Tonight joined by the mythical guy Gabe Bridger for news of the week from Motoringfile.com and a few more things. Stick around because he’s with us tomorrow as well!
We talk about news, Todd figuring out Dynolicious and getting really good results from it and upcoming reviews at Motoringfile among other things.
Thanks to those of you that have brought our review count on iTunes up to 50! We really appreciate it, especially the happy birthdays. We couldn’t have done it without you, the White Roof Radio listener. Thanks!
Our good friend Liam at AUSmotive had a chance to drive the new JCW MINI on Australian soil and came away rather impressed. Here’s an excerpt:
Engine and transmission are very well matched and, for a car with so few kilometres on it, its willingness to work high in the rev range—a previous MINI strength—was a delight. And the torque! Usually with a 1.6 litre engine you would think the only way to make sure desired progress was not impeded would be through precise gear changes. However, the torque in the John Cooper Works makes the car virtually foolproof. Corners I would take in my supercharged Cooper S in second gear, for example, could be taken in third in the JCW, or even fourth at a pinch. continued →
For all those who want the look and stopping power of the new four piston JCW brakes on their R55 or R56, we’ve got what you’ve been looking for. Below is the entire parts list for both the front and rear brakes including installation diagrams (just click to enlarge all images). continued →
MINI USA will shortly be announcing immediate availability of the JCW engine tuning kit for the automatic R56 Cooper S. This is the same kit that was mistakenly released for a couple weeks late last year without US certification (however those cars did not receive the correct ECU update that unleashed most of the power of the kit) After lengthy testing MINI USA has received full certification from the EPA and sales can now officially begin. Here’s an excerpt from the internal MINI USA document announcing the release:
Aftersales is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated John Cooper Works Tuning Kit for the MINI Cooper S (R56) is now available for vehicles with manual and automatic transmission. continued →
MINI USA has just internally announced that it has reached a deal with the BMW Group to recieve an extra 3,000 new MINI from now until November. Here’s an excerpt from an official internal memo:
On July 1st we announced that we’d secured 2,700 hundred more units for the remainder of the year. We’re pleased to announce that we’ve secured around 3,000 additional units on top of that.
This from the MF inbox this week. It sounds like the current series will finish and MINI Australia is going to try to keep it going after that.
The future of the Australian MINI Challenge series has been thrown into doubt with the management company of the series being placed into liquidation halfway through the racing season.
CAMS, the governing body of Australian Motorsport, has received formal advice that Sherrin Motorsport, the category manager for the Porsche Carrera Cup and MINI Challenge, has gone into liquidation.
A recent check shows Sherrin’s website has been pulled from internet access.
A statement from CAMS Senior Manager Corporate Services and Acting CEO Sandra Lordanic quotes;
“CAMS is committed to working with the various stakeholders to help minimise the impact of this situation on teams and competitors, and achieve a smooth transition for the remainder of the 2008 season and through 2009.” continued →
Joined again by Chad Miller from Detroit Tuned. If you are in the greater Detroit area and looking for an independant shop to work on your MINI, check ‘em out. And if you are still suffering from the stuck air bag light, check with your dealer. Chad thinks they extended that warranty again, so it’s worth checking out.
We talk about Todd’s experience with the new iPhone/iPod touch app Dynolicious which told him his GP has gone from 13hp to 590hp. In fairness, he hasn’t been able to fully test it yet. Of course, that led to us talking about dynos in general and what kind of tuning Chad has been doing to the R56.
Otherwise, a little sales talk, a little dealer talk, Todd’s Honda Del Sol (again), and parts stock, among other things.
As I mentioned during last nights show and tonight, I have started a new show with Fireball Tim called The Hollywood Car Show where we talk about upcoming movies, cool cars in movies and in television. I think it’s a lot of fun and think you might like it too. Find it at thehollywoodcarshow.com.
We’ve had an enormous number of requests for a couple reviews over the past few months. First up are of course the two new JCW MINIs. And then there is continued interest (yes from MINI owners) of the 135i – specifically the manual which we haven’t tested yet. So we’ve been busy working with BMW and MINI to get these cars and in turn get our reviews out to our loyal readers. continued →
For about a dollar you can rent and MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Clubman or a Smart car in Toronto. What’s the catch? The cars are covered with ads.
CityFlitz, Toronto’s newest auto-sharing company, showcased its $1 a day rental program in Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square yesterday.
Its premise is simple: Drive around the city at least 30 kilometers a day in a car plastered with advertising, which heavily subsidizes the cost of the rental.
Even covered with ads, I’m pretty sure I’d rather drive a MINI than ride the bus.
Detroit Tuned to help us out with news from Motoringfile and a few other things. Keep an eye on SpeedTV for the upcoming episode of Pinks featuring the ABF MINI.
If you missed the AMVIV announcement, it’s here. Remember, book early and save some $$ OR design new art and get your whole trip almost free of charge.
Does anyone know where the term “put a pin in it” comes from?
Social stuff. Todd is on Twitter, so is db and you can WRR over at Facebook. Friend us up, especially Todd on twitter ’cause nobody thinks he’ll post there either.
Expect to see a rush of more factory JCW reviews as the car begins to hit the streets of North America and Europe in the coming weeks. Here is a more favorable review of the factory JCW MINI coming from our friends north of the border at Driving.Ca.
Some notable excerpts:
“This feeling of performing beyond its dimensions, engine size and heft is endemic to this the sportiest of Minis. Immediately after picking it up, I found myself cruising at 160 km/h, so quiet was the cabin and stable the ride. Considering the penalty for such flagrant flouting of Ontario’s speed limits, I, again, hoped that the JCW’s speedometer was indeed optimistic.” continued →
The Truth About Cars has compiled a list of what they think are the 10 best cars of 2008. Among the Nissans, Mazdas and the Audi R8 is, of course, the MINI.
If cars were ice cream, the MINI Cooper S would be fat-free Häagen-Dazs: all the deliciousness you want with none of the guilt. The MINI manages to pack performance, handling and style into a pint-sized container for just a bit more than plain vanilla costs.
High praise for the Mazada MX-5 as well, but not quite as high as the MINI.
If MTTS is finished, it must mean it’s time to start thinking about A MINI Vacation in Vegas. Sure, it’s still 8 months away, but it’s never too earlier to start planning a trip to Vegas!
In response to the steep price jump in room rates for AMVIV5, we have negotiated and sliding rate for AMVIV6. The early birds save $20 a night! If you book your room by January 25th, you pay $79 for courtyard rooms and $119 for Tower rooms, which is $10 per night less than in 2008.
Baron Automotive in Kansas City will soon be expanding its MINI dealership. Baron’s current operation features BMW and MINI sales and service in one building and a VW dealership in another building on the same site. The decision was recently made to close the VW dealership and move MINI into that space for sales and service. continued →
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Sections: Podcast Aug 31st, 2008 No Comments 
Tonight joined by the mythical guy Gabe Bridger for news of the week from Motoringfile.com and a few more things. Stick around because he’s with us tomorrow as well!
