R52: 2005 – 2008 Convertible
R53 MINI parts are becoming scarce. It had to happen sooner or later. It’s been 9 years since the last supercharged MINI rolled off the lot and a full 17 years since...
For so many years MotoringFile has focused on whats new and recently released. However with the price of 2002 MINIs now well below $10k there are great used MINI deals to be...
Do you own a ’02 – ’05 MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S or MINI Cooper Convertible in the US? Have you had to replace your power steering pump at your cost? Did...
Tuesday the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into potential power steering problems of the 2004-2005 MINI. The site lists this as involving MINI “Coopers” but we believe this...
BMW has a history of producing enormous amounts of parts and sitting them on shelves for many years. However when it comes to accessories long-term availability is something less than a certain...
Ah the CVT. The answer to all of our problems. Its step-less shifting was to be both good for performance and economy while giving you a wafting cloud like experience. That is...
Let’s say you missed the boat on ordering park distance control or bought your R50/R52/R53 MINI without it used and suddenly realize it’s a must have. While it can be retro-fitted, it’s...
We’re reposting this Ask MF originally from last year due to a number of similar questions we’ve gotten over the last few weeks. This week’s “Ask MotoringFile” comes from Dave M and...
A very interesting story over at BBC sent into us recently concerning Power Steering issues on R50/R53 MINIs. >BMW’s customer service told Heather this wasn’t a common fault, which is surprising because...
A sad ending to a great car. Here’s what happened courtesy of AUSmotive.com: >Ever wondered what happens if you drive your car over a mattress and just keep on driving? Well, wonder...
You might remember the comparison by Car and Driver we posted a few months ago pitting the Cadillac Escalade against the MINI Cooper. It would appear that Cadillac is now doing the...
If you have 18″ OEM MINI wheels on your car put on by the dealer, odds are you have the steering stop installed on your car. The reason? Apparently under extreme circumstances...
Official MINI Release: Style icon, global player, “value master” and now already a classic. Now that around 164,000 units have been produced, the MINI Convertible of the current generation has reached the...
The R50/R52/R53 era is just a few weeks away from being officially over. The current MINI convertible (last of the R5x architecture) will be ending production in late June. That means ordering...
After posting the R56 instructions yesterday, it occurred to us that we had never officially offered the first generation MINI’s grille badge instructions on the site. So if you have an R50,...
