Apr 23rd, 2011
With city traffic more congested than ever, MINI is offering up a solution to urban parking overcrowding: the MINI Folding Bike. Rather than cram a whole roll of quarters into that parking meter for 15 minutes, park further out and finish your trip on a bicycle. Not just any bicycle, but a rather clever little number that folds up small enough to fit in the boot of your MINI. More after the break. continued →
Jan 28th, 2011
MINI is officially taking the wraps off of its after-sales accessories with a range of appearance and performance options. We’re going to go through every single one of them in detail with part numbers and prices. But first lets talk about JCW. (Full list and PDF after the break) continued →
Oct 27th, 2010
Readers of MotoringFile and listeners to White Roof Radio may remember that a few months back MINI extended an invitation to this community to come up with product ideas for the Countryman’s innovative center rail. The winner, as you may recall, was an ingenious idea bringing LEGOs into the back seat. The brains behind that little slice of genius received an autographed book about MINI design. What you may not have realized is that the contest that ran here on MF and on WRR was actually part of a larger international accessory competition. The prizes included a trip to the Paris Motor Show, and a pair of Apple MacBook Pro laptops. Those ideas were also rendered as prototypes and displayed at the Paris Motor Show itself. continued →
Oct 21st, 2010
Looking to do some early holiday shopping for your favorite MINI fan? Well look no further than the latest fun stuff from the MINI Lifestyle Collection. Items include an iPhone-integrated internet radio, new pieces of travel luggage and even one of those funky jet-style helmets from the MINI Scooter E launch. We’ve included the official PDF, but you can see even more over at www.mini.com/shop. You can order online or even find these items at selected MINI dealers. (Full PDF after the break) continued →
Sep 6th, 2010
Last week we asked you to give us your questions to MINI USA Product manager Vinnie Kung. This week we have your answers. First a big thanks to Vinnie who’s been quite busy driving in the 24 Hours of Lemons recently. Oh and then there’s the little task of getting the entire refreshed MINI model line-up (not to mention the new Countryman) ready for the 2011 model year. So with all that said, let’s jump right in to it.
MotoringFile: Vinnie, great to see you again. Let’s get straight to the most important question. How was the 24 Hours of Lemons?
Vinnie: Oh, you mean the coolest race ever to happen? Yeah, things went great, thanks. I only hit the guardrail once with our D-Day themed Impala. We came in 32nd, but who cares when you’re having fun.
MF: Ok, not that that’s out of the way, we’ve got a few questions about a little thing called the 2011 MINI refresh. For starters we’ve had a ton of people wanting to know about MINI Connected’s availability.
Vinnie: MINI Connected has been one of the most fascinating projects. But like any technology offer, there are challenges when it’s time to get things onto the streets. As of now, it looks like December production is when we will see it.
Engineering suspensions, engines and other cool mechanical technologies takes about 54 to 60 months to develop. When it comes to electronics, we have only a fraction of the time in order for it to be relevant in the market. I can design a control arm today and it will work for a real long time. But a new app? I have only a few months. I mean, would you want a Friendster App in 2011? I didn’t think so. So, sometimes extra time is all we need to finalize it. I’ve tried the latest version and it’s awesome. continued →
Aug 26th, 2010
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Official Release: Whether embarking on a business trip or heading off on holiday, every frequent traveller needs a reliable companion by their side. So luckily MINI cars give people on the move all the support they need. The new MINI Countryman crossover model sees the cult car maker once again displaying its expertise in all things mobility-related. And the central theme of the Creative Use of Space also lies at the heart of the practical luggage solutions available from the MINI Lifestyle Collection. The items in the Collection are designed to meet the full range of travel requirements. Functionality and stylishness are guaranteed, in customary MINI fashion.
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Jul 14th, 2010
The stock MINI out of the box has a remarkable stiff chassis. But, that’s not going to stop aftermarket accessory makers from trying to make an even more rigid car. That’s where M7 Tuning has worked their magic. Gabe previously reviewed the understrut system by M7 here on MF, and so this is my review of their rear chassis brace.
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