MotoringFile

MINI to Introduce Five Door Hatch in a Bid for Increased Sales

Gabe — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:23:55 +0000

The MINI has faced one consistent criticism here in its largest market for ten years. Despite it being a core brand attribute, many people in North America can’t get past the size of the standard MINI hatch. It’s seen as unsafe, uncomfortable and most of all simply not practical. The first two can quickly be [...]

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Franca Sozzani Designs Floral MINI Roadster for Life Ball 2012

MF Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:38:08 +0000

[Official Release] Editor of Italian VOGUE presents her one-off MINI at the 20th Life Ball in Vienna in support of AIDS LIFE. A special car to befit a special occasion: Franca Sozzani, chief editor of Italian VOGUE, has designed and presented her very own MINI model exclusively to mark the 20th anniversary of the charity [...]

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Classic Mini Fans Gather for IMM

MF Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:12:15 +0000

[Official Release] It was in 1959 that the Mini broke out onto the scene as a classless car, quickly took the world by storm and soon became a motoring icon admired by one generation after the next. Nowhere is the close bond between the classic Mini and its followers more apparent than at the International [...]

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White Roof Radio #424

DB — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:32 +0000

Strap in, sit down and shut up! It’s been a few weeks since we’ve all been able to get together and do a show, and we do that right here. We have some Dragon interviews, MINI United recaps, GP talk and just 4 guys sitting around talking about MINI Cooper stuff. Normal service has resumed. [...]

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The MotoringFile MINI Countryman Ordering Guide

Gabe — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:38:49 +0000

After ten months behind the wheel of our long-term Countryman tester, we’re here to tell you what we would have done differently. Perhaps more importantly, how you should spec your own Countryman if the time comes. With 12,000 miles under its belt, we’re starting to wonder what the Countryman All4 can’t do. Sure there are [...]

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MINI United Interview: Dirk Hollveg Head of MINI Motorsport

Gabe — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:41:53 +0000

Just in time or the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring Gabe and Todd sit down and talk with Dirk Hollveg head of MINI Motorsport. If you are even a little interested in MINI’s involvement with motorsports, you don’t want to miss this. In fact we’d call this a must listen for MINI fans. And for [...]

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The 24 Hours of Nurbugring Live Blog

Gabe — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:12:11 +0000

Perhaps 2nd only to the Dakar in sheer stamina required, the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring is a truly epic race run on the world’s most famous and infamous track. And like last year MINI is in the race with both a factory team (running a JCW Coupe) and the even stronger team Schirra in [...]

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World Premier: 2013 JCW MINIs

Gabe — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:43:51 +0000

The 2013 JCWs have been announced with the new valvtronic engine. Surprisingly, outside of the Countryman, the JCW range will not have higher output. The HP figure will remain at 211 hp (208 for the US) for the R5X range of JCW cars. Furthermore we’ve heard rumors from well placed sources that the US spec [...]

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MINI United Audio: Dissecting the GP

DB — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:19:58 +0000

Fresh off of seeing the GP Todd, Gabe and Axel Griesinger (from bigblogg.com) dissect all the details of the car from performance to parts to pricing. We also touch on the Goodwood, the rumored 9 speed automatic transmissions and MINI United. Still more to come from MINI United 2012, stay tuned! And, brand new Woofcast [...]

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Motor Trend Picks the MINI Cooper S Coupe Over the Fiat 500 Abarth

Nathaniel Salzman — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:30:28 +0000

There are a handful of inevitable comparisons when the MINI is mentioned. The Beetle. The Juke. The Smart. Since its announcement, the Fiat 500 has been compared with the MINI Cooper Hardtop ad nauseum. In our opinion, it’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, as the two cars really belong in different categories [...]

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JCW Engine Kit Coming to the Coupe & Roadster

Gabe — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:24:52 +0000

Last week we brought you the history of the modern JCW Tuning kit. Now that history is getting a new chapter. As expected JCW Engine Kit is coming to the R58 Coupe and R59 Roadster later this year. As for all other models, the kit will be a dealer installed accessory with a cost of [...]

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WRR Interview: Roderik von Ostrowski MINI Product Management

DB — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:38:32 +0000

Fresh from MINI United! Todd & Gabe had the chance to interview Roderick von Ostrowski (Product Manager for the R58, R59 and JCW products) about the just announced GP. It’s a quick interview but serves to give us some further background on the car. Download | 9:49 | 5.3MB | Show Notes

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Behind the Curtain: Exclusive Details on the New GP

Gabe — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:48:22 +0000

The debut of the MINI GP at MINI United 2012 was what one would call a “soft-launch”. There were no details (other than that 8:23 ‘Ring time) and no peak inside. Likewise there was no mention of the engine or details on the suspension, braking or those new tires. And while some of those secrets [...]

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MINI’s Official MINI United Recap

Nathaniel Salzman — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:42:35 +0000

[Official Release] For the worldwide MINI Community there was only one place to be from 11 – 13 May: MINI United 2012 in Le Castellet, France. Last weekend’s event once again pulled in MINI fans from around the world, and the MINI faithful from almost 50 countries were greeted by a unique combination of live [...]

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Winding Road Ranks MINI Coupe #2 Affordable Car on Involvement Index

Nathaniel Salzman — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:33:07 +0000

Winding Road is currently running a story about small, fun rides that offer driving excitement to rival larger, more expensive sports cars. They’re taking their “Involvement Index” and pulling out the fun cars that are actually affordable. Ranked at #2 is MINI’s new Coupe. They like it. They like it a lot. Mini Cooper S...

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Hands-on with the New JCW GP

Gabe — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:01:49 +0000

The JCW GP is here. We’ve just returned from a preview and briefing of the car by Jorg Weidinger, head of development of the new GP and were allowed a hands-on look of the car. Through this and few other sources we were garner some exclusive details about the car, the development and why it’s [...]

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World Premier: The MINI JCW GP

Nathaniel Salzman — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:01:18 +0000

It’s here. A MINI six years in the making. The next generation follow up to MINI’s most R53: the JCW GP. The family resemblance is immediately recognizable. The colors, the graphics and the aggressive body pieces. The formula is the same. More power, less weight and more performance refinement. Right about now in the south [...]

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MINI United Live Blog (Day 1)

Gabe — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:33:36 +0000

Look for updates on MotoringFile.com and via twitter at twitter.com/Motoringfile. (latest updates are at the top) @whiteroofradio on Twitter: “Iggy Pop is performing” @gbridger on Twitter: “Iggy Pop MINI” There will be no JCW dealer engine kit or suspension for the R60. Countryman accessory matte black trim: coming soon....

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Ask MF: Obsessed With MINIs, But Can’t Buy Yet

MF Staff — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:30:50 +0000

This question comes to us from MotoringFile reader Shawn Brandt. What do you recommend for someone who is hopelessly obsessed with MINI’s but one is currently out of financial reach — even a decent used one? Like many Americans of my generation, my first exposure to MINI was the remake of the film “The Italian [...]

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We’re off to MINI United. How About You?

Gabe — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:52:50 +0000

Today marks the start of our MINI United trip as we prepare for the long trip to the Côte d’Azur and the Paul Ricard Circuit. It’ll be Todd and myself bringing you the best of MINI United in words, photos and of course through sound and podcasts. But the question we have – who else [...]

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