When the Mini Cooper came to the U.S. a few years ago, it caused as much commotion and excitement as Volkswagen’s Beetle did with its return. The British-born Cooper has been revered since its rally car racing days back in the 1960s. Now built by BMW, the hip and stylish Mini was relaunched worldwide in 2001 with modern underpinnings, and has since amassed a significant, though somewhat cultish following. In 2007, BMW introduced the second generation of the Cooper. And though there were key improvements made, the automaker proved its guile and smarts by barely changing the car’s exterior aesthetics.

For the 2011 model year, fresh exterior styling touches include new front and rear bumpers, larger foglights and new taillights. There are minor cosmetic changes to the interior while underhood, the 1.6-liter four cylinder gets a slight boost in both output and fuel economy. The city mileage was bumped up from 28 to 29 mpg.

The Mini has several model offerings. The hatchback is available in a base and an ‘S’ model plus, a John Cooper Works edition. All three are available as convertibles. Additionally, in 2008 Mini stretched the hatchback nine inches and called it the Clubman, with ‘S’ and John Cooper Works models offered.

Though the Mini Cooper is known for its looks, its place in automotive history, and its now German engineering, it is still ultimately defined by another one of its important characteristics: its teacup-sized dimensions. The Cooper aptly lives up to its Mini name, and is definitively a sub-compact automobile. But this small car came into existence for entirely different reasons than the rest of the sub-compact class. (Unlike the original, it’s not here because rising fuel prices dictated the need for smaller, more efficient cars.) Regardless, it still enjoys many of the same fuel-friendly benefits found with the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, among others.

The EPA numbers speak for themselves. The Cooper, with a six-speed manual transmission, achieves 29 city/37 highway, while the more athletic Cooper S rates at a still impressive 27 city/35 highway. Opt for the six-speed automatic and the standard hatchback serves up 28 city/36 highway, the S delivers 26/34. The John Cooper Works—manual transmission only—is the least fuel efficient with an EPA rating of 28 city/36 highway. But it’s important to know that many Cooper owners will admit that their car’s fuel economy in real world driving leans more heavily in favor of the City Rating, and premium-grade fuel is recommended.

The Mini Cooper is not a hybrid (although there are rumors of a hybrid version in the works). Nonetheless, the 2011 model ranked No. 10 in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s list of greenest cars. Only three hybrids, a CNG car, an electric car, and four small gas-powered cars received higher rankings in ACEEE’s rigorous evaluation of environmental impacts.

Exterior

The Mini Cooper’s quirky styling and British charm are attention grabbers. It is neither a retro nor a heritage design. It’s the new Mini, that’s all. After all, the original was in production for 41 years, and this is just the latest version. The result is a car that barely resembles the Mini Cooper of the 1960s, but it is true to the spirit and look of the original while being fully modern in its execution. In short, it’s the cutest shoebox with four wheels on the planet.

The diminutive size was born out of necessity in the late 1950s when a fuel crisis in Europe created a demand for a small, economical, yet practical car. The brainchild of British car designer Sir Alec Issigonis, the Morris Mini-Minor went on sale in 1959 and established a design blueprint that stands to this day; engine mounted sideways in the front, driving the front wheels that are pushed to the corners.

The front-drive layout provided maximum interior room in a tiny package. With no driveshaft from the engine to the rear wheels, the cabin floor could be flat. Pushing the wheels to the extreme corners made the most of the small dimensions.

From the standpoint of structure and engineering, the Mini Cooper is 100 percent BMW. This little car is built for quality. Just the muted sound produced by shutting the vehicle’s door (usually heard in higher-priced autos) indicates the Cooper’s tight construction and top-notch craftsmanship.

Interior

The cabin is nicely detailed with touches reminiscent of the first Minis. A big round speedometer sets squarely in the middle of the dashboard flanked by other gauges, and a large tachometer is mounted on the steering column, easily seen by the driver. That’s a carry over from the original Mini, suggestive of rally cars where the navigator needs to see most of the instruments from the passenger seat, while the driver monitors the tach so not to blow the engine while going fast. The dash layout declares that engine speed is paramount, road speed is subordinate.

Surprisingly, space is generous for the driver and front seat passenger, thanks in large measure to an abundance of headroom and a wide stance. Standard equipped seats are reasonably comfortable, but optional sport seats provide excellent lateral support for spirited driving.

As for rear seating, it’s possible to shoehorn two adults into this space, but not without cooperation from those up front. Room behind the rear seats is fairly sparse; the 5.4 cubic feet can accommodate four grocery bags. Fold the seats down and there are about 24 cubic feet, more than enough room for luggage for two for a weeklong vacation.

Under The Hood

When the second generation Mini arrived in 2007, a major change was a new 1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine with output of 118 horsepower and 114 pounds-feet of torque in the base hatchback, and 172 horsepower with 177 lbs.-ft. in the turbocharged S. For 2011, all models—hatchback, convertible and Clubman—it’s the same engine with a slight boost in horsepower, 121 hp and 181 respectively. Torque remains the same. A six-speed manual transmission is standard; a six-speed automatic is optional.

For those addicted to a-need-for-speed, John Cooper Works models are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 208 hp at 6,000 rpm and 192 lbs.-ft. of torque from 1,850 to 6,600 rpm. Mini says the engine can briefly raise boost-pressure when accelerating to achieve 207 pounds-feet of torque from 2,000 to 5,100 rpm. A six-speed manual shifter is the only transmission offered.

On The Road

With its quirky, one-of-a-kind looks, nobody should take the Mini too seriously. However, anything it lacks in raw power it makes up in raw fun. Downshift from third to second when entering a tight curve and you’ll be yelling “Whoopee” until the exit. Even with the standard 15-inch tire and wheel package, the grip is tenacious, the cornering limits are high and the body stays almost flat.

Steering is on the heavy side, but delightfully quick. The steering wheel makes just 2.4 turns from extreme right to extreme left, which adds to the car’s athletic handling and feel.

Like all BMWs, the throttle pedal is hinged at the bottom, making first attempts at heel-and-toe downshifts or full-throttle applications slightly cumbersome. But the clutch action is smooth and the shift lever is light and direct, which makes running through the gears a simple task.

Engaging a clutch and shifting gears not your style? The six-speed automatic with manual shifting capability is pretty slick.

Panic braking is accomplished without panicking driver or passengers. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, coupled with BMW’s Cornering Brake Control and Electronic Braking Distribution, halt the 2,500-pound Mini quickly with only the slightest amount of front nosedive.

You can’t have superb handling without a stiff body and a sport-tuned suspension setup. But with that comes a ride that’s bumpy and rough, sometimes harsh. Ironic that what people like about the Mini are characteristics they dislike in other cars.

If you think the 121 horsepower from the standard 1.6-liter engine just isn’t enough, an additional $3,600 will get you the Cooper S model with the turbocharged output of 181 ponies. Or, you can go all out for the John Cooper Works edition for an additional $6,100. Yes, the need-for-speed is expensive, and you’ll probably not see the EPA estimated 25 city/33 highway fuel mileage.

With the regular Mini’s 29 mpg around town and 37 mpg on the highway, scampering over hill and dale is one of the few remaining sources of politically correct automotive fun.

Economics

From a fuel-efficiency standpoint, the sub-compact Mini Cooper is absolutely an economically sound choice. It is very much on par with all of the “econo” sub-compact cars (Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Chevy Cruze, etc.), and even superior to some of them.

But price-wise there is a significant premium—to the tune of anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 more in cost. The bottom line for the base Cooper is $19,400, while the Cooper S starts at $23,000. But the Mini is, after all, a higher-end vehicle than all the other sub-compacts. There really is no direct competition for this vehicle, and probably won’t be until Audi brings its small A1 to the U.S.

The first Mini was the inspiration behind the naming of the famed mini skirt by Sixties fashion designer Mary Quant. BMW has done a marvelous job of capturing the essence of the original car. The current Mini is more about fashion and fun than anything else. Especially fun.

Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of publication and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

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Is it going to be a hybrid 1-series? Will it be a gas-electric Mini? Maybe a hybrid Mini Clubman or even a Mini Countryman crossover SUV with a plug-in hybrid system?

(Actually, the conjecture started in October when BMW made a nearly identical preliminary announcement about the tie-up with PSA.)

It makes for a fun blog post to guess at possibly-could-be-maybe future vehicles, but of course, there’s no real evidence to back up those images in the crystal ball. According to the press release, the new venture, dubbed BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification, vaguely states that the two companies will work on battery packs, generators, power electronics and chargers, and software for hybrid systems—the generic stuff that all hybrids need. Executives offered banal quotes, talking about “competitive advantages” and “cost structures.”

The announcement is more accurately interpreted as a sign of weakness—a fearful response to falling way behind in the hybrid space. In other words, instead of taking a bold step and making an investment, these companies don’t have to really commit to a full R&D budget and time commitment. After all, BMW is not a big company and would find it challenging to pursue the full range of advanced auto technologies all at the same time.

Have We Seen This Before?

BMW played the same card in 2005, when it glommed on to the hybrid technology project with General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler that yielded the two-mode hybrid system. At the time, Burkhard Goschel, BMW’s head of development, said, “The creation of a shared technology platform for hybrid drives will allow us to more quickly integrate the best technologies on the market.”

Six years later, what did this “quick integration” produce? One vehicle: the $90,000 BMW X6 SUV hybrid. How many of those did BMW sell in 2010? Ahem, 248 units. That puts its 2010 hybrid sales at No. 25 out of the 27 hybrids currently on the market. No. 26 was the $104,000 Lexus LS 600h L, followed by BMW’s other hybrid, the $103,000 BMW Hybrid 7 (using a system not developed in the G.M.-Daimler partnership), in dead last place.

As a point of reference, BMW sold 11,727 of its clean diesel vehicles in the U.S. in 2010— 7,925 units of the BMW X5 SUV and 3,892 units of the BMW 335d The company sells more of its diesel SUVs in month than all its hybrids in a year.

Meanwhile, BMW has launched an excellent web documentary series about the future of mobility. The first segment is about cars and the design of cities.

More Hope for EVs

If BMW’s hybrid efforts have been completely lame, at least it’s pure electric program has shown some life. The company has put a lot of effort into the Mini-E and ActiveE test programs—and the electric production model, the Megacity, is slated for 2013. With regard to the “BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification” joint project, it’s more likely to yield components for that promising EV than a mainstream affordable hybrid Mini or 1-Series.

Most of all, the tie-up with PSA is a cost-saving hedge to keep hybrid development slowly moving forward at BMW, just in case regulations or market forces push the company to get serious about hybrids, rather than continuing to issuing press releases every few years about another joint development project.

The post BMW Hedges on Hybrids, Via Partnership with Peugeot appeared first on HybridCars.com.

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All but a handful of cars on the floor of the LA Auto Show, which runs through Nov. 30, have combustion engines—including quite a few diesels—but electric cars are getting their moment in the spotlight at the greenest of US auto shows.

Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both Nissan and French carmaker Renault, gave the keynote address to kick off the show’s media days. After nodding to the severe financial pressures facing all carmakers in the current market slowdown, he reiterated Nissan’s plans to offer an electric vehicle in the US and Japan in 2010 for commercial customers and large fleets, with showroom sales to consumers in 2012. Ghosn envisions as many as seven million pure electric vehicles being sold around the world by 2020—given the necessary investment from auto companies and governments. That figure would represent about 10 percent of the total market.

Ghosn pointed out that Nissan has experimented with lithium ion batteries to power vehicles since 1992, and now owns its own lithium ion battery company, through a joint venture. He envisions a lineup of electric vehicles shared by Nissan and Renault, from a small urban vehicle to a minivan, and even a 4×4 or sport utility. Each of these must be appealing on its own, he stressed, offering every capacity that standard cars do, with zero emissions as “the cherry on the cake.”

An exclusive HybridCars.com interview with Mark Perry, Nissan’s director of product planning. Perry talked about the company’s design approach for electric vehicles, production capacity for batteries, and why all-electric cars are better than plug-in hybrids.

Ghosn also described Nissan’s partnerships with countries, states, and regions willing to share the costs of rolling out public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles—including the State of Oregon, as well as local utility Portland General Electric, which joined such locales as Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan’s Kanagawa Province, and the state of Tennessee. (A day after Ghosn’s keynote, California’s Sonoma County was added to the growing list.)

Ghosn did not reveal details about the design of any electric cars from Nissan, but a few days later, in an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, Mark Perry, Nissan’s director of product planning, confirmed that the company’s electric vehicles will be purpose-built and not based on existing models. “We want to make sure it’s iconic, as something different, unique and futuristic,” said Perry at the San Francisco Auto Show. “But not in a Blade Runner, George Jetson kind of way.”

Excitement about Mini E

The world debut of the all-electric Mini E at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Without a prototype or even a concept drawing of any of its upcoming EVs, Nissan was upstaged in LA by BMW, which showed the Mini E, an electric conversion of BMW’s popular Mini Cooper hatchback. The Mini E made its world debut amidst a crush of reporters and TV cameras. The car offers BMW a way to gather information on how drivers actually use electric vehicles, which it badly needs. The maker of ultimate driving machines has to come up to speed on EVs fast, as other automakers work toward rolling out electric-drive cars to meet increasingly stringent emissions laws in most major markets.

Some 500 Mini Es will be offered to carefully chosen consumers in California, New York, and New Jersey; more than 10,000 drivers have already applied to lease the cars, at $850 a month. The battery pack that replaces the rear seat links together 5,088 small lithium ion batteries (an approach similar to that used for the all-electric Tesla Roadster) for a total capacity of 35 kilowatt-hours. BMW quotes a range of more than 150 miles for the car, and 0-62-mph acceleration times of 8.5 seconds. A 150-kilowatt electric motor drives the front wheels through a single-speed gearbox, replacing the standard Mini’s engine and transmission. Each Mini E is supplied with a 240-Volt charger developed by long-time electric-drive pioneer AC Propulsion.

Judging from the car’s popularity on test drives—it was instantly booked, depriving dozens of disappointed journalists of the chance to drive it, including us—the idea of an electric car with sporty handling, sassy looks, and the backing of a major car company could be a real winner.

Another electric vehicle on display was the much-touted Chevrolet Volt, although its financially challenged parent General Motors had canceled its planned new-vehicle launches and media events. As a result, the Volt sat alone on its turntable within a large area sparsely populated with current GM vehicles.

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Mini offers two engine options. There’s the 120 horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder found in the base Cooper, or the 175 horsepower turbocharged version of the same engine found in the sportier Cooper S. Fuel economy is exactly the same as its smaller cousins, rating 28 city/37 highway for the standard Clubman, and 26 city/34 highway for the turbo-charged model. Consumers now have yet another efficient Mini to consider.

The Clubman is quick, agile, and athletic. Though a little bigger than the Cooper and Cooper S, it drives with the same spirit and sport. It’s ideal for maneuvering in tight spots, as well as darting in and out of traffic with little drama. Inside, the Clubman offers a good bit more cargo room and versatility than the standard size Cooper. It has an overall storage capacity of 33 cubic feet with the split rear seats folded down. Due to its added level of space and comfort, this is probably the Mini to have for tackling long distances. And as far as cabin appearance, the Clubman upholds Mini’s unique blend of new age technology with old world aesthetics.

Creative and cost-efficient, the Clubman received high praise from most auto journalists attending the event. The only shortcoming seems to be a rear seat that is still pretty tight, despite the vehicle’s expanded dimensions. The Clubman starts at a base price of $20,600, and is available at dealer showrooms throughout the country.

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