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Avenue of the Giants Weekend Run - Sat. March 23, 2024

Saturday will be a very full day of cruising from Novato up through the Avenue of the Giants and ending at Eel River Brewing in Fortuna. Sun...

Vinnie Kung Does Some Explaining

MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie Kung answered selected MotoringFile readers' questions about the future of MINI and MINI products. Kung discusses the changes in 2011, the so-called "MINI refresh"; option availability for, 2011 changes in, and the future of, the JCW; why MINI's fabric seats lack lumbar support; the reason for elimination of the tilt/slide/memory from the front passenger seat; the addition of new oil feed line heat shields on the turbo engines and new timing chain tensioners; MINI color choices; whether the JCW will ever come with an automatic transmission; further future differentiation of the JCW from the MCS; the possibilities for an all wheel drive JCW; seating for the Countryman; the potential for WRC-inspired parts and versions; headroom in the Coupe and when it can be expected to debut; the lack of one touch up for the Convertible roof; the future for diesel MINIs in the US; the addition of Start/Stop technology; and MINI's view of the new Fiat 500.