AC Schnitzer Turns All-Electric MINI E into a Police Car [with Video]

In support of the German Automobile Tuner Association’s “Tune it! Safe!” campaign, AC Schnitzer built the MINI E Police Look Concept, which is being showcased at the 2010 Essen Motor Show. The idea behind the campaign is to create a car that can satisfy tuning aficionados and also meet safety standards.

The BMW Group's MINI E is powered by an electric motor with 204 hp on tap and plenty of low-down torque (maximum is 220 Nm or 162 lb-ft). It completes the standard sprint from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.5 seconds and has a limited top speed of 152 km/h (95 mph).

AC Schnitzer’s comprehensive tuning package made it even better while the police livery is an interesting take on the “safety” theme.

Finished in the classic Polizei colors, the concept has the latest signaling system from Hella mounted on the roof and special wraps from Foliatec. Modified front and rear bumpers, plus lowered side skirts, improve the car's looks, while bonnet vents and a large roof spoiler complete the bodykit.

The tuner opted for new alloys, too. The 18-inch MI 2 wheels feature an 8-spoke design and are wrapped in high-performance Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires. Stopping power is provided by an upgraded brake system, boasting 328mm 4-pot caliper (in front) ventilated disks. There is also a complete suspension kit.

Inside, the boys in blue are greeted by aluminum pedals, footrest and handbrake handle.

AC Schnitzer says that most of the tuning accessories shown on the concept model are either already available or will soon be offered for the production MINIs.

By Csaba Daradics

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First Videos of MINI's Countryman WRC Testing in Portugal!

Thanks to a tip from Carscoop reader Rafael, we can now share with you the first video footage of MINI's new Countryman WRC prototype, which was caught testing earlier today (Tuesday) at Ponte de Lima in Portugal.

The Prodrive developed and built World Rallying Championship version of the Mini Countryman is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport to comply with the new Super2000 regulations. Like the road-going model, it also gets four-wheel drive.

According to MINI, the Countryman WRC will be ready to compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.

Hat tip to Rafael!

VIDEO: Shocking MINI Racer Accident in Australia

A horrific crash involving a MINI Cooper S racer took place this past weekend at the Ipswich Raceway in Brisbane, Australia, when debutant racer Kain Magro, 23, literally cart-wheeled out of control over a barrier and into a crowd of spectators during a racing event that preceded the Ipswich 300 V8 Supercars race.

Miraculously, the driver was unhurt while only two people from the crowd were treated for minor injuries. Check out the video after the break.

Hat tip to Braddo!

VIDEO: First Look at the 2011 MINI Countryman Crossover

After details and first shots of the MINI Countryman crossover were released prior to its world premiere at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March, the British automaker has now followed up with a pair of videos showing off its latest creation.

The fourth addition to MINI's range after the regular three-door hatch, the Convertible and the Clubman, comes with a more rugged appearance, increased ride height, four doors, four individual seats (or a three-seat bench) and an available all-wheel drive system for the range-topping Cooper S and Cooper D versions. Check out the videos after the jump.

VIDEO: MINI Drops New Teaser for Crossover, Official Presentation on February 7

MINI's love affair with the psychedelic-looking swirly camouflage that it uses to wrap its prototype models during testing is so strong that the British firm decided to employ the same black and yellow design in its latest teaser video for the new Crossover model.

The film doesn't show anything that we haven't seen before, but MINI did announce that the official reveal of the crossover model will take place online on February 7. From what we gather, the automaker will most likely release the first official pics on that date.

The latest member of the MINI family is a small crossover measuring around four-meters in length that will be offered with an optional four-wheel drive system, both a first for the automaker. Sales are scheduled to start in Europe later this year and in the US in early 2011.

VIDEO: MINI Coupe Concept Filmed In, Out and Around

Following the release of a detailed photo gallery, MINI has now published video footage of its 'oh-so-close' to production Coupe Concept that will bow to the crowd at next month's Frankfurt Show. Unfortunately, the video does not include any driving shots but we do get a closer look at the exterior and interior details. The new performance-orientated small coupe is powered the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four with 211 HP used on the Cooper S John Cooper Works models. Watch the video after the jump.

VIDEO: Clever MINI Cooper S vs the Demon Carts Commercial with a Stephen King Twist

Watching this spot for the MINI Cooper S that was created by agency Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, the first thing that came to mind was Stephen King's horror novels. The witty commercial tries to show off the crisp and go-kart-like handling of the MINI Cooper S as the driver of the car evades an army of "evil" shopping carts with minds of their own that keep attacking him in a super-market parking lot. Follow the jump to check out the video.

Thanks for the tip Scott!

Video: 2009 MINI Convertible on the Road

MINI took the wraps off its second-generation Convertible model well ahead of the car's scheduled premiere at the Detroit Show in January 2009. The latest MINI Convertible is distinguished by a range of features such as the new generation naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engines, a newly developed electrohydraulical softop as well as a variety of styling and design components. Hit the jump to watch the video or click here for more detailed information and a high-res photo gallery of the 2009 MINI Convertible.

Video: 2009 JCW MINI Cooper S & Clubman 208 HP

Following the announcement on the most powerful factory versions of the Cooper S hatch and its Clubman sibling last week (pics and details), MINI released an official video contain driving and static footage. Both John Cooper Works (JCW) models are equipped with a supped up version of the 1.6 litre engine with Twin Scroll turbocharger that delivers 208 HP or 155 kW. The MINI John Cooper Works accelerates in 6.5 seconds from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) while the Clubman needs 0.3 sec more. –Video after the jump

MINI QED: The Electrifying 640Hp MINI Cooper

Remember PML Flightlink’s electric powered MINI dubbed QED that we showed you last summer? Paul Clifton - Transport Correspondent for the BBC, visited PML Flightlink to carry out some interviews and film the MINI QED Development. In a nutshell, the MINI QED uses four electric motors in its wheels each producing 160 Hp and 750 Nm of torque –total 640 Hp and… 3,000 Nm of torque. PML has equipped the MINI QED with a 21 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack while there’s also a 250cc two-cylinder, four-stroke petrol engine to generate extra electricity when needed. According to PML, the prototype can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.5 sec and reach a top speed of 240 km/h (150mph) while boasting a whopping 1,500 km or 930 miles autonomy. See more about the MINI QED here.

Via: Le Blog Auto

Video: 2008 MINI Clubman

MINI circulated a video of its new Clubman that features a unique rear-end design along with an extra rear-hinged door on the passengers side and new proportions compared to the 3door hatch. Set to make its international debut in Frankfurt, the Clubman will go on sale in Europe this November in three model configurations: the MINI Cooper Clubman, the MINI Cooper D Clubman and the MINI Cooper S Clubman. See the press release along with a high-res image gallery here.

Airborne MINI Cooper S

We’ll be blunt and tell you that we didn’t find a lot of official information around the pictured Airborne MINI Cooper S (first generation) but we really dug its design when we saw it on “Germancarscene” and so we decided to share. However, we did discover that Airborne had presented a prototype based on the MINI Cabrio at the 2006 SEMA show which was fitted with a wide-bodykit and a tuned engine producing around 300Hp (see video after the jump). Just for the record, the official site says that the Airborne MINI was developed by designer Joe Iacono of Iacono Design, along with Hot Rod builder Rick Leos of Autocraft. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Via: Germancarscene , Source: Airbornemini