They’ve done a very good job though, with the MINI Countryman, the trendy 4WD car that’s been giving a thorough styling upgrade and some light performance tweak.

The main highlight of the car is the matte blue paint job, complemented by varoius chrome bits. For the roof we find the same painting chrome used for the 500 Abarth Anniversary, celebrating 52 years of activity of Romeo Ferraris emphasized by chrome racing stripes on the hood and tailgate, and the mirror caps to match.

The styling is further enhanced by lowering the car using sport suspension and putting 19-inch wheels under it, with matching colors. The car also benefits from Brembo braking system.

As for the engine, the Cooper S 1.6 liter turbo unit now gets a remapped ECU and some sport exhausts to generate 43 more hp and 85 more Nm.

TECHNICAL – MINI COOPER S 150 th ANNIVERSARY COUNTRYMAN

DESIGN
Dull blue paint
Chrome roof coating
Graphite paint mask
Graphite coating side badges
Paint headlights graphite frames
Decorative chrome strips
Chrome mirror caps
Headlights with black background

ENGINE
Air Filter
Unit
Intercooler plus
Complete exhaust system consists of:
downpipe with catalytic cells 200
central
Dual output terminal replication Mini Countryman WRC

INTERIOR
Blue stitching
Blue piping
RF is embroidered on the headrests Sagittarius
Embroidered Tricolore

ALIGNMENT AND BRAKES
Complete set-up height adjustable
Brembo braking system consists of:
floating discs perforated (or slotted) made to measure (328×28 mm)
calipers with 4 pistons
OZ Racing Superleggera III Forged wheels disassembled into three pieces, 9×19 ”
Car paint to match the external canal
Yokohama Advan Sport tires 225/40/R19

MINI Countryman by Wetterauer is a rather unique tuning job with a matte brown body, brown wheels and a few carbon-look parts. It looks pretty weird, but somehow nice and cuddly.

The interior upgrade kit includes black leather, huge dials and an iPad multimedia system.

And as for the engine, thanks to some ECU remap, better air intake system and spot exhausts, the car now has 235PS and 355Nm of torque instead of 184PS and 240Nm. H&R suspension and  Bridgestone Potenza tires wrapped around 18-inch wheels are parts of the package.

The car is so focused that the times it’s set around Hockenheim Ring are actually faster than those of Ferrari California.

The car’s thorough upgrade program includes revised turbocharger and intercooler, new ECU software, racing-grade exhausts, limited slip differential, sport clutch, lightweight battery, and racing suspension. The result is 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and top speed of 250 km/h.

The car is also lightened and stiffened up to perform better on track. And it does indeed, but then it costs 62,000 euro.

The 210 hp programs consist of re-programed ECU and a free flow air filter, while the 230 hp model also features a high performance stainless steel sport exhaust system plus a different software for the ECU.

The 260 hp model also gets its own ECU plus exclusive high performance sport camshafts, a NOWACK MOTORS downpipe, a completely prepared flow optimised cylinderhead, a high performance stainless steel sport exhaust system, an optimized intercooling system, an optimized intake air flow inclusive of a high performance free flow air filter.

NOWACK also provides upgrades for suspension and 18-inch wheels.

Now Superchips UK, a tuning company which plays magic with ECUs, have come up with a special treat for this car a nice 20 hp bump in power.

With Superchips package in which the tuner optimizes ignition timing, fueling and turbo boost, the Cooper S gets 195bhp and 282 Nm of torque.

Like all of their products, this package too comes with a 12 month or 30,000 mile warranty, and it’s priced at 445 Quid.

The Mini Car is and was a small vehicle that was manufactured by the BMC from 1959 until the acquisition of the BMC Company in 200, and has spawned two successors, one being the BMW Mini and the other being the Austin Metro. The vehicle saw many variations during its tenure of being manufactured, including a jeep-like vehicle called the Moke, a pickup truck, a van, and an estate car.

The early Mini cars were rolled out in late 59 for press demonstrations and were named the Austin Nevens, however soon the names changed to the Morris and Austin 850′s in North America and France, followed by the Austin Partner and then Morris Maxot. Finally the name Mini was used, and from then on the car stuck with that name. Many of the first designs suffered from a less than desirable suspension, but those were soon changed for a new hydro-lastic system that brought a better right – however it bumped up production costs and weight.

During the 60s over a million were manufactured, and their popularity soared, along with a lot of great advertisements such as films using them, and many movie stars that added to their prestige. The Mini II soon followed, called the Mk II Mini from 67 to 69, however during those development years it never actually was released due to infighting. The final version of the mini lasted from 69 to 2000, and was their longest lived model called the Mini Cooper. Two people, John Cooper of Cooper Car, along with Issigonis designed a performance based Mini, which became the Mini Cooper, and was found to be very popular – and it even won races. Later they would be continuously upgraded until they reached fuel injection, and the company’s demise. Another of their models only lasted to the 80′s, well, 1980 to be exact, it was called the Clubman, and it was a performance mini as well, able to go from 0-60 in a very amazing 12.9 seconds.

These vehicles were also the first to use a circuit board behind the dash that used flexi print, and they were also the first to have run-flat tires. The final mainstay of the Mini was the very popular Mk III that lasted thirty years. It was the designated successor to the Mk I, however the Mk II might have taken a totally different path. The Mk III sold very well, and many special editions were made, and it became an English cultural icon – to which BMW took a liking. When Rover finally failed, BMQ took charge of the company and sold everything except the mini. Now the BMW Mini is being manufactured and produced in place of the originals.

The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman- Full of Power and Performance
For those that love the MINI Cooper and looking to purchase one, this is the vehicle to buy.  This model offers plenty of spunk and attitude and even includes more space than the standard two door hatchback MINI.

Under the hood, you will find great performance.  The John Cooper Works Clubman offers a 1.6 liter inline four cylinder engines that produces a whopping 208 horsepower- pretty good for such a small vehicle.  In addition, there is even an overboost function which increases the maximum torque from 192 lb ft to 207 lbs ft of torque.  Married to this power plant is a six speed manual transmission- this is the only transmission offered to keep its racing heritage.  Other special features include the fact that this is a three door hatchback that is about 10 inches longer than the regular mini which is actually a rear opening third passenger side door.  Also add to the mix 17 inch cross spoke wheels a nicely done interior trim that is piano black, some stability control, Xenon headlights and a whole bunch of amenities that not only make this vehicle fun to drive, but very comfortable as well.

Here are five great fuel efficient cars that are on the market today:

Ford Focus
Though most people associate foreign cars made by the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota with fuel efficiency, the Ford Focus is one of the more fuel efficient cars out there right now. The Ford Focus also has the distinct advantage of being a surprisingly economical car in terms of the cost to the car buyer. Most vehicles that feature great gas mileage tend to cost a bit more too.

Honda Civic
As one of the most economical non-hybrid cars to drive available from any manufacturer, the Honda Civic has proven popular with individuals and families alike. The Civic is particularly popular with those that have sizable commutes to and from work. For those that do want to take the step to better fuel efficiency as well as want to move into an alternatively powered vehicle, the Honda Civic is also available in a hybrid version.

MINI Cooper
Despite it being well known as one of the smaller appearing vehicles on the road today, the MINI Cooper comes packed with a very spacious interior. Even the turbocharged versions of the MINI Cooper are somewhat fuel efficient. There distinctive look combined with their great gas mileage has made them one of the more popular cars today.

Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima provides things for the prospective owner that they would not expect to find in a fuel efficient vehicle, including a big 2.5 liter engine and a great deal of space. This is one fuel efficient vehicle that doesn’t get labeled as a small car. The Nissan Altima combines great use of space and fuel efficiency to make it a great family car.

Toyota Prius
The most famous of all hybrid vehicles, the Toyota Prius regularly gets gas mileage in the upper 40s and occasionally even into the 50s. The nice part about the fuel efficiency offered by the Toyota Prius is that to achieve it, the car doesn’t sacrifice anything else that the vehicle owner would want. There is plenty of space and luxury inside the Prius and car buyers have shown how great a car it is with their customer loyalty and word of mouth advertising.

Driving a more fuel efficient vehicle is a great way to combat the high cost of fuel, food, and everything else. When money is saved in one area of a person or family’s life, it can be put to better use in another area that is lacking. These five fuel efficient vehicles show that there are options out there for those interested in improving their gas mileage when they buy a new car. Fuel efficient cars are the wave of the future and there are already plenty of great examples available on the market.

The Mini Finally Goes Electric

Anyone that has seen these tiny, very stylish and trendy cars has probably asked themselves, why not this car for an electric? It’s extremely small, lightweight and has the engineering powerhouse of BMW backing it. Well, your wish has come true- the Mini Cooper is coming out as an E-plug car as early as 2009.

Mini E

While BMW has plenty of projects with alternative energy vehicles, this will be their first product for the US. The Mini E will be sold in limited quantities- about 500 for the 2009 model year. They will be available for sale in only 3 states: California, New York and New Jersey.

Tech Specs of the Mini E

It looks like the Mini E will definitely not disappoint. The car will featured a powerful motor getting about 204 horsepower and offering decent acceleration from 0 to 60 in about 8.5 seconds. The top speed is slow for those looking to take this baby on the autobahn, but at 95 mph, it will be just fine for American roads. Here is the real surprise, with a full battery charge, expect the Mini E to get a fantastic 150 miles, which is much more that practically any other electric plug in is expected to get. For instance the Chevy Volt is only expected to get about 40 miles on a full charge.

The Mini E will use lithium-ion batteries and these batteries will take up plenty of room in the Mini- good bye back seat. The weight for the new Mini E will also increase to about 3,200 pounds, about 700 pounds more than the gas powered version. However, charging the Mini E using a special charging adapter at one’s home will be quite quick at only 2.5 hours. It should be noted that a driver can use a standard wall socket- but this will increase the charging time. Right now no price has been set, but if the US government offers a tax credit, this vehicle may be in the range of a lot of car buyer’s budgets.

The MINI name is both a name of a division of the BMW automobile company as well as one of the cars produced by the BMW MINI division. The original Mini was made by the British Motor Company, and later its successors, starting in 1959 all the way through the year 2000. The new MINI was revived by the Rover Group but remained part of BMW’s structure when they sold the Rover Group in 2003. The new MINI derives its overall look from the original Mini but includes many more modern options and accessories.

Since 2004, the MINI has been available in a soft top convertible version as well as the regular design. Most MINIs are powered by a 1.6 liter engine, though in some countries a 1.4 liter engine is is use. There are many styling options available on different models of MINIs, the Cooper S has a scoop cut into the hood for better airflow, their are single and twin exhaust versions, and the regular MINI Cooper comes with moe chrome parts on the exterior. More than seventy percent of MINIs sold in the United States are of the Cooper S variety.

The MINI Cooper is one of the many smaller economical cars on the market that is catering to people who are concerned with fuel efficiency. The Cooper is small, comfortable, modern, and of course fuel efficient. The retro look of the MINI Cooper is popular with young people looking for a car that is “different” as well as older people looking for a nod to automotive history. There are a number of retro looking vehicles that have become popular over the past decade and the trend shows no signs of slowing down.

With the rising cost of fuel and more and more cars being put on the road every day, many people are turning to smaller cars that get better gas mileage than their much larger counterparts. The benefits of a fuel efficient car like the MINI Cooper are many and are being enjoyed by fans of the car all over the world.