the current modern values of the brand.

MINI Seven joins the current generation MINI Hatch range in 5-door or 3-door form with specially designed exterior and interior looks unseen before on this generation’s model line-up.

MINI Seven is instantly recognisable by its striking MINI Yours body finish which comes as standard in Lapisluxury Blue - the most intensive blue tone ever applied to a MINI. Three other body finishes from the MINI paint range are also available to choose from; Pepper White, Midnight Black and British Racing Green.

A Melting Silver roof and exterior mirror caps come as standard contrasting with the distinctive body finishes. MINI Seven door sill finishers and side scuttles with the MINI Seven logo as well as 17-inch light alloy wheels in exclusive MINI Seven Spoke two-tone design complete the exterior look.

For those wanting to add their own personal style to the exterior design of MINI Seven, bonnet stirpes in Melting Silver with surround in Malt Brown are also available as an option.

Inside, the eye-catching design cues continue with sports seats in the fabric/leather finish Diamond Malt Brown, designed exclusively for MINI Seven.

There is also a MINI Seven logo on the central instrument which surrounds the MINI Visual Boost 6.5’’ colour display which also comes as standard alongside MINI Connected, Bluetooth Handsfree with USB audio, floor mats, MINI Excitement Pack, automatic dual-zone air conditioning and storage compartment pack.

In addition to the high quality standard equipment offered, MINI Seven has its own bespoke option pack, the MINI Seven Chili. The MINI Seven Chili offers customers MINI Yours features such as the Lounge Leather Upholstery in Carbon Black and the MINI Yours Steering Wheel in Walk Nappa leather with a waxed hand stitched seem.

The MINI Seven Chili pack also offers additional features which are unique in the small car segment including LED headlights, multifunction controls for the steering wheel and cruise control with brake function.

Additional optional equipment from the MINI range is also available to further customise MINI Seven. This includes the popular panorama glass roof, windscreen heating, front driver and passenger seat heating, the Harmon Kardon hi-fi speaker system as well as MINI Connected XL and MINI Navigation System.

MINI Seven will be have its first UK premiere at Goodwood Festival of Speed on the MINI stand from 23-26th June with orders being taken now. Prices start for MINI 3-door Seven from £18,545 OTR and from £19,145 for MINI 5-door Seven.