magazine India 02/2012
Glamour
on the Indian driveway
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Lead Story The legend – MINI – finally arrives in India
Speed MINI made a striking comeback on the rallying circuit
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flashback George Harrison’s love affair with the splendid MINI
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trivia A pop quiz on MINI
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n the occasion of 11th Auto-EXPO, BMW the German premium luxury brand after having sweet taste of success now brought in its British siblings into India. This cute little mean-machine will be available through 3 dealerships (2 in Delhi and 1 in Mumbai), as of in this year. To drive Minis out of those dealerships, you need to pay Rs. 24.9 to 31.99 lakhs (all prices ex-Showroom Delhi). To begin with BMW has chosen four of its models viz: • Mini Cooper: a premium hatchback • Mini Cooper S: with S meaning Sports • Mini Cooper Convertible: an open top hatch • Mini Cooper S Countryman: an SUV We will quickly see what is in there for us all the Minis: • Mini Cooper (Rs. 24.9 lakhs ): It’s a premium hatchback and starting point
of Mini range. It has 1.6 liter petrol engine producing 122 BHP (90kW) @ 6,000 rpm with torque figure 160Nm @ 4,250 rpm. With all these power it can take you to 197 Kmph and that speed can be reached quite easily as it can clock 0-100km/h in just 10.4 seconds. There two cars available in India which can be considered as competitors. Those are VW Beetle and Fiat 500. There is large difference in price of Fiat 500 and Mini. We have to keep in mind that all these cars are Legends representing countries i.e. Mini stands for Briton Beetle stands for Germany and 500 standing for Italy. Few more cars coming in which may
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stand against Mini are Audi A1 and Mercedes A-Class. • Mini Cooper S (Rs. 27.9 lakhs ): As we can guess, here “S” stands for sports. This mini gets 1.6 litre petrol unit which producing whopping 172 BHP. That means more than “100 BHP/Liter” and that very impressive. It also gets all black interior which are customizable of course. • Mini Cooper Convertible : (Rs. 29.99 lakhs ) : If you want to feel the breeze in your hair and go on long journey under the open sky then this is the Mini for you. It is convertible version
of Mini Cooper with Soft top. • Mini Cooper Countryman (Rs. 31.99 lakhs): While all three above being cute little hatches. This one is big and muscular cross over SUV. It shares the engine with Cooper but enjoys the benefit of ‘Can-GoAnywhere’ attitude. It has higher ground clearance and optional all wheel drive to support its attitude. Are you ready to own this legend? Take my words Mini is completely in different league and you will enjoy and feel satisfied for owning one. Time to visit the dealer now and become a proud owner. Source:motorbeam.com
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Lead Story
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A fun drive that offers serious driver involvement the mini cooper
Will the Mini bring a smile to the spirited driver’s face? A review. The Mini is finally coming to India. However, we have been living with its legacy ever since the first Maruti 800. Most small cars even today are front-wheel-drive with transversely mounted, water-cooled engines, a configuration popularised by the first Mini designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959. This configuration enabled the car to achieve truly micro-car exterior dimensions along with a surprising amount of usable space inside. The car was affordable, stylish, fun to drive and easy to park anywhere. It quickly achieved cult status across the world. Now that it’s being launched in India, I managed a quick drive in a couple of Minis around Oxford, where the assembly plant is located, to give you a first impression of what to expect. The model we are getting in India is the Mini Cooper that will be available in two body styles, a hatch and a convertible, and with a choice of 1598cc petrol and diesel motors. Slam the doors shut and they close with a solid thump. The cabin is dominated by a centrally mounted
speedometer that is a nod to the original Mini, but the controls can be frustrating to operate and seem to value form over function. Though this car celebrates British micro-car heritage, it is precise German engineering and construction underneath. The 122bhp petrol motor provides enough of a kick for most folks. But it isn’t the muscle under its hood that’s the Mini’s selling point. It’s the car’s agility. The steering is accurate and nicely weighted. The shift is precise and light. Body control is excellent and it changes direction keenly. Even the pedals bleed precision. Point it toward a serpentine road and you will be amply rewarded. It’s like a go-kart for adults. Now if you want even more style, get the convertible with the retractable roof. It’s not a hard-top but rather a conventional cloth unit, and it’s a clever little arrangement. Press the switch and the roof slides back 45cm to give a large sunrooflike opening. Press the switch again and the ‘Z-roof ’ unlatches and scissors up and back to fold neatly behind the rear seats in 15 seconds. The downside is that rear visibility with the top down is very poor since it stacks
up rather high. With the top up, it’s even worse. The other Mini that’s going to be landing on Indian shores is the Countryman. At over four meters it’s over a foot longer than the regular Mini. The Countryman is also the first Mini to get two doors on each side of its body. What the Countryman does that the Cooper doesn’t is provide a decent amount of passenger space. Though it is not as brisk as the Cooper, it will cruise happily in the fast lane all day. Despite being bit slower and less nimble, many of the Countryman’s traits are unchanged from its smaller sibling. Now comes the most important part — the price. Mini has priced the Cooper hatchback at Rs 24.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 184bhp Mini Cooper S has been priced at Rs 27.9 lakh. The third model in Mini’s India lineup is the Cooper Convertible, priced at Rs 29.99 lakh. Also on sale is the Cooper S Countryman, it costs Rs 31.99 lakh. Will the Mini be able to buck the trend and carve out a niche as a premium hot hatch? Source: autocarindia.com
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INI is one of rallying’s most iconic and celebrated names. While its success on the stages was achieved before the advent of the World Rally Championship in 1973, the make’s giant-killing exploits in the 1960s on events such as the Monte Carlo Rally is the stuff legends are made of. Returning to the sport after an absence of almost 50 years, the Prodrive-built John Cooper Works WRCs, complete with their BMW Motorsport 1.6-litre turbo engines, were undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 2011 season and sent shockwaves through the sport when they broke cover on Rally Italia last May. Kris Meeke was third fastest on only
the car’s second ever stage in the WRC and the performances got better and better as the season progressed, with Dani Sordo finishing third on Rallye Deutschland in August and then falling just 6.3 seconds short of victory on Rallye de France Alsace two months later. MINI is again likely to tackle a partial programme of events this year under the guidance of a new team principal Dave Wilcock, as it prepares for a full title bid in 2013. However, unlike last season it will be eligible for manufacturers’ championship points. The experienced Sordo is set to be an ever-present in the team’s driver line-up alongside a series of guest pilots. Meeke’s schedule is dependent on additional sponsorship being found.
Fast Facts Based: Banbury, UK Established: 2011 Team Principal: Dave Wilcock Current Car: MINI John Cooper Works WRC Driver: Pierre Campana, Kris Meeke, Patrik Sandell, Dani Sordo Website: www.minimotorsport.com
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Flashback
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GEORGE HARRISON The psychedelic Mini Cooper
Spend time the locals to their beautiful way of living
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eorge Harrison (1943-2001) owned the Mini that featured in 'Magical Mystery Tour'. The Mini, an Austin Cooper 'S', LGF 695D, was built for George Harrison by Harold Radford (Coachbuilder) Ltd in late 1965 and painted in Metallic Black. In early 1967, the car was repainted and the psychedelic pictures were added using a book, Tantrum Art, for inspiration. At the same time Harrison also had the wall of his house painted in the same style that did not go well with his neighbours... The Mini was used in the film 'Magical Mystery Tour', which was screened by the BBC on the 26th December 1967 in black and white, then again in colour in January 1968. Shortly after the film the Mini was given to Eric Clapton from whom Harrison got it back in the 1970's. Mike (of Radford/Mini de Ville Register) sent a letter to George Harrison about his Minis and he got a reply saying he could not provide him with any information though a few months later, in June 1998, the Mini appeared at the 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' and was still owned by George. Recently, the Mini turned up at the 2008 Chelsea Flower Show as an exhibit (part of a 'George Harrison Garden'). In 2009, it also featured shortly in a BMW-ad with Olivia Harrison. The Mini with George in one of the pictures is GUU 707C, which is a 850 Mini. George had a number of 850 Minis another one was KMT 449C that he brought from Epstein's company and part exchanged a mini for it
(I think it was GUU 707C) he also brought an Aston Martin at the same time (reg number KMT 499C). George on Magical Mystery Tour: "I remember quite a bit of it, really, in the big hangar down in Kent. We were driving around this air field in the Mini Cooper, your mother should know. That was quite interesting, I quite enjoyed that..." He remembered:"after the drive around in the rain each of us was put in a Mini with our name on. John, Paul George, Jimmy individually, in huge Dayglo paint. They were advertising the British Motor Corporation. These cars were Minis, together with an Austin Princess with 'Beatles' right along the side in Dayglo" - 11th June 1964, Australia. The story Mike (Radford/Mini de Ville Register) was told some years ago was that the Mini had been stripped ready for painting but no one had taken photos of the paintings. The chap who had painted them wanted silly money to redo them, the car was said at this time to have belonged to Harrison's brother. Some years later the paintings were done by someone else using old photos and the film for reference. George, John, Cynthia, and Patti had their first LSD trip while driving LGF 695D (they were leaving the home of a dentist friend that had slipped it into their tea). George recalls driving very slowly because they did not know what was happening to them (this is from the Beatles Anthology series). Thanks to Mike Weaver. Source: minispace.co.uk 19
Trivia
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Pop Quiz How well do you know your MINI, let’s find out
1. In which year was Mini launched? a. 1949 b. 1959 c. 1969 d. 1979 2. What was the main reason behing designing Mini? a. Less Pollution b. Less Labour c. Lower Fuel consumption d. Lower Cost 3.The designer of Mini was Sir Alec Issigonis. a. True b. False 4. Who was the main man behind giving the idea of developing a performance car called Mini Cooper? a. Alec Issigonis b. John Cooper c. Lee Cooper d. Alex Tudor
5. Which of the following versions of Mini Cooper was launched in 1961? a. Austin Mini Cooper b. Morris Mini Cooper c. Mini Cooper S d. Both a and b 6. Minis were initially placed first, second and third in the 1966 rally as well, but were disqualified after a controversial decision by the French judges. a. True b. False 7. What is the registration of the first Morris Mini ? a. 123 OKA b. 231 KAO c. 621 AOK d. 621 AKO