German automaker BMW is the owner of the MINI Cooper brand. At the Hams Hall Plant near Birmingham, all four-cylinder petrol engines for BMW and Mini Cooper are currently produced in the United Kingdom. At BMW’s Plant Steyr in Austria, diesel MINI engines are produced.
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Mini (marque) (marque)
British automaker Mini (stylized as MINI) was established in 1969. Since 2000, German automaker BMW has bought Mini and has used it to brand a variety of tiny vehicles that are built in the UK, Austria, and the Netherlands. Since 1959, the word “Mini” has been used in the model names of cars. In 1969, the name “Mini” superseded the distinct “Austin Mini” and “Morris Mini” automobile model names, making it a marque in its own right. When BMW purchased Rover Group (formerly British Leyland), which owns Mini among other brands, in 1994, it also acquired the marque.
British Motor Corporation (BMC), which joined British Motor Holdings in 1966, produced a line of compact cars known as the original Mini. In 1968, this joined forces with Leyland Motors to establish British Leyland. British Leyland was divided up in the 1980s, and British Aerospace bought Rover Group, which included Mini, in 1988. Morris Mini-Minor, Austin Seven, Countryman, Moke, 1275GT, and Clubman were all Mini models. Due to a collaboration with racing icon John Cooper, performance versions of these cars bore the name Cooper. Up until 2000, the original Mini was still being produced.
BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994, and when it was split up in 2000, it kept the Mini name.
A brand-new Mini model was introduced by BMW in 2001 after the modern Mini’s development got under way in 1995. The current Mini lineup consists of the three-door hatchback Hardtop/Hatch/Convertible, estate Clubman, five-door crossover Countryman, coupe/roadster, and paceman (three-door crossover based on the Countryman).
The BMW Plant Oxford in Cowley, England is where the Mini Hatch/Hardtop, Clubman, Coupe, and Roadster are put together. In addition to the Oxford facility, VDL Nedcar in Born, the Netherlands, also houses the assembly of the Mini Hatch/Hardtop and Countryman. Up until 2016, Magna Steyr in Austria built the Paceman. 2012 saw the sale of 301,526 Mini cars globally. Mini automobiles have participated in rallies, and in 1964, 1965, and 1967, the Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally three times. Since 2011, Mini has competed in the World Rally Championship with the Prodrive WRC Team.
What BMW engine does the Mini have?
BMW debuted the third-generation Mini in November 2013, and sales began in the first half of 2014. The new vehicle is 28 mm larger in wheelbase, 44 mm wider in front and 34 mm wider in the rear than the current model, measuring 98 mm longer, 44 mm wider, and 7 mm taller (rear). The bigger interior and 211-liter boot are the results of the size increase.
For this Mini, there are six brand-new engines available, four petrol and two diesel. There are two models of a 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol with either 75 PS or 102 PS, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol with 136 PS, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with 192 PS for the Cooper S, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesel with two levels of power output (95 PS and 116 PS for the Cooper D), and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel (Cooper SD). These motors can be coupled with a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, or 6-speed sports automatic transmission.
The MINI 5-door is a brand-new vehicle that MINI has just announced (known as the 4-door in US, model code F55). It is advertised as the new third generation Hatch’s 5-door variant. Similar in terms of performance and having more interior and storage space than the 3-door MINI Hatch variants, the MINI 5-door’s base model is 6 in (152 mm) longer and 190 lb (86.2 kg) heavier.
The 1.5L 3-cylinder Mini will go from 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in 7.3 seconds with an automatic transmission, and the 2.0L 4-cylinder Mini will do it in 6.4 seconds.
In 2015, the Cooper S was quickly joined by the more effective John Cooper Works model.
All models, with the exception of the Cooper SD and JCW, were equipped with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission in 2018, replacing the Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) and 6-speed Steptronic torque-converter. These modifications enable marginally greater performance, better emissions test results in the WLTP cycle, and enhanced efficiency.
The Mini Electric (also known as Cooper SE), a battery-electric variant, was introduced in 2020.
Are the engines in BMW and MINI the same?
Who makes engines for Mini Coopers? German automaker BMW is the owner of the MINI Cooper brand. At the Hams Hall Plant near Birmingham, all four-cylinder petrol engines for BMW and Mini Cooper are currently produced in the United Kingdom. Austrian BMW Plant Steyr produces diesel MINI engines.
Do BMW and MINI share parts?
Additionally, because many modern MINIs now feature a significant amount of technology and interior components from BMW, MINI consumers can easily upgrade to a BMW.
Does the MINI Countryman’s engine come from BMW?
The 1.5-liter gasoline engine and electric motor in the Countryman Plug-In Hybrid are identical to those in the hybrid BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. Together, the combination produces 217 horsepower, enough to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds, outpacing the standard Cooper S. Its four-wheel drive contributes significantly to its quick acceleration, but unlike other ALL4 vehicles, it powers the front wheels with a gasoline engine while the back wheels are handled by an electric motor.
The Plug-In Hybrid is essentially a rear-wheel-drive car when in all-electric mode; the 87bhp electric motor can propel you to 78mph alone. However, you hardly notice the difference. You never feel like you’re running out of power in metropolitan areas where such automobiles shine because to the remarkable top speed when powered by electricity. In fact, power is so abundant when traveling under 40 mph that the petrol engine needs to be jolted awake with an extremely forceful pedal push.
Up to 60 mph, the all-electric performance feels sporty, but after that, you really need the gasoline engine to keep going. Unfortunately, the batteries and electric motor become heavy, fuel-guzzlers unnecessary luggage once the all-electric range is exhausted or when driving on roads that the hybrid mode isn’t designed for.
Are MINIs essentially BMWs?
Since 2000, BMW Group has owned MINI, yet the company was originally a British one.
The Austin Mini and Morris Mini, which were virtually the same automobile but were sold under different names owned by British Leyland, were the first vehicles to bear the model designation MINI. With the fusion of the Austin and Morris models under one brand in 1969, Mini became its own entity.
BL, now known as Rover Group, even introduced an updated model of the aging hatch in 1996; it was produced until 2000. MINI manufacture continued for a very long time. In the meantime, BMW, which had acquired the brand from Rover Group in 1996, began working on a new design that was unveiled for the 2001 model year.
Today, the BMW Group still controls the MINI brand. In addition to the traditional two-door hatchback, the MINI model lineup now also includes a convertible, a five-door, the Countryman crossover, and the Clubman wagon. At the BMW corporate headquarters in Munich, Germany, MINI research and development is conducted.
When did the Mini Cooper receive a BMW engine?
The 2006 Mini was equipped with a new generation of engines that BMW and Peugeot jointly developed. They took the place of the Chrysler-provided older 1.6-liter units. They were paired with a conventional 5- or 6-speed manual transmission depending on the engine variant.
What factory makes MINI engines?
The primary manufacturing facility for Mini body pressings and sub-assemblies is Plant Swindon.
The primary assembly facility for the Mini line is Plant Oxford in Cowley, Oxford, England.
Prior to BMW’s ownership, the classic Mini was produced in the Longbridge plant, which was close to the Rover corporate offices, until BMW sold the business in March 2000.
The Longbridge facility was a part of the sale contract when BMW sold Rover to Phoenix Venture Holdings.
Before BMW broke the firm up, Longbridge was the “natural home” for the new Mini since production was eventually streamlined to simply Longbridge, where the final cars were built. However, following the change in ownership, BMW completely renovated the Cowley facility, demolishing much of the building to build a new factory that it christened “Plant Oxford,” on the site of the former Pressed Steel Company Cowley Body Plant and right adjacent to the former Morris factory.
The “Mini Manufacture Triangle” was established in 2006 when Plant Hams Hall began producing the new Mini petrol engines, Plant Oxford took over the production, painting, and assembly of the body shells, and Plant Swindon handled the production of body pressings and sub-assemblies. According to Mini, 60% of the Mini Mk II’s components originate from UK-based sources, up from 40% for the 2001 model. The Countryman is the first modern Mini built outside of the UK, and Magna Steyr in Austria won the bid.
At Plant Oxford, up to 800 automobiles are made each day by 4,000 workers, or “associates” (approximately 240,000 per year). The 429 robots at the bodyshop at Cowley put together the 425 body panels before the bodyshells were transported to the nearby paint shop, where paint robots painted the exteriors in the 14 available colors and, optionally, the contrasting roof colors. At Cowley, final assembly is carried out, requiring the fitting of 2,400 components to create the many possible versions that may be requested.
At the Hams Hall Plant near Birmingham, United Kingdom, which employs about 800 people, all Prince four-cylinder petrol engines for Mini and BMW are made. After being made in France and England by PSA, diesel engines are now made by BMW’s Plant Steyr in Austria.
The business in Swindon, where 1,000 people work and 280 pressed pieces are made using 135 welding robots, supplies mini sub-assemblies and pressings like doors. The Pressed Steel Company established the Swindon plant as Swindon Pressings Ltd. in 1955. In May 2000, the BMW Group acquired the entire company, making it a completely owned subsidiary.
In the UK, BMW’s Development Division largely works on Mini development.
Three overseas locations were added to the Countryman’s manufacturing line in 2013: from April 2013, BMW’s facility close to Chennai, India; from June 2013, the BMW Group Malaysia Assembly Plant in Kulim, Kedah; and from August 2013, the BMW Manufacturing Thailand plant in Rayong. Since 2014, automobiles have also been contractually constructed by VDL Nedcar in Limburg, close to Maastricht.
A 2008 Mini Cooper S’s engine is produced by whom?
In collaboration with Peugeot, BMW developed a fully new engine to satisfy European environmental and fuel-economy standards. In the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S, it generates about the same amount of horsepower as before: 118.
Which engines are used in MINIs?
There are now three petrol engines to choose from in place of the 101bhp 1.5-litre MINI One: the Cooper receives a 134bhp version of the same engine, the Cooper S has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 176bhp, and the JCW model, also a 2.0-litre, is given an additional 228bhp.
If you do manage to find a used MINI One, you’ll find it to be very sluggish; in fact, its 0-62 mph sprint time is 10.3 seconds, which is somewhat slower than the old 1.2-litre model (10.6 seconds in the five-door).
But the Cooper’s 1.5-liter gasoline engine really shines. It is quite powerful at low revs, producing 134 bhp and 220 nm of torque at just 1,480 rpm, but the magic happens at the top of the rev range. It has a raspy sound and tremendous pulling power, reaching 62 mph in 8.0 seconds or 8.3 seconds in the five-door model due to its larger size.
Due to its four-cylinder design, the Cooper S engine may lose part of its attractiveness, but it is still incredibly fast, reaching 62 mph in 6.8 or 6.9 seconds (3dr/5dr) and emitting a more ferocious tone from its twin center exhaust pipes. A highly tuned version of the Cooper S engine, the JCW engine suddenly starts to rip-roar, racing up the rpm range while popping and cracking the entire time.