2011 MINI Cooper MD

View Our New MINI Cooper Inventory!!

For 2011 all MINI Cooper models have a little more power, fresh styling touches, and new wheels. Standard HD radio and Sirius Satellite Radio come with one year of free service. The base Cooper gains 3 horsepower to 121, and the turbocharged Cooper S adds 9 hp, to 181. The MINI lineup will enter the 2011 model year with an array of visual and equipment upgrades for the Cooper, Cooper convertible, and Clubman. The visual changes include a redesigned front bumper that helps the MINI meet new pedestrian-safety regulations in Europe. The lower grille and new fog-light surrounds have more pronounced, contoured borders. Base (non-S) models feature a new horizontal bar in the lower air inlet, while S models sport prominent (and functional) brake ducts that can be trimmed in chrome. There are five new wheel designs in 15-, 16-, and 17-inch sizes. As always, MINI encourages customization of each car, and is now offering three “design worlds” to serve as inspiration. Dubbed Rally, Classic, and Scene, each is a family of suggestions for body and roof colors, wheel designs, and interior elements hand-selected by designers as a stylish jumping-off point for tweaking your MINI. There are a range of new interior trimmings, including a cloth/leather upholstery combination, the addition of the Polar Beige interior color, and several new accent designs.

Driving the '11 Cooper

A 121-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder powers the base model, and a turbocharged version with 181 hp powers the S. Both engines require premium gas. Compared with the Cooper, the Cooper S has a sportier suspension. The Cooper S has a zero-to-60 time of 6.6 seconds and achieves an estimated 29 mpg average fuel economy with the manual transmission. The 1.6-liter engines receive light massaging to generate a little extra horsepower. In naturally aspirated models, reduced internal friction yields 3 additional hp, for 121. The turbocharged Cooper S and Clubman S gain Vanos variable valve-timing for the intake valves, and a bonus 4 hp brings the total to 181. John Cooper Works variants remain at 208 hp. The four-wheel disc brakes provide quick and stable stops. Both the base and S model benefit from MINI's brake cornering control, which can use the ABS to apply individual brakes to inside wheels to help get the car through a corner.

2011 MINI Cooper Design

All models have new bumper styling, larger fog lamps and new taillight assemblies. MINI offers five wheel designs on the Cooper and S, ranging from 15- to 17-inch diameter, and all are new for 2011. Adaptive xenon headlights are a new option. The design of the second-generation convertible looks enough like the first that there is little difference to casual observers. The most noticeable difference is the roll bar, which used to stick up behind the backseat head restraints. The roll bar is now active; it's visible but rests low unless a rollover occurs, in which case it pops up to provide protection. The exterior lighting has been revised with new trim rings for the side-marker lights, while black headlight surrounds, like those on the recent Camden anniversary edition, are now optional on all but John Cooper Works models. The brake lights now use LEDs, and the optional xenon headlights now swivel in turns. Reverse lights migrate to the lower bumper. The convertible comes with a power canvas roof that opens at the touch of a button in just 15 seconds when the car is parked or traveling at up to 18 mph. There are no latches to operate. The convertible top has a heated glass rear window and a sliding roof function that opens just the portion over the front seats. It acts as a sunroof and can be opened at speeds up to 75 mph.

Inside the 2011 Cooper

The Cooper's interior features a center-mounted speedometer in a console that also incorporates the audio system and optional navigation system. The navigation system now can update maps through a USB port in the glove box. The convertible's soft-top opens partially like a sunroof, or it can open fully as a conventional convertible top would. There's also a standard Openometer that tracks how much time you've driven with the top down. New optional extras include ambient lighting that can be set to any of 756 colors, and auto-dimming side-view mirrors. A cargo cover for Clubman models is now standard. New audio and navigation systems are available, with the latter using a 6.5-inch LCD screen in the MINI’s central speedometer. With MINI Connected software, iPhone and iPod users will be able to watch videos on the display while the car is parked, or see album cover art while playing music. The screen also will be able to display contact information from a compatible cell phone connected via Bluetooth. The high-performance John Cooper Works trim gains an extra accent color, Chili Red, for the mirrors and roof. The color is also splashed on interior trim panels and stitching for the steering wheel, shifter, and parking-brake handle. JCW cars also score anthracite-gray gauge faces. The innovative character of the MINI Cooper is expressed in the extended range of available equipment items. Adaptive Headlights can now be specified for the MINI, MINI Clubman and MINI Convertible in conjunction with the optional xenon headlights. In addition to this, automatically dimming exterior mirrors and new ambient lighting covering an extremely broad spectrum of colour are also available. Meanwhile, the package of entertainment and communications equipment – including the innovative MINI Connected functions – breaks new ground. MINI Connected comprises globally unique technology governing the integration of the Apple iPhone into the car’s system architecture and allowing its telephone, music player and online functions to be operated using a joystick, steering wheel buttons and the on-board monitor. An application available from the Apple App Store enables users to receive Facebook and Twitter posts inside the car, display them on the on-board monitor and have them read out via the optional MINI Connected voice output function. The application also comes with the web radio function, reception capability for RSS news feeds, the usage package for Google local search and Google Send to Car services and the Dynamic Music function.

Conclusions

The Cooper lineup includes both a hardtop and a convertible model. The two body styles come in base and S trim levels, with S models turbocharged for more power. Although there's no car quite like a MINI, the Cooper competes with the Volkswagen Eos, VW New Beetle, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder and BMW 1 Series. Striking design modifications, an updated range of engines and a selection of additional innovative equipment items give the MINI family new impetus as it sets about writing a dynamic new chapter in its history of success. High-quality materials and an extremely harmonious color scheme mark out the contemporary and exclusive character of the interior of all the MINI models. For any consumer looking for a fun-to-drive vehicle, with great fuel efficiency and and low price-tag, the MINI Cooper for 2011 can't be missed. Design your own customized MINI today at the official MINI USA site.