Winding Road Reviews the 2007 MCS

Online automotive magazine Winding Road has put together a great review of the R56.
>Drivetrain aside, our chief fear with the new Mini was that the inclusion of electronic power steering and standar-fit 16-inch run-flats would conspire to create numb steering feel. Perhaps it’s because this Mini was designed with the hard sidewalls of the latter in mind, or because the tire industry is serveral generations in on the technology, but both steering feel and ride are genuinely on-par with the outgoing model (which itself set a pretty high bar). As before, the Mini can be confidently placed, absolute grip levels are excellent, and when the rear end eventually packs it in, it does so in credibly progressive fashion. A limited-slip differential is promised, though no such testers were on hand to sample.
>Natuarally, Mini has not ignored the car’s interior, giving it a thorough going-over as well. Meaningful changes include a new instrument panel and door cards, along with redesigned seats that address what was once a literal sore-spot. Higher quality materials are evident throughout, and the fittings have lost little of their charm, though some might still argue that the interior is overdesigned.
This is the best review I have seen so far, and it even includes a great video of the R56 in Spain during their review drive.
Winding Road is unique in it’s delivery system. Only available online, not in print, has given them the ability to offer it free of charge. All you have to do is provide an email address so they can tell you when the next print-ready issue is ready for download. For this review alone it is definitely worth subscribing.
Keen Motoringfile readers might notice something familiar about the sites as well.
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24 Comments
It is a nice review and magazine. The video is from BMW footage and is mainly helpful in seeing the car in everyday motion or the wonderful scenery in Spain. A small motorbike with 2 up passes the MINI in one shot, so if you want 0-60 runs you may be disappointed.
That IS a nifty format….count me in as the newest subscriber.
What a cool review…loads of artsy pictures, a reasonably entertaining video (using an ancient fountain as a skidpad is hilarious), and not written by idiots.
I hope their estimate of 28/35 mpg is correct…
I like their parting words.
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
WR is a great digital magazine! You can tell they put a lot of thought into this format as it shows in the ease of readablility of each page.
Great layout, photography and art direction, too.
>The video is from BMW footage and is mainly helpful in seeing the car in everyday motion or the wonderful scenery in Spain.
Actually I’m pretty sure some of that is WR footage – not all BMW’s (despite some of the stylistic similarities). Regardless WR does some pretty cool videos of their press trips. One of my favorites is the 335i video they did where it hailed during the test.
Yet another great way that this magazine is set apart from the also-rans in automotive news.
I have to say, I am TOTALLY impressed with this magazine, and the unique and creative format! I am psyched to be a subscriber!
Oh, and the MINI review is awesome too! 🙂
RM2k5
So which one of you MFers (that’s MotoringFilers, of course) is working with Winding Road?
the Editor in Chief of WR is David E. Davis, Jr. He used to write for and edit and publish car and driver. he also penned my favorite review of my other favorite car, the BMW 2002.
<blockquote>Actually I’m pretty sure that is WR footage – not BMW’s (despite some of the stylistic similarities).</blockquote>The credits at the end say footage was provided by BMW.
Winding Road is a great magazine, not only in the content for car enthusiasts but it is also a very successful translation of print magazine into computer format.
Yes, I was going by the credits at the end. It’s seems similar in tone to the initial R56 videos of the cars driving in the UK, I thought.
Gabe,
I have heard mny times that the R56 MSC Scoop is fake ! is this true ?
if so, where does the intercoller gets its outside ventilation ? did they move the radiator and use the front grid ?
“Interestingly, when pressed, officials admitted that the new chassis will accomodate all-wheel drive…”
The paragraph containing this quote was confusing. Does “new chassis” refer to the R56 or the Clubman/Traveller? Gabe?
Whoa, at the end of the WR article they list the Cooper S weight as 2491 lbs. Is that accurate?
>The paragraph containing this quote was confusing. Does “new chassis†refer to the R56 or the Clubman/Traveller? Gabe?
New chassis refers to any next generation MINI platform. There are a ton of articles on MF about AWD and one coming up next Monday that should be helpful as well 😉
>Whoa, at the end of the WR article they list the Cooper S weight as 2491 lbs. Is that accurate?
All you ever wanted to know about that question was asked and asnwered <a href="http://motoringfile.com/2006/08/14/official-2007-mini-specifications/" rel="nofollow">here</a>
>I have heard mny times that the R56 MSC Scoop is fake ! is this true ?
I hate to keep saying this with every question but yes… as we’ve reported many many times… it is fake for the standard MCS.
Wait, wait, there’s a NEW Mini? 🙂
Gabe,
With my question on the Scoop, my main intrigue is where is the intercooler air intake ?
Sam,
Yes its only cosmetic. But its still a nice scoop.
>With my question on the Scoop, my main intrigue is where is the intercooler air intake ?
Down below.
Just a random comment. . .
Why is it that every single photo I have seen of the new MCS is blue?
I’d sure like to see it in some other colors . . .
Because blue is the best color out there! Silly rabbit…
Since we don’t get a flat BRG, it would be nice to see the Sparkling Silver.
So, I DL’d the PDF version and the URL that appeared was ebay.windingroad.com. Is this an official affiliation, i.e. it’s why it’s free (thinking eBay Motors). I see there’s an eBay Motors credit on the masthead.
A Whois lookup doesn’t show the eBay connection.
Winding Road prevents any printouts of its pages now! This was not the case in earlier issues. Too bad as I’d like to add it to my collection…
Anyone know of a workaround to print it out?
Weird…I was able to print the first page of the R56 Story. It did throw an error if I tried to print the whole thing though.