May 4th, 2013
It’s all theoretical of course but when asked about BMW’s new 1.5L three cylinder architecture the head of BMW M was unusually candid about the possibilities. According to an interview Dr. Friedrich Nitschke gave to Car and Driver the new engine is capable of more than we initially thought. Quite a bit more. continued →
May 3rd, 2013
Since the release of the 2nd generation JCW GP we’ve been debating how it compares to the original. And while we’ve found that the new GP runs rings around the first generation on the road and track, the jury is still out on which actually looks better. So we wanted to take another look at both with back to back photos comparing details of both cars. Which one wins out? Lets hear it in the comments. 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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Apr 9th, 2013
MINI Product Manager Pat McKenna took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with us about a couple of the more debated topics on MF recently. First up the GP. More specifically what’s up with the waiver GP owners are having to sign? Then we talk GP sales and value for money.
MotoringFile interview: Patrick McKenna
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Mar 14th, 2013
Matt Prior and the team over at Autocar have whipped up a doozy of a JCW GP Review. Covering design, interior, performance, ride, costs and other criteria, it’s eight web pages full of GP scrutiny. The context: how would the new GP stack up against the old one?
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Mar 6th, 2013
Unlike the first GP MINI hasn’t gone to the same lengths in keeping non-owners from finding and buying the unique components of the car. This means that any one who owns a R5X MINI has some opportunity to customize their car with some of the relatively rare parts found on the fastest MINI ever made.
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Mar 5th, 2013
When MINI released the first GP any part associated with it could only be bought if you had an actual GP VIN. It was assumed this would be the case with new GP as well. But surprisingly longtime reader Karl Muller did some digging and was able to order perhaps the more interesting of all parts on the new GP – the rear diffuser. And perhaps most surprising it was not only easy but relatively cheap and simple to install.
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