Sections: In the Press Jul 31st, 2006 10 Comments As reported previously, BMW will be halting production for a couple of weeks while it puts the finishing touches on plant remodelling in anticipation of full R56 production. You can read more about it from the Sunday Times:
Sections: JCW, R56 Jul 31st, 2006 48 Comments Apparently BMW is serious this time. Not that the current JCW isn’t fast, but it’s clear that BMW will need more power if they are to position the MCS JCW against such cars as the new VW GTI or Civic Si.
Sections: Podcast Jul 31st, 2006 1 Comment 
News of the week plus we talk about refrigerators and televisions? Oh yea, and Todd. Is. Now. Speaking. Like. This.
Don’t forget WRR and Motoringfile for your MTTS coverage. If you are participating in the MTTS event, you should play along with the MPG contest too. Hey, even db is going to play around a bit, and called into the voicemail line with a bit of trash talk! that’s 206-33-WHITE.
Oh yea, there is a new site to get the Motoringfile Grille badges too. They have all been moved over to motoringbadges.com. Go ahead, check it out!
Sections: R56 Jul 30th, 2006 1 Comment 
Our “Next Generation MINI Revealed” story has proven to incredibly popular since it was first published in March of 2005. A quick look at recent MotoringFile stats shows that it was even our most popular story this month - 17 months after it was originally written. From rearview mirror control placement to seat levers, it has about everything imaginable except for maybe final specifications and un-camouflaged photos.
Sections: Events, JCW Jul 29th, 2006 3 Comments Up to 45 “MINI Cooper S with JCW GP kit” MINIs will be delivered to their new owners in less than four weeks, in Monterey, California at the Monterey Historic (http://www.montereyhistoric.com/) weekend. As well as the key hand-over ceremony on Friday August 18, there will be a number of MINI USA organized events for the GP buyers, including a welcome dinner, and access to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. See this article on GPMINI.net for more information.
Sections: R56 Jul 28th, 2006 60 Comments 
MotoringFile Exclusive: The interior plastic trim on the R56 MINI will become smaller but available in more colors and materials. Our sources have confirmed that MINI will eventually offer such choices as a very rich looking wood and high quality aluminum along several new colors (including a gorgeous pepper white) directly from the factory. We’re also told that dash color won’t be dependent on exterior color as it is now, allowing for some rather interesting color combinations. In total you can expect seven new dash options for the R56 in 2007.
Sections: Official News, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 82 Comments Instead of sprinkling all 20+ photos of the new R56 prototypes throughout the official MINI press release, we thought readers might enjoy seeing them completely on their own in a separate post. Just click on each photo to increase the size. To move to the next image, simply click the next button or use the “N” key on your keyboard. To go back hit the previous button or click the “P” key.
Now let’s hear some initial thoughts. Likes, dislikes, questions, concerns?
Sections: Official News, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 50 Comments 
Everything’s new — and once again typical of MINI all the way: After more than 800,000 units sold, the MINI will soon be entering the market in thoroughly enhanced design and with fundamentally new features.
The second model generation of today’s modern MINI is making its debut with brand-new power units, a carefully but thoroughly upgraded interior, and evolutionary body design with appropriate modifications wherever required. Indeed, all these innovations underline the individual character and premium standard of the MINI. And while each and every detail has been changed or modified, the new model naturally retains all the proven and unmistakable features of the MINI clearly recognisable at very first sight. This applies both to the silhouette of this compact two-door immediately recognisable from every angle and to the car’s equally unique and agile driving characteristics.
The power units and transmissions, suspension and steering, brakes and safety systems are all brand-new developments from the ground up. And all these features serve to give the new MINI that legendary go-kart feeling right from the start — but now with an even higher standard of agility than before. This, quite literally, is MINI at its best — both in design and handling.
The new MINI is entering the market in the guise of the MINI Cooper (88 kW/120 hp) and MINI Cooper S (128 kW/175 hp), with the MINI One “basic†version following somewhat later. And once again, the new MINI will also be available with a turbodiesel offering a particularly high standard of all-round economy in the drivetrain.
Sections: In the Press, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 12 Comments More coverage of the recent R56 preview event, this time from 4Car:
[ Preview: Mini Mk2 ] 4Car
Sections: JCW, Motorsports, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 6 Comments Racers take note, looks like MINI is getting serious about Racing (from 4Car):
Until now, competitive race series such as the John Cooper Challenge have been run on a country-by-country basis, but BMW is considering a series of linked international series, all to the same template. There are plans for Mini racing championships in Asia (a pan-Asian series with events in Japan, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong) and North America, and there is also interest in smaller-scale championships in countries including Italy, Belgium and Spain.
Sections: In the Press, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 4 Comments Yet another review from the recent MINI R56 Prototype prevew. Here’s an excerpt:
Sections: In the Press, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 5 Comments Even though we do know how much out english speaking readers love reading Dutch, we managed to get a translation from our friend Demelza this time:
The car we drove, was still for a small part covered with tape, but you don’t need much fantasie to see through the tape and conclude that there probably rarely was a model of which the new generation looks so much like the last one.
Sections: In the Press, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 4 Comments This comes from the Autoindustry.co.uk:
New MINI prices will reportedly be 3-4% higher than the current model’s, and BMW expects its investment in capacity expansion at Oxford to raise output to 240,000 units by 2008. Although the current MINI has more or less doubled its initial forecast volume, and will have made a profit over its lifecycle, it is reportedly far from meeting BMW’s profit criteria, which will be met once the expanded new range is on stream. Break-even volume will be well below the planned 240,000-unit capacity, according to the report.
You can read more here:
[ BMW expects to raise margins with second-generation MINI ] Autoindustry.co.uk
Sections: In the Press, JCW Jul 27th, 2006 8 Comments The EVO review that we wrote about a few weeks back is finally online. And with the car gettnig 5 (out of 5) stars it’ll surely be a favorite of GP owners. Here’s an excerpt:
Sections: In the Press, R56 Jul 27th, 2006 10 Comments So BMW flies Edmunds out to the Netherlands, puts them up in nice hotel, gives them the keys to several R56 prototypes and some track time, and they can’t even write a full page about it. This is why automotive journalism is generally so depressing to me.
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