2008 British International Motor Show: MINI dislays its might

Mumbai: MINI showcased its full range of vehicles at the 2008 International Motor Show at ExCeL London, with a walk through facility in its stand and also giving the visitors an opportunity to discover a whole variety of ways to personalise a new MINI. The stand incorporated a quadrangle-style area on which the entire MINI range was displayed including the brand new MINI John Cooper Works.

The MINI John Cooper Works hatch is powered  by a four-cylinder turbocharged engine co-developed with PSA, offering 208bhp. The car can speed from 0 - 62mph in 6.5 seconds, at 148mph top speed.

The car comes with JCW aerodynamic kit, 17-inch alloy wheels (18s are an option) and larger discs with upgraded calipers. The suspension and seats are as per the Cooper S, but air-con and Dynamic Traction Control are fitted as standard for the first time on a MINI.

The other MINI on display, the MINI Cooper S, won the Green Sports Car award in the What Car? Green Awards, for achieving 149g/km CO2 and 45.6mpg - 40g/km and 10.3mpg better than its closest rival. The systems that make these figures possible from a hot hatch are known as Minimalism technologies. This technolgy is MINI's version of BMW's EfficientDynamics and the range of systems includes ''auto start/stop'', shift point display, brake energy regeneration and use of lightweight materials.

Features such as a racing exhaust, air filter as well as uprated suspension in the MINI Cooper S help to improve performance.

The stand also showcased the hybrid MINI diesel Cooper which combines both style and dynamics with the Minimalism technology that includes an automatic stop/start, shift point display, brake energy regeneration and use of lightweight materials. The vehicle is capable of achieving 72.4mpg and emitting just 104g/km.

Aside from the cars on show, the stand's university theme made it one of the more original at the event. A wall display in a neat graphic periodic table style showed all MINI's customisable options alongside two computer screens where people could spec up their dream MINI online.

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