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MUNICH — BMW plans to export nearly 500 electric versions of its Mini car to California, company sources said.

The electric Minis are being built at the Mini factory in Oxford, England, without engines, gearboxes or fuel tanks, then shipped to Munich, Germany, where they are being fitted with electric powertrains.

BMW sources told Automotive News Europe that 490 of the Minis will be leased to selected customers in California and 10 will be used as show cars.

The electric Minis are painted silver and have yellow roofs, the sources said.

BMW engineers working on the electric Minis are part of a new division called Project i established by the automaker to develop low-emission city cars.

The electric Minis will help BMW to meet new California regulations that will require carmakers selling cars in the state to offer zero emission vehicles.

Mini spokesman Cypselus von Frankenberg did not confirm that BMW is building electric Minis.

“BMW will announce whether it will build electric vehicles or not later this year,” he told ANE.

Other carmakers are developing electric cars.

Volkswagen, Daimler, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault have all announced electric-vehicle programs in recent months, joining several U.S. and Japanese automakers that are working on the technology.

Mini has crowned its lineup with a second-generation version of the John Cooper Works.

Shown just over a week ahead of an official unveiling at the Geneva motor show, the new go-fast Mini is planned to head to the United States in August in two distinct body styles in a move aimed at seeing it appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

As with the second generation of the Mini Cooper S–on sale in North America since 2007, buyers will be able to choose between a standard two-door or roomier three-door Clubman at $28,550 and $30,800, respectively.

Both models run the same turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine–the result of a joint venture between Mini parent company, BMW, and French car maker Peugeot.

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The roots shared by the names MINI and John Cooper Works reach back almost 50 years. Now a new chapter of their success story has been opened. Under the roof of MINI the entire product range designed for the driver with a specifically sporting ambition will bear the John Cooper Works label. Consequently, John Cooper Works will in future become an integral part of the MINI brand and represent more than ever before the epitome of ultimate driving fun for all MINI enthusiasts.

A visible sign of this repositioning is the newly devised brand logo which will be seen on all future John Cooper Works products. It is the guarantee for exceptional racing know-how, for an avid aspiration to achieve peak efficiency as well as for a deep understanding of the unconventional character and the outstanding quality demands expected of MINI. All John Cooper Works performance components are perfectly adapted to suit the MINI and are developed and manufactured at the highest premium level. They fulfil the high BMW Group standards with regard to reliability, workmanship and authenticity and are therefore also subject to the warranty conditions applicable to MINI.

MINI and John Cooper Works – an alliance with tradition.

The new constellation strengthens the alliance between MINI brand values and racing tradition even further. It is based on the revised 2007 version of the trademark agreements between MINI and John Cooper Garages, which have been intensively involved in the tuning of MINI models since the re-launch of the MINI brand. Chief executive Mike Cooper will continue to operate as the connecting link between the two companies in order to guarantee the mutual transfer of racing passion and MINI feeling on a long term basis.

In doing this he is following in his father’s footsteps. The legendary Formula 1 design engineer John Cooper already introduced his first refined version of the Mini as early as 1961.The Mini Cooper had been born. Only two years previously a mini car created by Alec Issigonis had revolutionized everyday transportation. Now John Cooper had provided racing fans with a vehicle that was setting new standards in agility and driving fun. In the following decades the name Cooper became synonymous worldwide with the ultimate driving fun experienced in a Mini. The fact that it was this new kind of compact car that had inspired the two-time Formula 1 world champion to build outstanding sports cars was convincing proof of the Mini’s qualities. The unique driving experience that was associated with the Mini fascinated Cooper so much that he was prompted to refine it to perfection, a fact that excites every sports car fan to this day.

Performance at premium level: John Cooper Works accessories.

Today the brand John Cooper Works stands for optional equipment and accessories, vehicle concepts and small-lot production, providing MINI enthusiasts with the opportunity to live out their passion for motor sports. Fitted with the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit, the MINI Cooper S becomes a power machine that need not fear comparison with well reputed sports cars. The

tuning kit comprises a sports air filter, sports silencer and modified engine electronics, facilitates a boost in output to 141 kW/192 bhp and provides both a visual and acoustic differentiation.

The highlights of the John Cooper Works accessory range include the aerodynamics package, sports suspension with red lacquered springs, a wide choice of alloys and a high performance braking system with perforated brake discs. Moreover, a strut brace for the engine compartment, mirror caps in a carbon finish and side indicator surrounds – better known as side scuttles – featuring a sporty looking grid design are available. The list of features providing the interior with a racing car ambiance includes interior trims, handbrake lever and gear shift knob in a carbon decor. John Cooper Works sport seats, Alcantara/Carbon sports steering wheel and gear shift indicator, which signals the optimum time to change gear for maximum acceleration, are the perfect ingredients for an ultimate driving experience.

Ready for the racetrack: The John Cooper Works CHALLENGE.

The new racing car for the MINI CHALLENGE 2008 also bears the famous label. The MINI John Cooper Works CHALLENGE is a racing machine that is the result of decades of experience in building racing cars – an output of 154 kW/210 bhp (temporary values) and equipped with many components developed exclusively for the racetrack. Drivers of the MINI CHALLENGE can redefine the limits of their capabilities, bringing even more excitement to the already successful club sport series. All John Cooper Works products are designed to meet exceptionally high quality standards. Down to the smallest detail they must be able to cope not only with the extreme conditions prevailing on the racetrack, but also fulfill the extensive requirements of everyday traffic in terms of functionality, design, reliability and durability. The work of experienced engineers as well as the countless test kilometers on the racetrack and on the road ensures that these requirements are fulfilled. Consequently, the brands MINI and John Cooper Works stand for the promise of quality, the significance of which is unique in the MINI’s competitive environment.

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Alternative article

Rolls-Royces weren’t always the best cars in the world, even when they were assumed to be. Some even challenge the claim to that title of the Edwardian Silver Ghost, the progenitor of the legend.

Car magazine shoved the flying lady off her pedestal 40 years ago, when the Silver Shadow was judged inferior to a Mercedes-Benz.

By the time BMW established the “new” Rolls-Royce operation in Goodwood, the Rolls-Royce brand had become tarnished. The cars were as finely crafted as ever, but were behind technologically.

The Rolls-Royce had become an anachronism.Well, BMW has been restoring the brand’s corporate fortunes. The original (2003) Phantom line of limousines was enriched by longer-wheelbase, armoured and bespoke variations – and now those ships of state are joined by the more playful Phantom Drophead Coupé, the most fun Rolls-Royce since Lady Penelope’s.

Rolls-Royce may or may not have reclaimed the title of best car in the world, but looks one of the better-run car companies – and one of the more imaginative. Who else has fitted sisal floor mats in their new convertible? Or used teak decking for the panel that covers the hood? Or offered a stainless steel (that is, unpainted) bonnet? Few, if any. You see what I mean by playful.

There’s also the rearranging of the famous Rolls-Royce face, with that distinctive grille now more raked on the Drophead Coupé. I’m gratified, too, that Rolls-Royce, alone, persists with a delightfully slim steering wheel. You could hop out of your 1950s Silver Cloud or 1980s Silver Spirit and into this model and feel at home. The quietness, the “organ stop” controls, the typeface on the instruments, even the air-conditioning dials, are nods to an illustrious past.

But the BMW-sourced mechanicals and electronics and the advanced aluminium space-frame of the Phantom are nods to a more illustrious future. Best car in the world? Debatable; but in its character, ability and appeal, this convertible is sui generis.

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