Sections: Site News Dec 30th, 2005 24 Comments 
With the door about to close on 2005 I thought it might a good time to take a look back. As you can expect it’s been a ton of fun covering the MINI world on Motoringfile this year. We’ve hosted our fair share of scoops and lively discussions throughout 2005.
Sections: Awards, Official News Dec 29th, 2005 5 Comments Here is the official press release from MINI USA on the recent strategic resale award that we reported on last week:
Automotive Lease Guide (ALG) has awarded MINI a top spot in their annual 2006 Residual Value Awards for the fourth year in a row. With the highest projected resale value in the compact car segment, the 2006 MINI Cooper is predicted to retain 62% percent of its value at the end of a 36-month lease according to the ALG November/December 2005 Residuals Percentage Guide.
Sections: In the Press, R56 (Hatch) Dec 28th, 2005 13 Comments We expect quite a few subtle improvements with music and mobile phone integration over the years with the next MINI. However we’ve never really heard of specifics until a recent Autoweek article. Here’s the excerpt of interest:
BMW spokesman Frank Schloeder says the carmaker’s target is to have a standard USB port so that all MP3 players can be used in the car.
He said future generations of BMW’s cars will offer the feature, but he couldn’t reveal when.
Sections: Podcast Dec 27th, 2005 15 Comments 
Whiteroofradio is back this week with our last show for 2005. This week we critic the new US based MINI magazine content and design and find some room for improvement. We also touch on various news stories for the week that was, and why drive through beer is just plain wrong. Apologies to all those who enjoy the hour plus podcasts. With the holidays upon us (and me podcasting from somewhere deep within the Wisconsin countryside) it’s a bit shorter than some of our previous shows. You can grab the show below:
Subscribe | Show Notes | iTunes Link | MP3 Link (23Mb)
Sections: In the Press Dec 27th, 2005 20 Comments 
The Unofficial Austin-Rover Web Resource takes the new Radford MINI out for a spirited drive and gives us the first review of the £30,000+ coachbuilt car. Here’s an excerpt:
To look at, you might struggle justifying the expense — yes, the black paint job looks a million dollars contrasting the additional chrome trim beautifully, and the body kit is subtle, but aggressive.
Sections: Best of the Web, MF Feature Dec 26th, 2005 9 Comments For those who are new to winter driving (or in need of a refresher like many of us) MINI Canada has an entertaining and even educational portion of their website dedicated to the right and wrong ways to tackle winter driving. There's lots to take in, from slick flash animations to full driving videos. Now all that's needed for you to enjoy the finer points of winter driving are some snow covered roads and a hefty dose of the e-brake.
Sections: MF Feature Dec 24th, 2005 11 Comments ‘Tis the season for the MotoringFile HQ to go a little quiet over the next couple of days. But don’t worry, we’ve got a few classics lined up for you that are sure to entertain. So on with the seasonal content and re-runs!
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