May 22nd, 2012
After ten months behind the wheel of our long-term Countryman tester, we’re here to tell you what we would have done differently. Perhaps more importantly, how you should spec your own Countryman if the time comes.
With 12,000 miles under its belt, we’re starting to wonder what the Countryman All4 can’t do. Sure there are those who loathe the idea of a four door MINI. We say get over it. The car is here and selling in significant numbers. We should all be happy it’s actually a good car in the grand scheme of small, four door crossovers. The Countryman brings the MINI brand to the masses. No it’s not an R56 or R53, but it’s certainly the most interesting thing to ever hit the small crossover market. It’s the lightest, most nimble car in its class while (in our experience) being exceptionally well built. continued →
Mar 22nd, 2012
This story comes to us from WhiteRoofRadio host and Detroit Tuned founder, Chad Miller.
The automotive aftermarket has a lot of great parts to offer. That said, not all replacement parts for your MINI are created equal. When your looking to repair or maintain your MINI, don’t just look at the price and go for the cheapest option. Many parts on the market are not made to the same high standards as what comes in your car from the factory. These substandard parts can actually cause damage over time. For example: oil filters. continued →
Mar 12th, 2012
When the Countryman was first announced, pretty much everyone on MF hoped the earth would crack open and swallow it whole the moment it arrived. A MINI “SUV” needed to be sent back to whatever vile hell it came from. But a funny thing happened as we got to know the four door MINI: we started to like it. When I say we, naturally that’s a few of us at MF (not all), and some of you. So while opinions are still split on the largest MINI ever made, sales have been going quite well. The R60 now accounts for a third of all MINI sales this year worldwide.
That left us with questions. To better understand this car that’s created so much debate, we thought a long term review was in order. So did MINI USA, and we ordered our Countryman Cooper S All4 in the spring of 2011 for a mid-summer delivery. 10,000 miles later we have some answers. continued →
Feb 20th, 2012
Last week we asked you to help us design and spec MotoringFile’s new MINI Roadster. And after 12 hours and over a thousand votes were cast and counted we have a definitive winner. The Angry Midnight Black JCW that we created won with over 500 votes cast for a total of 47% of the vote. So why was this particular design so popular? And what makes it special? Let’s take a closer look at the car, the options and the results. continued →
Feb 15th, 2012
(This poll is now closed. Look for more info soon).
You may have noticed in our recent review of the MINI Roadster that we were completely smitten. For the first time ever MINI has created an open top car that combines open-top motoring with and similar performance to the hard top MINI. It’s a thoroughly intoxicating mix of back to basics motoring combined with modern design and performance that left us wanting more. Or more specifically wanting a roadster in our garage. So we figured what better car for our next long-term MINI than a new 2012 Roadster?
All we had to do was convince MINI USA. To do that we simply told them how much fun our readers would have in helping us design and build it. They said sure – as long as we could give them a full spec by end of day… today (February 15th). continued →
Feb 13th, 2012
As recently discussed over at our sister site BimmerFile, there are few guilty pleasures that rival driving a winter-tire equipped rear wheel drive car in snow. It’s the definition of easy hooning and a fun way to play drift champ without sacrificing tires. Yet the front wheel drive MINI gives you a very different experience. It can be a solid car in the snow as it’s light weight and quick steering ratio make it potentially very entertaining in experienced hands. Yet it’s never had the tail-out fun of a classic rear wheel drive car.
Enter the Countryman All4.
continued →
Jan 26th, 2012
Recently my wife and I left the Twin Cities for the fine city of Chicago. Involved in that move was packing up my R53 and my wife’s Honda CRV with all the things that weren’t going with the movers. Seats folded down, we all know how spacious the MINI can be. Even laden down with our TV and other miscellanea, the car was still fun to drive. The 400 mile trip passed easily in my R53, but sadly, it would be nearly a month before I got behind the wheel of my favorite car again. continued →
