Sep 2, 2009, 13:43 GMT
Munich - Marking its 50th birthday, the Mini is getting a voice that tells drivers to belt up or warns of a slippery road or when the speed limit is exceeded.
The 'Mission Control' safety and information system is part of the many features found in the Mini 50 Camden that makes its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
BMW, the parent company, points out that the Mini speaks only English and that the 'Mission Control' is limited to the special edition. It is positioned in a cubby hole collecting data on 120 possible situations with 1,500 voice comments stored in the chip.
Since the new Mini was launched in 2001, some 1.5 million cars have been produced at the Oxford plant in England. The original Mini was launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959 with a distinctive design by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was produced until 2000 when the brand was taken over by BMW and given a complete makeover.
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