Oil prices are again on the rise. Gas prices are following suit.

As MINI owners, we are already doing our part to help. Some of us more than others. We get better fuel economy than many other cars on the road. We take up less space. We burn clean to keep the Air Quality Control People happy. A good chunk of us even use public transportation when we can!

We know that MINI has a hot new Diesel, that won’t be coming to the US, no matter how much we ask. Of course, it doesn’t help to know that they might get it in Canada.

So, where does that leave you, the MINI owner wanting to go a little bit greener and still keep it MINI?

You could always sell your ’02 – ’06 R50/R53 and move into an R56. The MC and MCS get better mileage and are both cleaner burning compared to their R50/R53 counterparts, even without the cool technology we won’t be geting in the US. Or, you could contact Hybrid Technologies and have them build you a Hybrid MINI. It will only set you back about US$59K. There is Calstart.org too, which is a great resource for alternative fuel conversions. Of course, none of these are from-the-factory-with-warranty options.

I know that there are more than a few of you out there that feel quite strongly about this after reading comments in a few posts. So, lets put it to you.

What would you like to see to keep it green and, of course, keep it MINI?