MINI BusinessCar Awards

A DECADE OF STRAIGHT WINS FOR MINI AT THE BUSINESSCAR AWARDS 2012

For a decade, MINI’s irresistible combination of premium styling, frugal fuel performance and that unmistakable go-kart handling has been recognised by BusinessCar Magazine as they name the MINI Hatch ‘2012 Supermini of the Year’ in their annual awards.

MINI’s low running costs and CO2 emissions, coupled with high residual values and performance are just some of the reasons why it has proven to be such a success with business car users.

“The MINI has established itself as a favourite of the business car industry, with its combination of rock-solid residual values, excellent efficiency and cheeky charm proving itself once more to the readers of BusinessCar, which have again voted it as their most impressive supermini,” said BusinessCar Editor Paul Barker. “A good business car has to offer appeal to the heart and to the head, and the Mini offers both in abundance.”

MINI One D and MINI Cooper D Hatch models feature the brand’s MINIMALISM technology. Both models can enter the London Congestion Charge Zone free of charge thanks to a host of fuel-saving and emission lowering equipment; they emit just 99g/km CO2.

The BusinessCar Awards are voted for entirely by the readers of BusinessCar magazine and www.businesscar.co.uk rather than a panel of judges and are therefore highly regarded within the industry.

BusinessCar is a magazine, website and series of email newsletters designed for the business car market. BusinessCar gives the reader a wider choice of information. Information that is not only essential to the fleet manager, but is also vital to finance bosses, HR directors and procurement chiefs as well as managing directors who want to understand the important issues central to running car and van fleets.

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New city slickers

New city slickers: The MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater.

Olympic host city and style capital London provides fresh design inspiration for MINI special editions. New models boast exclusive equipment and tradition-laced titles.

With just months to go before the Olympic Games get under way in the capital city of the brand’s home country, MINI introduces two new special-edition models to spread contemporary London style around the world. The latest takes on the MINI character – the MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater – will go on sale in spring 2012. Expressive design features and exclusive equipment inject the cars’ exterior appearance, interior ambience and hallmark driving fun with their own distinctive flavours. The MINI Baker Street embodies the youthful, fresh and innovative trend-setting style of the brand, while the MINI Bayswater focuses primarily on the sporting verve and agile handling for which MINI is renowned.

Both special-edition models will be produced over a limited period and offered for sale worldwide. The MINI Baker Street can be ordered in MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI One D and MINI Cooper D guise, while the MINI Bayswater is available as a MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper D and MINI Cooper SD.

MINI Baker Street: an individualist with a taste for extravagance.

New exterior and interior design details developed exclusively for the MINI Baker Street mark out this special-edition model. The Rooftop Grey metallic exterior paint shade combines with special bonnet stripes whose basic colour black is given extra character by a subtle V-shape design. 16-inch 6-Star twin-spoke light-alloy wheels painted in high-gloss black along with matching black exterior mirror caps present an attractive contrast to the bold, contemporary appearance of the new exterior paintwork.

The MINI Baker Street can also be ordered as an option in the body shades Pepper White and Midnight Black. In MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper D trim the roof is painted black, while “Baker Street” lettering on the side scuttles framing the side indicators points to the exclusive character of this special-edition model.

In the interior a fresh interpretation of the cloth/leather seats available for the standard MINI teams up with exclusive interior surfaces to create an unmistakable ambience. In traditional British style, the surfaces of the new seat variant in Cross Check Rooftop Grey light feature a diamond pattern. Cross Check Rooftop Grey light is also used for the surfaces of the cockpit and door trim and is combined with a Rooftop Grey light Colour Line. Light grey contrast stitching for the floor mats, gearshift/selector lever as well as the handbrake gaiters and seat tags which, like the door sills, bear “Baker Street” lettering, round off the array of bespoke interior features. The Chrome Line Interior package adds further lustre.

The equipment list for the MINI Baker Street also includes the Pepper Pack, which brings with it air conditioning, an on-board computer, a leather steering wheel, the Chrome Line Exterior package, front foglamps, a lighting package and height adjustment for the front passenger seat. The range of optional equipment, meanwhile, offers a host of other items with which customers can tailor their car to their personal requirements. The range of available engine variants for the MINI Baker Street spans the MINI One (72 kW/98 hp), MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp), MINI One D (66 kW/90 hp) and MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp). All the engines channel their power through a six-speed manual gearbox as standard or an optional six-speed automatic.

For visitors to London and locals alike, the MINI Baker Street’s name will be synonymous with the address of a certain fictional hero. It is 125 years since Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle released his first story with the master detective in the title role. Today, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds waxworks museum can both be found just a stone’s throw from Baker Street underground station.

MINI Bayswater: the extrovert sportsman.

The MINI Bayswater wears its inherent sporting élan and extrovert style very much on its sleeve. The Kite Blue metallic exterior paintwork was created exclusively for the special-edition model, as was the interior design and 17-inch light-alloy Sandblast wheels with high-gloss black surfaces and bright machined rim and spoke edges. Midnight Black metallic and Eclipse Grey metallic paint shades can be ordered for the MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper SD as an alternative to the new, radiant Blue finish. The sporty appearance of the MINI Bayswater is emphasised by the black contrasting roof and the likewise newly created Sport Stripes for the bonnet, which streak dynamically towards the windscreen. The exterior mirror caps carry an identical stripe design – blue on the right-hand side of the car, grey on the left.

“Bayswater” lettering adorns the side indicator surrounds, door sills and seat tags. The Punch Leather seats come in the exclusive colour variant Rocklite Anthracite and include side bolsters sporting a metallic sheen and blue and grey contrast stitching. Two-tone contrast stitching also adorns the gearshift/selector lever and handbrake gaiters.

Other innovative design features in the interior include Piano Black cockpit trim strips, which continue the path set by the Sport Stripes over the bonnet, and the leather Colour Line elements in Rocklite Anthracite, whose classy character is emphasised by black stitching. The same leather variant is also used for the armrests, while the model-specific floor mats have anthracite-coloured edging and blue contrast stitching.

The MINI Bayswater also comes with stainless steel pedals and the Chrome Line Interior package, and includes the Pepper Pack in its range of equipment. Plus, the new special edition can likewise be specified with a wide variety of items from the optional equipment list if further individual touches are desired.

In keeping with its sporting charisma, the MINI Bayswater lines up for action with powerful engines at its fingertips. Customers can order their MINI Bayswater in MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp), MINI Cooper S (135 kW/184 hp), MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp) or MINI Cooper SD (105 kW/143 hp) trim. The special-edition model is also delivered with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while a six-speed automatic features in the options range.

The MINI Bayswater takes its name from an extremely vibrant area of London. Located to the west of the city centre – halfway between the shopping hot spots of Knightsbridge and Notting Hill – Bayswater is best known for its unusually high density of bars and restaurants, not to mention the adjacent and no less famous Hyde Park. MINI is therefore returning to the London theme to further accentuate the link with both its home country and the fascination surrounding the London lifestyle. Indeed, both the MINI Bayswater and MINI Baker Street are following in the tyre tracks of a naming tradition begun by the classic Mini and reprised more recently with the MINI Camden, MINI Mayfair and MINI Clubman Hampton special editions.

MINI YoungDrive

MINI TAKES YOUNGSTERS OUT ON THE TRACK WITH MOTORSPORT VISION’S YOUNGDRIVE

MINI is delighted to team up with MotorSport Vision to supply a fleet of MINI One models for its YoungDrive programme. The scheme offers children as young as 11 years old (and a minimum of 4’ 8” tall) the chance to have their first taste of motoring.

The dual controlled MINI Ones are available at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Bedford Autodrome and each car features a DSA-approved instructor who will teach young drivers essential skills in a traffic-free environment to prepare them for hitting the roads for real when they’re old enough.

“The MINI One is the perfect car to give young people their first driving experience and is very popular amongst new drivers; it’s small, nippy and fantastic fun. I’m sure it will leave them counting the days to their 17th birthday!” says Jochen Goller, Director, MINI UK.

Jonathan Palmer, owner of Motorsport Vision says "Our renowned YoungDrive programme is a fun and informative course that's designed to give a positive first experience for new drivers and its popularity has grown significantly over the past few years. I'm delighted we've joined forces with the iconic MINI brand - it really is the perfect car for young people to sample driving for the first time."

This collaboration further highlights MINI’s dedication to investing in young drivers; the company already supplies a fleet of MINI Ones to the MINI Drivers @ Goodwood programme.

For more information on availability and restrictions contact MSV on 0843 453 1000 or www.motorsportvision.co.uk.

MINI Brand Store Amsterdam

Queens guards open MINI Brand Store Amsterdam.

Amsterdam. During a traditional ceremony four Queens Guards handed the key of the lifestyle shop to the Director of BMW Group The Netherlands Jan-Christiaan Koenders and the Director MINI Netherlands Chris Collet. This Saturday the store opens to the public.

MINI is the first car brand in the Netherlands to open an official Brand store. Everything in the store revolves around the pure experience of the British brand. The Brand Store offers a large assortment of MINI accessories and lifestyle articles. Visitors can also compose their own MINI on a large screen. The Dutch Brand Store is a pilot for the rest of the world.