New Cut-Price MINI First with 75HP 1.4-Liter Petrol Engine

MINI's UK division is lowering the bar once again with the release of a new entry-level gasoline model called 'First' that is priced at £10,950 OTR or £1,395 less than the MINI One. Available only in three-door hatch form, the First is equipped with a detuned version of the 95HP 1.4-litre petrol engine currently found in the One that produces 75 horsepower and is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The MINI First can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 13.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 109mph or 175km/h while returning a combined fuel economy of 53.3mpg UK (5.3lt/100km or 44.3mpg US).

Even though the whole point of the First is its low price, nevertheless MINI does offer a variety of special packages that you can check out in detail below.

Available Packages for MINI First

Design Package

£525.00

• 3-Spoke Sport Leather Steering Wheel
  
• Heated Mirrors and Windscreen Washer Jets
  
• Mirror Caps in Body Colour
  
• Chrome Line Interior
  
• Chrome Line Exterior
  

Tech Package

£855.00

• Multi-function for steering wheel
  
• 3-Spoke Sport Leather Steering Wheel
  
• Passenger Airbag Deactivation Switch
  
• Radio BOOST CD
  
• CD Preparation
  
• Basic Bluetooth with USB Audio
  

Salt Package

£390.00

• Floor Mats in velour
  
• Passenger Seat Height Adjustment
  
• Storage Compartment Pack
  
• Front Fog Lights
  
• On Board Computer
  
• Interior Lights Pack

German Tuner Thinks Louis Vuitton-esque MINI JCW with up to 252HP Looks Kewl

We're no luxury handbag experts, but the first thought that comes to mind upon seeing CoverEFX's MINI John Cooper Works [JCW] tuning proposal is a....Louis Vuitton bag on wheels. For obvious reasons, the monogram canvas is different than the one found on the products of the famous French design house, but its styling as well as the colors and the leathery texture of the special foil wrap all point to an inspiration that come from Louis Vuitton.

The new look is complemented by a set of matching matte black and matte gold metallic 17-inch OZ LM alloy wheels surrounded by Toyo R888 205/40 R17 84W tires.
In the performance department, CoverEFX says it offers two stages of tune for the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. The first adds an ECU upgrade along with a 2.5-inch exhaust system with Milltek downpipe, sports catalyst and extra large sports air filter to lift output from 211HP and 280Nm to 236HP and 350Nm. The second stage includes a more aggressive software tune pushing output to 252HP and a maximum torque of 382 Nm.
A short shift kit for the gearbox and a stainless steel KW Variant 3 suspension round off the performance upgrades.

MINI to Debut...Mini Concept at Geneva Motor Show

Carscoop has learned that Mini will lift the covers off a brand new concept model at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March. The three-door design study is said to hark back to the classic Mini in terms of its exterior dimensions while keeping up with the times in terms of safety requirements and occupant space.
The concept will measure a little over 3.4 meters in length, essentially splitting the difference between the current three-door hatchback (3,723 mm) and the original 1959 Mini (3,050 mm).

We also learned that Mini's study will sport a 3+1 seat configuration similar to that of the Toyota iQ and that its design and tech features, including a variety of weight saving tricks and components, will be applied to the next generation of Mini models.

It remains to be seen if the BMW Group bosses give the green light for a production version of the small city car concept from Mini.

NEW MINI: Coupe and Roadster

The first images of serial versions MINI have filtered into the Internet in bodies of a coupe and a roadster.

The patented MINI

The given 3D computer illustrations have been prepared for the European patent bureau.

Mini Coupe & Roadster concepts

Unfortunately, on illustrations for patent department there are no interiors, therefore it is difficult to judge how in a coupe and a roadster back seats will look and whether there will be they in general.