OMG!!! That hump makes the MINI look impregnated! Not digging the hump that much... I think they could photoshop it to look a little better!

Michelle

 

$19K for 115hp?! I sure hope not - at least I wouldn't have to worry about being tempted to get ride of my 04.

 

A 2004 115hp Cooper with a CVT is currently $18,800 (with dest) so I would bet that a 2007 115hp Cooper with a CVT would be at least $18,995. I would bet that in 2007 dollar it will be closer to $20,000 and maybe even higher if the Dollar-to-euro exchange rate stays close to where it is today.

 

Do you honestly think WRC would get rid of turbos?? Normally-aspirated 4-bangers would be so slow and boring and very few manufacturers produce supercharged 4-bangers so it aint going to happen.

Even if WRC did get rid of length restrictions (which I doubt) Mini would still need AWD and a turbo to be competitive.

 

....It's not what I honestly think, its what Max Mosley thinks...(right off WRC website)

Max Mosley, the president of the FIA - world motorsport's governing body - has put forward a proposal for new regulations for the World Rally Championship which he says will cut costs and could encourage new manufacturers to enter the sport.


The Super 2000 regulations, which encourage the use of common parts and limit sophisticated and expensive components and development, have been highly successful in the FIA's European Touring Car Championship and could be adapted for use in rallying. Costs to produce such a car are likely to be substantially less than their current level, which could encourage firms such as Suzuki, Renault and Fiat - who are currently not in the WRC - to enter if the rules were introduced for 2006.

Super 2000-style rally cars would be powered by a two-litre, normally aspirated engine producing around 250-270bhp, and highly-complex transmission systems such as the active differentials which are de rigeur on modern WRC cars would be banned in favour of more cost effective solutions. Gearboxes would likely be standard sequential units, and the use of exotic materials, such as titanium, ceramics, magnesium and composites would be banned unless they are already used on the original homologated production car.

Manufacturers currently competing in the WRC are currently in discussion about how to cut costs in the championship and Mosley is asking for feedback about his proposal ahead of a meeting in October. Any discussion about the future regulations of the WRC would have to take into account the plans of manufacturers - such as Citroen with the new C4 and Ford with the 2006-specification Focus - in developing cars for 2005 and beyond. © Copyright wrc.com

Now back on-topic....

Maybe with the rules being thrown up in the air, MINI could get back in to WRC...could a 2.0 liter engine fit in the MINI???? Hmmm a special Paddy Hopkirk edition with AWD and 2 liters to meet homologation rules...that would be nice.

 

Like I said before: Yikes! $19K for 115hp!

 

Should I be surprised that Autoweek tried to pass off two obviously photoshopped images as reality, or do I normally just not pay enough attention?

 

Yeah, who does MINI think they are? Volkswagon? You can easily hit 20k in a 115 hp jetta,golf,beetle depending on content. Sure the MINI is smaller, but better engineered!

 

Im with you on a special Paddy Hopkirk edition, but I think a 1.8 liter Turbo is more likely.

A 230 HP AWD Mini would be nice.

 

Whats this talk of turbo lag? Lag is a thing of the past. You can design a turbo that makes very little to no lag. Turbos don't have to be huge to move huge amounts of air (bigger=more lag, more power). Some seem to talk lag up like it takes enough time to actually think "hey, its lagging..." For instance the WRX: Mash the throttle and it GOES, then suddenly (read half blink of an eye) it ERUPTS. OMG a whole half blink of an eye made me late for work. C-mon now. It will take you more time to shift up than to wait for the turbo to spool.

 

That may not be too far from the truth. Here's some info from almost a year ago with what looks to be a listing of all future MINI engines/gearbox combos for the new R56 in the coming years: http://motoringfile.com/2004/01/04/TheMINIGetsAPrince

 

My 2003 VW Passat most definitely has turbo lag. It absolutely causes a problem because it leads to under accelerating or over accelerating most of the time. I've been driving it for a year and there are still times when I can't get the timing right. It's been worth it to me though because when I punch it the turbo kicks in faster and really hauls ***.

 

my wife saw this article yesterday and made me promise to buy her one in 3 years when they come out.
She loved the two turbo vehicles she owned over the years and i have owned a couple myself. We currently have two Saab turbos (88 SPG and 99 V6T wagon)in addition to the MCS, and i still like the feel of a turbo as it presses you into the seat.

turbo lag isn't as much of a problem now as it was in the 80's and early 90's-at least in Saabs...

 

TOO funny to read some of these blasts from the past. Wow.

It's like travelling backwards in time!

 

IT IS Traveling backwards!

Are you aware that is is considered poor forum etiquette and quite annoying to revive a dead 2 year old thread by making a new post!