More power, better looks: AC Schnitzer 2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

AC Schnitzer has just unveiled their new modifications package for the new 2009 Mini Cooper R57 Convertible.

Visually, Schnitzer added a new front spoiler, a new rear skirt, various decals, chrome sports exhaust system, and a variety of wheel and tire combinations. Inside, AC Schnitzer is offering a set of aluminum pedals, velour floor mats and a aluminum gear knob.

Performance wise, Schnitzer is offering an upgrade for the Mini Cooper Convertible S that takes output up from 175-hp to 226-hp. Other performance enhancing features include a limited slip differential, an aluminum strut brace, and a height adjustable sports suspension.

Why you won’t see many Mini Coopers on the road tomorrow

So tomorrow is World Environment Day 2009 (no really, it actually exists - check out the website) and to get its already ‘environmentally conscious’ consumers to do their part, Mini is asking its owners not to drive their Coopers tomorrow.

In a campaign called ‘Let’s Not Motor Day,’ Mini is asking its owners to “buckle down, instead of up.”

“Let’s have a day when we organize a walk pool,” says Mini. “When we give the highway some breathing room. And get where we’re going with our own power instead of horsepower. For just one day, let’s come together, both Mini owners and enthusiasts, to put our cars in park and hide our keys.”

Yes… that sounds fine and dandy and all, but as enthusiasts on their way to pick up a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP from GM’s press fleet, we’re going to have to pass this ‘green’ day and put 402-hp to the road.

Either way, if you own a Mini and you’re interested in saving the world, you can pledge the miles you aren’t going to drive and Mini will put your name on its website.

 

Source: MINI

AC Schnitzer unveils their MINI Cooper R57 Convertible

It was just a matter of time until the German tuner AC Schnitzer would release their own version of the recently launched MINI Cooper Convertible.

A new range of accessories are fitted on the new R57 Cabrio, from front spoilers and rear skirts which not only enhance the looks of the MINI but also offer aerodynamic advantages, to black or chrome/black finishes.

Performance has been also raised with a new power boost from the default 175 horsepower to 208. The uprated export version of the Cooper S takes the standard power of 128 kW/175 HP to an impressive 166 kW/226 HP. At the same time, AC Schnitzer offers a limited slip differential in the MINI Cooper S and Special Model JCW (John Cooper Works).

AC Schnitzer is also offering a choice of several wheel and tire combination with 17″ Mi1 wheels and 18″ Mi2 wheels. For tires choices, AC Schnitzer recommend Continental and Michelin in size 215/35 R 18 or optionally in 205/40 R 18. All of these options are coupled with an height adjustable sport suspension and an aluminum strut brace for the front axle.

The interior gets an upgrade as well, from gear knobs, handbrake handle, pedals and foot rests in aluminum, to velours floor mats.

Ken Okuyama Design takes over at former Mercedes Advanced Design studio in Irvine

 

Anybody can start sketching cars in their basement and call themselves a design studio. Of course it helps if you've got the clout and experience that comes with having steered an established coachbuilder like Pininfarina. But if you're going to make a dent in the increasingly troubled independent automotive design community, you're going to need a fancy facility to make it all happen. And that's just what Ken Okuyama has done.
The former Pininfarina chief stylist, since turned independent, has established an American arm to his expanding design enterprise, and they've set up shop at what used to be the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design studio (which in turn moved into Chrysler's former Pacifica Advanced Design Center in Carlsbad). The facility at 17742 Cowan Street in Irvine, California, (close to the line with Newport Beach) was purpose-built by Mercedes and boasts some 13,500 square feet of space right in the heart of Southern California's automotive design epicenter. While Okuyama himself will presumably continue to work from his headquarters in Italy, he's assembled a crackerjack team to lead the American studio, including Neil Brooker, Michael Castiglione and Stuart Macey - the team credited with such work as the Porsche Carrera GT and Dodge Challenger, designs which clearly speak for themselves. In addition to automotive design, the crew at Ken Okuyama Design USA will be working on furniture, eyewear and mass transit, among other things, as well as a custom coach-building operation to allow discerning (read: filthy rich) customers create their own one-of-a-kind rides. We'll expect to see more from the studio in the near future.

MINI “Roadster” to launch at Frankfurt Auto Show

There are several reports coming from different trusted sources who speak of the imminent unveiling of a MINI Roadster Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The two-seater concept is expected to offer a sportier and more dynamic look than the current MINI Convertible and it will feature a steeply raked windshield  and soft top.

It will use all the qualities that turned the MINI brand into a popular choice for many enthusiasts, but will take them to a new level, creating a small Roadster which will expand even further the offerings coming out of the Oxford plant.

The popular engines found in the MINI and John Cooper Works line-up, will make their way into the Roadster model as well, including the powerful but yet efficient, 1.6 liter twin-scroll turbo engine which outputs 211 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque.

The Roadster will go on sale in 2010 as the fifth model in the Mini range, after the forthcoming Mini crossover, followed shortly by a MINI-i model part of Project i initiative.

[Source: Autocar | Photo Credit: De Lusi /Larson ]

Near-production Mini Roadster concept coming to Frankfurt

According to AutoCar, MINI will unveil a Roadster model in “a near-production concept” form at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The UK publication says that the car will be at two-seater and will offer a sportier-looking alternative to the Mini Cooper Cabriolet.

The Mini Roadster will be based on the current-generation Mini Coopers but will have a lower roofline and a lower windscreen. With a lower center of gravity, the car should have better handling dynamics than the standard Cooper.

You can expect the powertrains carried over from the standard Mini along with a 208-hp 1.6L Turbo for a JCW version.

Sales of the Mini Roadster will start in 2010 following the Mini Crossover.

Novitec takes a stab at the Alfa MiTo

Alfa Romeo's spritely MiTo hatch may have been styled to look like the flagship 8C Competizione, but the performance gap between them is big enough to fit another entire model line. The MiTo GTA, previewed in concept form at this year's Geneva show, promises to close the distance some, but until it arrives, Novitec has come up with an answer of its own, and here it is.
The heart of any good mod job lies under the hood, and Novitec has plenty of options in store. For the gas-burning 1.4-liter turbo four, Novitec offers an auxiliary control module that can be installed in just five minutes and which adds an extra 31 horsepower to bring total output up to a respectable 186 and 0-60 time down to 7.4 seconds, or 0.7 seconds faster than stock.
For diesel models, Novitec also offers a module to boost power by about 20 horsepower on either the 1.3 or 1.6-liter JTD engines. Of course, the Dutch tuning house hasn't stopped there, offering a choice of sport springs to drop the height by 40mm or a fully adjustable coil-over set-up. A full aerodynamic package, stainless exhaust and 18" wheels coated in Pirelli rubber round out the package