Mini hatch

The leaders of the Rover Group realized the need to develop a replacement for the classic Mini back in the early 1990s ^[4] : its engines did not meet the newly introduced EU emission standards, passive safety did not meet the growing demands of customers - it was impossible to place airbags in an old body. A group of designers was instructed to begin developing a new car. But when the first projects began to appear, the Rover Group became the property of BMW, and the designers had to coordinate the results of work with the new management. And although it publicly fully approved the ideas of British engineers, in practice it had completely different plans for a project called R59 ^[4] . In Munich , a design group was created, which was tasked with developing a car as extraordinary as the brainchild of Alec Issigonis . The main contradiction of the English and German groups was that the former wanted to create a modern economical car, and the latter wanted a stylish sports car. For BMW management, the moment came for a choice, the decision was made on October 15, 1995, when representatives of two design bureaus met at the Heritage Motor Center to present their proposals. The British put forward 3 concepts, the Germans - 6. The most exact correspondence to the Mini spirit was found in the development of David Saddington (Rover Group) and Frank Stephenson (American from the BMW team). The final decision was made a few months later in favor of the latter. The engineering embodiment of design solutions was entrusted to the designers of the Rover Group. In 1997, the first concept car appeared under the code ACV30, which was announced at the Monte Carlo rally . Another concept car - Rover Spiritual, was presented at the Geneva Motor Show . A working model of the future car was presented in the same year at the Frankfurt Motor Show . In June 1999, the documentation was handed over to Munich for final revision. MINI was officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2000.

The first generation Mini Hatch was carried out in the basic configuration - Mini One with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine (which, according to the results of professional tests, allows achieving absolutely sufficient power indicators) ^[5] , Mini One / D with a diesel engine, and sports ones - Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S (with supercharger ).

The names of the sports versions come from their classic counterparts, which use the name of John Cooper - the constructor of the Cooper Formula 1 team , who reworked the first version of the Mini in 1961. Externally, the models have certain differences, which, however, are not fundamentally significant. Both sports versions are decorated with a large number of chrome parts, Cooper S is equipped with a dual exhaust pipe and, accordingly, a hood intake device characteristic of cars with a supercharger. Its interior is equipped with sports seats with additional side support rollers.

In the US and Australia, mainly sports versions are offered, since the hot climate requires an air conditioner, and less powerful modifications do not allow its full operation.

Security

The Mini Hatch performed pretty well in the Euro NCAP test :

In November 2006, BMW introduced the new second-generation Mini Hatch on an upgraded platform, including many, according to the creators, stylistic and technical changes. The first and probably most important is the use of the Prince engine, developed in conjunction with PSA Peugeot Citroën engineers based on the latest advances in energy-saving technology. Initially, it was included in the package of Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S, since 2007 - and Mini One. At the same time, according to experts of the specialized British magazine Evo, who tested the car, BMW was able to “change everything, leaving everything the same. At the same time, Porsche , for example, has been doing this for 40 years ” ^[7] .

Security

The car passed the Euro NCAP test in 2007:

However, according to the JNCAP technique, the car received only 3+ stars ^[9] :

Interesting Facts

• According to the existing corporate legend, when Frank Stephenson was preparing to submit a full-size model of the future car made of clay to the commission, he realized that he did not equip it with an exhaust pipe. Stephenson took an empty beer can, cut out the top of it, peeled off the paint and put it in the right place. The model was approved, and the cars were launched into serial production in strict accordance with the design decision. Later, the similarity of the exhaust pipe with a beer can was repeatedly noted ^[11] .

The third generation was introduced in November 2013. Sales began in the first half of 2014. The engine range includes three gasoline (1.2 liters. 102 hp, 1.5 liters. 136 hp, 2.0 liters. 192 hp) and two diesel (1.5 liters. 95/116 h.p., 2.0 l. 168 h.p.). In addition to the 3-door hatchback, a 5-door hatchback was also presented, with an increased length and wheelbase.