Archive for February 2003

Tons more Chicago Auto Show pics posted

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 21st, 2003 No Comments

The amount of photos has doubled and I redesigned the interface of the page and how it functions should work better for people on dial-up connections.

You can view the page here: The 2003 Chicago Auto Show

Quicktime VR Movies of all MINI wheels

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 20th, 2003 No Comments

More cool stuff from Jason Livingood. For all you all there who are considering different OEM wheels for your MINI here are some Quicktime VR movies of all of them: R81, R82, R83, R84, R85, R86, R87,
R88, R90.

Fun in the Snow

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 18th, 2003 2 Comments

This short clip was taken by Jason Livingood during the recent winter snow storm that hit the east coast. It gives us all pause to remember how fun a little tug of the handbrake can be. (3.6 megs)

The Spring Chicago Drive (aka the Gut Buster Drive)

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 16th, 2003 42 Comments

We're still formulating the drive's specifics but I wanted to let everyone know that it seems like we've got the basics down.

I think we'll be starting from the Krispy Kreme in Gurnee. From there we'll do some road work and twisty bits to the Jelly Belly Factory, just over the line into Wisconsin where we'll take the free 30 minutes tour.

After easting our fill of free Jelly Bellys we can drive thru Petrified Springs Park (maybe along the lake front south), and end up at THE SPOT drive in for huge burgers and frosty mugs of root beer served carside by car hops.

The Spot can hold about 30 cars on the drive in lot, so lets shoot for 30 plus MINIs.

Jelly Belly tours run after 9am, and The Spot opens at 10:30am. I would think we should start in the morning and end up at The Spot sometime around 12-1.

How does this sound to everyone? (thanks Jeeves for most of the text!)

The 2003 Chicago Auto Show

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 16th, 2003 2 Comments

Another very solid show this year. I was able to get in a little early with the BMWCCA and was treated with an outstadning Q&A session with the BMW North America M Brand Manager Tom Salkowsky. He did a great job not only with the initial presentation but with talking one on one with current owners. We actually got a chance to talk for quite awhile about all things BMW, MINI, and as it turns out Apple computers!

I managed to take a good amount of photos of some of the various displays around the show. Here are some of the highlights:

• The new X Activity (the new X3?) by BMW was very impressive in person. The first SUV that I've seen that made sense.
• The new 330i Sport is a fairly impressive looking car – BMW will sell a ton of these I suspect.
• SMG on the Z4 looks and feels very impressive
• The Monster Garage MINI was in attendance and I can safely say pictures just don't do this car justice.
• The Maybach was most unimpressive (especially at 300k+)
• The Ferrari Enzo – wow
• Once again the BMW display (along with MINI) was enormously popular – obviously more so than Mercedes or Jaguar (which were just next door)
• Scion? I guess you have to give some sort props to a car company that launches it's brand on a car that's designed after a Chevy Astro Van.

Here's the photo site: www.motoringfile.com/chicago_autoshow_03

The John Cooper Works package (US info)

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 13th, 2003 No Comments

Here is some news from Autoweek about the highly anticipated John Cooper Works package for the MCS:

“Mini Cooper S owners seeking an extra dose of power soon will be able to turn to none other than Mini's namesake power broker, Britain's John Cooper Works, for a factory-warranted upgrade that boosts the S from 163 hp to 200 hp.

BMW/Mini will debut the kit at the Geneva show next month. Customers will be able to buy the upgrade immediately after the U.S. announcement in New York in April. The kit will be available through designated Mini installers as a new-car option or as a retrofit on used Cooper S models.”

The full article can be found here. My hunch is that this is the “RS” version that some people have been told about by their dealers. Here's what the UK kit entails (reportedly from JCW themselves):

• Power will be just over 200hp
• The ECU will be re-programmed
• A new oval central pipe will replace the current exhaust
• A new supercharger will be fitted
• UK price: £3700

No word yet as to whether the US spec will be the same but I imagine we'll hear soon enough. (Note; the photo above is of a JCW Cooper and not the MCS. This isn't available in the US at this time).

MINI Conquers Snow and Ice

Sections: Uncategorized Feb 10th, 2003 9 Comments

From a MINI press release:

How about a MINI Cooper that can claw its way over 4-foot snow drifts and speed effortlessly across a frozen lake? Is this the next new model? Not exactly.

A bright-red MINI Cooper was transformed into a larger-than-life, 300 horsepower snowmobile by Discovery Channel's Monster Garage TV program.

The program takes vehicles and transforms them into outrageous, but functioning re-creations, doing double duty not only as a car or truck, but as in MINI's case, a snowmobile. The trick is that the building process cannot take longer than five days or cost more than $3,000.

A team of five guest fabricators led by show-host and custom motorcycle builder, Jesse James, spent five days creating the custom snowmobile out of a MINI Cooper.

“Witnessing a MINI Cooper transform from a road-hugging street car, to a snow-climbing snowmobile, will be a real treat for viewers.” said Jack Pitney, general manager, MINI. “MINI is an ideal car to be customized and that is exactly Monster Garage's thing. Although, I do not expect most MINI customers will go to such spectacular extremes,… you never can tell.”

With the aid of the custom mechanical wizardry, the MINI Cooper morphs into a snowmobile exhibiting a raked stance. Skis lower under the front end and a pair of deeply grooved traction belts extend under the rear wheels to grip the snow and ice.

Once completed the Monster Garage MINI will be pitted head-to-head with a Polaris snowmobile in snowy Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Monster Garage's Jesse James will be behind the wheel of the monster MINI while Richard Petty of NASCAR fame will pilot the snowmobile.

The Mini Cooper/Snowmobile episode makes a World Premiere on Monday, February 24, from 8-9 PM (ET/PT) on the Discovery Channel. The encore episode airs Saturday, March 1 from 7-8 PM (ET/PT).