Mini Cooper Cars For Sale In United Kingdom

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The history of the formation of the Cooper name began in the late 40s, when John Cooper registered the Cooper Car Company, where he began the production of compact racing cars. One of his developments - the Cooper 500 - opened the way for many athletes to race.

In the early 60s, the son of John Cooper, Mike Cooper, and also the owner of a tuning studio named after his father, decided to create a sports car based on the compact Mini. As a result, in September 1961, the Cooper debuted, which was yet to become legendary. Conceived as nAn expensive and economical means of transportation, the Mini suddenly became a purebred racer. The Mini Cooper has become a real "sports car for ordinary people". The consumer reaction was euphoric. Potential buyers wanted even more power. The result was an increase in the working volume of the engine from 848 to 1071 cm³, power increased to 70 hp, speed - 160 km / h. Taking care of the safety of passengers, John Cooper supplied the car with disc brakes. In 1962, the list of equipment included an automatic transmission, whichI had four forward gears. In comparison, many luxury cars at the time typically only had three such gears.

The first generation Mini Cooper was produced for exactly 10 years, from 1961 to 1971, and then was excluded from the production program and replaced by a 59-horsepower model with a 1.3-liter engine with the designation Mini 1275 GT. However, the demand for the Cooper was still so great worldwide that John Cooper had to create an upgrade kit that was very popular. Feeling the rich opportunityIn this market segment, the Rover Group (temporarily responsible for the MINI brand) relaunches production of the Mini Cooper in 1990.

In 1994, Rover came under the control of the BMW Group. The Germans had long been hatching plans to start production of small, but prestigious, "luxury" cars, so the Mini brand came in handy. The success of the second generation Mini was based on the seamless blend of eye-catching, retro design and advanced engineering that BMW is renowned for. Although the car was rightly criticized for the ergonomic disadvantages and a level of comfort not quite corresponding to the price.

In October 2000, the "classic" Mini designs of the Issigonis were discontinued. Indeed, at the Paris Motor Show of the same year, the world premiere of a completely new car with the same name took place, the production of which began at the same plant in Oxford. And the third generation Cooper appeared on sale in the spring of 2001.

The modern remake of the cult model of the 60s and 70s was a success. The developers managed the main thing: to preserve the individuality of the Mini and at the same timeo make it meet modern requirements for capacity and safety. BMW designers carried out a very successful facelift, which did not in the least disturb the beloved and easily recognizable appearance of the car. Cooper III is a full-fledged four-seater 2-door front-wheel drive vehicle with a transverse gasoline engine that embodies the features of the modern urban lifestyle, fully meeting the expectations of the buyer of the new millennium and, of course, following the trends in automotive fashion.

The car was designed by grunder the direction of Frank Stephenson on a completely original front-wheel drive platform. A feature of its design is a very rigid monocoque body (about 24,000 N / deg), a McPherson-type front suspension on A-arms and a rear multi-link suspension with a passive steering mechanism, which, together with wheels spaced apart at the corners of the body, provides excellent handling and stability of the car for high driving speeds.

Cooper of the third generation has become 70 mm longer and contrary to modernThe first tendency has slightly lost weight, although it was not possible to drop below 1200 kg. The bonnet has been raised by 20 mm and now there is an 80 mm gap between it and the engine - this is dictated by European safety requirements for pedestrians. Huge headlights and taillights have been given decorative chrome bezels. During the transformation Cooper has lost one of its "highlights" - the glass covering the rear pillars.

In the cabin, the center position is still occupied by the increased diameter speedometer, withholding the audio control panel and the on-board computer keyboard. Smaller circles are scattered throughout the interior - a tachometer, ventilation deflectors, speakers, door handles. Even the key inserted into the mask under the engine start button is round. The trunk is small - only 165 liters (760 liters - with the rear seats folded).

Under the hood is a 1.6-liter 115 hp engine. an engine that allows a car with a manual gearbox to reach 200 km / h and accelerate from zero to 100 km / h in 9.1 seconds.

Coope securityr III at the highest level. The heavy-duty body, airbags, reliable braking system, side impact protection and a whole range of other safety tools and solutions have received extremely high marks in crash tests.

In 2004, the exterior of the Cooper was modernized. The car began to differ from the basic Mini One model in the shape of a chrome grille, a front bumper with built-in standard fog lights, a two-tone paint job, where the roof panel and exterior mirror housings are white, black or black.body color and chrome-plated tailpipe. By the way, at the request of the buyer, two characteristic white stripes can be drawn along the body - the Cooper trademark.

Since 2004, a front-wheel drive four-seater Cooper convertible has been produced on the basis of the hatchback, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. The soft top of this car can be easily folded electrically by pressing the corresponding button in just 15 seconds. Heated rear window, windows lower and raise automatically when folding / liftingent. Safety of the Mini Cabriolet is provided by additional power protection of the body, steel pipes integrated into the windshield frame and rear roll bars. Since the Cabrio modification is 100 kg heavier than the hatchback, its dynamic qualities are slightly worse, and the fuel consumption is slightly higher. Despite this, as well as the higher cost, stylish convertibles enjoy tremendous success in many countries, including Russia.

Since 2005 this model has been available in Seven, Park Lane and Checkmate versions. On request, instead of 16-inch wheels, the Cooper is equipped with 17-duymovye. The updated Cooper interior includes a sporty 3-spoke steering wheel, a speedometer directly on the steering column, new seats and a number of other interesting options like four options for the central instrument cluster.

In 2007, the updated Mini Cooper appeared. Significant changes have taken place under the hood. Mini received a brand new 1.6-liter 120 hp engine, created in cooperation with Peugeot-Citroёn. By the way, the engine is equipped with the Valvetronic system, which optimizes power and torque. The car is offered with a 6-speed manual transmissionthis and a 6-speed "automatic". Steering wheel-mounted switches are optional.

On the updated Cooper, the steering is completely electric, replacing the electro-hydraulic one. Turning the key is a thing of the past - now the engine starts and stops by lightly pressing the start / stop button. With over 60 options and a wide range of accessories, you can personalize your Cooper even more. From sports seats and chrome trim to joystick-controlled navigation system - on offeralmost everything and for every taste.

The Mini brand has long become a cult. The car was not neglected by members of the royal family, the Beatles, Charles Aznavour, Belmondo, Enzo Ferrari and many others drove the Mini ... Cooper is your style of movement.

List of the Mini models