| The John Cooper Works Family (09/2012). | | |
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MINI takes a look back over the most successful year in the
brand’s history.
Munich/Oxford. The British premium small car
manufacturer MINI can look back on an eventful year marked by new
sales records, successful model launches and expansion into new
markets worldwide. 2012 once again served up a wealth of highlights
for brand aficionados, as well as being the most successful year to
date for MINI. Not only has the vehicle line-up been extended to seven
models, meaning more choice than ever, but MINI is now represented in
over 100 markets around the globe for the very first time. Worldwide
sales of the MINI brand totalled 301,526 units last year, more than in
any previous 12-month period. The MINI review of 2012 summarises the
year’s most important, most extraordinary and most astonishing events.
January: MINI kicked off the year with yet another
first when the British carmaker showcased its model range at the Auto
Expo in the Indian capital of New Delhi for the very first time. This
coincided with the opening in New Delhi und Mumbai of MINI’s first
showrooms on the subcontinent. This made
India the
100th market in which MINI is active. There is obviously a huge
appetite for premium small cars there too, with 50,000 fans
registering on MINI India’s Facebook page in the space of just a few
weeks. In Europe, the year commenced with the introduction of two
special-edition models, the
MINI Baker Street and
MINI Bayswater, whose exclusive design and
equipment features have injected some contemporary London style into
the streetscape.
February: The launch of the
MINI Roadster
extended the brand’s line-up to six models. The first
open-top two-seater from the British carmaker radiates an aura of
puristic sportiness. The manually operated soft-top roof, steeply
raked windscreen, low centre of gravity that has been weighted
forwards, and an automatically extending rear spoiler allow driving
pleasure to be experienced at its most intense. The MINI Roadster
range boasts a choice of four particularly feisty engines and is
spearheaded by the MINI John Cooper Works Roadster with 155 kW/211 hp
– never before have MINI drivers been able to feel such a vigorous
rush of wind through their hair. The MINI brand reinforced its
presence in the Middle East sales region with its market entry into
the
Kingdom of Jordan. The MINI showroom in the heart
of the capital Amman presented customers with a choice of the entire
MINI range from day one.
March: The
MINI John Cooper Works Countryman
received its world premiere at the
Geneva Motor
Show. It is the first John Cooper Works model to direct the
power from its engine to all four wheels. Developed with the aid of
motor racing knowhow, the turbocharged engine comes in its most
powerful 160 kW/218 hp version and teams up with the standard ALL4
all-wheel-drive system to guarantee tremendous fun at the wheel over
any terrain. The list of standard equipment also includes sports
suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, a sports exhaust system, as well as
an aerodynamics kit. The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman can also be
specified with an optional six-speed automatic transmission.
Meanwhile, the introduction of the
MINI Highgate Convertible
brought some real style to bear in the world of open-top
motoring. The new special-edition model fuses exclusive flair and
individuality with a generous dose of Brit-cool.
April: Individuality was very much the focal point of
MINI’s show stand at the
Auto China in Beijing, where
the MINI Clubman Hyde Park celebrated its world premiere. There was
also a debut for the MINI’s forefather, with five classic Mini cars
taking part in the
Allgäu-Orient Rally for the first
time. This alternative race for classic cars and recent classics sets
off from the village of Oberstaufen in Bavaria before heading for the
Azerbaijani capital of Baku, over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) away.
MINI also took the opportunity to join in congratulating the
international language of
Esperanto on reaching a
special milestone:
125 years ago it began to take the world by storm, eventually
becoming a cultural asset that is fondly cherished in over 100
countries – very much in the mould of the MINI.
May: The former F1 circuit in Le Castellet, France
was the place to be for the global MINI Community when it hosted
MINI United 2012. Some 30,000 delighted MINI
enthusiasts were able to revel in three days of top international
music acts, motor racing action and a throbbing party atmosphere, all
themed around the MINI. The stage buzzed to the sound of live
performances from bands such as Iggy and the Stooges and Gossip. The
same month saw MINI supporting the Life Ball in Vienna, Europe’s
biggest charity event, for the 12th time. The
Life Ball
combines a fashion show with doing some good for society.
MINI continued its tradition of donating for auction a vehicle
specially designed for the occasion, the proceeds of which go to
projects that have been set up to combat HIV and AIDS. Over 4,000
classic Mini fans descended on Lake Balaton in Hungary, meanwhile, for
the
International Mini Meeting, the largest gathering
in the classic Mini Club calendar.
June: MINI unveiled yet another new model, this time
one that had been designed with special transport tasks in mind. The
MINI Clubvan combines all the practical strengths
of a compact delivery van with the driving fun for which the brand is
renowned along with highly distinctive looks. It comes with two seats
and 860 litres of load space, which owners can easily make the most of
thanks to the split door at the rear. Not only is the first premium
vehicle of its kind highly versatile, it also makes an ideal mobile
calling card for tradespeople who are anxious to create a stylish
impression when delivering goods to their customers. The trade
publication “Automobilwoche” awarded its top rating of
“Triple
A” (
Automobilwoche
Award
Autohandel) to the MINI sales force in Germany. In a
study into the professionalism of personnel in car dealerships, MINI
salespeople emerged as the best source of advice for potential
customers amongst the premium brands.
July: London calling – yet more highly alluring
special-edition models were brought out in the guise of the
MINI Hyde Park and
MINI Green
Park, which celebrate the British way of life with far more
than just their names. Their exclusive colour scheme and classy
appointments fuse extravagance with understatement to superb effect.
In the United States, MINI extended an invitation to take part in a
unique coast-to-coast rally with the slogan
MINI TAKES THE
STATES: the MINI Community set out for Los Angeles from New
York on 4 July, Independence Day.
August: The brand’s sporty streak was on show once
again at the opening of the
Moscow International Automobile
Salon, with a stand that centred around the new John Cooper
Works models.
September: The seventh model in the brand’s line-up,
the
MINI Paceman, made its world debut at the
Paris Motor Show. With two doors and a large
tailgate, powerful proportions, flowing coupé-like lines, plus a
lounge-style interior featuring two individual seats in the rear, this
is the first Sports Activity Coupé in the premium compact segment. The
MINI Paceman can be equipped with the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system as
an option. The fastest MINI ever built blasted onto the scene as the
second crowd-puller at the Mondial de l’Automobile – but not for long.
The
MINI John Cooper Works GP is being built in a
limited run of just 2,000 units for racing enthusiasts all over the
world. Awaiting them is a scintillating and exclusive sports machine
featuring a 160 kW/218 hp turbocharged four-cylinder power unit,
adjustable coilover suspension, an ultra-powerful sports braking
system, Driving Stability Control with GP race mode and precisely
honed aerodynamic measures, along with model-specific alloy wheels and
sports tyres. The MINI John Cooper Works GP was fine-tuned on the
Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife circuit, where it recorded a best
time of 8:23 minutes.
This same month, the classic Mini scooped a great accolade in its
home country when, 53 years after it first went into production,
readers of the UK car magazine “Autocar” voted it the
“Greatest British car ever made”. And nowhere are
the sheer thrill of this British classic and its phenomenal go-kart
feel more apparent than on the BMW Group’s test track in Aschheim near
Munich, where the
classic Mini driver training
courses are held.
October: MINI sought and found 25 test drivers from
the Munich area for the brand’s first-ever all-electric car. For five
months, the testers taking part in the latest field trials will drive
the
MINI E under everyday conditions; their
impressions and experiences will subsequently be incorporated into the
scientific analyses of both user behaviour and the infrastructure
requirements for electric vehicles.
November: An intense racing sensation with fewer
refuelling stops – a transformation is taking place under the bonnet
of the
John Cooper Works models. The latest
incarnation of the turbocharged engine with motor racing breeding now
goes about its business even more efficiently. The 155 kW/211 hp
four-cylinder unit’s twin-scroll turbocharging and direct petrol
injection technology is now supplemented by variable valve timing,
which enhances both engine responsiveness and fuel efficiency. The
MINI Paceman received its US premiere at the
Los Angeles Auto Show, where new paint finishes and
detailed interior styling modifications for the
MINI
Countryman were also revealed. The MINI One Countryman and
MINI Cooper Countryman models now meet the
EU6
emissions limits as standard. In London, highly creative use
of space resulted in not one but two entries in the
Guinness
Book of Records: on the same day that 28 female gymnasts
managed to squeeze into a MINI, 23 members of the same gymnastics team
from East Sussex succeeded in cramming themselves into a classic Mini,
setting another world record.
December: This time it was the turn of MINI to set a
new personal best, with annual vehicle sales topping the 300,000 mark
for the first time. To be exact, worldwide MINI deliveries up to the
end of the year totalled a record-breaking
301,526,
meaning that the brand’s sales were up by 5.9 per cent compared to
2011. Sales were once again strongest in the USA, followed by MINI’s
home country, the UK, and Germany. The forecasts for 2013 similarly
make for positive reading. The MINI Paceman is due to be launched in
March, while the brand also plans to move into more new markets.
Central America provides the latest evidence of MINI’s successful
expansion. The new age predicted by an ancient Mayan calendar dawned
there just a few days before Christmas – with absolutely no sign of
the end of the world, but with plenty of good omens for the MINI brand.
For any queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Andreas Lampka, Head of Communications MINI
Telephone: +49 89-382-23662, Fax: +49 89-382-20626
E-Mail: andreas.lampka@mini.com
Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com
The BMW Group
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of
automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna
Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group
operates 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has
a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2011, the BMW Group sold about 1.67 million cars and more than
113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial
year 2011 was euro 7.38 billion on revenues amounting to euro 68.82
billion. At 31 December 2011, the BMW Group had a workforce of
approximately 100,000 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result
of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last eight years.
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