As we know, it is vey hard to produce a product individually for each customer. It costs too much, and would lower the profit.
While purchasing a car, the choice that you can make for your own is probably " the body color" of it, well, maybe a little bit the leather of the seat that you could chose too. Probably, that's it.However, MINI Cooper by BMW changes everything of what we think while purchasing a car.
Before introducing the various choice that you could make for you own MINI Cooper, let's take a brief look in MINI's History.
Mini had been designed started in 1957 when Britain was in the middle of an oil crisis and fuel efficient cars became a necessity. Leonard Lord, president of the British Motor Corporation (BMC), decided to develop a reliable, efficient small car for consumers. He asked Alec Issigonis to creat a British car that would fit in a box 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall. Moreover, the passenger space in the car had to comprise 60 percent of the length of the vehicle.
1) Revolution to meet the request is "revolutionary in engine layout"
He had created " the transverse mouted engine", which allow them to mounted the engine in the front of the car, near the front two wheels. The front wheels drove the car and the additional weight in the front of the Mini gave the car more stability when taking tight turns. Furthermore, The space-saving engine layout allowed Issigonis to create a passenger compartment with more room space.
Photo copyright © 2002-2007 Keith Adams
The concept drawing of the first Mini Cooper
In 1961, a race car builder named John Cooper approached BMC with the intention of altering a Mini into a viable race car. Issigonis objected; he felt that the Mini should be thought of as the everyman car. Cooper decided to go over Issigonis' head and received the blessings of BMC. The result of the partnership was the first Mini Cooper, a car that won multiple races, including three victories at the Monte Carlo Rally. In 1963, Cooper made further alterations to the engine and body design. He called his new turbocharged design the Mini Cooper S.
Photo copyright © 2002-2007 Keith Adams1961 Mini Cooper
As years passed, BMC's corporate structure changed many times. Even the British government operated the company for several years -- at a considerable loss. Despite the changes in corporate structure, the Mini didn't change much at all. Small mechanical adjustments were made from one year to the next, but in general, a Mini from 1959 would look practically identical to one made in 1999. This was partly due to a great basic design, and partly due to the simple fact that BMC (and the succession of other companies it became) had other things to worry about than the design of a little car.
In 1994, BMW purchased The Rover Group, the company that was then producing the Mini. BMW recognized the impact of the original Mini and planned to completely re-invent it. In 2000 production on the original Mini model came to an end.
As BMW purchased Mini, this brand, and started to produce MINI Cooper, it started the customerized design. At first, BMW offered several choices in body colors, with an optional alternative roof color (the same color as the rest of the body, white or black -- a white roof was the standard for the old Mini line). Both models also featured the center-mounted speedometer, carried over from the original Mini model.
There were four features they show to the market of the New MINI Cooper,
"The car bearing the slogan "ÉBLOIUS-MOI" ("LIVE ME")
expresses one point in particular: the fact that MINI brand cars like the new MINI COOPER have character and personality. They are exciting cars, representing a modern, free and open attitude towards life.
The next highlight is "FAÇONNE-MOI" ("DRESS ME"):
Through its unusual diversity and wide range of equipment, the MINI COOPER is able to fulfill the customer's wishes in a most individual manner. And of course there is also a wide range of paintwork options and applications on the exterior, plus unusual materials for the interior allowing every MINI to look different. There are virtually no limits to the individualisation of the car by our customers.
The next feature is "PROTÈGE-MOI" ("PROTECT ME"):
Two to three times the passenger cell torsional stability otherwise to be found in this segment and an airbag system quite unique in this class - consisting of up to six airbags including the head airbags - guarantee superior safety in a crash. This makes the MINI COOPER one of the safest cars in its category.
Finally, there is "CONDUIS-MOI" ("DRIVE ME"):
Giving the driver optimum driving pleasure was of particular importance to us in developing the MINI COOPER. And we have achieved this goal, inter alia, by a body structure setting new standards in this class. The most advanced, modern methods of design and construction ensure supreme body stiffness within compact dimensions. Further enhanced by muscular engines and the most advanced suspension technology, the MINI COOPER offers a very special driving experience similar to that of a go-kart. "
From Statement by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Milberg, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, an Dr. Burkhard Göschel, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, on the Occasion of the MINI Press Conference Paris, 28 September 2000, 12.3
Besides customerized design ,the first-generation MINI Cooper featured a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine with 115-horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission was standard; an optional six speed continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) was available. The MINI Cooper S had a more powerful engine with 168 horsepower. The standard transmission for the MINI Cooper S was a six-speed manual transmission.
The MINI Cooper was 142.8 inches long, 75.8 inches wide and 55 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 97.1 inches. The car could seat four people and the rear seats could fold down independently for more storage space. It had antilock four-wheel disc brakes, six air bags, a tire pressure monitor and keyless entry. The Cooper also featured a sports suspension, which pressed the wheels to the ground to increase the tires' grip on the road.
The Cooper S had similar features, though its suspension was more aggressive with thicker anti-sway bars. The Cooper S also featured a functional hood scoop and 16-inch run-flat tires (the MINI Cooper model featured 15-inch tires). Both models had standard air conditioning, power windows and a CD player. Options for both models included anti skid control, navigation and rear-obstacle warning systems, a sunroof, heated seats and Xenon headlamps.
The shape of MINI Cooper hasn't been changed a lot, it just have been grown a bit larger after BMW owning its brand. As you could see the comparison at the photo below,
Classic Mini VS MINI Cooper
In late 2003, John Cooper Works offered a tuning kit for the MINI Cooper S. This kit could boost the engine to an impressive 200 horsepower. The kit included:
•a supercharger that generated better engine performance
•new spark plugs and injectors designed to work with increased gas flow
•a new cylinder head with precision inlets and exhaust ports
•an air filter with a second air intake flap that opened during acceleration at 4500 rpm (improving performance and making the MINI roar)
•chrome enamel badges letting the world know your MINI was ready to tear up the highway
In 2004, featured few changes from earlier models. Some drivers reported that the signature center-mounted speedometer was difficult to read without taking their attention off the road, so BMW added a digital speed readout under the tachometer. A rear power socket located in the trunk of the car returned in 2004 (the 2002 model had one as well, but the 2003 model discontinued the feature) as part of the standard MINI equipment. An optional Sport seat with larger side bolsters designed to hold drivers in place while taking tight turns at high speed became available in beige leather.
In 2005, BMW offered a convertible body style for the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S. The convertible models featured a power top with a heated glass rear window. They came with rear obstacle detection and front side airbags. They were slightly longer, thinner and taller than the hatchback models. All MINI Cooper models received a few minor changes in appearance to their headlights, grille and taillights. Again, changes in the MINI Cooper model continued to be minor.
The 2006 MINI Cooper was virtually identical to earlier models. One new option was a Checkmate Package, which included the antiskid system, larger wheels, Sport seats and a black-and-white graphics overlay.
As 2007, there were more package for MINI Cooper out to the market, which started the legendary of customoization. They include:
•Premium Package - includes automatic climate control, cruise control, steering-wheel radio controls and other options.
•Sports Package - includes an antiskid system, larger tires, front fog lights and other options.
•Hyper Sport Package - includes an advanced sports suspension with thicker anti-sway bars and streamlines the look of the MINI.
•Convenience Package - includes a universal garage door opener, automatic day/night rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers and other options.
•Cold Weather Package - includes heated front seats, heated washer jets and heated mirrors.
•Audio Package - includes an upgraded sound system, HD radio and satellite radio subscription.
•JCW Tuning Kit - exclusive to the MINI Cooper S Convertible, this package supercharges the engine to 207 horsepower and includes a limited-slip differential and other options.
•Sidewalk Package - exclusive to the MINI Cooper S Convertible, this package includes the options in the Premium Package as well as exclusive alloy wheels and a unique interior and exterior trim.
The MINI USA Web site offers a "Design & Build Your Own MINI" feature with over 10,000,000 configurations, which means it is impossible to find the same MINI Cooper in one road, or even the world.
The example would be shown as follow,
In the MINI Cooper's website, it doesn't only let you build your own MINI by yourself, you could even save it and have it mailed to the company for the order. As for the price that you might wondering, they have all count down for you listed with the package you've choisen as you could see at the bar in the right side!
They have really done a great job in "FAÇONNE-MOI" ("DRESS ME"), haven't they?
Sources:
MINIUSA: http://www.miniusa.com/
Statement by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Milberg, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, an Dr. Burkhard Göschel, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, on the Occasion of the MINI Press Conference Paris, 28 September 2000, 12.3
Cracking the Code of Mass Customization
By Fabrizio Salvador, Pablo Martin de Holan and Frank Piller(http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/articles/2009/spring/50315/cracking-the-code-of-mass-customization/)
http://www.europeancarweb.com/firstlook/0208ec_mini_cooper_s/index.html
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mini/1959-2006-the-history-of-mini-ar10921.html
