2009 MINI 50 Camden review and pictures

MINI 50 Camden review:

MINI 50 Camden: dynamic and progressive all in one.

The worldwide MINI Community is celebrating the 50th birthday of the brand on the occasion of the MINI United Festival at the legendary British race track in Silverstone from 22-24 May 2009.

With its dominating colours Silver, White and Black, the MINI 50 Camden even at very first sight highlights its technical clarity and sporting character. Body paint in White Silver metallic is combined with a white roof, and the MINI 50 Camden is also available in Midnight Black metallic or Horizon Blue metallic.

The 17-inch light-alloy rims likewise exclusive to this model stand out in particular through the contrast between their silver inner surfaces and the matt, polished contour lines around the rim hump and on the outer edges of the spokes, thus characterising the futuristic impression of this likewise very special model.

With its lines extending towards the A-pillars, the sporting, almost three-dimensional silver stripe trim on the side shoulders of the engine compartment lid accentuate the sporting and dynamic character of the MINI 50 Camden.

Like on the MINI 50 Mayfair, the mirror caps come in twin-tone stripes extending upwards on the MINI 50 Camden merging from silver into pure white. In combination with the xenon headlights featured as standard on the MINI Cooper S 50 Camden, the headlights themselves boast black-tinted lenses as a particularly progressive highlight forming a clear contrast to the rest of the exterior in its brighter colour.

The side indicator frames house the Union Jack in black-and-white and the "Camden" model designation forming the logo of this special anniversary model also to be admired, together with the designation "MINI 50", on the door entry trim.
The interior of the MINI 50 Camden comes in an equally contrasting colour scheme combining the Carbon Black interior colour with special trim on the instrument panel interchanging from white to silver, like the caps on the exterior mirrors.

The trim panels on the doors, in turn, come in Fluid Silver, while the sports seats in cloth/Ray leather boast leather surfaces, just like the bottom edge of the instrument panel and the armrests in the door linings, finished in Tech White.

The black centre strips on the doors, in turn, come in a discreet pattern with interrupted white stripes, while the seat panels on the inner half of the backrests bear the "Camden" logo.

Twin-tone double-cap seams - black on the outside, turquoise-green on the inside - visually combine the leather and cloth surfaces on the seats. Green and white seams also provide additional colour highlights on the black gaiters around the handbrake and gearshift levers, and on the gearshift lever knob.

The rim on the leather steering wheel is highlighted additionally by a white seam, while turquoise-green colour highlights as well as design lines on the mirror caps and the trim surfaces to be admired on both the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden come as a common feature shared by both anniversary models.

Highly exclusive but featured as standard: HiFi system and Mission Control.

In addition to the particularly wide range of standard features on the two anniversary models, the MINI 50 Camden also features a top-end audio system. This new HiFi system from car audio specialist Harman Kardon sets standards for enjoying music in a MINI. The high-performance digital amplifier, for example, just like the loudspeaker units, is perfectly tailored to the MINI.

An optional feature is a USB port for connecting external audio sources and a special interface for an Apple iPod. And last but not least, the customer also has the choice of an interface for integrated control of the car`s audio and telephone functions on the latest Smartphones such as the Apple iPhone.

The market launch of the new MINI 50 Camden also marks the debut of a new generation of in-car entertainment systems. Referred to as "Mission Control", this entertainment system processes and evaluates a wide range of vehicle, driving and ambient signals, providing the driver with relevant information and instructions in that unique style so typical of MINI.

Mission Control underlines the status of the MINI as a genuine personality in the world of motoring and intensifies the driver`s feeling and impression of interacting directly with the car, the signals coming from the car itself being used to generate new, situation-based dialogues time and again.

These dialogues are based, among other things, on information regarding safety and comfort settings, requesting the driver and passengers, say, to buckle up their seat belts and use the air conditioning, and incorporate current information on driving conditions such as the current status of the vehicle, with the focus on criteria such as outside temperatures or the level of fuel in the tank.

In addition to the entertainment aspect, the system offers a functional aspect supporting the driver over and above existing functions in properly interpreting all kinds of information and using data for appropriate action.

Mission Control in the MINI 50 Camden is the first step into a brand-new world of interactive in-car entertainment, offering a driving experience never seen before.

MINI 50 Mayfair and MINI 50 Camden: ambassadors for the character of the brand.

Fifty years of MINI - this great anniversary offers the opportunity, looking back and into the future, to highlight some significant highlights of the brand and its character.

The origin of the brand in Great Britain and the style of MINI both timeless and unmistakable are just as significant in this context as the sophisticated, future-oriented technology and sporting potential of this small premium car. Both the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden highlight precisely these qualities through their design and equipment concepts precisely tailored in a specific direction.

The harmonious configuration of the two anniversary models also provides ample room for customisation. Following the usual MINI standard, each MINI 50 Mayfair and each MINI 50 Camden is built exactly to the customer`s order. Additional options for personal comfort are provided, for example, by the MINI navigation system, automatic air conditioning, the Vision Package made up of a heated windscreen, a rain sensor, the interior mirrors with an automatic anti-dazzle function and automatic headlight control, as well as Comfort Access. Further options are foglamps, Park Distance Control, and a glass sliding/vent roof.

Six-speed automatic transmission together with shift paddles on the steering wheel are available as an alternative to the six-speed manual gearbox featured as standard. The optional Sports Button varying the control maps of the gas pedal and the steering as well as, where fitted, the shift times of the automatic transmission, ensures further enhancement of driving pleasure in both the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden.