Section: In the Press
Dec 3rd, 2008
Sandy Sansing, owner of Sandy Sansing Dealerships, has announced the addition of a MINI dealership to his automotive product line-up during a news conference last week.
There are about 1,500 MINI Coopers registered in the Pensacola area, but the nearest dealerships are in Jacksonville and Baton Rouge, La., said Peter Suomala, BMW marketing manager for North America.
“There’s an indication that there are people here who might consider a MINI but don’t want to buy one because there’s no servicing nearby,” Suomala said.
Sansing said ground will be broken within the next month on the 5,000-square-foot MINI dealership, which will be next to the BMW building at 186 W. Airport Blvd.
continued →
Nov 6th, 2008
Perhaps a few of you, and from what I understand a very select few, received this in your inbox.
As part of a new pilot program that will put folks interested in buying a MINI in touch with folks who already own one, we’re looking to build a team of volunteer MINI Owner Ambassadors.
Ultimately, the idea here is to help give people access to a completely honest, unfiltered view into what owning a MINI is like. And hopefully, the chance for you to share your unique insights and knowledge of motoring is something you think would be fun.
continued →
Advertisement
Oct 27th, 2008
Ok we’re being dramatic. But really Motive seemed to try throw down the gauntlet against the new JCW. The results? We don’t want to ruin it for you but it’s a great read for MINI fans. Here’s an excerpt:
The key to the Mini’s lively personality is its ability to do more with less. The retuned Cooper S 1.6-liter under the hood makes an extra 36 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque, but at 208 and 192, respectively, those are easily the lowest figures among these cars. Yet look at the track results, and you’ll see that the Mini hit the highest top speed and recorded the second-fastest lap of the day. Much of that is due to the JCW’s huge weight advantage, but it’s also the confident brakes that don’t mind being squeezed hard and late. continued →
Sep 15th, 2008
Buyer beware. From ABC news, a story about a MINI that was damaged during Katrina, ended up in Kansas City then sold to an unsuspecting buyer in South America.
Sight unseen, Vargas bought the car over the Internet through a dealer in Bolivia for $7,000. He then spent $5,000 shipping the car of his dreams to Los Angeles, down the Pacific Coast to Chile, and over the Andes Mountains to Cochabamba, Bolivia.
continued →
Advertisement
Sep 11th, 2008
This from our friends down under at Ausmotive.com. We’ve The Australian MINI Challenge might be in trouble a short while ago. That would appear to be no longer the case.
Good news from the world of the Australian MINI CHALLENGE today with confirmation of a new management team securing the future of the series. Toleman Motorsport has been given the seal of approval from MINI Australia and CAMS to act as Category Management Agency for the rest of the year. continued →
Sep 6th, 2008
This from Edmunds Inside Line.
The federal government is looking into complaints from some consumers that they have received leg burns from contact with the exhaust pipe in the 2007-’08 Mini Cooper S. The engineering analysis, which is sometimes a precursor to a safety recall, involves up to 20,000 vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Here’s an excerpt from the complaint report on the NHTSA website:
The office of defects investivation (ODI) opened this investigation based on three consumer complaints on the 2007 model year MINI COOPER S. The complaints reported being burned on their legs by the hot exhaust pipe tip while they were removing cargo items from the rear hatch area of the their vehicles.
No injuries and no recall has been announced yet. Something to keep an eye on. And be careful loading and unloading the boot after you have been driving. Those pipes do get very hot!
[ Feds Look into Complaints of Exhaust Pipe Burns from Mini Cooper S ] Edmunds Inside Line
Advertisement
Sep 5th, 2008
UK weekly magazine Autoexpress has named the newly released JCW MINI, the best”Hot Hatch” of 2008. Here’s an excerpt from this week’s magazine:
Not only is it one of the quickest cars in its class, it’s also one of the most environmentally friendly thanks to BMW’s EfficientDynamics stop-start and regenerative braking technology. But the JCW’s real forte is entertainment, and where the car scores points over its rivals is with its ability to put a smile on your face on every drive. continued →
Sep 3rd, 2008
With everyone wanting to be green these days, it is pretty nice to see an auto dealer step up to do their part. Even better when it’s a MINI Dealer!
Bill Jacobs BMW/MINI is a little more than a week away from breaking ground on a brand new facility slated to open in the Fall of 2009 in Naperville, IL.
As Bill Jacobs BMW/MINI began planning for their new dealership, they decided to start moving in the right direction—continuing to grow as an organization while developing a more eco-friendly retail facility. On September 12th, the company will break ground on a new state-of-the-art BMW/MINI dealership in Naperville, IL. Slated to open in Fall 2009, the facility will take advantage of water, recycling and ventilation technologies to make the dealership more environmentally stable.
continued →
Advertisement
Aug 31st, 2008
Our good friend Liam at AUSmotive had a chance to drive the new JCW MINI on Australian soil and came away rather impressed. Here’s an excerpt:
Engine and transmission are very well matched and, for a car with so few kilometres on it, its willingness to work high in the rev range—a previous MINI strength—was a delight. And the torque! Usually with a 1.6 litre engine you would think the only way to make sure desired progress was not impeded would be through precise gear changes. However, the torque in the John Cooper Works makes the car virtually foolproof. Corners I would take in my supercharged Cooper S in second gear, for example, could be taken in third in the JCW, or even fourth at a pinch. continued →
Aug 26th, 2008
This from the MF inbox this week. It sounds like the current series will finish and MINI Australia is going to try to keep it going after that.
The future of the Australian MINI Challenge series has been thrown into doubt with the management company of the series being placed into liquidation halfway through the racing season.
CAMS, the governing body of Australian Motorsport, has received formal advice that Sherrin Motorsport, the category manager for the Porsche Carrera Cup and MINI Challenge, has gone into liquidation.
A recent check shows Sherrin’s website has been pulled from internet access.
A statement from CAMS Senior Manager Corporate Services and Acting CEO Sandra Lordanic quotes;
“CAMS is committed to working with the various stakeholders to help minimise the impact of this situation on teams and competitors, and achieve a smooth transition for the remainder of the 2008 season and through 2009.” continued →
Aug 24th, 2008
Expect to see a rush of more factory JCW reviews as the car begins to hit the streets of North America and Europe in the coming weeks. Here is a more favorable review of the factory JCW MINI coming from our friends north of the border at Driving.Ca.
Some notable excerpts:
“This feeling of performing beyond its dimensions, engine size and heft is endemic to this the sportiest of Minis. Immediately after picking it up, I found myself cruising at 160 km/h, so quiet was the cabin and stable the ride. Considering the penalty for such flagrant flouting of Ontario’s speed limits, I, again, hoped that the JCW’s speedometer was indeed optimistic.” continued →
Aug 18th, 2008
The UK Press Associate has named the main car chase in the original Italian Job as the best ever.
In a survey of more than 3,000 people at cinema website www.pearlanddean.com, The Italian Job was named as having the best car chase of all time with a massive 25% of the vote. continued →
Aug 16th, 2008
MINIUSA Press Release
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - August 15, 2008… After multiple rounds of testing and nail biting qualifying runs for PINKS ALL OUT at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, July 25th - 26th, the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S drag racer, custom built by ABF Performance, emerged a crowd favorite and newly appointed giant killer. Piloted by Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI USA’s Product Manager, the little “MINI That Could” took down car after car with multiple 10-second passes and trap speeds exceeding 135mph.
Officially the “World’s Quickest and Fastest MINI”, this Cooper S Hardtop has clocked a record-setting 10.48 elapsed time at 135.16 MPH, but not before sending home a Big-Block-equipped Camaro with a blistering start from PINKS ALL OUT host Rich Christensen’s “Arm Drop.” This incredible performance resulted from the collaboration between ABF Performance, MINI USA and MINI Financial Services. With its custom carbon-fiber bodywork and distinctive “Get Your Hands on a MINI” graphics (which shows two hands trying to grab the 1,750-pound race car) there is certainly no mistaking this MINI for any other car on the racetrack. Getting the miracle MINI into 9-second zone is just a few suspension tweaks away.
continued →
Aug 15th, 2008
Hamann has released tuning and bodykits for the R55/R56 Cooper S and Cooper D. It’s not a huge departure from their previous kits but they’re worth checking out.
+ Tuner Special: Hamann Mini Cooper / Inside the Line
Aug 15th, 2008
Andrew Frankel from the London Times took the factory R56 JCW car on a first drive recently and was not very keen about this latest hot entry from Oxford:
“This could just be one of the most exciting cars to hit the road since . . . well, since the original Mini Cooper handbrake-turned onto the scene. Sadly, though, the reality is anything but. Instead of being the best sporting Mini ever created, it is the least appealing I’ve driven.” continued →
Browse Pages:
Next Page »
