Sections: R53, Reviews Aug 31st, 2004 86 Comments 
Recently I had a chance to take a 2005 MCS out for few hot laps around the neighborhood circuit and found a lot to like. However instead of a typical review which we've all read over and over again I thought I'd instead focus mostly on the differences from the previous MINIs that are on the roads today.
Sections: R52, Reviews Aug 30th, 2004 32 Comments 
While we'll have our own MINI Convertible for a long term test in several weeks I wanted to give a sneak peak of the MCS convertible since they are now at dealers.
As expected motoring in the convertible MINI Cooper S is a blast. Virtually all the performance of the hard top with an incredible view as a bonus. While there is some slight steering wheel quiver over railroad tracks and rough Chicago roads it's an exceptionally solid open top car. The extra weight is somewhat apparent but nothing that really dulls the overall senses of the car.
We'll have a huge review in the next several weeks but until then here are some pics to hold you over [ one / two / three / four ]
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 30th, 2004 57 Comments MotoringFile is happy to announce our third edition of Ask a Motoring Advisor. Again this is a chance to ask an actual MINI salesperson (Motoring Advisor in MINI Speak) non-technical questions about the purchase, spec or overall buying process of a MINI.
Here's how it works; post the questions in the comments section that you'd like to see answered. We'll cut off all questions by early this Wednesday. From there the most appropriate questions will be chosen by the MA. Naturally not all are guaranteed to be chosen as I'm sure there will be a few redundancies and some might be too technical in nature. We should have the answers to you by the end of the week.
The Motoring Advisor responsible for the answers will remain anonymous but rest assured - he/she has a ton of real world MA experience!
This session of Ask an MA is now closed. We should see answers for the selected questions in a day or two.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 29th, 2004 10 Comments This review was prepared for MotoringFile by DK…
Unlike the more affordable armrests, this one is spare in appearance, stylish and unobtrusive. It is what it says: an armrest. No room for phones, change or cups…just arms.
Installation was a matter of seconds. The front arms pop in on either side of the brake console. At the cupholder side, was a strip of mild adhesive, which seemed more like caulking or silicone than anything else. It seems to function like a gasket/sealant, and was only a couple of inches around the circumferance.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 27th, 2004 24 Comments This comes from a friend who got pretty lucky this evening…
Talk about being in the right place at the right time.. I was picking up my Cooper from its 2 year service tonight, and I stopped by to say hi to my favorite salesmen at Knauz MINI. David mentioned that they had just gotten a new Convertible Cooper S today.
Cool Blue with a blue top and blue leather interior. The leather looked more like an “off black” with reddish/orange stitching. Not bad, but not really blue. I didn’t see it with the top up, so I can’t comment on the color. The chrome gauges look very sharp (I was not expecting to like them), and I really like the body colored dash.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 27th, 2004 7 Comments Here's a cool piece of mail that found it's way to the currently overflowing MotoringFile inbox this morning. It's a fascinating glimpse not only at MINI's award winning advertising but also the pieces that never made it to the public:
I'm working on the Tulsa Ad Fed newsletter and we're gonna view the Kelly Awards show video at the next meeting. Of course, Crispin Porter + Bogusky won a Grand Prize for their MINI campaign. Here's a video about their work on the campaign. Oh the things that never saw the light of day!
[VIDEO]
And you can check out their winner's page here.
Thanks Angie!
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 27th, 2004 33 Comments This video shows the factory optional electronic folding mirrors in action. Incredibly useful for those tight urban areas! The mirrors are operated by a small button near the mirror switch. While it should be available worldwide it's unfortunately not an option for the US market. Regardless it's totally cool - check it out:
[VIDEO] 2.5MB
Thanks to Alex from NewMINI-Technik for sending it in!
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 27th, 2004 13 Comments Here's an excerpt of an article published in yesterday's Times:
Dr Anton Heiss, managing director of the plant, said the German carmaker would consider raising production levels when a new model Mini is launched in the next few years. BMW began production of the current Mini in the summer of 2001, expecting to make 100,000 cars a year. This year it will make more than 180,000.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 26th, 2004 28 Comments For the (counts fingers…) 3rd year in a row the MINI has achieved top ten status by the Kelly Blue Book and came in first in the hatchback segment. Here's the breakdown by catagory:
You can check out the entire list and read more here. Interestingly BMW (parent company to MINI) was named the brand that Kelly Blue Book forcasts will hold it's value over the next five years best.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 25th, 2004 24 Comments 
This month's MotoringFile Spotlight is a bit different than what we've done in the past and I think you'll find quite interesting. So interesting in fact that I'm at a loss in trying to introduce it…so I'll let Lawrence do that himself:
Present day. Lawrence O'Toole. Graphic designer. Twenty-eight. Philadelphia native and resident. MINI owner since 2002. About to get a second MINI Cooper S.
But more on that later. Let's back up to a younger Lawrence. A Lawrence just out of college and driving a mildly tuned, seriously underpowered and slowly dying 1996 red 2-litre automatic VW GTI. Lawrence likes the whole hot hatch formula - small, nimble, practical, fun. But Lawrence doesn't like the slushbox - at the time of purchase, no one in the O'Toole clan knew how to drive stick, and in a pinch, Dad or sis needed to be able to use it. Eventually, a pair of replaced transmissions would spell the end of the relationship with the GTI, and a time to make that difficult decision: what next?
For a genuine car nut, just getting anything was not going to suffice. And whatever it would be it certainly would not be sporting an automatic. Problem was, the new GTIs were too fat (both in weight and in price), and everything else desirable was too expensive or too far off in coming to market. Nothing sparked interest. Ugh. Until, one day, flipping through mags at Tower, Lawrence happens upon that now familiar red and white Cooper publicity photo.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 25th, 2004 6 Comments If you're a regular MotoringFile reader this will be old news since we've not only covered the launch but have already posted an entire review of the watch. However if you somehow missed both of those pieces here's the official MINIUSA's introduction on the the MINI_Motion watch:
Only an automotive brand as distinct as MINI could inspire MINI_motion, an award-winning signature collection of products designed to connect experiences in and out of the car. The latest accessory, MINI_motion watch, features a digital face that can display time from vertical to a horizontal position. The MINI_motion watch is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art and is available for the first time to the public.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 25th, 2004 15 Comments Hard to believe isn't it? Here's an excerpt from the BBC article:
The 500,000th new-style Mini has rolled off the production line at BMW's UK plant in Oxford, watched by its proud new American owner.
Dan Cowdrey, 35, from Los Angeles, was waiting with girlfriend Kasondra Kenning to pick up the £15,000 silver Mini Cooper S at the factory in Cowley.
He said: “I have been in love with the Mini marque for years.”
BMW began production of the Mini in 2001 and has hit the half-million mark two years faster than was predicted.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 24th, 2004 9 Comments We've got a few reviews coming up here at MotoringFile that we thought were worth a mention. First off we'll be featuring a review by a first time contributor on the Design Parts “TT Style” armrest that has long been a favorite of MINI owners worldwide. Another review that will feature a first time contributor will be on the Schroth Harness Belt system (donated by HMS Motorsport). And also on tap in the coming weeks Matt, the technical side of MotoringFile, will be reviewing freshly installed Supersprint exhaust (via Promini) on his Cooper. It'll be nice to finally get another exhaust review in that right column!
During the month of September I'll personally be working on a review of Ian Cull's new Auto-Up module for the front windows of the MINI (a feature disabled on US cars) while motoring as much as possible in a 2005 MINI Convertible. We'll have a thorough review as well as many daily features throughout the entire month on the new open top MINI.
If there are other reviews you'd like to see on MotoringFile let us know. Obviously we have limited time and a limited budget but we're always interested in hearing what people would like to see. Further if anyone has a product that they'd like to review for MotoringFile let us know!
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 24th, 2004 16 Comments Over the past six months MotoringFile has featured reviews on both the Dension ICE-Link connector and the soon to be released for the MINI, official BMW/Apple connector. However, as you can expect, we get lots of mail asking us to give opinions on what's the best solution for certain price ranges and scenarios. This is especially the case when someone doesn't want to spend more than $50-$75 on a solution.
Recently the New York Times took on this subject of in-car iPod connectors from the high-end Dension units to the new iPod compatible Alpine headunits, to even low-end tape adapters. The articles does a good job of explaining the different potential solutions and downfalls of each. While it's obviously not vehicle specific, all the solutions could conceivably pertain to the MINI.
Sections: Uncategorized Aug 24th, 2004 28 Comments For most of us that have owned our MINIs for a year or two it's easy to forget the sheer joy of the first weeks and months of ownership. Not that it gets old after a year or two mind you, but there's just nothing like those first 1000 miles.
So in an effort to relive some of that excitement for some and give a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel to others, here's an short piece from a new, first-time MINI owner that arrived in our inbox today:
As of August 17th, I became a MINI owner for the first time.
My Mini is a 2005 Chili Red MINI Cooper S. I got all three convenience packages; Premium Package, Sport Package and Cold Weather Package. I got the navigation system, upgraded HK sound system and Chrome Line Exterior Package. I also have a white roof (with sunroof), tartan red cloth with black leather, driving lamps and alarm. The only three options I did not get are the auto dimming rear view mirrors, rain sensing windshield wipers and no park distance control (which I don't think anyone really needs in a car short of 12 feet long). So I went all out and have not looked back once.
Copyright © 2002-2007 Gabriel Bridger
