MINI - Mini Rocketman!

The Mini – from BMC to BMW
The 1959 BMC Mini was an iconic car – the symbol of an age.

BMW took over the idea of Mini and introduced the current model in 2001 but it is much bigger than the original.

Some people say it's getting less and less of a mini car than the BMC mini our Mums and Dads drove.

So at next week's Geneva Motor Show BMW will introduce a much smaller version of the current mini , the tiny Mini Rocketman!

It's just 3 metres in length and is what's called a “3 + 1” design

What is “3 + 1” ?

Well, there's only a little leg room for the psenger behind the driver

and the front psenger seat moves to give the psenger behind more leg room.

The “+1” is the space behind the driver!

Will the Rocketman go on sale?

Maybe, maybe not.
But at let BMW are thinking about going in the direction of smaller more urban-friendly cars.

Can the Mini stay fresh?

The problem for BMW (and others) is to keep the car's design fresh and moving forward but at the same time stay in “retro” mode.

They've certainly done it before; time will tell if the smaller car will fit the requirements of the next decade.

BMW - the ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE!

"...I've been browsing again, this time through the BMW magazines and on the internet in search of information about new BMW's, prices and specifications. This is some of what I found...."

'Active Cruise with Stop and Go'

What do you know about 'Active Cruise with Stop and Go' on new BMWs?

First of all for my readers who are not familiar with this technology 'Active Cruise with Stop and Go' combines cruise control with a system which stops you getting too close by to the vehicle in front – by automatically applying the brakes

One problem seems to be the gap the system leaves (for safety reons) between you and the vehicle in front can be filled by another vehicle cutting in. Then the system applies the brakes to reset the distance between you and the vehicle which has just cut in! You could be in for a jerky stop-go journey if there's a lot of congestion. You need some belief to trust the braking system and indeed you have to sometimes override it if it doesn't brake hard enough! What do you think? Bear in mind it adds at let £1280 to the cost of a 5 Series!

BMW 330d M Sport Coupé (£34,395) with uncomfortable seat

The tall driver of this car couldn't get comfortable in the driving seat. He h to do long business trips which doesn't help. One possible solution is to fit a Recaro 'Orthopaed' – they're not cheap at £1825 each for 'seat trimmed in black leather'!

BMW Mini 'Roadster' and BMW Mini Coupé

Did you know the BMW Mini has been around for eight years? In spite of BMW celebrating Mini's 50^th birthday at the Frankfurt Motor Show the modern Mini, many would say, bears little or no relation to legendary car designed by Sir Alec Issigonis. The show also witnessed the debut of 2 new variants, the Mini Roadster and the Mini Coupé. The Coupé is a 2 seater hardtop version of the Mini running a 'John Cooper Workshop' engine and gearbox setup. The Roadster gets the thumbs up from a number of critics a stylish convertible with a bigger boot and a Cooper S turbo-charged engine. Sounds like a lot of fun!

http://www.bmw-club.org.uk/who.html