MINI CONGRATULATES THE X-RAID TEAM AND STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL ON THEIR VICTORY AT THE 2012 RALLY DAKAR.
Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) and his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret (FR) have made it. At the end of the last of 14 demanding stages, the duo and its green MINI ALL4 Racing was confirmed as the winner of the legendary Rally Dakar in a time of 38h 54m 46s. This was Peterhansel’s tenth victory at the “Dakar”. He had already claimed six titles on a motorcycle, and now has four wins in the car category to his name.
Dr. Kay Segler, Senior Vice President, MINI Brand Management and Business Coordination, said: “On behalf of MINI, I would like to congratulate Stéphane Peterhansel, his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret and the entire X-raid team on their triumph at the 2012 Rally Dakar. To stand on the top step of the podium on ten occasions after the toughest rally in the world is quite simply an unbelievable achievement. Sven Quandt’s team has once again proven its class with all five MINI ALL4 Racings finishing in the top ten.”
Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) and Michel Périn (FR), also driving a MINI ALL4 Racing, finished runner-up to complete a one-two for the German Monster Energy X-raid Team. When the rally came to a close in Lima, Peru, the gap between the two leading MINI cars was nearly 42 minutes.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
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A DECADE OF STRAIGHT WINS FOR MINI AT THE BUSINESSCAR AWARDS 2012
For
a decade, MINI’s irresistible combination of premium styling, frugal
fuel performance and that unmistakable go-kart handling has been
recognised by BusinessCar Magazine as they name the MINI Hatch ‘2012
Supermini of the Year’ in their annual awards.
MINI’s
low running costs and CO2 emissions, coupled with high residual values
and performance are just some of the reasons why it has proven to be
such a success with business car users.
“The MINI has
established itself as a favourite of the business car industry, with its
combination of rock-solid residual values, excellent efficiency and
cheeky charm proving itself once more to the readers of BusinessCar,
which have again voted it as their most impressive supermini,” said
BusinessCar Editor Paul Barker. “A good business car has to offer appeal
to the heart and to the head, and the Mini offers both in abundance.”
MINI
One D and MINI Cooper D Hatch models feature the brand’s MINIMALISM
technology. Both models can enter the London Congestion Charge Zone free
of charge thanks to a host of fuel-saving and emission lowering
equipment; they emit just 99g/km CO2.
The BusinessCar
Awards are voted for entirely by the readers of BusinessCar magazine and
www.businesscar.co.uk rather than a panel of judges and are therefore
highly regarded within the industry.
BusinessCar is a
magazine, website and series of email newsletters designed for the
business car market. BusinessCar gives the reader a wider choice of
information. Information that is not only essential to the fleet
manager, but is also vital to finance bosses, HR directors and
procurement chiefs as well as managing directors who want to understand
the important issues central to running car and van fleets.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
New city slickers: The MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater.
Olympic
host city and style capital London provides fresh design inspiration
for MINI special editions. New models boast exclusive equipment and
tradition-laced titles.
With just months to go before
the Olympic Games get under way in the capital city of the brand’s home
country, MINI introduces two new special-edition models to spread
contemporary London style around the world. The latest takes on the MINI
character – the MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater – will go on sale
in spring 2012. Expressive design features and exclusive equipment
inject the cars’ exterior appearance, interior ambience and hallmark
driving fun with their own distinctive flavours. The MINI Baker Street
embodies the youthful, fresh and innovative trend-setting style of the
brand, while the MINI Bayswater focuses primarily on the sporting verve
and agile handling for which MINI is renowned.
Both
special-edition models will be produced over a limited period and
offered for sale worldwide. The MINI Baker Street can be ordered in MINI
One, MINI Cooper, MINI One D and MINI Cooper D guise, while the MINI
Bayswater is available as a MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper D
and MINI Cooper SD.
MINI Baker Street: an individualist with a taste for extravagance.
New
exterior and interior design details developed exclusively for the MINI
Baker Street mark out this special-edition model. The Rooftop Grey
metallic exterior paint shade combines with special bonnet stripes whose
basic colour black is given extra character by a subtle V-shape design.
16-inch 6-Star twin-spoke light-alloy wheels painted in high-gloss
black along with matching black exterior mirror caps present an
attractive contrast to the bold, contemporary appearance of the new
exterior paintwork.
The
MINI Baker Street can also be ordered as an option in the body shades
Pepper White and Midnight Black. In MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper D trim
the roof is painted black, while “Baker Street” lettering on the side
scuttles framing the side indicators points to the exclusive character
of this special-edition model.
In
the interior a fresh interpretation of the cloth/leather seats
available for the standard MINI teams up with exclusive interior
surfaces to create an unmistakable ambience. In traditional British
style, the surfaces of the new seat variant in Cross Check Rooftop Grey
light feature a diamond pattern. Cross Check Rooftop Grey light is also
used for the surfaces of the cockpit and door trim and is combined with a
Rooftop Grey light Colour Line. Light grey contrast stitching for the
floor mats, gearshift/selector lever as well as the handbrake gaiters
and seat tags which, like the door sills, bear “Baker Street” lettering,
round off the array of bespoke interior features. The Chrome Line
Interior package adds further lustre.
The
equipment list for the MINI Baker Street also includes the Pepper Pack,
which brings with it air conditioning, an on-board computer, a leather
steering wheel, the Chrome Line Exterior package, front foglamps, a
lighting package and height adjustment for the front passenger seat. The
range of optional equipment, meanwhile, offers a host of other items
with which customers can tailor their car to their personal
requirements. The range of available engine variants for the MINI Baker
Street spans the MINI One (72 kW/98 hp), MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp),
MINI One D (66 kW/90 hp) and MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp). All the
engines channel their power through a six-speed manual gearbox as
standard or an optional six-speed automatic.
For
visitors to London and locals alike, the MINI Baker Street’s name will
be synonymous with the address of a certain fictional hero. It is 125
years since Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle released his first
story with the master detective in the title role. Today, the Sherlock
Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds waxworks museum can both be found just
a stone’s throw from Baker Street underground station.
MINI Bayswater: the extrovert sportsman.
The
MINI Bayswater wears its inherent sporting élan and extrovert style
very much on its sleeve. The Kite Blue metallic exterior paintwork was
created exclusively for the special-edition model, as was the interior
design and 17-inch light-alloy Sandblast wheels with high-gloss black
surfaces and bright machined rim and spoke edges. Midnight Black
metallic and Eclipse Grey metallic paint shades can be ordered for the
MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper SD as an alternative to the new, radiant
Blue finish. The sporty appearance of the MINI Bayswater is emphasised
by the black contrasting roof and the likewise newly created Sport
Stripes for the bonnet, which streak dynamically towards the windscreen.
The exterior mirror caps carry an identical stripe design – blue on the
right-hand side of the car, grey on the left.
“Bayswater”
lettering adorns the side indicator surrounds, door sills and seat
tags. The Punch Leather seats come in the exclusive colour variant
Rocklite Anthracite and include side bolsters sporting a metallic sheen
and blue and grey contrast stitching. Two-tone contrast stitching also
adorns the gearshift/selector lever and handbrake gaiters.
Other
innovative design features in the interior include Piano Black cockpit
trim strips, which continue the path set by the Sport Stripes over the
bonnet, and the leather Colour Line elements in Rocklite Anthracite,
whose classy character is emphasised by black stitching. The same
leather variant is also used for the armrests, while the model-specific
floor mats have anthracite-coloured edging and blue contrast stitching.
The
MINI Bayswater also comes with stainless steel pedals and the Chrome
Line Interior package, and includes the Pepper Pack in its range of
equipment. Plus, the new special edition can likewise be specified with a
wide variety of items from the optional equipment list if further
individual touches are desired.
In
keeping with its sporting charisma, the MINI Bayswater lines up for
action with powerful engines at its fingertips. Customers can order
their MINI Bayswater in MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp), MINI Cooper S (135
kW/184 hp), MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp) or MINI Cooper SD (105 kW/143
hp) trim. The special-edition model is also delivered with a six-speed
manual gearbox as standard, while a six-speed automatic features in the
options range.
The MINI Bayswater takes its name from
an extremely vibrant area of London. Located to the west of the city
centre – halfway between the shopping hot spots of Knightsbridge and
Notting Hill – Bayswater is best known for its unusually high density of
bars and restaurants, not to mention the adjacent and no less famous
Hyde Park. MINI is therefore returning to the London theme to further
accentuate the link with both its home country and the fascination
surrounding the London lifestyle. Indeed, both the MINI Bayswater and
MINI Baker Street are following in the tyre tracks of a naming tradition
begun by the classic Mini and reprised more recently with the MINI
Camden, MINI Mayfair and MINI Clubman Hampton special editions.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
MINI TAKES YOUNGSTERS OUT ON THE TRACK WITH MOTORSPORT VISION’S YOUNGDRIVE
MINI is delighted to team up with MotorSport Vision to supply a fleet of MINI One models for its YoungDrive programme. The scheme offers children as young as 11 years old (and a minimum of 4’ 8” tall) the chance to have their first taste of motoring.
The dual controlled MINI Ones are available at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Bedford Autodrome and each car features a DSA-approved instructor who will teach young drivers essential skills in a traffic-free environment to prepare them for hitting the roads for real when they’re old enough.
“The MINI One is the perfect car to give young people their first driving experience and is very popular amongst new drivers; it’s small, nippy and fantastic fun. I’m sure it will leave them counting the days to their 17th birthday!” says Jochen Goller, Director, MINI UK.
Jonathan Palmer, owner of Motorsport Vision says "Our renowned YoungDrive programme is a fun and informative course that's designed to give a positive first experience for new drivers and its popularity has grown significantly over the past few years. I'm delighted we've joined forces with the iconic MINI brand - it really is the perfect car for young people to sample driving for the first time."
This collaboration further highlights MINI’s dedication to investing in young drivers; the company already supplies a fleet of MINI Ones to the MINI Drivers @ Goodwood programme.
For more information on availability and restrictions contact MSV on 0843 453 1000 or www.motorsportvision.co.uk.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
Congratulations to Mrs Riggs, Mr and Mrs Vander, Mr McShane and Mr
Kendry who are the winners of our Christmas contact details competition.
Your prizes are on the way.
A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of our customers.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can
keep up with news, stories and events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page www.vinesmini.co.uk
Amsterdam. During a traditional ceremony four Queens Guards handed the key of the lifestyle shop to the Director of BMW Group The Netherlands Jan-Christiaan Koenders and the Director MINI Netherlands Chris Collet. This Saturday the store opens to the public.
MINI is the first car brand in the Netherlands to open an official Brand store. Everything in the store revolves around the pure experience of the British brand. The Brand Store offers a large assortment of MINI accessories and lifestyle articles. Visitors can also compose their own MINI on a large screen. The Dutch Brand Store is a pilot for the rest of the world.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
www.vinesmini.co.uk
Social Media Management by MotorTradeSolutions.net
By offering a huge range of style, comfort, convenience and technology options, MINI has always been ahead of the pack at encouraging owners to personalise their cars. Now the British brand is taking this unique appeal and innovation to a new level of sophistication with the launch of a stunning collection of premium options, called MINI Yours.
MINI Yours is pure differentiation by design, a vast catalogue of exclusive and design-led exterior paints, tattoos, interior trims and upholsteries that are completely new to MINI. It will ensure a bespoke and truly stand-out result for every owner.
Walking into a MINI showroom, any customer can still personalise their purchase from the much-loved and comprehensive list of options. MINI Yours operates at the next level, turning the fun of deciding how your car is finished into an art form. Buyers can select a MINI limited edition such as the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, MINI Soho, Clubman Hampton or the recently announced London 2012 edition. These have all now been integrated into the MINI Yours programme.
And for a genuinely bespoke design, customers can select as much or as little as they like from the extensive range of exclusive MINI Yours options.
“The introduction of MINI Yours underlines MINI’s reputation as the benchmark car brand in customisation. The sheer number of options available through MINI Yours means customers can tailor-make their MINI using exclusive colours, designs and materials like never before; creating a MINI like no other on the road,” said Jochen Goller, Director of MINI UK.
In addition, MINI will lend a helping hand to that process by creating a number of special MINI Yours packages. To celebrate the programme’s UK launch, the first of these is the MINI Avenue.
The MINI Avenue package is available with either Highclass Grey or Laguna Green metallic paint. Both feature an identical interior with an exclusive ‘Soda’ repeating design motif.
The car’s standard spec includes Satellite Grey Soda Lounge leather with matching black floor mats, Bi-colour Sport leather steering wheel with multi-function controls, Soda mirror caps and special effect white bonnet stripes. The vehicle runs on 17-inch twin-blade spoke alloy wheels.
The price of the exclusive MINI Avenue package is £4,880 on a MINI One or One D, Hatch, Convertible or Clubman, which means a MINI One D Avenue would cost £19,360 OTR. “The MINI Avenue package has a sophisticated, classy character,” explained Jochen Goller. “in the future MINI Yours packages will include all sorts of characters; from performance-oriented and masculine designs to really distinctive standout styles. This will make finding two same MINIs on the road even harder!”
Tantalisingly, he hinted at even greater levels of MINI customisation in the future. “MINI Yours is an exciting and innovative development for the brand, but it’s just one more step on the journey. It’s not the end. There is far more to come from MINI.”
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
• MINI is pushing ahead with the rigorous expansion of its model family. The latest addition to the range is the MINI Roadster, the sixth model in the brand’s current line-up and the first open-top two-seater in its history. Cutting-edge, typically MINI interpretation of the compact, two-seater sports car concept with manually-opening soft-top roof; first premium car of its kind in the small car segment; unique package appealing to demanding target groups with a penchant for elegant sportiness, spontaneous open-top driving fun and irresistible design; inspiring handling fuelled by powerful engines and sophisticated chassis technology; unrivalled scope for individualisation.
• Faithful reproduction of the MINI design language within the proportions of a roadster; clear focus on two-seat design and open-air driving experience; sporting charisma, with short overhangs, powerful over-the-wheel stance and high waistline typical of MINI; unmistakable design features and hallmark details underline the car’s brand identity.
• Three-box body structure with a strikingly stepped rear end; elegantly sweeping roadster look thanks to heavily raked A-pillars and a waistline rising up slightly along the length of the body towards the flat rear end; stands more than 20 millimetres lower than the MINI Convertible; manually operated soft-top roof with straightforward mechanism for spontaneous, rapid opening and closing.
• Full-blooded go-kart feeling and outstanding safety levels thanks to bespoke chassis set-up, low centre of gravity, torsionally rigid body and optimised aerodynamic properties; Electric Power Steering and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) as standard, DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) with EDLC (Electronic Differential Lock Control) optional (standard in the MINI John Cooper Works Roadster); roll-over bars in polished stainless steel; active rear spoiler extends automatically at 80 km/h (50 mph); MINI John Cooper Works Roadster with standard John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit.
• Focused two-seater concept with stowage area behind the driver and passenger seats, through-loading system and 240-litre luggage area; wide-opening tailgate for comfortable loading; optional: wind protection insert between the roll-over bars.
• Latest-generation four-cylinder engines; most powerful petrol and diesel units in the MINI line-up; MINI TwinPower Turbo technology; MINI John Cooper Works Roadster with 155 kW/211 hp, MINI Cooper S Roadster with 135 kW/184 hp, MINI Cooper Roadster with 90 kW/122 hp, MINI Cooper SD Roadster with 105 kW/143 hp; exemplary efficiency thanks to MINIMALISM technology.
• Bespoke colour and materials concept for upholstery, exterior mirrors, trim elements and Colour Lines; exclusive MINI Yours options and Sport Stripes in contrasting colour provide further individualisation; high-quality standard equipment including speed-sensitive steering assistance, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, Park Distance Control, air conditioning (MINI Cooper S Roadster, MINI Cooper SD Roadster, MINI John Cooper Works Roadster) and audio system with MP3-compatible CD player and AUX IN connection; options include black headlight housing, xenon Adaptive Headlights, Comfort Access, automatic climate control and the Always Open Timer; wide range of entertainment and communications options: Harman Kardon hi-fi loudspeaker system, MINI navigation system, MINI Connected features including Driving Excitement app, web radio, Google services, RSS news feeds, Mission Control, and in-car use of Facebook and Twitter.
• Engine variants:
MINI John Cooper Works Roadster:
Four-cylinder petrol engine with MINI TwinPower Turbo technology and numerous technological details carried over directly from motor sport.
Displacement: 1,598 cc, output: 155 kW/211 hp at 6,000 rpm,
max. torque: 260 Nm/192 lb-ft at 1,850 – 5,600 rpm (280 Nm/207 lb-ft with Overboost at 2,000 – 5,100 rpm). Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 6.5 seconds, top speed: 237 km/h (147 mph). Average fuel consumption according to EU: 7.3 litres/100 kilometres (38.7 mpg imp), CO2 emissions: 169 g/km.
MINI Cooper S Roadster:
Four-cylinder petrol engine with
MINI TwinPower Turbo technology. Displacement: 1,598 cc,
output: 135 kW/184 hp at 5,500 rpm, max. torque: 240 Nm/177 lb-ft at 1,600 – 5,000 rpm (260 Nm/192 lb-ft with Overboost at 1,730 – 4,500 rpm). Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 7.0 seconds,
top speed: 227 km/h (141 mph). Average fuel consumption according to EU: 6.0 litres/100 kilometres (47.1 mpg imp), CO2 emissions: 139 g/km.
MINI Cooper Roadster:
Four-cylinder petrol engine with fully variable valve management based on the BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology. Displacement: 1,598 cc, output: 90 kW/122 hp at 6,000 rpm, max. torque: 160 Nm/118 lb-ft at 4,250 rpm. Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 9.2 seconds, top speed: 199 km/h (124 mph). Average fuel consumption according to EU: 5.7 litres/100 kilometres (49.6 mpg imp),
CO2 emissions: 133 g/km.
MINI Cooper SD Roadster:
Four-cylinder turbodiesel with MINI TwinPower Turbo technology. Displacement: 1,995 cc, output: 105 kW/143 hp at 4,000 rpm, max. torque: 305 Nm/225 lb-ft at 1,750 – 2,700 rpm. Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 8.1 seconds,
top speed: 212 km/h (132 mph). Average fuel consumption according to EU: 4.5 litres/100 kilometres (62.8 mpg imp), CO2 emissions: 118 g/km.
• Exterior dimensions:
Length: 3,734 millimetres (MINI Cooper Roadster: 3,728 millimetres, MINI John Cooper Works Roadster: 3,758 millimetres)
Width: 1,683 millimetres
Height: 1,390 millimetres (MINI Cooper Roadster: 1,384 millimetres, MINI John Cooper Works Roadster: 1,391 millimetres)
Wheelbase: 2,467 millimetres
Vines Group’s London 2012 sponsored athlete, Edward Cox, at the Canoe Sprint World Championships.
Sometime ago I gave Vines Group a sneak peek into my life at the pre training camp for World Championships. Here is the feedback on my progress at whilst I was there.
After the two week, pre-training camp we moved to Szeged; the weather was amazing around 30 degrees every day! I was in to 4X200m men single kayak; there are seven teams per heat with the top two teams making the final. Athletes in other teams were already Olympic champions or world championship medallists so we had our work cut out to make the final. I was on the final leg of the race and I watched the race unfold on a big screen, as this distracted me from the thousands sat in the stands watching. I was handed over in 4/5th place so I had my work cut out to finish in the top 2. I had the race of my life and pulled past a lot of teams to cruise into 2nd place.
Watch a video of our race taken by a spectator on the day
The final was the next day; we had around forty thousand spectators come and watch on the final day of competition. In the final, we had a bad stroke of luck and came in 9th place. But this is racing and you have to take the good with the bad
PS: Whilst on training camp and at the World Championships I missed my MINI Countryman now nicked named Biggie.
Vines MINI Group.
Vines MINI have branches in
Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and
events by following Vines on Twitter: @VinesMINI or join us on our Facebook page
