Bond Street Select
 
Blog header image

Archive for September, 2009

Mini First launch makes for a real first in affordable Minis!

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Looking almost identical to the Mini One, the new Mini First is a perky discounted model that strategically downgrades the high-end features of traditional notions of what the modern Mini looks like without losing its essence.

mini-first

Nearly £2,000 less on the road than the Mini One, the Mini First is only really missing a few very minor features that for the sake of saving an extra two grand for your back pocket, you really won’t miss them.

The 1.4 litre engine delivers 75-brake horsepower in the First as opposed to 95 bhp in the One, and whizzes from 0-62 miles per hour in 13.2 seconds compared to the 10.9 you’ll find from the Mini One.

Top speed hits a slender 109mph in the Mini First, which compared to the 115 mph you’ll get in the One isn’t too vast a difference. And let’s face it, when are you likely to have the opportunity to go that quickly in this country anyway?

With precisely the same dimensions as the Mini One - 3699 (length) x 1683 (width) x 1407 mm (height) if you’re interested - the First manages to squeeze out a fraction more interior space and incorporates folding rear seats to increase the available space if required.

You can also expect to find all the best of the Mini One’s technology offering as there’s been no scrimping on those luxuries. The best we think is the innovative start/stop engine cutting system for standstills in heavy traffic to save fuel and CO2 emissions.

If that’s not enough to tempt you, there’s a further £2,000 to be saved in scrappage allowance when you pick up a Mini First. Bargain.

Get the saving while you can and find out more here.

Source

Mini-break by the sea?

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

Sounds like a nice idea. But even nicer is knowing that the annual Minis by the Sea show saw hundreds of Minis meeting up in West Sussex.

mini-beside-sea

Now we’re huge fans of Minis, but we really love meeting up with other Mini owners and it’s events like this that make owning a Mini feel like belonging to a special community.

The super chilled event took place on Sunday 6 September at Steyne Gardens, Worthing in West Sussex, organised courtesy of the West Sussex Mini Owners Club.

There were lots of new Mini friends to make, club stand and traders, and a whopping selection of Minis new and old to sneak a peek at. Sounds like a great day out to us.

Well, it certainly was –and a great location too, as Steyne Gardens is conveniently located opposite the seafront and well within walking distance of Worthing’s town centre.

After being rained off last year, there were high hopes that this year’s event would go off with a bang.

See you there next year!

Source

Mini Coupé concept unveiled in Frankfurt

Friday, September 25th, 2009

50 years to the day since the original Mini was presented to the public in 1959, on 26 August 2009 MINI unveiled the Coupé concept at the Frankfurt motor show to show off what they describe as the most dynamic and agile Mini to be built yet.

mini-coupe

With a lightweight construction from aluminium alloy and low roofline with built-in spoiler, the instantly recognisable Mini characteristics are enhanced to become quite a sporty little number that no boy racer would shy away from.

On cue with classic sports car styling you’d rightly expect to find bucket seats along with a tri-spoked leather steering wheel - and you won’t be disappointed, as the 1.6 litre turbo charged unit delivers a nippy 211 brake horse power from Mini’s most powerful engine.

Sharper handling comes from the vehicle’s reduced weight load, a more structurally stiffer body shell and a centrally guided rear axle. Mini proudly present this two-seated bad boy as their very own “Pocket Porsche”.

Nifty features include a double dosage of Chronoswiss clocks on either side of the rev counter with one acting as a stopwatch for snapping up your lap times, and the other is an intergalactic transporter. Well it may as well be, you’ll be moving pretty quickly.

It is in fact just an ordinary timepiece. Honestly though, it’s the only ordinary feature you’ll find in this super zippy Coupé.

Source

Mini Cooper S: a character far bigger than the car

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Fifty years on and still going strong, as an iconic pop culture car the Mini Cooper S is still calling the shots on the forecourts as car dealers up and down the country send thousands of the model packing off home with yummy-mummies, affluent just-passed learner drivers, and 20-something city hotshots.

mini-cooper-s

Associated largely with being the star of Sixties’ flick The Italian Job, the Mini Cooper S single-handedly grabbed the spotlight from Michael Caine; and half a century on, the car’s still not quite done with its diva-like behaviour.

It’s an appearance that this car is pretty comfortable with to be honest, especially after the gutsy BMW takeover in 2000 that repositioned the brand from being an economy car for the masses to the loftier position of style-conscious urbanite’s accessory.

An accessory that’s no longer cheap as chips, and one that you’d be hard pushed to find a cockney driving. The modern Mini isn’t cheap, but it is incredibly stylish. And we’re not just talking about the exterior.

The Guardian describes the dashboard as containing a speedometer only slightly smaller in circumference than Big Ben. They’re not wrong…

This robust little runner comes in a snazzy convertible style, that when you take the easily removable roof off and put your foot down, that huge speed dial whirrs in to life.

Instantly recognisable, the Mini Cooper S’s roof rolls back to sit snugly behind the back seats where it remains concealed; until it springs to life to conveniently recover in the event of a potential accident. Very clever.

This timeless classic can be picked up on average for around £19,000, will happily hit a very nippy top speed of 138mph (but won’t “blow the bloody doors off!”) and accelerates from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. Outstanding.

Source

Mini Happy Returns! Mini celebrates its 50th birthday

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Better than a birthday cake, Mini are happily sharing their 50th birthday present of two unique models with the public. They’re just too generous!

To celebrate a rollicking half century in style, Mini unveiled a styled up blast from the past in the form of the Mini 50 Mayfair, and futuristic funster - the Mini 50 Camden - at a weekend long shindig in mid-September (12-13) 2009.

mini_50_birthday_pop1

Any true Mini aficionado will be desperate to get their hands on test driving either one of these super cool celebratory Minis; the question is in picking which one…

Choose the retro chic Mini 50 Mayfair in sleek and shiny Midnight Black or Pepper White, or really go for broke with Hot Chocolate bodywork accented with toffee-coloured bonnet stripes.

Superbly stylish, the retro detailing is perfectly offset by interior lounge leather with contrast stitching, a high gloss black dashboard and some very sexy white alloy wheels. Wowzers.

Alternatively you could do your finest Marty McFly impression into the future and opt for the Mini 50 Camden.

Strong contemporary detailing on trims, finishes and paintwork play off against sleek monochrome cloth and leather interiors. The nifty addition of a Harmon Kardon sound system and Bi-Xenon headlights perfectly finish off the Mini 50 Camden’s futuristic feel.

Pick up either model as a Cooper, Cooper D or Cooper S hatchback and you’ll find a 50th anniversary birthday badge (of honour) to cherish sitting pride of place on the front grille.