Mini John Cooper Works with automatic gearbox arrives in Qatar

Available from January 2013 onwards, the MINI John Cooper Works models will be available and feature an optional automatic gearbox.

Speeding into the fast lane with a 211 hp engine, passengers are guaranteed to get the ride of their lives whether they are travelling on smooth road surfaces or rough terrain.

Commenting on the arrival of the MINI John Cooper Works with new automatic gearbox across the full line-up, Sarah Klippert, MINI Manager, BMW Group Middle East, said, "Qatar is an important market for MINI sales with customers having a preference for high-end Cooper S engines. We are therefore confident that the new John Cooper Works engine, in combination with the automatic gearbox, will contribute significantly to our sales. It will also attract a whole new target audience to MINI's John Cooper Works sub-brand as Middle East customers tend to opt for cars with automatic gearboxes."

The optional automatic gearbox is available on the following MINI John Cooper Works models: Hatch, Cabrio, Countryman, Clubman, Coupé and Roadster. Linked up as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox tuned to suit its high performance characteristics, the new engine on the MINI John Cooper Works models can be ordered as an option with a six-speed automatic gearbox with Steptronic function.

Owners who opt to go the automatic route still have the ability to shift gears manually by using the selector or shift paddles located on the steering wheel.

These sporty models are ferocious which have been bred for the race track and adapted for the roads. The MINI John Cooper Works collection plays homage to its pioneering British Racing Driver founder John Newton Cooper, who turned his attention to transforming the original Mini into a performance machine back in the 1960's.

All six MINI John Cooper Works models combine their stand-out sporting potential with unmistakable looks and special equipment features which accentuate the feeling of a race car - both inside and out. The John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit also comes as standard and optimizes not only the air flow over and around the cars, but also the visual impact.

Mr. Mohammad Kandeel, General Manager of Alfardan Automobiles, said, "Previously the MINI John Cooper Works models were only available with a manual gearbox - and with the Qatari customers having a preference to drive cars with automatic gearboxes, we are confident that the introduction of this new automatic gearbox will attract a whole new target audience to our MINI John Cooper Works sub-brand, on this occasion, we promise MINI friends that we are having more and more surprises during Qatar Motor Show by the end of this month."