Jul 22nd, 2014
We brought you this news previously but today MINI officially takes the wraps off of the set in their official press release and photos. And if you’re wondering, yes this is 2014′s perfect holiday gift for the MINI fan.
Official Release: The creative use of space has always been its strength. Now the classic Mini is presented in an entirely new format. The LEGO Group is expanding the fleet of its product series Creator Expert to include the original from Great Britain. As of August 2014, a classic Mini will be available as a 1,077-part LEGO set, providing authentic building and driving fun for all fans of the popular LEGO bricks and the legendary small car. continued →
Jul 22nd, 2014
With the new generation MINI, the F56, fully out in the market, more and more publications are getting their hands on the car and weighing in on how they think it compares to the models that came before it. Well UK car mag Auto Express seems to really like the new MINI. In fact, they’ve named the F56 their 2014 New Car of the Year:
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Jul 22nd, 2014
When the NYT reviews a car, it’s typically very different than any other publication. And living up to expectations the newspaper has produced one of the more thorough reviews yet of the 2014 Cooper S aimed at a non-car loving audience. That last bit is an important note as it gives us a chance to look at these cars at arms length a bit more than we are used to. continued →
Jul 21st, 2014
Autocar has historically been held up by many as the best weekly car magazine in the world. Between their excellent reviews and industry leading news it’s an excellent source with always valuable opinions.
It all stands to make Autocar’s annual hot hatch award something to take note of. Especially this year with the F56 and Audi S1 vying for the win. How did MINI do? Read on for the results and the full story. continued →
Jul 18th, 2014
It’s been ten years since the R52 MINI Convertible was launched and a new MINI model was born. Since that time we’ve driven every model variation from the very first 2005 R52 to the latest JCW Convertible (across the US during MTTS no less). And then there’s the full-on love affair we had with our long-term JCW Roadster last year. Through it all we’ve grown to love open-top motoring and the visceral qualities it brings to an already emotional driving experience.
As much as ten years is worth celebrating, there’s something else happening here. MINI is subtly prepping us for the all new F57 MINI Convertible. That car will debut next February at Geneva and should hit dealers sometime in late Spring worldwide. Much like the R52 and R57 before it, the F57 will make use of a dual stage top, four seats and a fold-down rear boot. However it will also leverage all of the advancements that the F56 brings with more power, more efficiency and greater technology on-board.
Read on for the full press release covering the last ten years of MINI Convertibles. continued →
Jul 17th, 2014
The following report is from long-time MotoringFile contributor Berthil van Beek
A lot of effort was done to make the opening a real party for all involved and especially the factory employees who worked very hard the last one and a half year to convert this plant from a Mitsubishi plant to a MINI plant with equal quality standards as Oxford. It was special to see our king drive so close to all the employees when he made a tour after the official opening.
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Jul 17th, 2014
While most seem to like the new MINI’s design, there have been a vocal minority who haven’t gelled with it. By far the biggest complaint that we’ve heard about the new MINI Cooper S is its protruding lower chin. It’s a design element that’s meant to give the car a more aggressive look and harken to the aggressive air inlets of rally and race cars. However it’s safe to say that not everyone sees that in the execution – especially with chrome trim added or in lighter colors. But there may be an answer that doesn’t involve simply buying a Cooper (which doesn’t have the “chin).
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