Archive for February 2004
Feb 28th, 2004
It's been over a year since Bridger.us/MINI was launched and during that time we've seen many accolades, articles and an incredible number of comments. However there was one thing that Bridger.us/MINI didn't have during this whole time - a proper name.
When I started the site I wanted to create a weblog that was all about MINI news, tips, how to's, and reviews (among other things) plus an area for comments and input from visitors. As a designer I also wanted a place that I could have a bit of a creative outlet. Overall I saw the site as a way to create something that was a bit more refined than the standard automotive forums site (which has been done to death all across the web). And of course it made little sense to create yet another MINI forums site specifically when there were already two solid ones out there. Simply put, my theory was if I got hits that was great, but I was going to create something that I'd want to read on a daily basis and not worry about making the site a popular destination. Before starting the site I wasn't even thinking it would ever warrant a real name or url. I figured most likely that only a handful of people would find it, bookmark and enjoy it and that would be it.
So as the site quickly grew early on it became clear to me that I had an opportunity to create a meaningful resource for the MINI community as well as build something to be proud of. Yet over the months there was just one key issue that kept rearing it's head - it was built on a url that was meant to be nothing more than a personal space for design projects and a general weblog. Granted the connection of the url (and subsequently my surname) to both the new and original Italian Job characters was a nice coincidence, it certainly wasn't enough to justify not giving the site a real name.
So after months of planning and debating, and much input from others, I've decided to change the name of the site from Bridger.us/MINI to MotoringFile (www.motoringfile.com). As some of you know MINI is very sensitive in regards to using the name MINI or Cooper on a private website (just take a look at what North American Motoring went through last year). With that in mind I wanted something that worked in terms of the MINI culture yet didn't use the term MINI in it's title. I also wanted the name to some how relate to it's place in the MINI world. MotoringFile seemed like a natural choice - and the domain was free :)
As many of you know this site is a bit more than a one person job. Because of that I'd like to also take this time thank the coder of the weblog software that this site is built on and constant behind the scenes site contributer Matthew Gifford. Without Matt this site simply wouldn't exist in it's current form.
So without further delay I'd like to welcome you to the MotoringFile. Have a look around and let us know what you think!
Cheers,
Gabriel Bridger
PS: Oh and don't forget to check out our new MotoringFile apparel in the CafePress shop section.
Feb 28th, 2004
MINI will be releasing many key new accessories and MotoringGear products in the coming months - along with a couple JCW products. Here's a list of the more interesting ones:
MINI Accessories
- Bluetooth phone kit / availability 3/04
- 17″ R90 Wheel anthracite (same ones as seen on the MC40) / availability 8/04
- 17″ Alloy Wheel / availability 5/04
- Sport Link/Bike Rack (MINI FINI) / availability 5/04
- Roof Decals for cars with a sun roof / availability 3/04
John Cooper Works Accessories
MotoringGear Products
Advertisement
Feb 28th, 2004
I'll be taking the trek across the pond soon and wanted to share some of my enthusiasm as as well as ask a couple of questions.
I'll be renting a Chili Red MINI Cooper from MINI-Rentals for a portion of the trip. Once I re-master driving on the left side of the road I plan to hit some B-roads and see how the MINI feels in it's home environment. I should have quite a good sized write-up about renting a MINI in England and all it encompasses by the time I come back.
While the main purpose of the trip is to see friends and to generally get back to the UK we plan on making at least one very important MINI excursion. For the MINI portion of the trip I'll be picking up the Cooper from MINI-Rentals in Winchester, about an hour southwest of London. From there we'll drive to Oxford and eventually to the MINI plant were we have a 9:30 am tour scheduled the next morning.
(You can find more information about taking the plant tour for yourself in this article: Tours Of The MINI Plant In Oxford England)
While I have a general idea what kind of specific things I can expect, does anyone have any experience with this tour that they'd like to share? One thing I know for certain - it's not only easy to schedule a time via email but the Plant communications people make you feel very welcome. All of the customer service I've received so far as been astounding.
Now the other question I have is what sort of MINI accessories or parts should I be looking for that I can't get in the US. This is something I thought I'd have a long list about by this time but I can't seem to come up anything. Anyone have ideas?
Finally does anyone have recommendation for places to stay around Oxford near the plant? We've got pretty much all of our trip planned to this point except that leg. I'm thinking a nice little B&B would be perfect.
This will be my first visit to the UK that doesn't rely 99.5% on train travel - should be interesting!
Feb 27th, 2004
In news only slightly tangentially related to the MINI, The Economist reports that Eddie Clontz, editor-in-chief of the Weekly World News, died January 26th, aged 56.
Just a year ago, MINI owners were thrilled when Bat Boy became one of us after stealing a red-and-white MINI Cooper as it was being delivered to a Detroit dealership. I can't say that Clontz wrote the story, but he was the genius behind many of the Weekly World News' more peculiar journalistic exploits, according to The Economist's obit.
Product placement or not it was pretty amusing and in keeping with the rest of the Crispin Porter & Bogusky package. But without Eddie Clontz it couldn't have happened.
Let's morn the supermarket tabloid world's — and MINI owners' — loss.
Lee Johnson
Thanks Lee. I wonder how many new MINI owners have no idea what we're talking about :) If so follow the likls above for all the details.
Advertisement
Feb 25th, 2004
This info comes from the latest MINI PR release:
Finished with top-quality materials and the most refined surfaces, the interior of the new MINI Cabrio comes in three different colors: Blue, Beige, and Black. The dashboard and parts of the door linings are available in Silver, Anthracite, and with wood and aluminium-style trim.
Moving on to the seat upholstery, a choice of 3 different cloth covers, 3 combinations of cloth and leather, as well as three leather options in various colour combinations offer a broad margin for individual wishes and preferences.
Like the exterior, the interior is also available as an option with an attractive Chrome Package, trim in high-gloss chrome comprising features such as the rev counter surrounds, the surrounds on the central instruments and the cupholders accentuating the classic character of the car.
The Cockpit Chrono Package also available as an option emphasizes the sporting and elegant ambience within the MINI Convertible: In this case the central instrument features two circular dials presenting the level of fuel in the tank, oil and coolant temperature, as well as oil pressure. The speedometer is moved next to the rev counter on the steering column, the particular feeling of sports motoring being further accentuated in this case by the optional three-spoke leather sports steering wheel.
Be rest assured that those of the us in the United States won't see the leather/cloth combo. That being said the real interesting bit of info here is the “aluminum trim” which sounds as if it may be a new and previously unseen option.
A couple other additions to the interior that weren't mentioned in the official press release are the added storage areas. There's one below the row of toggle switches and another just below the handle of the parking brake. Look for more info in the coming days and weeks about these details.
Feb 25th, 2004
Obviously that's a highly subjective thing but here's one that should probably belong on a short list of the best out there. I'll let Martin (Rakey on MINI2) explain for himself:
A cold winters night in the pub with my mates in December 2002, told them I had test drove a MINI cooper S, and wanted one, but wanted to something a little different. So we sat, drank a few beers, and decided in homage to my previous mini cooper, it should be black and white, then I felt this was not enough. So talked about how I could make it totally unique, and we came up with hundreds of ideas for the car, roof graphics was the main area of discussion. My final choice was made, a classic iconic image of my favourite actor.
Well a few people knew I was planning this, but here it is finally done and on me car. I would like to thank them for their encouragement and support (you all know who you are), but a big thanks has to go to Mad Brummie for putting me intouch with Russell at Action Graphics.
(this was originally posted on MINI2 and has been reproduced here with permission)
Advertisement
Feb 24th, 2004
This news comes from AutoExpress:
“This official picture has come from Italian coachbuilder Castagna which, having already put the finishing touches to the estate, is now planning the Allroad. The new-style MINI has an increased ride height, plus bull bars at the front designed to appeal to SUV fans.
Extra trim down the sides gives a beefier appearance, while the timber frame of the Woody model is also fitted for a retro finish. Rather than being an out-and-out off-roader, this MINI makes do with front-wheel drive and will be capable of only very light off-road work, as it has few mechanical changes over the standard hatchback.
Based on the hand-built MINI estate, the 'soft-road' version will be sold as a bespoke aftermarket package. Owners bring along their conventional three-door hatchback, and the work then begins to create a much more individual look. With the estate conversion starting at �7,000, expect to pay at least �10,000 for the full SUV pack.
The work isn't endorsed by BMW, but bosses at the German firm will be keen to see how many buyers the Allroad attracts. If it's a success, BMW could be keen to produce some kind of small SUV as a rival to Smart's ForMore, which is due in 2006.”
For more information about MINI's own extended wheelbase MINI, see the post below.
Feb 24th, 2004
With the introduction of the MINI Cabrio upon us one wonders what MINI has in store next in the MINI line-up. Granted I personally don't believe MINI will be releasing anything new before they bring out the R56 (code name for the next gen MINI) in One, Cooper, and Cooper S form starting around late 2006 and 2007. But let's not allow that stop us from speculating…
Nor does it stop EVO. In their latest edition they revive the four year old MINI Clubman rendering first released to the press before the 2000 Paris Auto Show. They also speculate on the what and when of the stretched MINI:
“The new MINI estate may not be produced by BMW, but that doesn't mean the German firm won't build a load-lugger of its own. These computer-generated images were revealed on the MINI stand at 2000's Paris Motor Show - and as you can see, the car bears a striking resemblance to the Castagna version.
Along with the picture of the estate - dubbed the Clubman - visitors to the event were shown images of a convertible MINI, as well as a pick-up. The Cabrio has already reached the production phase, but it is not yet known whether a flat-bed variant will ever go on sale.”
Of course we've already seen what a independant firm can do in regards to a MINI wagon - it'll be interesting to see whether MINI themselves follow down that same path in terms of design. I would suspect they are thinking pretty hard about adding doors rather than simply stretching the car. Even small, RX8 like doors, would greatly improve the functionality of such a concept.
We've already received strong indications that the car is on the planning boards at MINI however whether the car will sport two or four doors remains to be seen. My money is on four since Dr. Panke, chairman of the BMW Group, mentioned it!
Advertisement
Feb 23rd, 2004
In another one of our in depth features on the new Cabrio here's some further information about the exterior trim of the upcoming addition to the MINI line-up: (This info comes from the latest MINI PR release)
The MINI Convertible is available with a choice of no less than 10 exterior colours, two of which are exclusive to the Convertible – Hot Orange and Cool Blue with a special paintwork effect. Made of top-quality fabric, the roof is available in three different colours providing particular margin for your personal taste. And while the MINI One Convertible comes only with a Black roof, the roof of the MINI Cooper offers the customer a choice of Black, Blue, and Green.
The rear-view mirror housings come in Black on the “basic” model and are finished in body colour on the MINI Cooper Convertible. This allows a particularly wide range of choice and combinations proving once again that this new version is not a regular production model, but rather a special car built for the special customer with his – or her – own individual taste.
The Chrome Line exterior package featuring chrome plating not only on the bumper inserts, grilles and rear lid handle, but also on the rollbars, ensures an extra touch of genuine British style. A further option is to choose the rear-view mirror housings as well as the rear hinges in chrome as an additional highlight.
Most of this info has been known but details such as the chrome line trim additions haven't been confirmed until now. Also not mentioned in this release is the fact that Parking Distance Control (PDC) is standard on the Cabrio.
Feb 21st, 2004
Let there be LEDs! This comes straight from MINI's most recent PR release regarding the new MINI Cabrio. I would assume we'll see these changes on the new 2005 Cooper as well since it mirrors the design changes found on the Cabrio):
“The white back-up light is integrated into the newly designed LED rear lights with clear glass covers, the rear fog warning light comes in a new position within the bumper between the two chrome trim strips.”
Interestingly this is the first time we've seen LED rear lighting mentioned anywhere for the 2005 MINI. However it would make sense as BMW seems to be moving all of it's cars to LEDs in recent years. They should last much longer and give a brighter, more consistent light.
Feb 21st, 2004
A couple days ago we learned about the new front HID Xenon lights and the Cabrio roof. Now lets take a look the overall design changes that'll we'll see on the new 2005 MINI Cabrio (via MINI Press):
The MINI Convertible is naturally a particularly emotional MINI – a car with unique flair and numerous features reflecting the agility, joy of life and elegance so crucial to the character of this charming four-seater.
Everything under one roof.
continued →
Feb 20th, 2004
Ian Cull over at gbmini.net has come up with a solution to an issue that has annoyed US MINI owners for a couple years now. The problem is that US spec MINIs have had the auto up feature on the windows deactiviated by default. It's remained a puzzle as to why MINI decided to do this. The most obvious thoughtis that it may have been a response to the litigation happy culture of the US. However for years BMW's available in the US have had this feature with seemingly no litigation issues.
Ian decided to create a solution of his own to deal with the issue:
I have been working (and playing) with microcontrollers for 25 years. The MINI seems to inspire its owners to take their car to the max, one way or another.
When I learned that European MINIs have auto-up windows, I wanted the same! Just like rear fog lights.
Having already investigated the design of the toggle switch panel, I was able to design a circuit which easily connected “in line” between the MINI wiring and the switches.
I started with a simple “quick and dirty” design using a high-voltage PIC chip from www.microchip.com; unfortunately this design did not work. But having started down the path, it became necessary to complete the design even though it is now much more complicated than I had originally expected.
In reality, the ability to close the windows without needing to hold the switch is an irrelevance - but the design was fun! I was also able to incorporate circuitry which can control a garage door opener, providing elegant “hidden” control for owners that need it.
You can find out more about this solution at
gbmini.net/MINIcircuit.
Feb 20th, 2004
Due to this site's phenomenal growth over the past 6 months we no longer can devote enough time to keep the marketplace portion of the site up to date. Therefore the Marketplace will be going away in a weeks time. So if you're interested in something on it I'd recommend getting the information of the seller now. For future use I'd recommend the MINI2 or North American Motoring marketplace areas.
Look for other, more positive changes in the coming weeks!
Feb 19th, 2004
In our on going “Cabrio in Detail Series” today we'll touch on the the car's intended market. Many of us with the exsisting fixed roof MINIs have initially looked at the Cabrio with
some skepticism. And while much of this mindset has faded after the initial photos were released there are still many current owners who simply don't understand why MINI has chosen
to release a convertible and what ptoential market their going after.
MINI has responded to these questions in it's latest PR release with a better definition of what market it's hoping to capture with the car:
MINI is clearly appealing to a target group the brand has not
been able to reach so far: So the Convertible now enables MINI to reach customers who regard
open-air motoring as part of their lifestyle they do not wish to forego under any circumstances
whatsoever.
continued →
Feb 18th, 2004
From MINI Press:
Four items in the MINI_motion product line received the
2003 Good Design Award, an industrial and graphic design competition sponsored by the Chicago
Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
MINI_motion, a signature collection of products introduced in 2003 by BMW Group, and designed by
fuseproject, received the 2003 Good Design awards for the MINI_motion watch; MINI_motion carpack;
MINI_motion 2part shoe, and MINI_motion environment.
continued →
Browse Pages:
Next Page »
