Archive for November 2009
Nov 13th, 2009
This is a repost from one year ago. However given that the weather is about to get colder in the coming weeks, we felt that a re-post was in order.
So you have a MINI. You got the Sport pack and thought performance tires were a good idea. Then it snowed and you almost died. What should you do? That’s the question that prompted this week’s Ask MF sent in by Scott:
I have a 2006 MCS with the sport package and performance runflats I just bought used and I need some recommendations on snow tires to get me through winter. I’m in western Michigan so I really need some dedicated snows rather than all-seasons. Any suggestions?
Blizzak, Nokian, Dunlop and Michelin all make solid snows for the MINI. There some versions that do better in deep snow and some that are more performance oriented. Being in Western Michigan and getting enormous amount of lake effect snow, I’m guessing you need something that geared toward ultimate traction rather than performance. Because of that I’d start with taking a look at the Nokian and Blizzak line-up first.
But what else is out there? Lets hear it in the comment section below.
Nov 12th, 2009
The on again off again on again diesel plans for the US market may be finally off again. MINI USA worked hard to get the a R56 diesel model to the US but ultimately BMW pulled the plug on the idea due to costs. However with the upcoming Countryman crossover rumored to use the same 2.0L diesel found in the X1 (and other 1 and 3 series models) and BMW planning on bringing said engine over to the US (in the X1, things looked positive.
Up until just a few months ago our sources were relatively positive that the R60 diesel would make it to the US. However just yesterday we heard from very high level sources that BMW North American is currently not planning on importing any flavor of MINI diesel for the foreseeable future.
As always we’ll let you know more as we get it. But until then, if you want diesel power in a small car within the US market, VW and Audi are your only options in the near term.
Nov 11th, 2009
The highly anticipated MINI Countryman crossover originally intended for release in the US in early 2010 has been delayed until late 2010 at the earliest. Our sources are telling us that MINI USA is weighing the market and could decide to delay the launch up to a year pushing the first delivery dates back to early 2011.
While MINI is very happy with the final design and in fact the car itself, they are somewhat cautious about the economic realities of launching such an important car at the moment. MINI sees the Countryman filling a void for those current owners looking to upsize as they grow out of their cars and need something larger. However they want to remain flexible with the exact time to market. continued →
Nov 11th, 2009
There has been a lot of debate in regards to how many seats the upcoming MINI Countryman (R60) needs or will have. While the official answer will change depending on the market you’re in, we can confirm that MINI intends to allow both four and five seats in the new crossover. The optional five seat set-up will feature three across in the back much like the current BMW 1 series hatch. So that means instead of mounting the third belt on the roof like the optional set-up on the Clubman (available outside the US), MINI will mount it on the top of the seat itself.
Of course leading to those four or five seats will be four real doors plus a standard hatchback (a la the R56). So this will be the first official four door MINI. However what’s unclear at this point is what the standard configuration will be in the various markets. Our guess is that four seats will be standard with five seats remaining strictly an optional extra.
Nov 10th, 2009
Yes $500 MINIs do exist. Or at least one does as it showed up recently at the 24 Hour of LeMons in Texas. According to Jalopnik the above MINI incurred a 1066 lap penalty for being too new and too nice to possibly cost only $500. The team bought the car from a junkyard where it ended up after a roll-over accident.
The car finished 122 out of 123 (due to that healthy penalty and recorded a best lap time of 2:09.79. That was some 10 seconds off of the pace of the fastest cars out there. Clearly they either weren’t pushing the car or the team weren’t the hottest shoes out there.
But this all begs the question… how much would you have paid for the MINI above. All mechanicals work but with a salvage title and a body more warped than the mind of military dictator, it’s not exactly pretty.
(image courtesy of Jalopnik).
Nov 9th, 2009
It’s just after 4 am and we’re is just entering the 16th hour of a 24 hour endurance race. I’m behind the wheel of an ’86 Toyota MR2 that we found in a barn (laden with mice nests and five years of dust) going 105 MPH on an impossibly bumpy and dangerous back stretch. To the right of me are the smoldering fires and 24 hour party of the infield. To the left of me is a ravine, the remnants of what once was a legitimate tire wall and an approaching bank of fog. This is the 24 Hours of LeMons.
All it takes to get to this moment is a $500 car (about triple that invested in safety equipment), a group of friends and just a touch of insanity. Our car came to us how you’d expect; Craigslist. Five years ago the owner brought in the (then only 18 y/o) MR2 to get its windshield replaced. However once the job was done he was nowhere to be found. Its history gets a little hazy after that but suffice to say we found the mouse infested crap can (with a shiny new windshield) where it had been sitting in a barn for the last five years.
continued →
Nov 8th, 2009
Official Release: The continued popularity of the MINI and the variety of different models available ensured that sales volumes were up 11.1% for the premium compact car brand (19,323 deliveries/prev.yr. 17,386). The MINI Convertible again performed extremely well and, with 2,172 sales worldwide, made the biggest gains (+336.1%). Many more customers than last year opted for the Hatch and Clubman versions of the MINI One this October, with a total of 3,974 units sold (prev.yr. 2079 / +91.1%). continued →
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