What is a CVT transmission and how does it help me?

I need some help regarding all the different versions of BMW's MINI please.?

• I'm planning to buy a second hand car in the near future. I've been driving a manual Ford Fusion for the last two years, and now I feel it's time for an automatic. I looked at the MINIs on autotrader.co.uk, but there are a confusing number of versions. For starters there's the mini ONE, Mini Cooper and Cooper S. I know the "S" is a supercharged version, but I don't really understand the difference between One and Cooper. Secondly, there are a lot of engine variations by year and model. For example, the 2002 Mini one has a 1.6 litre petrol engine with 90bhp but the 2005 cooper has either a 1.4 litre with 95bhp or a 1.6 with 115bhp?? And finally all the varieties of automatic gearboxes. I even came across some with a CVT. So what I'm asking is, could you kindly help me wade through all these variations? I'm only interested in petrol engines with automatic transmission, model years from 2003 onwards (and not the Cooper S) P.S. I know the difference between all the kinds of automatic like -"regular" automatic (which have a torque converter) - sequential manual or "semi automatic" (have aclutch like manuals, but it's computer actuated) - DSG (two gearboxes, two clutches, same principle as semi-auto) - and CVT (continuously variable gear ratio). So basically I'd love a list of which gearbox is available with which engine for which model for which model years. And with the bhp output of each engine. Thanks in advance!

• Answer:

  There are 'models' the first MINI and the newer MINI (08 onwards or something). The first one was called the "MINI One" and came with a 1.4 litre engine. A 1.6 was later introduced with around 95bhp. The MINI Cooper then came out, which had a 1.6 litre engine, with more horsepower (115 i think). The Cooper S then came out, which used the 1.6 engine, but with a supercharger. I'm afraid I don't know much about the newer versions. Personally I've never seen an automatic MINI, but that might be because i live in the UK.