Mini a mighty success story

John LeBlanc

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

For all intents and purposes, the new Mini probably shouldn't exist today.

During the latter half of the 1990s, the super subcompact was being developed by the England-based Rover subsidiary of BMW. It should've died with Rover when BMW decided to rid itself of the long-suffering British brand in 2000.

But in April 2001, BMW wisely took a flier and put the Mini into production.

Initially, the German auto maker would have been thrilled if it could move 100,000 Minis per year. But since '01, actual yearly sales have totalled more than double.

Mini's best year was '05, when 200,428 cars were sold. And just this past April, the 1 millionth Mini was produced.

Since early '02, the Mini's been available in Canada as a front drive, two-door 2+2 hatchback in Cooper and Cooper S ("S" for the supercharged version of the standard 1.6 four).

The Mini's popularity, however unlikely, stems from a variety of qualities.

First, with its lightweight, wide stance and BMW 3 Series-derived rear suspension, the Mini can out handle so-called sports cars costing three times as much.

Although the Mini's rear seats are more like parcel shelves, owners seemingly don't care, as the driver and passenger upfront are treated to compact car room.

And finally, BMW's only front-drive vehicle created a whole new segment: the premium small car.

To crank up the subcompact's already high level of desirability, BMW introduced a cloth top Mini Convertible at the '04 Geneva Motor Show.

To clarify: A highly revised second generation – or "Mk II Mini" – was launched last fall. It's only available as a hardtop for '07. Therefore, the Mini Cooper S Convertible Sidewalk that Lorraine Sommerfeld drove is still the old Mk I Mini.

The special edition Sidewalk is good representation of why the Mini's been so successful, and profitable, for BMW.

From a base model $31,600 Mini Cooper Convertible, adding the S adds another five grand. The Sidewalk package adds a sundry of convenience, audio, dynamic safety and styling options, bringing the total to $40,500.

Whoa!

Right now, you may be saying, "That's a mighty maxi price for a car with les cargo room than a Smart ForTwo."

But the last time I checked the options list on other subcompacts, such as a Honda Fit, "Malt Brown English Leather Sport Seats" and "17-inch Night Spoke Alloy Wheels" were nowhere to be found.

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