The Mini Cooper Yachtsman is the brand's attempt to give its owners access to the 70 percent of the planet where regular cars cannot go.
Mini fans have become accustomed to the brand introducing new takes on the classic Mini theme. But now, the automaker plans to give motorists a vehicle that they can use on the 70 percent of the planet that its regular cars can’t access.
The automaker is introducing the Mini Cooper Yachtsman, an amphibious version of the regular Cooper, at the New York auto show this week.
The Yachtsman comes standard with a variety of features, unique to all of autodom, including shark-resistant undercoating, a body-color exhaust snorkel and an extendable rooftop antenna that comes with a “get-me-home” 20-foot sail that has the added benefit of providing zero-emission sailing.
“The Yachtsman will become an instant status symbol, a car/boat combo that evokes ‘land/sea envy’ in equal measure,” said Jim McDowell, vice president of BMW USA. Mini is part of the BMW Group. “Originally endorsed by the British Royal Navy, the Yachtsman brings a new level of versatility to Mini ownership. So, if you’re cruising along and someone yells ’Lake’ – no worries. Simply downshift, grab a life-vest, hit the water and let Yachtsman take care of the rest.”
The Mini even provides room to sleep two. The cabin features waterproof rip-stop nylon upholstery, seat cushions that double as flotation devices and a marine chronometer designed for celestial navigation in the event of a satellite-navigation glitch. Junior Mini sailors will be pleased to find Mini-branded water wings, a pirate flag and an eye patch in the glove compartment.
Standard equipment features a six-foot marlin rod with roller guides, an international trolling reel with 130-lb test line and (on the port side) the latest MINI safety technology – FLOAT (the Frantic Lever Operated Active Trim) adjuster. On the starboard side there is a spring-loaded herring chucker.
In line with Mini’s customizable nature, a full range of unique accessories for this latest addition to the Mini product lineup includes a customizable horn (choice of sea lion, porpoise, sperm whale, dolphin, seagull or mallard duck), and personalized under-hull messaging – recommended factory fitted graphic options such as ‘Suck eggs, Kraken’ and ‘Mermaid Magnet’ are sure to be popular choices.
For propulsion, the Yachtsman is powered by Mini’s familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and variable valve control, generating 181 horsepower. Outdrive to the constant-pitch propeller is managed by a specially-fitted gearbox mounted mid-ship with six forward speeds. Although the new model weighs 4,600 pounds (fully laden), the sprint from 0 to 60 mph is completed in 6.6 seconds (on land) and in 2.4 minutes (on water).
Developed after extensive testing of prototypes on the River Isis (near Mini’s manufacturing facility in Oxford, England) and in the deep waters off Greenland (where The Kraken of legend lurks), the Yachtsman will be priced at $236,000 in the U.S. and comes with a fully incomprehensible warranty that includes three-year no-cost moorage, annual dry-docking and free barnacle removal, for the original captain.
Editor’s note: Yes, this is the latest in a long tradition of Mini spoofs on April Fools Day. If you’d like to read about real amphibious vehicles, visit FastAmphibians.com.