2002 Mini Cooper S Hatchback 2-door 1.6l 6 Speed Manual on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mini deletes center rail in Countryman, Paceman

When Mini first introduced the Countryman, it only came as a four-seater, with a center rail between the two seats that could house things like cup holders and could be slid back and forth. Buyers could even opt for a full-length center rail that ran from just aft of the gear shifter all the way back between the rear seats, like we did in our long-term 2011 Cooper S Countryman All4, shown above.
Shortly after the Countryman's launch, Mini was able to offer the vehicle with a proper rear bench seat; the company could not offer this at launch due to NHTSA guidelines that governed the minimum vehicle width for three-person seating, but those rules were changed. And now, we've received official confirmation of something we reported last year: the Countryman is losing its center rail and four-person seating arrangement altogether. Moving forward, buyers will only be able to spec a Countryman with the bench seat, and a cup holder will be affixed to the back of the forward cabin's center console.
The larger-but-smaller Paceman will also be losing the center rail between its rear seats, but the car will remain a four-seater, instead having a console between the two rear seats that houses a cup holder, an iPod cozy and a 12-volt outlet, according to USA Today.

BMW-designed Mini Cooper celebrates its 20th birthday

Mini is celebrating a major milestone. It unveiled the original Cooper Hardtop 20 years ago at the 2000 edition of the Paris auto show. More than merely a new car, this retro-styled hatchback laid the foundations for the entire brand. Its predecessors sometimes wore Mini emblems, but they were always sold by various companies including Austin, Morris, Rover, and, through a licensing deal, Innocenti. The name didn't officially denote a standalone carmaker until the hatchback was presented to the public in the French capital two decades ago. The decision to make Mini a brand came from executives at the top of BMW, which purchased England-based MG-Rover in 1994. Developing a Mini for the 21st century was a Herculean task. Releasing an evolution of the original car, which made its debut in 1959, was completely out of the question; it had outlived its expiration date by decades, and was a fossil in automotive terms. The new model had to be designed on a blank slate. And yet, the development team decided it still needed to look like a Mini, and it also had to drive like one. After experimenting with several concepts, like the futuristic ACV30 (pictured below) shown in 1997, designers settled on a basic set of guidelines. 1997 Mini ACV30 concept View 4 Photos According to Mini, the project brief stated the 21st-century model needed to have short overhangs, round headlights, a hexagonal grille, and room for four passengers. It also had to be front-wheel drive, a layout that made the original car a packaging masterpiece (and, admittedly, a bit of a nightmare to work on), but stylists decided to give it a hatch in the name of practicality. Finally, product planners decided to push the Mini upmarket, away from its roots as a value-friendly alternative to bubble cars, and embed it firmly into premium territory. Called R50 internally, the hatchback was initially offered in two variants named One and Cooper, respectively. Mini expanded the range in record time. Model year 2002 brought the hotter Cooper S (R53), a turbodiesel engine joined the European line-up in 2003, and a convertible (R52) was introduced in 2004. Sales in the United States started for the 2002 model year, and driving enthusiasts gave it a warm reception. It was well worth the wait. BMW never planned to keep Mini anchored to a single model. It introduced the second-generation Cooper in 2006, and new variants arrived in rapid-fire succession. By 2010, there was a Mini to suit nearly everyone's needs.

Mini says it won't leave the convertible segment after all

Ending years of frequent and credible rumors, Mini announced it will replace the Convertible halfway through the 2020s. Demand for roadsters is dropping in many global markets, but the firm remains committed to the segment. Mini stated it's proud to offer the only open-top four-seater in the premium small car segment; most of the other roadsters in its price range are two-seaters. While it's becoming increasingly difficult for companies to make a business case for a car like the Convertible because the segment it competes in is quickly shrinking, Mini explained demand remains high enough in key markets like the United States and England to warrant launching a new model. "We are firmly convinced of the success of this vehicle concept or the future," said company boss Bernd Korber in a statement. "[In 2020], almost one in five Mini customers in Germany opted for open-top driving fun." Mini stopped short of releasing information about the next-generation Convertible, though we assume it will continue to be closely related to the two-door Hardtop. As we've previously reported, the fourth-generation hatchback will be characterized by a retro design, but it will be smaller and visually purer than the model currently in showrooms. And, while the company is pegging its future on electric cars, the next Hardtop will remain available with gasoline-burning turbocharged engines. Reading between the lines suggests an electric Convertible will join the range, however. Additional details about the next-generation Convertible will be released in the coming months, and Mini announced the model will make its global debut in 2025. It will arrive approximately two years after the fourth Hardtop.