We Take a Look Back at The BMW Mini. It’s Now a Twenty-Year-Old Icon. The Mini is a car that is known all across the globe. It is a very iconic car, and over five million classic Mini’s were sold during its 41-year lifespan from 1959 to 2000. In 1994, BMW acquired Mini as part of the Rover group. By 1999, BMW had sold the Rover Group to the Phoenix Venture Holdings but they kept the Mini brand.
The reason why BMW kept Mini, was that they had long-term plans for them. Their plan was to re-design the Mini hatchback completely. They wanted it to be a modern retro icon that would be more of a fashion statement, than a car made to get you from a to b. This was a good idea since VW had recently done it with the Beetle and Nissan had previously released a few retro-inspired cars that also sold well.
The new Mini was launched back in 2001, and it was an instant hit. It was still pretty small and very economical, however, it was far more fashionable than the previous Mini. It was made to be an icon and attract a new customer base who cared mostly about style. It was also a lot larger than the original Mini, so it was more practical and the bigger engines meant it was more powerful. The BMW Mini changed the brand forever and brought them back into the 21st century. Since 2001, BMW has invested almost $3 billion into the brand.
However, BMW did keep some of the Mini’s core values. It was fun to drive, there were many color options available and it was somewhat cheap to insure. Build quality was better too thanks to the newer German parts and the cars felt so much more modern with a nicer more luxurious interior. The first generation Mini was codenamed the “R50” and it is one of the most popular generations amongst Mini enthusiasts.
BMW also changed factory locations for the Mini, from Longbridge to a new factory in Oxford. The new Oxford plant would foresee all future Mini hatch models. This new location allowed the brand to start afresh. The BMW Mini was a far different car from the original Mini, and it was important that BMW had a new factory to build it in. The reason why it was so important, is that BMW could easily kit out the factory to the specifications needed to build the car. Previously, the Mini was built on a very generic production line that was full of a variety of cars.
Twenty years on, the BMW Mini has sold over 5 million cars across five different body styles and models. Since 1959, over ten million Mini cars have been built. In 2018, 400,000 BMW Mini cars were sold globally in 110 countries. The Oxford plant employs over 4500 people, and they can produce one new Mini in just 67 seconds. Around 80% of Mini models made in the Oxford plant are exported globally.
Now at 20 years old, we look back at how BMW has revived the Mini. How they have expanded the car brand massively and changed the whole identity of the brand. We look at how they managed to keep the core values of the Mini whilst putting in their own German touch on things. All around the world, everyone knows and loves the Mini. It is a true British icon and we are so happy to see that this little cute car is selling extremely well today.
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It’s Been Through Three Generations Already
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The Original First Generation: The R50/52/53
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The Mini hatch has been through three generations already during these past twenty years. They all look very similar to each other, and it seems every model is more of an evolution of the other rather than a completely new car.
The R50 was the first Mini hatch model. It was released back in late 2000, with sales commencing in 2001. It featured retro looks inside and out as well as an array of new engines. One of the key features of this car (and you’ll remember this very clearly if you owned one) was the large speedometer in the middle of the dashboard. Other cars had boring speedometers placed in front of the driver or just above the center dash. The Mini had this great big speedometer which was impossible to miss. This speedometer was kept throughout the R50/52/53 generation and the R56 generation.
Many people did complain about the big speedometer since it was just so impractical. Then there was the switchgear, which was all very retro indeed. The interior was full of charm and personality, and BMW had taken elements such as the speedometer from the old Mini. It did in some ways feel like a refreshed Mini. All the features enthusiasts loved, brought back to date.
One of the best models of the original first-generation cars was the Cooper S. It was the first-ever hot-hatch that BMW Mini had ever created, and it was codenamed “R53.” The Cooper S was powered by a 1.6 liter inline-4 with a supercharger on board. It was a very weird engine, but it sounded incredible. The Cooper S R53 was one of BMW Mini’s best-selling cars, especially in export markets such as the USA and Australia.
One of the last first-generation models was the John Cooper Works GP (or GP Works). The John Cooper name was from the classic Mini models, and he was the man who tuned original Mini’s to go faster. The GP was a go-kart, and it was an absolute track weapon. It was a 2-seater no messing sports car. By far one of the best ever Mini’s made. This isn’t our opinion, but the opinion of Autoexpress magazine and they have driven a lot of Mini’s over the years.
Second Generation R56/57
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In 2006 the first-generation Mini was replaced by the second-generation car, the R56/57 Mini. It was hardly a change at all really. The lines were a bit sharper in some areas, and the interior was updated and the car as a whole felt more luxurious. BMW invested a lot more into the second generation car since the first generation had succeeded so well.
To make the second-generation car stand out from the crowd a lot more, BMW introduced many styling packs and “limited edition” models for the Mini. Things went so crazy, that soon there were thousands of different specifications you could choose from. You could have a white Mini with red wheels, red decals, red interior accents but a blue roof. It was mad, but this idea of “unlimited” choice paid off. Nowadays, it’s like no two Mini models are the same.
The supercharged engine in the “S” model was sadly dropped. In its place was a turbocharged inline-4 unit with more power. There was also a new diesel hot-hatch called the Cooper SD and that was powered by a 2.0 BMW diesel unit. The John Cooper works models also got the turbocharged petrol unit.
In 2011, BMW spun off a little and made the Mini Coupe and Roadster. These were based on the hatch but they were made to be a little more stylish and sporty. In all honesty, they were completely pointless since they were nowhere near as good-looking as the Mini hatch or as practical. These models were killed off in 2015.
The Mini quickly became one of the best cars for the big city. It was super stylish, luxurious, fast, and small. There are many cheaper cars that are just as small, more practical, or cheaper than the Mini. Cars like the Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Aveo, the Nissan Versa, etc. However, one thing these cars do not have in comparison to the Mini is style.
The Mini can fit in and look good when parked up in expensive areas. It’s a stylish car that is a fashion icon. It’s the car you would expect a Hollywood celebrity to drive. The only other car that can really compare is the Fiat 500.
The trouble is with this generation, was reliability. The appearance of more BMW parts made this car far less reliable and more costly to repair. BMW’s at the time were also facing a reliability crisis with many cars having electrical faults. Consumer Report actually stated that these cars have a checkered past when it comes to reliability. The re-design of this car in around 2011, and things weren’t much improved. It did though top its class of best small cars.
There was also a GP version of the R56/57 Mini. That was powered by the same engine, just with more power and less weight. It was again a go-kart on the track, and only 2000 units were made. It was far more advanced than the previous R53 GP, as it featured lighter materials, better suspension, and better brakes. It did follow the same paint code though since all 2000 cars were produced in grey with red accents. Much like the original GP then. It was also a two-seater only.
The Current Generation: F55/56/57
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In 2013, that was replaced by the F55/56/57 third-generation Mini. Here there was a noticeable change. It was bigger in every single way, and for the first time in history, there was a 5 door version of the Mini hatch.
The engines were all BMW made, and the convertible model would be made in the Netherlands. Some cars were also produced in Indonesia. BMW invested even more into the Mini making it even wilder. There was more specifications, more choice. More engines and for once, a production electric model.
The Mini had become even more luxurious and expensive. It was still terribly impractical but the buyers didn’t seem to care. The third-generation car quickly became very popular, especially in convertible format. These cars are very common in areas such as Los Angeles since they’re small. easy to park, economical, and very fun. The interior had also changed hugely too. Gone went the big speedometer and things became so much more organized.
The biggest addition to the interior was the 6.5-inch screen and the dial which controlled it on the center console. This was exactly the same layout as the same system used in BMW models, and it was very easy to use. The whole car just became so much more convenient, and the automatic gearbox was also a lot better too since it was now a faster, more precise BMW gearbox.
The Cooper S was soon launched too and that was fitted with a 2.0 turbocharged unit from the BMW 20i models. It’s a very good engine and it made the car feel so much more alive. This was definitely needed, since the Cooper S faced tough competition from Ford, Peugeot, Fiat, Vauxhall, and Renault. The John Cooper Works also got the same engine, whilst the diesel version got a 2.0 unit from the BMW 320d.
A few years later into production, they gave the car a little update. The front and rear lights were changed and this is where things get smart. The rear lights were styled as a Union Jack, and it just looked awesome. They were far different from any other rear light on the market and it really freshened the car up nicely. With the Mini, it’s the little things that make all the difference. These light designs were actually seen on the 2014 Mini Superleggera concept car.
The best model though was the GP. It was powered by a 306hp 332lb-ft of torque 2.0 turbo inline-4 that could send it to 60 in just over 5 seconds. It also assisted this car in doing a Nurburgring time of 7:56:69, which is insane. This was by far the most hardcore Mini, as it featured body elements made from lightweight pressed carbon and they couldn’t fit a manual into the car because it could not withstand the power made by the engine.
It was an extreme car, and only 3000 were made in any single color so long as it was grey. The GP started at over $44,000 though, which made it the most expensive Mini ever.
About a year later, the Mini electric came along. This was the first-ever production electric Mini, and it’s also one of the cheapest electric cars on sale today. It has a range of around 110 miles, 181hp, and a 0-60 of just over 7 seconds. That car is an ideal city car since it is zero emissions and it is pretty small.
Mini is set to launch a facelift version of this car very soon. It doesn’t look as good in my opinion, but it will feature more technology and design specifications. It looks like a sad dog, and the grille looks too large. It also looks far bigger than it actually is which is again a huge shame. I can see enthusiasts complaining about this one. It is no surprise though since BMW right now is absolutely off it with their car designs.
The Mini Family has Become Bigger and Bigger
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The Mini family has become bigger and bigger. it’s now five cars with the Countryman, the Clubman, the hatch, the convertible, and the five-door Mini. There were previously the Paceman and the Coupe/Roadster models. Those cars were pointless and it’s a good thing they’ve been dropped.
The first of these cars was the Clubman, codenamed “R55.” The R55 Clubman featured two rear stable doors, two front passenger doors, and a little door flap on the passenger side for rear passengers. It was a really weird car, but it reminisced the old Clubman Mini, which also featured rear stable doors. It was a very impractical car indeed, but Mini did redesign the car for the second-generation F54 model. This time, it did feature proper rear doors which made it very practical. This was another car made in the Oxford plant.
Then there was the Countryman, which was a controversial car. It’s a great little crossover, but the issue is that it’s not very “Mini” at all. It’s very spacious indeed and also quite comfortable. It is the ideal Mini for families.
The Countryman was launched back in 2010, and it was known as the “R60” generation. It was a big seller in countries such as the USA and Australia. There were front-wheel and AWD models available, and not one of these cars was made in Britain. Most of them were made in Austria at the Magna Steyr factory.
The second-generation Clubman was released in 2016, and it was codenamed the F60. It was similarly sized to the last one but there were visible differences. It looked a lot more modern and the doors looked. There was also a hybrid model which was the first-ever production Mini hybrid. Many Mini enthusiasts hugely dislike this car due to its dimensions and looks. It was, however, based on the same platform as the BMW X1 and X2 so handling isn’t too bad for a. car this size.
One of the cars to spawn from the Clubman was the Paceman. This is probably the worst Mini ever created and thankfully, it’s not made anymore. The Paceman was properly ugly and it was completely useless. It just looked like a fat Mini hatch and it wasn’t very fast either. Top Gear’s Richard Hammond mocked it when launched, saying it looked like a sad dog. We agree with him wholly, and thankfully it sold so badly. Mini would never ever make a car like this again which is great news for all of us.
The Mini brand is growing and growing every year. I suspect one day, all of their lineups will be electric. It makes sense too, as it will make them better city cars since they will produce zero carbons. This is what Smart and Fiat have done with the 500, so it only seems right Mini does it too.
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