MiniMax
Published:Sunday | December 5, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Brian Bonitto, Special Assignment Editor
Hope Gardens came alive last Thursday evening as Stewart Motors unveiled its latest offerings -- the new Mini Cooper S Countryman and the sleek BMW X3.
The runway served as the perfect launch pad for the 2011 Mini, as minutes before its unveiling, models strutted colourful designs by Lubica.
"The Mini Countryman has all the features Jamaicans love," said Stephan Pfingsten, head of Mini, Latin America and the Caribbean.
"It's beautiful and individual, just like Miss Jamaica, Chantal Raymond. It has a chic design just like Lubica. Sleek and cool, just like Terry Lynn. And, sporty and fast, just like Usain Bolt," he said.
The Mini Countryman introduces a vanguard concept for the premium compact-car segment. It combines the classical style of the Mini with the modern distinctive features of sports-activity vehicles. The Countryman is four-wheel drive, has four doors, four seats and is four metres long.
Starting at J$5.5m, the Mini Cooper S Countryman features a four-cylinder petrol engine with twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and fully variable valve management based on the BMW Group's valvetronic technology. It outputs 135 kW/184 hp at 5,500 rpm and has a maximum torque of 240 Nm/177 lb-ft at 1,600 -5,000 revs per minute.
The Countryman accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.6 seconds and has a top speed of 215 km/h (133 mph).
an evolution
Earlier in the evening, saxophonist Dean Frazer gave a beautiful rendition of The Four Tops's I Believe in You and Me, after which the 2011 edition of the X3 was unveiled.
"It's an evolution of the previous model. It's longer, wider, taller," said Duncan Stewart, director at Stewart Automotive Group, dealers in Mini Marquée, BMW, Suzuki and Mercedes-Benz. "It's a big step up from its predecessor."
The xDrive35i uses a twin power turbo-charged straight-six direct injection engine. The 3.0-litre engine delivers 306 horsepower (225 kW), and up to 400 Nm of torque from just 1,300 revs per minute. It races to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, on its way to a 245 km/h (152 mph) top speed.
"It is significantly more powerful in the top-of-the-range cars," he said. "Its six-cylinder engine produces 306 hp compared to the Audi Q5, which has 211 hp," Stewart continued.
The price tag for the new BMW X3 begins at J$7m.