THREE-CYLINDER TURBO ENGINE OF NEW MINI COOPER HARDTOP RECEIVES WARD'S 10 BEST ENGINES AWARD

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 17, 2014 …MINI USA today announced that the 1.5 liter 3-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology engine that powers the 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop has received a Ward’s 10 Best Engines award from WardsAuto World, the information center for and about the global auto industry.

The 1.5L 3-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology engine secured a spot in the annual listing and will accept the award on January 14th at a ceremony during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"While being loads of fun to drive, MINI’s 1.5L 3-cylinder engine enabled every WardsAuto editor to achieve at least 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km),” said Tom Murphy Executive Editor of WardsAuto World digital magazine. “One editor said he couldn’t imagine buying a MINI with any other engine. There was a time when people bought underpowered 3-cylinder engines out of economic necessity. MINI turns that legacy on its ear by demonstrating a base engine can totally sell a vehicle. With a starting price just under $21,000, the MINI Cooper Hardtop with the 3-cylinder engine is the smart choice."

The premiere industry honors for car and light truck engines, the Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition recognizes the latest powertrain technologies that are affordable to most consumers, deliver ample horsepower and torque, are highly efficient, sound appealing and pair up well with their respective vehicles.

“The 1.5 Liter 3-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology has revolutionized our entry-level MINI Cooper Hardtop’s performance by increasing torque by 42%, reducing 0-60 acceleration time by 2.3 seconds and improving fuel efficiency by as much as 8% vs. the previous generation 4 cylinder engine,” said Pat McKenna, Department Head, Product Planning & Events, MINI USA. “The BMW Group engineers did a masterful job with the performance and efficiency but, more importantly, with the surprisingly deep resonant sound this engine makes.”

The Ward's 10 Best Engines competition is now in its 21st year. Winners are determined through individual test drives by the publication’s editorial staff during their daily commutes throughout metro Detroit. Editors score each engine based on power, technology, observed fuel economy and noise, vibration and harshness characteristics. There is no instrumented testing.

About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 122 MINI passenger car dealers in 39 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of seven unique vehicles.

Journalist notes:  Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com.

Consumer information about MINI products is available via the internet at: www.MINIUSA.com.