May 14th, 2013

Australian motoring site and friends of MotoringFile, Ausmotive.com, are reporting this morning that MOTOR Magazine has named the second generation JCW GP as the latest winner of their “Bang for your bucks” award. One judge called the GP the “best MINI I’ve ever driven, especially on a track.” We couldn’t agree more.
Head over to Ausmotive.com for their full take and some down under GP photos. You can also catch the full MINI Australia press release after the jump.
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May 12th, 2013

When MINI debuted the latest GP, a big part of the story was how much faster the new R56-based JCW GP is than the R53 JCW GP. Yet the GP isn’t the only MINI to have been ’round the ‘Ring. For example, here’s some R56 action. continued →
Apr 12th, 2013

Today we’ve got an unlikely pairing from AutoCar.co.uk between the new MINI Paceman JCW and the BMW 135i. While the Paceman JCW is the more sporting than its Cooper and Cooper S siblings, it’s still a no-brainer that the M135i has it beat in the performance category. So why compare the two? Simple. Because they cost about the same.
The video is a pretty scathing indictment of the Paceman’s price point. Something is out of whack. Either the Paceman really is priced well out of reality, or the BMW is the bargain of a generation. Check out the video after the jump and tell us what you think.
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Mar 4th, 2013

The MINI Connected system is old news to MINI fans and MotoringFile readers, but for the tech world at large, people are just starting to realize what MINI is up to in this regard. Criticism abound, like they do for any tech system, but at its foundation MINI Connected is a particularly innovative system in the automotive infotainment world. Specifically, that it’s scalable and extensible with new apps and updates delivered right through your iPhone. Has MINI gotten every detail right? Of course not, but the fact that the system can be updated in a matter of months, rather than years, is a huge leap forward in automotive tech.
Online tech magazine Engadget was on hand for the Paceman launch a few weeks ago, but in their review they chose to focus on the technological aspects of MINI’s new two door:
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Feb 20th, 2013

This from the UK, Autocar has had a bit of fun pitting the new MINI JCW GP against a bonkers little kit Mini made out of racing bits and half a motorcycle. While one could hardly consider this a legitimate “comparison” it is a fun contrast between the two extremes of a track-only Mini mongrel and MINI’s self-described halo car. Video after the jump.
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Jan 22nd, 2013

MINI USA has snuck the new Paceman into the Configurator, but you have to know where to look. Details after the break.
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Jan 7th, 2013

We’ve all gotten a parking ticket before. Chances are though, when the local parking enforcement officer ticketed your MINI, it wasn’t attached to the side of a building. It’s also very likely that your MINI is a real car, and not a lightweight fiberglass dummy car that’s part of MINI’s current “Not Normal” campaign. continued →