10 replies to this topic

[darkcat_systems]

Im looking at a car later, when did MPi become standard??
The car is obviously SPi but it was supposedly built in late 1996...

[MGBailey007]

I'm sure the first ones were 1995 but defiantly out in 1996

[mab01uk]

Launch preview at BMH Gaydon, of the upgraded Mini MPI (Multi Point Injection) range for 1997 with drivers airbag, seatbelt pre-tensioners, door side impact bars and front mounted radiator. Despite Rover's original plan to end Mini production in 1997 due to new European safety and emmisions legislation, BMW's new investment in the Mini and John Cooper's insistence on this last update finally got the MPI into production in 1996, extending the Mini's life by 4 more years until the launch of the New MINI in 2001.

Edited by mab01uk, 03 March 2012 - 11:07 AM.

[darkcat_systems]

Ah great - nice video!

So i would assume then, that this is one of the last SPi's then...

[mini-luke]

I've got a late '96 SPI too, they definitely exist.

[duffman]

mines a late 96 SPI too

[Dan]

So i would assume then, that this is one of the last SPi's then...

No, nowhere near! Japan never got the MPi so the SPi stayed in production until 2000 alongside the MPi.

[mini-luke]

Was there a reason for Japan keeping the SPI?

[Tanya]

So i would assume then, that this is one of the last SPi's then...

No, nowhere near! Japan never got the MPi so the SPi stayed in production until 2000 alongside the MPi.

Purely out of interest, why didn’t Japan ever get the MPi?

[Dan]

Japan has a whole different set of vehicle approvals. The MPi was only developed by BMW because the side mounted rad and fan was going to make Mini illegal under the new Euro drive past noise regs (and I think there was a further emissions tightening that the SPi system couldn't cope with too) and BMW wanted to keep the car in production. It meant all that development and testing and expensive approvals and loads of new parts and things. Japan wasn't getting all these new rules and the car's approvals would have remained valid there. Fitting J spec cars with a front rad and importantly the different alternator mount and other subtle differences would have meant developing a whole new AC system which would be expensive, and then all new approvals and everything as in Europe. J spec cars got the MPi block and static ignition system integrated into the rest of the original SPi system. Oh and I think the twin speed heater made it to Japan too.

[njathind]

Japan has a whole different set of vehicle approvals. The MPi was only developed by BMW because the side mounted rad and fan was going to make Mini illegal under the new Euro drive past noise regs (and I think there was a further emissions tightening that the SPi system couldn't cope with too) and BMW wanted to keep the car in production. It meant all that development and testing and expensive approvals and loads of new parts and things. Japan wasn't getting all these new rules and the car's approvals would have remained valid there. Fitting J spec cars with a front rad and importantly the different alternator mount and other subtle differences would have meant developing a whole new AC system which would be expensive, and then all new approvals and everything as in Europe. J spec cars got the MPi block and static ignition system integrated into the rest of the original SPi system. Oh and I think the twin speed heater made it to Japan too.

Would I be right in thinking that Japan also kept the spi system but with an mpi block as they could not get the AC system to work with the mpi engine so therefore stuck with mpi?