Last night, I saw the Mini One D at the European car show in Geneva, Switzerland.

I got the specs, but they are in French. Short story: Basically the same price at the Cooper. Roughly 50 mpg in mixed driving.

Cars can be ordered in June. Delivery would probably be in August.

Looks the same as a Mini One. 6 speed gearbox. Comes with ASC-T as standard. The roof is only available as body color (this may be true for all Mini Ones).

Let me know if you want some specific detail and I'll see if the spec sheet lists it.

No idea if/when it might come to the US. I doubt it.... but I didn't get any official info on that.

Bill

 

>>No idea if/when it might come to the US. I doubt it.... but I didn't get any official info on that.



That would be cool. I just don't see Mini exporting the One to the US. Perhaps its something with safety. Does anyone know why they don't export the One to the US?

Frank

 

It couldn't be safety. The One has the same body, chasis, etc. as the Cooper.

I expect that it is because the One is lower power and less expensive. The build cost must be very close, so it is a lower profit car for them.

Mini is really creating a new market segment in the US. No reason for them to go through all of the hassle to get it approved for import to the US, just to sell a lower profit car. Also, since they are restricted by production capacity, they need to build the higher profit cars rather than soaking up capacity on lower profit ones.

Here in Europe, there are many cars in the sub-compact class. Mini is the most expensive car in the class. They need the One to compete.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for the insight. Where are you at in Europe, Im stationed in Germany. Im just away for a while. My wife is still crusing the A6 with my Mini though.

Frank

 

I don't know, I could see this happening (the import of a diesel MINI). The car would be US certified given the reasons stated above. The only challenge would be to expand the parts network and train US service depts in engine repair procedures. I could see BMW/MINI deciding to do this based on a hunch that the current blip in US gas prices will continue for several years and that gas prices would stay high. The diesel would be a good solution until a true hybrid or alt. fuel car MINI (or small BMW) comes to market.

I think that a diesel would appeal to a good part of the current demographic at which MINI is targeted. That is, young, largely urban, hipsters not afraid of doing something "different" and at the same time looking for an inexpensive ride. A MINI One diesel would probably sell for a bit less than a Cooper...and at that price, they'd do very well. The diesel MINI sales would probably come right out of Cooper sales (S sales wouldn't be effected) and thus BMW would be able to preserve their aura of exclusivity (which is likely temporary anyway and is all about marketing).

Anyway, the most important point is that diesels have always sold well in the US during fuel crises. Most manufacturers haven't had a problem bringing a diesel to the US market for a couple of years while the crises rages. This crises may last much longer than "a couple of years" AND it would be relatively cheap for BMW to bring the MINI D over. Makes sense to me.

 

I'm an American living in Geneva right now.

Homologating a new engine for US sales is an expensive task. As far as I know, this engine is not used in any other car in the US. Over here, the same engine is used in the Toyota Yaris.

My understanding is that US diesel is different than European diesel so the engine might need some changes.

 

Is the MINI ONE-D just a point?


(bad joke, I know...)

Rocketboy_X

 

actually a Diesel MINI is pointless ...

 

>>actually a Diesel MINI is pointless ...

i have to agree..........."pointless ... "

 

I disagree. Certainly in Europe where a gallon of petrol can set you back $5, a high fuel economy diesel makes a lot of sense. When I was in Spain last year I drove a diesel Peugeot; it was reasonably peppy and we drove it all over southern Spain for two weeks on about seven gallons of diesel.

Living here in an urban setting (downtown Chicago), I could see a lot of practicallity in such a car. I'd even consider running it on bio-diesel; a diesel substitute made from used cooking oil. You can make it yourself and the exhaust smells like french fries!

James

 

[quote]You can make it yourself and the exhaust smells like french fries!

 

ok ... fine .. yes, the diesel has it's place ... I'd just like to see BMW put it in their precious 1-series too ...
The reason the One isn't here is because, at 90HP, BMW knew it would be a hard sell - there are other cars already here with about that power that are optioned-out and cost a lot less (read: Japan, Korea ...) and BMW/MINI didn't want anyone to see car lots full of un-sold base models ... so the novelty of a diesel would sell a few more of the One's but it would still be too expensive to compete

 

From my reading, the primary reasons that the Diesel doesn't have considerations of being exported to the US are:

1. Low Demand - which is largely a factor of perception - most Americans think that Diesel is "dirtier" than gasoline because of the black smoke and funny smell. The overall demand for diesel in the US is quite low. That may be changing slowly....

2. Emissions requirements. (I don't know very much about this, just a little from reading.) Evidently the US emissions requirements push the cost of the diesel engines up by requiring cleaner burning designs that run on low sulfur fuels. (Or something like that....)

3. Even though diesel is cheaper to produce, it costs roughly the same as gasoline - so the savings aren't as great as one might expect - even though mileage is higher, diesel engines themselves are costlier.

Oh, 8ball does have a point about the low HP figures not winning folks over either. But, it would be meant as an econo-driver....

Anyhow, I think that the odds of it being brought to US shores are ever increasing - but we probably won't see it very soon.

 

I would buy the diesel Mini if it were available now. The only reason I'm not buying one is that they aren't expected to become available until August.

Diesel fuel really is better in Europe than in the US. The smell isn't as bad and you are not stuck with that stupid trail of black smoke. There are a lot of diesel cars here that you wouldn't suspect are diesels unless you look closely.

Getting a diesel is at least a 25% reduction in fuel costs. When fuel is $4-$5 per US Gallon, that's a big deal. If you are doing only city driving, you could cut your fuel costs in half.

I did the calculations according to Minis advertised specs, here is how the diesel compares to the Cooper (not MCS) in terms of fuel economy:

Highway: Diesel gets 55 mpg, which is 26% better. (Cooper: 43 mpg)
Mixed: Diesel gets 49 mpg, which is 40% better. (Cooper: 35 mpg)
Urban: Diesel gets 40 mpg, which is a whopping 55% better. (Cooper: 26 mpg)

 

I wouldn't dispute those numbers at all. I had a diesel VW in the mid-80s and routinely got 60 to 65 mpg on long highway trips. I know that diesel technology is superior nowadays, so pollution, mileage, and performance are almost certainly better. Plus, following the MCO threads on Cooper gas mileage, I'm hard pressed to see too many people getting 43 mpg in their Coopers on the highway. Most seem to be getting substantially less. Thus, the savings of a diesel MINI over gas would probably be even higher than your estimates!

I continue to think that a diesel MINI would be an amazing city car. None of which, of course, means that it will actually come here.

 

Diesel in the US is much dirtier then in Europe since our Diesel has a much higher sulfur content. The US is in the process of making our Diesel cleaner but of course the oil industry is fighting it tooth and nail since it will cost them more money.

Engine makers are also working to make Diesel engines in the US cleaner too. The new Cummins C-series 5.9 liter inline 6 diesel that goes in the dodge trucks will have an EGR(Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve to reduce NOX(Nitrogen Oxide) emissions.

EGR valves have been on gas motors for years but this will be one of the first Diesels to use one. Cummins is also working to reduce particulate emissions using special filters and traps. Lower sulfur content diesels will do a lot to reduce particulate content.

 

Personally I would love to have 2 MINI's... the MINI Cooper S and a diesel version. I think automakers are wrong in believing that American's don't want diesel's... the biggest problem I see (and that I hear the most) is that you can't get diesel everywhere. This is of course because there isn't a large demand for diesel fuel. It's a viscious cycle.
-Chris

 

__________
Highway: Diesel gets 55 mpg, which is 26% better. (Cooper: 43 mpg)
Mixed: Diesel gets 49 mpg, which is 40% better. (Cooper: 35 mpg)
Urban: Diesel gets 40 mpg, which is a whopping 55% better. (Cooper: 26 mpg)
__________

I'm probably beginning to sound like a broken record whining about my fuel economy, but I have to point out that (you're right, jsun) these numbers for the Cooper are not real-world numbers. Presuming that one drives over 60 mph on the highway, 35 mpg is a more accurate figure than 43, and presuming that city driving includes stop lights and idling, my Cooper gets closer to 17 mpg than 26.

I know you're just making a point here. If those diesel mpg numbers are accurate, then they're even more of an advantage over the Cooper than the percentages you list!

 

Our choices came down to a Golf TDI or an MCS and we couldn't resist the handling, performance and character of the Mini. Love the car. Don't love the mileage.
If they brought a mini d here, I'd trade in our S in a NY minute.

 

And I would take a Hybrid MINI before I would take a diesel. New solutions, people! Diesel smells funky.

 

Without question I would buy a Diesel One if it was available in the US. As it is one of the things on my mind as I hesitate over a MC is that Premium here in CA is currently at 2.30 and climbing fast, and from the results people have posted, a MC would barely get better mileage than my GrandAm.

Of course, I would have the massive advantage of no longer driving a Pontiac

Anyway, I don't know what the chances of a D-One showing up are. Most of the magazines seem to figure there's no chance at all. :???: But if I hear they're coming, there's no question I'd put down a deposit right away. Hey, I even like the funky smell. Makes me think of Europe...

Hear that MINIUSA?

 

Well, remember, as someone in this thread pointed out, a MINI D would be convertable to run on bio-diesel made from recycled cooking oil. In which case, the smell could remind you of freedom fries or "hot ones" time at Krispy Kreme.

Hummmmm... donuts .....

 

All of the numbers I used came from specifications publsihed by Mini. It would be reasonable to expect that the numbers for gas and diesel are the same in terms of accuracy.

Having said that, diesel engines use signficantly less fuel when idling than gasoline engines, so I think the Urban driving advantage to diesel *is* probably higher than stated.

 

just saw the specs on the new mini one diesel in CAR magazine......interesting, same gertag 6 speed as MCS, more torque than either the MC or MCS.....under 100 hp but with a turbo diesel like the VW and a little tuning with all that torque....hmmmm, those japanese know how to build engines :smile:

 

>>__________
>>Highway: Diesel gets 55 mpg, which is 26% better. (Cooper: 43 mpg)
>>Mixed: Diesel gets 49 mpg, which is 40% better. (Cooper: 35 mpg)
>>Urban: Diesel gets 40 mpg, which is a whopping 55% better. (Cooper: 26 mpg)
>>__________
>>
>>I'm probably beginning to sound like a broken record whining about my fuel economy, but I have to point out that (you're right, jsun) these numbers for the Cooper are not real-world numbers. Presuming that one drives over 60 mph on the highway, 35 mpg is a more accurate figure than 43, and presuming that city driving includes stop lights and idling, my Cooper gets closer to 17 mpg than 26.

Unless the same beancounter who made the foglamp decision also calculated the mileage and forgot to convert imperial gal. to US gal. :smile: