Nov 11th, 2011
After years of US MINI fans asking for them, MINI USA has finally made the business case work and will be bringing a Recaro seat option to the US. The seats will be available on the R55 Clubman, R56 Hatch, R58 Coupe and R59 Roadster (i.e. not the Countryman or Convertible). The seats will come only in one configuration; heated finished in black Dinamica and Leather.
Now let’s talk pricing. (more pics after the break) continued →
Nov 9th, 2011
With the release of the Coupe and the introduction of the Roadster, it’s a great time to step back and look at the MINI family. And with that, we can’t help but wonder which we’d have if given the chance. While we love the Countryman All4 in our driveway, a Coupe or even a roadster would look great in the MF garage. Then there’s the incredible utility of the Clubman or even the classic hatch. But enough about what we think. What’s your favorite MINI of the moment?
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Gallery after the break. continued →
Nov 5th, 2011
When MINI released the R56 JCW we all groaned at the lack of visual differentiation. And while MINI has eventually fixed that issue with the 2012 models, there are still three years of JCW out there that, for all intents and purposes, don’t look any different than a Cooper S. This is particularly an issue when trying to find one used. I recently had a senior editor of a very large automotive website ask me for help in the JCW quest and I was blown away at how hard the process had become. I told him not to give up because the JCW was definitely the one you’ll want. But it takes patience and just the right amount of arcane MINI knowledge to find a real JCW.
As enthusiasts know, it’s not always easy to look for used cars on the web due to misleading descriptions. Often I leave it up to the photos to tell me the real story about the car. When it comes to the JCW, even that can be tricky. So what’s the secret? continued →
Nov 3rd, 2011
First it was the hatch. Then the convertible. Fast-forward ten years and we have what you see above; an entire family of MINI options. With the launch of the last R56 variant MINI thought it was appropriate to get them all together for one big family photo. We can’t blame them. But we also thought it was time to celebrate just a bit. So we’re offering you an ultra hi-res version of the photo above as the ultimate MINI desktop wallpaper. Now the real question: which is your favorite MINI?
Check it out (along with more photos) after the break continued →
Sep 9th, 2011
Yahoo! Autos has a story today featuring what vehicles car thieves tend to leave alone. Among the least popular boosted rides is the MINI Cooper Clubman. Not only is the instance of theft low, the reported average insurance claim payout is considerably lower than the rest of the list. This isn’t too surprising. Given all the electronics in the MINI’s ignition systems, you pretty much can’t steal a MINI without the keys or a tow truck. So rest assured, your Clubman is unlikely to go anywhere without you.
Good catch, db!
Jul 18th, 2011
MINI Yours is introducing two exclusive colors for 2012 that will be available on all MINIs coming out of the Oxford Plant. MINI Yours (MIIN’s high-end line of factory options and dealer accessories) will be available a la carte with one caveat, that you order the MINI Yours side Scuttle. By ordering that one part you unlock the entire MINI Yours catalogue of exclusive options. And of course three of those options are two different exterior paints. See the rundown after the break. continued →
Jul 14th, 2011
The model year 2012 is here and MINI USA has a number of changes and refinements that are well worth noting for anyone looking at buying a MINI. Ok it’s actually more exciting than that. Let me start over. The 2012 MINI is simply the best R55 R56 or R57 produced to date. Why? The changes have either been years in the making (JCW additions) or carefully crafted additions based on your feedback. Let’s take a look at the details including options, packages, MINI Yours and JCW (after the break). continued →
