1988, Mr. Mo, an outstanding contemporary automobile designer, passed away. But his Mini worked miracles. The wheels of this car are only 25.4 cm, and the backward iron engine is much less powerful than other cars. How can you leave Porsche, Regal and Ford behind in the competition? The secret of Mini comes from technical advantages: ingenious center of gravity distribution, suitable wheelbase and track. Due to the dull appearance, many people tried to change this car into a "modern style" and improve its original design, but the results were unsuccessful. This is because Issigonis has carefully considered the design of mini-cars from the very beginning, which is self-contained.
But it is precisely because of its plain and lovely appearance and excellent performance that it has won the favor and love of many people and become a private car of all grades. First of all, people who fall in love with mini-cars are some middle-class fashionistas in London and Europe. Many celebrities use it as a toy to drive around the city. At the same time, this cheap and economical car has become the private car of many ordinary people.
The name Mini has even become a word in people's lives, and it has become synonymous with micro and pocket. Chinese transliteration "mini" is used in many commodities, such as miniskirts and mini speakers, but many people don't know that "mini" comes from the name of a car. This is also the only car name in the world that is used as a noun in life.
Mini used to belong to Rover Motor Company. In 2000, Rover's Mini operation right will be handed over to BMW. After adjustment, at present, Mini only keeps two models: 1.3 liter and Cooper, and is equipped with negative airbag devices for driving. In its 40-year career, it has produced more than 5.4 million cars, making it the best single-brand car sales record in Britain.
The old MINI was born in Britain, representing the imprint of social and historical changes in the 1960s. It is exquisite, interesting, inspiring and free, and it is one of the symbols of Britain in the 1960s. 1994, German BMW Group took over from its original manufacturer Rover, and devoted itself to the improvement of mini-cars. The birth of the brand-new MINI represents high-tech content, high-level production technology, outstanding product functions and strong brand image. Although there will be three versions of the new MINI, the specifications of the engine are the same, all of which are 1.6 liter and 4 cylinders. With the MINI COOPER entering the China market, we have the opportunity to experience this classic car with a legendary history of 40 years and a high reputation in the world.
Appearance:
MINI's design is simple and powerful, and the classical color and fashion sense are preserved in her. The big and round headlights confirm the pure blood and style of her MINI family. All MINI models are double doors, and the maximum opening angle of the door can reach 80 degrees, which is convenient for entering and leaving the door and rear seats. The short and compact body, flat roof and weird taillights make it look very streamlined and dexterous. The front cover is made of a single metal plate and extends to the wheel arch, which is a masterpiece of design and engineering. The integrated design of headlights and hood is not only eye-catching and unique, but also shows a highly accurate production and assembly process. The MINI waistline on the side slowly rises backwards, showing a dynamic sideways, which obviously reflects the performance orientation of the car. The inclination angle of the front and rear windshields is designed to be very small, and the side window glass has almost no curvature. The skylight is so big that it almost covers the whole roof. The door is designed without a frame. In order to protect the glass and relieve the discomfort of passengers' ears when closing the door, the side window glass will automatically drop a little when opening the door and automatically rise after closing the door. The quaint chrome-plated door handle will make people feel nostalgic when held.
Interior:
Walking into the driver's seat, an eye-catching white round dial is very eye-catching, located in the center of the instrument panel, which can electronically display information such as vehicle speed, fuel quantity, coolant and other functional status. This layout has been a typical feature of MINI since 1968. Under this concept, the control keys and comfortable function knobs of the new MINI are surrounded around, and various functions and displays in the car are displayed with comfortable orange lights. There are six small bar switches under the console, which are inherited from the original MINI. These switches are spring buttons, which will automatically spring back to their original state after use.
Power:
The test drive is a manual transmission. If you want to drive conveniently and smoothly, you can choose automatic transmission. If you want MINI to be more sporty, you can use the six-speed semi-automatic function. Its 1.6 liter displacement engine can output the maximum power of 85 kW/1 15 HP. It can accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in10 second, and to 160km/h in more than 20 seconds, and the top speed can reach more than 200 km/h. In the linear accelerator test, the first gear can easily drag the car to 70km/h by hand, and the peak torque is already at 3000rpm. Downgrading to the third gear means overtaking and merging, full of power, just like a wild horse that has lost its rein, which is not easy for a car with a displacement of1.6L. ..
Operation:
Many people are familiar with BMW's slogan, "Happy driving". This is a description of all BMW cars. The core concept of BMW is "fun", from appearance design to vehicle performance to design positioning of every technical detail. Although MINI is the most petite car in BMW, its power, smooth control, precision and sensitivity, and dynamic stability are still outstanding. The new MINI has the maneuverability of the previous generation MINI similar to that of a small racing car, and it is more balanced and comfortable to drive. When winding around the pile at a speed of 50 km/h, the four wheels are tightly attached to the ground, making the tires creak and creak, but the body just doesn't slip. Holding the steering wheel, the tire tracking feeling is excellent, which makes the driver very confident and does not regard her as a car with a displacement of 1.6 at all. MINI front suspension adopts single pin sliding column swing arm structure, and rear suspension adopts multi-link design. The front drive shaft with equal length ensures the balance of front wheel drive and steering response during cornering, acceleration and braking. MINI equipped with all-weather anti-skid stability control system+tracking device (ASC+T) and dynamic stability control system (DSC) is more easily associated with a small family car with racing performance.
Mini file
Sir Alec Esgoni, the original designer of 1957 MINI? Alec Issigonis started designing mini.
○ 1958 the first MINI prototype was born.
○ 1959 MINI went on the market. Set the price at 500 marks.
○ 196 1 MINI became famous? There is a "mini whirlwind" blowing around the world! Mini Cooper 997 is out.
○ 1963 MINI won the alpine rally.
○1965-year-mini! A fashion designer in London, inspired by MINI, designed a mini skirt that is popular all over the world.
○ 1967 Mini Mock? Jeep-style became the designated car for the TV series Prisoner and won the Monte Carlo championship for the third time.
○ 1994 BMW group acquired rover group, mini, land rover, rover and MG, and officially became a member of BMW group.
○ 1995 MINI was voted as the "car of the century" in Europe by Autocar.
○ 1997 The new MINI concept car made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
○ 1998 MINI beat Jaguar, Bentley, Aston, Martin and Triumph, becoming the most successful British car in Guinness World Records.
○ 1999 To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the launch of MINI, 25 MINI fans in new york crowded into a MINI car at the same time, breaking the record. At the same time, MINI was chosen as the century car of Europe.
○ In September 2000, the new MINI appeared at the Montero Auto Show, and the old MINI was discontinued. * * * A total of 5,387,862 MINI were produced.
Automobile review
The appearance of the brand-new MINI Cooper has not changed much. Large and round headlights and unique flat top and short tail design inherit the style of MINI family. This petite and unique appearance has become the signature image of MINI. I believe that no matter how to upgrade and change models, the factory will not be willing to "reinvent itself". MINICooper's color matching is very rich. You can choose the same color as the body and roof, or you can choose a different color from the body and roof. In this test run, BMW provided two MINI Cooper, a blue body and a roof, for the test run around the pile; The other car has a red body and a white roof, which is used for field test.
The engine power is a little low.
MINI Cooper adopts front-engine front-wheel drive, and four-cylinder 16 valve engine displacement 1.6L Although the body is light, if you want to pursue sports passion, the power is still a little insufficient. 0- 100 km/h acceleration time 9.2s Although the result is good, the explosive force is not obvious.
Flexible control and good stability can give drivers full confidence.
MINI Cooper is equipped with four-wheel independent sports car suspension system and rear axle multi-link suspension system, which provides excellent road handling. In addition, the design of long wheelbase, low center of gravity, wide wheels and short tail makes this car extremely active in both pile winding and field testing, and there is no stage fright in front of BMW 5 Series and 7 Series.
MINI Cooper's 195/55 R 16+06 tires provide good grip when running around the pile, and the left penetration and right insertion always give the driver enough confidence. In addition, the hard suspension system of the sports car can control the roll well, and with the smart body, it is easier to catch the car when winding the pile, and the speed can be kept at about 60 km/h, and there will be no tire rattling. MINI Cooper adopts electro-hydraulic direct power steering, which has high speed sinking, low speed and light control, but the road feeling around the pile is not clear enough and the wheel control is not direct enough.
We chose F3 track for site testing, and MINI Cooper's performance on the track was also remarkable. Although the F3 track is not long, there are many corners, which can test the performance of the car in all directions. After the start, it is a straight road of about 300m m m. Although MINI Cooper can't bring a strong feeling of pushing back, it can easily increase the speed to above 100km/h/h, and then cut the corner in one go, followed by a "turn back", brake with one foot, slow down and accelerate the turn, and then make a continuous "S" turn. On the whole, MINI Cooper's performance on detours is quite steady and excellent. In contrast, straight acceleration and curve acceleration are slightly inferior. In fact, for an engine of 1.6L, we can't be too "reluctant".
High standard of safety measures
Whether it is active safety or passive safety, MINI Cooper undoubtedly sets a new example. MINI Cooper is equipped with innovative Runflat zero-pressure continuous running tires, which can drive cautiously at a speed below 80 km/h 150km when the tires are deflated. Therefore, there is no need to prepare a spare tire or tire repair agent, but a more advanced tire pressure warning device is equipped to remind the driver whether the tire pressure is abnormal. Taking BMW as the benchmark, the body rigidity and torsion resistance of MINI Cooper have reached the highest level in the world. In addition, eight airbags and protective devices in the door can effectively reduce the damage caused by impact to passengers. In addition, a new generation of optional head airbag (AHPS 2-advanced head protection system) can also greatly improve the safety, and can effectively protect the safety of drivers and passengers when the car body is hit from the side. Four-wheel disc brake, with ABS+EBD system, is always accurate and dexterous even under bad driving conditions. DSC dynamic stability control system (optional) can restore the stability of the vehicle in the fastest time and keep the vehicle stable and safe when the braking system cannot brake smoothly, such as finding the tendency of vehicle slipping.
The interior is exaggerated, but comfortable and practical.
When you sit in the MINI Cooper, you will immediately feel surrounded by a metallic round dashboard and control keys. Behind the steering wheel is a circular tachometer with a silver shell, a white dial, characters and orange hands, which are very clear. The dial can be adjusted with the position of the steering wheel. There are three dials above the center console, one large and one small, arranged symmetrically. The dial in the middle is a speedometer, and the style echoes the tachometer. Other control keys, such as door wrench, gear lever ring, etc., are almost round with metal texture, creating a space that seems to be built with a circle. The shape of the door trim panel is very different, but it is very comfortable and practical to use.
MINI Cooper was originally designed as "a small economical car that can accommodate four passengers". The actual indoor layout is also two rows of seats, but it is a bit cramped to sit two adults in the back row, mainly because of the tight leg space. Nevertheless, the car's long wheelbase of 2467mm is commendable. The color matching of leather seats is sporty, but very comfortable. The steering wheel wrapped in leather feels excellent, with function buttons, which can directly operate the cruise control system and audio function. The constant speed system is controlled by the buttons at the front of the steering wheel, and the audio function is operated by the control keys at the back of the steering wheel.
The electronic constant temperature air conditioning system is equipped with air micro-filter, which can automatically adjust the air volume and airflow distribution according to the outside temperature, sunshine intensity and the temperature measured in the car to reach the preset temperature. Its control panel has liquid crystal display function, and the system is equipped with activated carbon air microfiltration, which can effectively filter dust, pollen and other pollution sources outside the car.