Rising fuel costs have caused a shift in the look of the performance market around the world, and cars like the Mini Cooper have become popular for those who want better fuel economy, but still want something that is fun to drive. The BMW rebirth of the MINI name has been popular since being reincarnated, and aside from the factory-backed performance models like the John Cooper Works edition, many aftermarket companies have jumped to make upgrades for the MINI. Long time BMW tuner Hamann has jumped into the battle with their new upgrade packages for both the Cooper S and Cooper D.
Each of these upgrade packages begins with a performance upgrade thanks to the years of Motronic control unit tuning, with the results being 136 horsepower in the diesel models, 204 horsepower in the naturally aspirated base gas models, and 230 horsepower in the supercharged models. Along with the tuning improvements, the package includes sport exhaust and in the supercharged models, an improved intake air cooler. These power increases help the car accelerate quite a bit, but Hamann wanted their cars to be improved in every way, so they finished the performance aspect of the vehicle off with improved suspension and braking systems, and a large variety of custom wheels to be chosen by the customer are wrapped in performance tires. The suspension upgrades include adjustable coil over kit, which allows the driver to adjust the ride height and handling capacities, with the travel of the suspension being almost 2 inches.
Hamann wanted their MINIs to stand out in a crowd, so the exterior receives as much attention as the drivetrain. The physical changes begin with the front and rear fascia, which gives the car a much more aggressive look, but intense testing was done to ensure that the aero kit improved handling qualities at high speed as well as looked great. The exterior of the Hamann Mini Cooper D and Mini Cooper S is completed with the Hamann name sprawled along the bottom of each side in a contrasting color from the body to help announce this performance tuned Mini Cooper.
The Mini Select financing is just another name for a balloon loan. It's a loan with lower payments than a conventional loan but higher than lease payments. At the end, the final payment is a huge "balloon" payment. You can either keep the car, and get a new loan for the balloon payment, or return the car as in a lease.
The Hamann Mini Coopers.
