Dec 31st, 2006
A bit of a recap of the year. We talk about our personal biggest moments in MINI for the last year. Remember AMVIV 3? Or MoTD? And who could forget MTTS? Or Todd’s car being converted into the Mule v2.0? Good times good times. Did you have a favorite moment? Go ahead and share below!
Don’t forget the great interviews we had this year. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to talk to the listeners! And thanks to Michael and Patricia Babiskin for helping out this year filling in, working on the club/event casts and MTTS. And, of course to Robert for sending in those soundseeing tours to entertain us.
We are going to keep on going for ’07 too! More event coverage, more interviews, more reviews?
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Dec 31st, 2006
Okay so we’ve been busy in 2006. Between Db, myself and all the frequent MF contributors posting reviews, news etc, we have had well over 600 stories about the MINI, related accessories and the culture that revolves around the cars. Impressive and maybe a bit obsessive, we’ve done all we can to live up to our reputation of providing nothing but the best news and reviews in the MINI world. And with the addition of Db to the staff – we’ll be getting bigger and better in 2007.
So with 2006 coming to a close today (and since we’re taking tomorrow off!) we thought what better time to take a look back at the biggest, most popular and our personal favorite stories of the year. (in Chronological order)
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Dec 30th, 2006
We’ve heard reports from several readers in NYC, Chicago (on I294 near O’Hare) and San Franscico that they’re seeing roadside billboards featuring an R56 MINI and a large electronic message that seems to change daily. While electronic billboards are nothing new, we have a feeling these billboards could be pretty interesting since their message could continually evolve throughout their lifespan. They’re also the first appearance of the R56 in an official advertisement by MINI USA.
No photos to share yet but we expect some reader contributions soon.
Dec 29th, 2006
MotoringFile DIY Friday is back with an update of a reader favorite. For those who may remember we posted a Xenon retrofit guide for ’01-’04 MINIs to allow for an upgrade to the newer 2005+ Xenon style. However the guide wasn’t applicable for those who owned 2005/2006 MINIs that simply wanted to upgrade from the stock Halogen’s to Xenons. And now with the GP being released with Halogens, there’s been a renewed interested in this type of retro-fit. So we’re happy to present the official MINI PDF that details the parts and installation procedure. Although be warned, if you have to ask how much, you probably shouldn’t attempt it.
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Dec 29th, 2006
Auto Tuner Hamann has gotten thier hands on an R56 and given it a few modifications.
One thing is clear: you will attract attention with the Mini, even in standard trim. The exterior of the Mini could however convey a little more sportiness. HAMANN can help out in this respect, clothing the little runabout in some sporty gear. The HAMANN aerodynamics kit includes a front spoiler to reduce lift, a pair of side sills with integrated, brushed aluminum doorsills, and a two-piece rear diffuser.
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Dec 28th, 2006
We’ve been talking about this a lot lately over at WRR as Todd, and other GP owners, have been trying to figure out how they can retrofit them into their cars.
MF Reader Murmini has actually produced a great write-up about Xenon’s and how they work.
So instead of using a filament, that heats up and glows when voltage is applied, as is the case with incandescent lamps, the Xenon light source creates light from an electrical discharge between two electrodes in a microenvironment of xenon gas.
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Dec 27th, 2006
MINI USA’s Audio Package that includes Sirius Satellite Radio, HD Radio and a Hi-Fi 10-Speaker sound system has been pushed back to a Summer 2007 introduction. Apparently the hold-up is the Sirius or HD Radio options and not the Hi-Fi Stereo (which is available now).
