Posts

Mini John Cooper Works GP Arrives In Malaysia – 10 Units, 306hp, RM378k

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

While Mini models have long been known for offering go-kart thrills in a city-friendly package, MINI Malaysia has turned up the wick today by offering the most powerful MINI in history – the new, limited-edition Mini John Cooper Works GP.

“In MINI’s 60-years of gracing both the racetracks and the streets, we continue to be revelled for our legendary racing success. Today, 14-years on, designers and engineers are paying tribute to the first MINI John Cooper Works GP once again with the successor – the fastest and most powerful MINI GP ever built.”

Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director, BMW Group Malaysia

Minis have always been known to offer immense driving pleasure, but it’s safe to say that every aspect of the new JCW GP pushes everything to the extreme. This is evident in both the engine and performance characteristics – This is an intense, purist race feeling machine, conveyed by what is by far the most powerful engine ever used in a MINI, with suspension technology that is fine-tuned based on John Cooper Works’ extensive racing expertise and a body that’s been weight-optimised as much as possible.

Under the bonnet lies the star of the show – with 306hp and 450Nm, this is the peppiest and punchiest MINI ever. 0-100km/h is handled in just 5.2-seconds, and it’ll go onward to a top speed of 265km/h. All this punch is what enabled the the JCW GP to lap the Nürburgring in less than 8-minutes, making it significantly faster than the car it replaces. 

The JCW GP will only be made available in its exclusive Racing Grey metallic, with the roof & mirror caps finished in Melting Silver. The hexagonal radiator grille, inserts in the lower air intake and the inside of the roof spoiler is finished in a contrasting Chili Red, accentuated by GP insignia in Rosso Red matte on the front, the rear, the outer sides of the enormous spoiler, and in the foils above the side skirts and door sills.

However, black is utilised to finish off the surrounds for the lights, the central radiator grille, the handles, the fuel filler cap, the bonnet inlay, and the MINI logos on either end. This is, purportedly, to emphasise the uncompromisingly sporty flair of the new JCW GP.

In all four corners you’ll find 18-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels, weighing less than 9kg each, finished off with GP logos in the centre caps. Above each of the alloys you’ll find the bold and unmissable wheel arch flares, manufactured through a special process and material combination that is a first for the BMW Group, with a thermoplastic substructure finished with carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) on the outside.

You will also find emblazoned on the front arches a 4-digit number, denoting the actual build number of the car itself. Only 3000 of these cars are available globally, and the numbers on the fenders will denote where in that limited production run each car sits in.

Inside the first thing you’ll notice are the seats – lightweight units to, well, reduce weight, they’re upholstered in Dynamica leather with silver side edges, red accentuation seams and seat belts, and a GP badge beneath the integrated headrests. On the passenger’s side of the dash you’ll find a piece of trim again bearing the individual build number of each car, produced using a state-of-the-art 3D printing process. That same process features on the steering wheel for the centre marking for the 12 o’clock position, as well as the paddle shifters. 

GP logos finish off the cabin on the floor mats, matched by twin stripes on the gear selector, and the bright-red cross-member that sits behind the front seats. No, there is no back seat in the JCW GP – you didn’t really think there would be, did you?

In the centre of it all you’ll find the MINI Visual Boost infotainment system, replete with navigation and accompanied by a 5-inch fully-digital instrument cluster. The JCW GP is also pretty well equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay, a must-have in the premium segment, going some way to make up for the lack of Android Auto. 

The Mini John Cooper Works GP is available at all authorised MINI dealerships across the country, with prices set at RM377,470.90 including the current SST tax exemption for fully-imported vehicles.

The Mini JCW GP is covered by the same 4-year/unlimited mileage warranty as other MINI models, along with 5-years roadside assistance and other benefits. 

Reckon that this is the track machine to set your heart alight? Let us know in the comments below. 

GALLERY: 2020 MINI John Cooper Works GP – RM377,470.90 with SST exemption

Mini Electric Makes Local Debut – 270km Range, 28.9kWh Battery, RM218k

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

For the first time in its 6-decade history, British marque Mini has finally come to embrace the electric mobility revolution in the form of the all-new Mini Electric. Making its local debut today, the Mini Electric also marks an important milestone for parent company BMW Group Malaysia, as it now offers the most number of all-electric models in its lineup compared with any other brand available locally. Joining the BMW i3s, the Mini Electric represents an important shift for the Mini brand as well as BMW Group, as the German conglomerate positions itself aptly to take on the wave of battery-electric vehicles.

“For the very first time and in celebrating MINI’s 61st birthday, we are thrilled to bring this innovation into reality with the New All-Electric MINI. Since we introduced the first electrified MINI model with the MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid, electrified MINIs have become a fan-favourite worldwide. In 2019, MINI delivered close to 17,000 units of the Countryman PHEV worldwide. This success drives our commitment towards electromobility even further as it underlines the increasing shift towards electrified vehicles among MINIacs globally.”

Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director, BMW Group Malaysia

Available as a 3-door, the Mini Electric occupies no more space than its conventionally-powered siblings. Despite that, they’ve managed to cram a 28.9kWh battery in a T-shaped configuration under the skin. Thanks to that, the Mini Electric enjoys a maximum range of 270km (based on the NEDC cycle), with motivation provided by a 184hp/270Nm motor that powers the front wheels. “Maximum thrill of the road without the carbon footprint,” they claim. 

Notably, the battery can be recharged from 0-80% in just 36-minutes via a DC fast-charger, though more realistically you can expect similar results from a MINI Wallbox charger or a public charger in about 2.5-hours. Additionally, power can be recuperated via braking regeneration, which on its own is significant enough to enable one-pedal driving for the first time on a series-production MINI.

To mark it out as the new Mini Electric, the car features lots of unique flourishes about the place guaranteed to draw your eye. There are specific bumpers and a grille up front in grey with an Energetic Yellow E-Badge. And there are grille blades that can be had in either grey or yellow, depending on how bold you’re willing to be. Lighting is provided by Matrix LEDs on the front and signature Union Jack units at the rear, while there are E-Badges on the side scuttles too to mark it out. The mirror caps have been aerodynamically-optimised for minimum drag, and can be had in either Black or Energetic Yellow, while all mirrors (exterior & interior) offer anti-dazzle functionality as standard. 

The Mini Electric also runs on 17-inch dual-tone alloys as standard, with run-flat tyres.

Round the back, you can find a charging flap with an embossed E-Badge as well, marking it out as the all-electric model. However, the tailgate handle comes in grey as standard to provide contrast, as do the E-Bagdes and model badging that feature Energetic Yellow also for contrast.

Stepping inside, you’ll find unique features like the Electric Cockpit Fascia, the yellow start-stop button, unique floor mats and gear lever, as well as the brake-regent toggle. Both driver and front passenger get to enjoy dual-zone climate control while seated on carbon-black cross-punch leather seats, while they’ll be dazzled by the 12-colour ambient lighting setup when the singes down. There’s also a sports steering wheel that’s leather-wrapped for the driver, as well as a raised centre console with integrated electric parking brake. Centre-stage is an 8.8-inch infotainment display with the MINI Connected suite, as well as a MINI-first all-digital instrument cluster for the first time. 

Despite the need for a battery, it hasn’t hampered the Mini Electric’s practicality at all. There’s 211L of space behind the rear seats as standard, just like the regular three-door model, while the total maximum cargo space with the rear seats folded is rated at 731L. Adding to the practicality is Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as well as a wireless charging tray, though it’s noteworthy that Android Auto remains noticeably omitted. 

Another unique feature of the Mini Electric pertains to the all-important driving experience – the four driving modes on offer (Sport, Mid, Green, and Green+) are all tailored to suit the new state-of-the-art MINI eDrive system, which offers things like the Green Driving Assistant that features the Range Assistant that suggests routes and solutions should there be insufficient charge for any given journey. There’s also an efficient Green Route that will suggest driving mode and stop-overs at charging stations, while the navigation system will automatically show a given range based on the charge level at any given time.

The Mini Electric also offers connectivity via the MINI Connected app. With Connected, you can monitor your Mini’s charge level at any given time, monitor your driving stats, and even read up on how you can maximise the efficiency of your drive. Additionally, you can also precondition the car to a set temperature while it’s being charged, ensuring that you enjoy comfortable motoring no matter the time of day. 

Debuting on the Mini Electric is the Driving Assistant package, which consists of automatic high-beam at speeds above 50km/h, city-speed autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. You also get autonomous parking and all-round parking sensors as standard. 

The new Mini Electric can be had in the exclusive White Silver with Energetic Yellow pairing, or you can have it in British Racing Green, or Chili Red. The new Mini Electric is available through all authorised MINI dealerships nationwide beginning today, priced at RM218,380.78

Like all new MINI models, the Mini Electric is covered by a 4-year warranty with 5-years roadside assistance, as well as free towing services, replacement vehicle, Seamless Mobility, Accommodation, Mobility Services Solutions as well as Repatriation services. The battery is separately covered by an 8-year/100,000km warranty.

The Mini Electric can be had with Balloon Financing from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, with ownership starting at RM2,421/month bases on an 80% loan estimate over a 5-year tenure. 

Like the new Mini Electric? Reckon 270km range is more than enough for you to do your daily commute? Let us know in the comments below.

GALLERY: 2020 MINI Electric – Launch Gallery

2020 MINI Countryan Blackheath Launched – RM253,888 To Appeal To The Inner Goth

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

If you’ve ever had to hide your love of Minis due to their unashamedly loud & proud designs, you may be very excited to hear about this. MINI Malaysia has today announced that they will be making available just 48 units of the special Countryman Blackheath Edition which, as you guessed it, is inspired by the dark, brooding aesthetics of the Blackheath region of London.

In any case, the Blackheath is based on the Countryman Cooper S, and so it derives motivation from the same 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo mill, which sends the 192hp and 280Nm it generates to the front wheels via an 8-speed auto ‘box. The century sprint is wrangled in just 7.5-seconds, despite maintaining a miserly fuel economy rating of just 6.6L/100km. That low consumption figure is helped in part by a new drivetrain decoupling system, which works only in Mid & Green modes, that allows the Mini Blackheath to coast without hindrance.

Thanks to EEV incentives, the Blackheath retails at just RM253,888 in West Malaysia, while East Malaysia will receive it for RM256,852.50. That is, apparently, RM17,571 less than it would be without the EEV incentives, which is… helpful?

As it’s a special edition (the first of its kind for the Countryman here in Malaysia), there are a variety of aesthetic tweaks that set it apart from the pack. So there’s black trim for the headlights & taillights, the grille, the door handles, the badges, and even the ‘Countryman’ script on the tail. Even the bonnet stripes have been given a dark hue, finished in matte silver.

Down the side, the Blackheath rolls on 19-inch Circuit Spoke alloys, and sports a John Cooper Works aerodynamic bodykit for extra aggression. Grr.

The interior packs black headliner and sports seats which are, surprise, upholstered in Carbon Black Cross Punch leather upholstery. There’s more piano black throughout the cabin, though the ambient lighting offers 12 adjustable colours, though we suspect that’s mostly because there isn’t any literal black lighting available.

In the middle of the dash sits the 8.8-inch infotainment display, which runs a 12-speaker, 360-watt Harman/Kardon audio system. Connectivity is catered for via Apple Carplay only, with no support for Android Auto (yet). There’s also voice input available, powered by Mini, or by Siri if you have your iPhone hooked up.

Safety-wise, the Countryman Blackheath offers no changes over the Countryman Cooper S, and so you get the usual array of stability & traction controls, dynamic brake lights, ABS, EBD, electronic diff lock, auto hold function, driver drowsiness warning, reversing camera, runflat tyre with tyre pressure monitoring, airbags front and side, as well as head airbags for the four outer occupants. And there’s ISOFIX, of course.

You also get with the Countryman Blackheath the 4G-connected MINI Connected system, which includes Intelligent Emergency Call (it calls the emergency services in an accident), as well as MINI TeleServices. You also get the latest versions of MINI Connected app, which offers Concierge, MINI Online, as well as the Carplay we mentioned earlier. With MINI Online, you can check things like the car’s location, the fuel level, and other status updates of the car on your phone, wherever you might be. You know, in case you miss your MINI.

The Countryman Blackheath is covered by the same 4-year/unlimited mileage warranty, with free scheduled servicing for 4-years, as well as 5-years roadside assist.

Now might be a good time to come to the dark side.

BMW Group Malaysia Reports Valiant Show In 2019 – 11,567 Units Across BMW, MINI, Motorrad Divisions

/0 Comments/in , , /by

In an event held in the city centre today, BMW Group Malaysia announced their ‘2019 Report Card’ to detail how the Group performed in what’s unilaterally regarded as a ‘challenging year’ in a ‘challenging market.’ Despite the headwinds, BMW Group Malaysia posted some pretty healthy numbers, driven by the 32 model variants introduced in 2019 across the BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad arms of the business.

BMW Group Malaysia was keen to underline that it retains its position as the leading electrified-mobility provider in Malaysia, with 3,148 units of electrified BMWs and MINIs delivered in 2019, contributing to the overall total in excess of 17,000 electrified models since BMW Group Malaysia began its electrified offensive in 2015. This was backed up by an introduction of 18 new BMW i charging facilities across the country, bringing the total number of chargers installed by the brand in the last three years to over 30.

“Against the backdrop of a challenging year for the automotive sector, we are proud to have achieved such success within the electrified segment in Malaysia and across the globe – which reaffirms our optimism for the year ahead. We are committed to continue leading the charge for electromobility in Malaysia, especially in light of the upcoming National Automotive Policy announcement that will see electrified vehicles play a prominent role in propelling our automotive sector to greater heights.”

Mr. Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director, BMW Group Malaysia

The success of the Group was driven primarily by the BMW brand itself, with 9,300 new owners recorded in 2019. The new 3-Series racked up 2,514 registrations, of which over 1,000 were made up of the BMW 330e M-Sport. The 5-Series came in as the second biggest contributor, with over 2,000 new owners found in the same period.

The BMW X family of vehicles also made good headway in 2019, with 3,985 units recorded between all its members. The X3 brought back 1,354 sales, with the smaller X1 totalling 1,331 sales. The BMW X5 xDrive40e also played a critical role, with 975 units (or 24% of the overall BMW X sales) recorded in 2019.

MINI on the other hand saw a shift of 1,142 vehicles, with the Mini Countryman contributing over half of all deliveries. BMW Motorrad followed right behind the British marque with 1,125 units shifted too, with the Adventure segment finding over 600 new homes.

Compared to their performance in 2018, BMW Group saw a drop of 2,771 overall sales, or nearly 20% year-on-year. This is in keeping with the shrinkage of premium segment sales over an otherwise stagnant total industry volume. Only Volvo has come out of this rough patch unscathed, charting a growth of over 30% through 2019 while its major competitors had to tighten their belts.

Regardless, it is promising to see that the BMW Group remains committed to the Malaysian market with plans already being laid to make full use of the soon-to-be-announced National Automotive Policy that will hopefully see their Kulim, Kedah plant continue to play a major role in the brand’s presence in the ASEAN market.