Mini

Talk Page

File:Mini logo.jpg

Mini is a British car manufacturer found in Gran Turismo. An arm of German car maker BMW, Mini traces its roots back to the original 1959 Mini, which revolutionised the British car industry and made motoring available to a greater audience.

The Mini was originally produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC). In 1969, Mini production was taken over by the British Leyland Motor Corporation after BMC merged with Leyland Motors, and in 1988 British Leyland became the Rover Group. Times changed soon after; BMW bought out Rover in 1994, and six years later Rover bar Mini was sold off. Minis continue to be produced in the UK to this day, especially after a new-look model debuted in 2001.

They appear in Gran Turismo 2, Gran Turismo 3, Gran Turismo 4 and Gran Turismo 5.

A brief history of the Mini

The original Mini debuted in August 1959 as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven (not to be confused with the popular pre-war vehicle) and from the start was an exceptional vehicle. Powered by a transversely-mounted 850cc BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine, the Mini was a lightweight car that could perform well on the track thanks to its handling. As time went on, the Mini recieved many changes.

In September 1961 the first Mini Cooper models arrived on the scene. Built initially as a homologation special these Minis had an enlarged 998cc A-Series engine, boosting power from 34bhp (25kW) to 55bhp (41kW), and combined with disc brakes and two SU carburettors the Cooper could blitz its competition. The more powerful 1071cc (later enlarged to 1275cc) Cooper S debuted in 1963 and a year later the car won its first rally event: the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. The Mini would win two more titles in 1965 and 1967; it would have won the 1966 one had not French judges disqualified the car because of its variable-resistance headlamp dimming circuit.

More updates appeared on the Mini soon after, including a change to Hydrolastic suspension (1964), a squared-off facelift (1969), fuel injection (1991), and also a driver's airbag (1996). The Mini Cooper 1.3i featured in Gran Turismo 2, 3 and 5 as well as Gran Turismo PSP is an example of the last original Minis (the Mark VII model) ever to come out of Longbridge before production ceased in 2000 to make way for the BMW-designed Mini.

And that BMW-designed Mini did come. In 2001 the Mini One, Cooper and Cooper S models came out-with new styling, a powerful 1.4 or 1.6L Tritec four-cylinder engine (only the 1.6L engines-in Cooper or Cooper S trim-were available in markets such as Australia and the US), and many technological advancements, the new Mini was also an excellent performer. A revised Mini arrived in 2007, and today with an expanded Mini line, BMW is still working on its little British supermini.

List of Cars

Gran Turismo 2

Mini 1.3

Mini Cooper 1.3i

[R] Mini Cooper MK1

Gran Turismo 3

• Mini Cooper 1.3i

Gran Turismo 4

• Mini One '02
• Mini Cooper '02
• Mini Cooper S '03

Gran Turismo 5

• Mini Cooper 1.3i '98 [st]
• Mini One '02 [st]
• Mini Cooper '02 [st]
• Mini Cooper S '02 [st]
• Mini Cooper S '07 [pr]
• Mini Cooper S '11 [pr]**
• Mini Cooper Countryman '11 [pr]**

Car List Key

[R] Denotes a racing car

• Car can only be acquired by winning a race or event
  • Car can be obtained through a DLC

List Of Events

Gran Turismo 4: Mini Battle

Gran Turismo 5: Mini Challenge