Sections: R56 (Hatch) Mar 27th, 2006 70 Comments 
With the debut of the 2007 MINI just months away, BMW engineers are busy putting the finishing touches on the final production version of the car. And that means more photos and less camouflage. This latest series of photos comes courtesy of AGSL and were taken on a French highway just days ago. (You can click on each photo for a larger look)
Sections: Faults & Fixes, Official News, Recalls/Campaigns Mar 26th, 2006 34 Comments MINI USA is extending the warranty for specific air bag warning lamp issues on some MINIs sold in the US. This will surely come as a welcome surprise to anyone who has been greeted by the dreaded glowing airbag light over the years. Here’s an excerpt from the letter just sent out by MINI USA:
“We have found and repaired cases in which a wiring harness connector for the side air bag and safety-belt pretensioner as partially loosened. When this occurred, the increase in electrical resistance causes a red airbag warning lamp to light up.”
Sections: Site News Mar 26th, 2006 No Comments Time for some thanks to the folks that make MotoringFile possible. We’d also like to welcome a few new sponsors to the fold: MINI of Manhattan and Detailing Concepts. Both will be fixtures around MotoringFile for some time so be sure to check them out!
Here’s the full list of companies that sponsor and support MotoringFile. As always, if you would like to support the site, check out our sponsors!
Sections: In the Press Mar 26th, 2006 9 Comments In their latest article on the topic, MSNBC probably does the best job I’ve seen explaining the success of the MINI in terms of resale value. Here’s an excerpt:
BMW’s ownership of Mini buoys the residual value of Cooper. After all, BMW won ALG’s highest overall ranking for value retention among luxury-car manufacturers in 2006. By association, some of the German carmaker’s desirability and its reputation for quality transfer to Mini. But Mini Cooper’s idiosyncrasy also helps the car hold value. Small yet accommodating, cosmopolitan and oozing with retro-chic, Cooper is unlike any other vehicle. If you fancy one, you can’t substitute another marque the way a Honda Accord shopper might swing for a Toyota Camry if he or she doesn’t find an Accord that fits. You must own a Mini Cooper alone to appropriate the playful image of sophisticated independence it imparts.
Sections: Reviews Mar 25th, 2006 26 Comments 
Another interesting combo in this week’s second MotoringFile reader review. Mark Hendrie puts his JCW Cooper S against his TVR T350 and Nissan 350zx. I think this effectively trumps my M3 vs the MCS review from a few years back! You can read Mark’s entire review below:
Sections: DIY Mar 24th, 2006 32 Comments Another DIY Friday here at MotoringFile. This week we’re featuring a pretty slick piece of kit that mimics the newer BMW and the upcoming MINI systems that use a button to start/stop the engine. It makes a little less sense in the current MINI with the standard key system, but anytime you can add a big round button that says “start”, we say go for it.
Sections: In the Press Mar 24th, 2006 13 Comments Here’s an excerpt from the article that says it all:
The tachometers tell this story. Although positioned directly ahead of the driver, as it should be, the Beetle’s rev counter is teeny tiny and placed in an overly crowded pod with a much larger speedometer and a similarly sized gas gauge. The Mini’s tach, on the other hand, is the size of a compact disc and sits solo on the Cooper’s steering column, much like hot rodders have always done on their 1932 Fords.
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