The Mini Cooper is a mini compact car manufactured in England. It has a 1.6-liter, in-line, four-cylinder engine that provides 121-horsepower and has 114 foot-pounds of torque. This car is 146.6 inches long, 55.4 inches high and has a wheelbase of 97.1 inches. Mini Coopers are gaining in popularity because of their high fuel economy an average of 32 miles per gallon, but the car requires premium gasoline to operate efficiently.
Mini Coopers require premium unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 91. Octane is called AKI in some countries such as England. AKI stands for Anti Knock Index. According to the Mini Cooper owner's manual, "The use of leaded fuels will cause permanent damage to the emissions-control system's oxygen sensor and the catalytic converter."
The fuel tank holds approximately 13.2 gallons of fuel. About 2.1 gallons of this is in reserve to help prevent the operator from running out of fuel. The low fuel-warning lamp will light when the car begins using the reserve fuel.
Operator's can use a fuel mixture containing 10 percent or less Ethanol without voiding the automobile's warranty. The manufacturer does not recommend using additives to boost the octane level of lower quality fuels. Low-quality fuel can cause the car to develop problems starting and can decrease drivability. These problems can increase when operating the car in high altitudes or hot weather; continuing to use inferior fuels can damage the engine.
