Archive for October 2007
Oct 31st, 2007
The Fireballed one is busy cruising through the halls at SEMA ogling the latest and greatest in automotive gear. Of course, he has his video crew and will be covering it all week.
But that will be for another post. Instead, here Fireball Tim presents the Street Tuner Challenge Persuit MINI. Keep an eye on his blog for more updates about the STC Behind the Scenes videos.
Oct 31st, 2007
Hybrid Technologies, builder of the now famous electric MINI Cooper, are showing off the latest version at this years Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Mini Cooper is already a Hollywood star and has been featured in Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. It is powered with a pure electric drive system using state of the art lithium-ion battery units and a highly advanced BMS (battery management system). The car was originally developed for diplomatic service and has been welcomed by the Hollywood eco set as the latest and greatest in green driving.
continued →
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Oct 30th, 2007
Motoringfile Reader Clayton writes in with a great question concerning the Aisin automatic transmission.
I have a 2006 MCSA and I am considering adding some serious power to it, but I am worried that the transmission wont be able to handle the power. do you know of any company out there making after market parts to stengthen it?
As far as we know, there aren’t any companies that build any kind of kits to make that transmission stronger. It was never intended to be in any high power, high performance application. continued →
Oct 30th, 2007
The BMW Halloween Apple BMW Show.
We spend a good amount of time talking about the upcoming BMW 1 Series and how it will affect the MINI, the MINI Community and Gabe in general. Even though he is holding out for a Z4 M Coupe.
We also talk a bit about lease vs. buy. None of us are fans of a lease, but it really wouldn’t suit us. If you lease, let us know why below.
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Oct 29th, 2007
Consider this buying guide a living document and what you see here to be version 1.0. While we’ve worked hard to create the basic information, you the reader will be essential in helping us add content where appropriate. One note; you can only leave comments on this introduction post and not the actual “Buyers Guide” page.
Introduction
The R50 and R53 MINI coupes were watershed products that ushered in a new era of small, sporty premium cars. Beyond that, they also resurrected a brand and changed perceptions of what a small car could do both on the track and in the market place.
They also make great used buys. But there are some important things to remember when shopping for that perfect used MINI. In this buying guide we’ll attempt to get you started down the right path. We’ll look at the cars, their issues and the seemingly constant updates made by MINI throughout the model cycle.
While it’s true the early MINIs had there fair share of issues, they are still very strong cars with little in the way of serious, budget busting potential problems (with one exception we’ll touch on later). They can provide an unequaled out of the box driving experience for a great price and are generally easy and fairly inexpensive to maintain.
That’s not to say that a potential MINI buyer shouldn’t be fully educated in the ins and outs of potential issues. It’s also very beneficial to know what has changed through the years. With this guide we hope to give an overview of what to look for in the way of potential problems and what to look for in terms options and production changes through the years. We won’t be diving into all specific issues but giving a general overview of what to look for and what to avoid.
There’s one rule of thumb when it comes to buying a used R50 or R53 MINI: buy as new as your budget allows. As is the custom for BMW, MINI made quite a few important changes to the first generation MINI coupe throughout it’s lifecycle. The most important happening in the 2005 model year (beginning with July ‘04 builds).
continued → (opens guide in new window)
Oct 29th, 2007
Starting off talking about the World Series (we don’t care), the fires in SoCal (Gabe instantly thinks lootin’ time!) and wonders if any of the fires were started by Fiero’s. Can you believe there is a club in KC for those guys? Crazy, I know. By the way, that link is our “Fiero Expert”.
Then, Gabe has a delima. We vote MINI ‘natch. What about you? Then, more Fiero talk before talking about the rarest color of MINI, among others.
Plus news of the week from Motoringfile.
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Oct 28th, 2007
A few weeks back we mentioned a story at Automotive News on the Clubman’s third door and how it was not originally planned. At the time the article was not available to the public. Today it is and it’s probably worth a quick read. Here’s an excerpt:
The passenger door that was added to the right side of the Clubman was not part of the original plan, Kranz said, and evolved during discussions about how to improve rear-seat entry and exit. The door is hinged at the rear and can open only if the front passenger door is opened. continued →
Oct 26th, 2007
Leftlanenews.com has the first photos of the MINI SUV test mule. The test vehicle looks to be built using a raised Clubman indicating some form of all-wheel drive present. Expect the finished product (looking quite a bit different from the Clubman with an identity crisis seen here) to show up around the 2011 model year.
The car’s exhaust also indicates that this isn’t a standard issue Clumbman S. A typical Clubman S has dual exhaust, something this mule lacks. Instead, the mule has a single exhaust outlet protruding from the left slide. This details also rules out a standard Clubman as its exhaust exits from the right side. The change is exhaust seems to indicate some kind of undercarriage work, possibly to accommodate for all-wheel drive.
You can check out the full range of photos below:
[ MINI Future SUV Spied ] Left Lane News
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Oct 26th, 2007
One of our favorite motoring magazines has a comparison between to of the hostest hatches out there; the new JCW MCS and the Renault Clio 197. While the MCS tested didn’t have the new JCW Suspension (or sport suspension as it sounds) it did have the newly released JCW engine package. Here’s an excerpt:
In the MINI you can go into a corner at something other than the perfect speed and yet come out the other side without feeling it’s a wasted opportunity. It moves around, engages and involved more than the Clio. The fact that it feels significantly faster in a straight line is an added bonus that makes nipping in and out of the everyday traffic just that bit more fun. continued →
Oct 25th, 2007
Look for MINI to introduce three new sets of light-weight wheels designed specifically to work with the new (and larger) 2008 JCW Brake Kit we reported on yesterday.
The 17″ wheel will be MINI branded and engineered with low weight in mind. They will also be one of the few OEM 17″ wheels that will fit the new R56 JCW Brake Kit.
The other two wheels will both be 18″s and as you might guess, JCW branded. Like the 17″ MINI branded wheel, they will both be designed to work with the R56 JCW Brake Kit coming later in 2008. As with the 17″ wheels, we’re told the 18″s will be relatively light-weight in design. What that means in terms of lbs remains to be seen.
Worldwide release should happen in the first half of 2008.
Oct 25th, 2007
The Cars.com blog Kicking Tires updates their experience with the R56 Cooper S trying it out as a 4 passenger car for a 2 hour drive.
On the minus side, I took three kids with me on a trip to Milwaukee, and many times, the car itself - not just having to take a road trip with dad - sparked whining and complaining. At first, the two kids in the backseat were comfortable, but over time (the trip took about two hours each way), they began to complain more and more about their lack of legroom. Both are around 5 feet tall, and eventually, I had to move the driver’s seat up a notch to help accommodate them. That made my knees weary before too long, especially once I was off the expressway and onto city streets, where the heavy shifting began.
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Oct 24th, 2007
One of the more subtle but appreciated upgrades MINI made to the 2007 MCS R56 was the addition of the JCW brake kit as standard. Sure the calipers aren’t red and don’t feature the JCW logo, but they are indeed the same caliper size, pads and rotors. The addition allows for more stopping power and increased fade resistance at the track.
But what of all the R56 Cooper S owners who want an OEM upgrade? MINI currently only has a slotted and “drilled” rotor that fits into the OEM front brake set-up. All things considered it’s just a bit of window dressing if you ask us. So in an answer to this, MINI will be releasing a redesigned (and much improved) JCW brake kit. The kit will consist of larger calipers, more aggressive front and rear pads, and (wait for it…..) larger front rotors. continued →
Oct 24th, 2007
Based on the reaction of yesterday’s BMW 135i story, we thought today’s BMW press release concerning a high performance 1 Series concept of the car might be of interest to some readers…
Official BMW Press Release: Based on the new BMW 1 Series Coupé being presented to the world public for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show 2007, this fascinating design study is the consistent evolution of BMW’s compact two-door with a clear focus on uncompromising sportiness. With its aerodynamically optimised body, a wide range of lightweight features serving to minimise the weight of the car and its axle load distribution, as well as an interior tailored specifically to the ambitious driver, this concept study clearly offers a high level of driving dynamics right from the start. continued →
Oct 24th, 2007
Official MINI USA Press Release: For the sixth consecutive year, MINI has earned top honors in Strategic Vision’s 2007 Total Value Index TM (TVI). For 2007, the MINI brand achieved the highest ranking of all brands surveyed with an overall TVI score of 817. The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper Convertible also achieved the highest TVI score in their respective segments - an honor both models have received every year since they were launched.
Not only did the MINI brand achieve the highest TVI score overall, but Strategic Vision also recognized MINI as a class leader in the $24,500 - $30,000 range. In their respective segments the MINI Cooper, with a TVI score of 824, was awarded top honors in the “Small Specialty Car Under $28,000″ six years running, while the MINI Cooper Convertible, with a TVI score of 802, topped its category of “Convertible under $30,000″ three years running. These scores compare to an industry average TVI score of 737. continued →
Oct 24th, 2007
Official MINI USA Press Release: The BMW Group picked up as many as four awards at the CAROLINA Internet Auto Award 2007 by AutoScout24, Europe’s largest automobile portal. With its EfficientDynamics program, BMW won in the special category “Best Innovation”. continued →
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