MINI Meet North 2011 To Be At Mosport Near Toronto, ON

[Photo Credit: joltfreak @ NorthAmericanMotoring.com]

MINI Meet North is the featured event at the 32nd Annual VARAC International Vintage Racing Festival June 17 - 19, 2011 at the Historic Mosport International Raceway. Pre-registration and T-shirts are now available at the MINI Meet North 2011 website.

Where Did He Think He Was Going?

Rule No. 1 - Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Rule No. 2 - If you are going to attempt an escape this is not how you do it.

Check out this arrested burglary suspect as he tries to regain his freedom. Obviously, you must be an idiot to commit the crime or attempt this escape. Needless to say he was re-arrested and taken directly to the hospital.




[Source: YouTube via Washington Post/AP via Jalopnik]

Sidemarker Crazy

OutMotoring now has a wide selection of side markers to mod your MINI!

[Source: OutMotoring @ NorthAmericanMotoring.com]

Caution! Obese People Crossing?

[Source: via English Russia]

Haynes Releases Wallace and Gromit Manual

According to Hemmings Blog Haynes, know for its technical automotive repair manuals, has released the Wallace and Gromit Cracking Contraptions Manual: “From the Techo Trousers to the Knit-O-Matic!” All of the Wallace and Gromit contraptions can be seen on video at YouTube. Of special interest is the Austin A35 Van.

DIY Guide To Magnaflow Exhaust Install On 2010 Clubman S

OctaneGuy @ NorthAmericanMotoring.com has posted a step by step DIY FOR the installation of a Magnaflow exhaust on a 2010 MINI Clubman S.  Hear what it sounds like on the Magnaflow website.

Hail Can Really Be Hell

Under attack somewhere in the Midwest.




[Source: via Gawker.TV]

Mods? What Mods?

AC Schnitzer has produced a modded MINI Countryman. However, we are having a hard time seeing what customizations were made since they are so subtle. Can you pick them out?

[Source: via Automobilesreview]

Have A Nice Car? Own A Dog?

Ridelust has published this guide to dog-proofing your car.

Woof!

Would You Stop And Help This Stranded Motorist?

[Source: That Will Buff Out]

Shopping Cart Racing - The Sport Of The Mentally Ill

No brakes, helmet, leathers, gloves or pads. This guy IS NUTS -




[Source: YouTube via Just a Car Guy]

Thais Design 23 Mini MINIs

The MINI Thailand Design Celebration allowed 23 designers and brands to interpret theMINI in the form of a 1:3 scale fiberglass model. You can all of the MINI artwork at MINI Space.

WatchMojo Reviews The 2011 MINI Cooper Clubman

[Source: via Metacafe]

Sure, We'll Pay That Ticket

Not!

[Source: AsianMartin via Jalopnik]

MINI Never The Same Drill

Check out this clever video spot for MINI's Accessories Division produced by Ian Bearce and filmed and directed by William Clark, Brian Slater, Bruce Bildsten, and Ned Sundby-Munson.




[Source: Vimeo via MotoringFile]

Ever Feel Like Calling It In?

[Source: That Will Buff Out]

All The MINI Countryman Goodies

MINI has released this pdf file that details all of the after-sale accessories available for the Countryman as of January 2011. We especially like many of the JCW touches.

[Source: via MotoringFile]

Next Year May Bring A MINI Countryman WRC Edition

A rumor is swirling that MINI will release a WRC Edition of the MINI Countryman sometime next year and that it will be an all wheel drive "wide body" and sport nearly 330 horsepower. Sounds good to us!

[Sources: Ausmotive.com/MotoringFile]

Subaru Goes To The Dogs

. . . and they can drive!






[Source: via Ridelust]

MINI Countryman To Go On Sale In China In February

autoevolution writes that MINI will debut the Countryman in China this February. You had better save your Yuan if you want to buy one there. In China they will start at the equivalent of about $53,000 US Dollars, which is about twice the price of the vehicle in the US.

Taking The Bus To School In Nicaragua

Man, when I went to school we had to swim up the rapids to get there. These students have it so easy:




[Source: YouTube via DUBDaily]

New MINI Stuffing Record

The Pilobolus Dance Company set a new world record by cramming 26 people into a standard MINI Cooper without the rear seats folded down. Check it out:




[Source: via MotoringFile]

Bay Area Get Ready For $4 Per Gallon Gas

[Graphic Credit: The Truth About Cars]

The Contra Costa Times reports that, due to an extended seven week closure of the Valero refinery in Benicia, the shut down of some units of the the Shell Oil refinery in Martinez during the first six months of 2011, and a scheduled major maintenance project at the Tesoro Martinez refinery that is planned for this year, Bay Area gas prices are expected to spike near $4.00 per gallon in the coming days and months. According to Jason Toews, co-founder of Minnesota-based GasBuddy.com, a site that tracks gas prices, "$3.80 and $3.90 seem quite certain, and $4 is a definite possibility."

God Drives A MINI

[Source: That Will Buff Out]

This Graffitti Is Quite Precocious

[Source: Ridelust]

East Bay MINI Offers Military Discount

To honor our troops East Bay MINI, through March 31, 2011, will take $500 off MSRP for Military personnel on any new in-stock MINI. Military ID required.

The Rental Car Olympics With Signed Collision Damage Waiver

Brought to you by Car and Driver.

MINI Connected Now Supports Facebook

[Photo Credit: Geeky Gadgets]

The boards at NorthAmericanMotoring.com are all abuzz with the news that the MINI Connected iPhone application now supports Facebook as well as Twitter and RSS Feeds.

How Much For This Unrestored 1959 Mini 850?

Richard Bremner and friends paid £11,500 (over $18,280 US) for this remnant - the eighth Mini built at the famous Longbridge factory in Birmingham, UK. According to the new owners it is not as bad as it looks,

. . . despite the ground being easily visible through the driver's side floor, moss growing in the roof guttering and a significant portion of the car arriving in bags.

[Source: autoblog uk]

This Is Why You Need A Spare Tire

[Source: That Will Buff Out]

Try A Cold Boot

[Source: UnderatedMINI @ NorthAmericanMotoring.com]

Magna-Steyr To Build The Paceman For MINI

The Paceman will go into production next year and will be produced by Magna-Steyr, the same Austrian company that produces the Countryman. Expect the Paceman to go on sale in the first few months of 2013.

[Source: autoevolution]

Don't Bet Against These Forklift Operators

Can you pick up a quarter with a forklift? These guys can.


Untitled from UndertheRose 83 on Vimeo.

Getting It Up For The Competition

Thirty-nine year old German citizen Andreas Muller had the word "MINI" tattooed on his penis for a radio competition to win a new MINI Cooper. According to the article on Metro.co.uk,

"‘There were a lot of crazy stunts put forward by listeners, but Andreas won by a short head,’ said one of the competition’s organisers.

Radio listeners were then treated to Muller’s cries of agony while the unique piece of branding was created."

Cars.com's Super Bowl XLV Commercials

[Source: via Cars.com KickingTires blog]

MINI Is 2011's Supermini Of The Year

For the ninth year in the row MINI has won the UK's BusinessCar's Supermini Of The Year award. The MINI remains a fleet manager favorite due to its high residual value.

[Source: autoevolution]

Moscow Winter Parking

It will turn your world upside down.




[Source: YouTube via That Will Buff Out]

Next Generation MINI To Be Completely Different

Don't look now but according to reports BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk has stated that the next MINI will be a "bigger design leap than the last one." van Hooydonk told Autocar that Andres Warming, MINI's new design boss, will start the design of the third-generation MINI from a "clean sheet of paper." Insiders report MINI is working on a new interior design theme that will eliminate the center mounted speedometer. So hold on to those second generations as they will soon be classics!

[Sources: via egmcartech.com/The Torque Report/AutoGuide.com]

Too Cold To Wash The Car? Nope!

For those of you in colder climes autopia provides this informative "How To" video that shows how to properly wash your car in cold weather. This washing occurs in the winter garden spot of Michigan:

These Sculptures May Drive You Up The Wall

Check out the racetrack wall sculpture made of Baltic birch plywood, topped with matte black Formica, from a series entitled “Race Tracks Of The World” available at Griot's Garage.

[Source: via Ridelust]

BMW Documentary Series About Future Vehicles

BMW is working up to the new iSetta, which is part of Projecti. The iSetta will be extremely lightweight, made of a carbon monocoque on an aluminum frame. It will sport a rear wheel drive electric motor and will have a base price of at least $40k. The first generation will be marketed under the BMW brand name (not MINI.)  However, in the future expect some of the Projecti iSetta technology to reach the MINI brand according to Bimmerfile. Here is BMW's first salvo (argument) in the series for building the future city car.

Which Way Did They Go? Which Way Did They Go?

[Source: via Hooniverse]

J-Turns In The Snow

Jalopnik tells you and shows you how to do it. Here are their written instructions:

1.) Get a rental. J-turns, even those executed in the snow, can be rough on a car's transmission—especially when you're just starting out. Why risk a trip to Aamco for a rebuild? Rent a car — we choose a 2011 Cadillac DTS — and remember to get the insurance.

2.) Find a parking lot. The bigger, snowier and emptier the better. Make sure the distance between light poles is sufficient should things go awry. We choose the parking lot outside of Ford's Wayne Assembly Plant — the home of the new (and old) Ford Focus.

3.) Accelerate (backward). 15-20 mph should do the trick.

4.) Turn the wheel. Sharply, to lock. Clockwise for a counter-clockwise rotation, or vice-versa. The nose of the car will swing to the left like Natalie Portman in "The Black Swan."

5.) Neutral, or clutch in. Midway into the turn, press in the clutch or use the funny handle to select the letter "N."

5.) Turn the wheel back. Smoothly steer back to on-center from lock.

7.) Grab and go. When the car's just about done rotating, put it in gear and accelerate as if the Syndicate heavies are on your tail.

8.) Enjoy. Drive back to where the guy with the video camera is standing. Offer an amusing quip.

You can watch it in action here in the video at Jalopnik.

It's Not A MINI Or A Mini

It is a tuned Russian Zapororozhet where the future meets the past.

[Source: English Russia]

May We Suggest You Build A Ramp?

Who said that humans were brilliant? Brawny, yes, but brilliant? Watch this - we don't think so.




[YouTube via That Will Buff Out]

MINI Clubman Hampton To Debut At Geneva Motor Show?

Unofficial sources have told autoevolution that, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the original Mini Clubman, MINI will introduce the special edition Clubman Hampton. Only available in Europe on the Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD versions and in the US on the Cooper and Cooper S, the special edition will have no engine modifications but will get these extras:

• exclusive Reef Blue metallic paint
• exclusive 17 inch Twin Spoke alloy wheels with centre caps incorporating a Damson Red lining (wheels in Silver or Black)
• bonnet stripes in Damson Red (new design)
• mirror caps with Damson Red pinstripe - MINI 50 Hampton badging on side scuttles and B-Pillar
• MINI 50 Badge on front grille
• Bi-Xenon headlights with black interior reflectors
• exclusive Leather Lounge upholstery in Carbon Black with Damson Red piping
• anthracite headlining
• MINI 50 Hampton designation on door sills
• contents of CHILI Pack included as standard
• Satellite Grey or Carbon Black Color Line
• interior trim in Damson Red Pinstripe
• floormats with Damson Red piping and stitching.
• anthracite interior instrument faces
• Damson Red central speedometer surround.

Don't Freshen Your Breath If You Are Pulled Over

Breathalyzers measure mouth alcohol levels and presume that the level emanates from the lungs. Thus, according to DUI Blog a study conducted with Listerine mouthwash on a breath machine reported in an article entitled "Field Sobriety Testing: Intoxilyzers and Listerine Antiseptic", published in the July 1985 issue of The Police Chief, found  after study participants swished 20 milliliters of Listerine mouthwash for 30 seconds in accordance with directions on the label, they blew an average reading of .43% blood-alcohol concentration - near lethal proportions. After three minutes the concentration was still.20%, well above the legal limit. After five minutes participants were still blowing an average of .11%. As for spraying Binaca:

In another study, reported in 8(22) Drinking/Driving Law Letter 1, a scientist tested the effects of Binaca breath spray on an Intoxilyzer 5000. He performed 23 tests with subjects who sprayed their throats, and obtained readings as high as .81% — far beyond lethal levels. The scientist also noted that the effects of the spray did not fall below detectable levels until after 18 minutes.

Don’t spray and drive.

2004-2006 MINI Cooper S Supercharger Oil Service

The MINI W11 engine uses an Eaton supercharger. MINI does not recommend oil services, therefore no oil is available through MINI parts. However, General Motors uses a similar Eaton supercharger and their oil can be substituted. GM Part number 12345982.

The Bentley Manual shows you home wrenchers how to check and top off the supercharger oil on 2004-2006 models in this article.

[Source: Bentley Publishers via mab01uk @ MINI2.com]

No MINI Diesels For The US, But, Maybe A Hybrid

Based on conversation with Vnnie Kung it doesn't appear that a diesel MINI for the US is in the cards anytime soon. However, MotoringFile says

an official press release and spy-shots suggest, MINI is partnering with Getrag to produce a hybrid powertrain. We know literally nothing about this power plant. But what we can logically guess a few things:

• It will be a plug-in hybrid given industry trends and a few sources
• It will likely be featured in the larger models (like the Countryman) in the MINI line-up due to the extra components needed. In fact we’d be surprised if it was featured in anything BUT Countryman based models.
• Because of the last bullet we look for this to be based on the 120 hp four cylinder Cooper engine from the current MINI generation.

De Pocas Luces

What good parenting skills!

Interviews Of MINI's Friedman and Kung

At NAIAS 2011 MotoringFile for White Roof Radio had the opportunity to interview MINI Engineering Head Oliver Friedman and MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie Kung. You can download the Podcast here to listen to what they had to say.

Really, You Don't Want To Drive Stoned

[Source: You Drive What?]

MINI Climbs The Swiss Alps With Burton

[Source: via MINI Space]

Truth In Craigslist Advertising

orange co craigslist > for sale / wanted > cars & trucks - by owner

please flag with care: [?]

miscategorized
prohibited
spam/overpost
best of craigslist

Avoid scams and fraud by dealing locally! Beware any deal involving Western Union, Moneygram, wire transfer, cashier check, money order, shipping, escrow, or any promise of transaction protection/certification/guarantee. More info

YUGO - $2200 (West Los Angeles)

---

Date: 2010-12-13, 8:39AM PST
Reply to: sale-g5c87-2110428894@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

I have for sale this pile of crap Yugo. Designed by a retarded engineer and assembled by a group of drunk workers.
Has the performance and handling of a 99cent store shopping cart.
You can count on it to start every morning like you can count on Bernie Madoff.
Keeps it's value like the houses in Alabama's suberbs.
A Coca Cola can is made tougher than this car.
38,000 original miles
1 owner, all original papers, original 1988 Title
Clear CA Title, no accidents
The worst car you could own. Don't expect a sales pitch here.
Bring $2,200 (OBO) and have a piece of.............. history

• Location: West Los Angeles
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2110428894

[Source: Craigslist via Jalopnik]

Ultimate MINI Mod?

OMG, the BMP Mini Jet Turbine Engine Project Car - All wheel drive Mini Cooper S with helicopter engine. You can read about it in this 2008 MC2 Magazine Article.



[YouTube via totalMINI.com]

Yet Another Reason To Love NorCal

Meet the Audi popsicle - created in New York City by a parked Audi, a broken water main and freezing temperatures. It moves as well as the New York Jets.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Paquette Roasted And Toasted

Thank you to all who participated in Saturday's NorCal MINIs' Western Railway Museum Run and Roast. Special thanks to all who said a word or two, sent in pictures or movies and otherwise helped roast past President Larry Paquette. We have assembled the Run photos members Erik Holmquist, Ken Gittings and Meredith Davis submitted and have put them in this slideshow. If you have additional photos to add send them to info@norcalminis.com:





NorCal MINIs member Steven Shirley put together this video. Really. Steven, Barry Manilow?





Don't miss Cassie Padilla's great photos!

Finally, here is a slideshow of the pictures projected at brunch. The Powerpoint slideshow will be posted in the exclusive NorCal MINIs Google Group.





Thank you Larry for being such a good sport.

Job Opportunity: Prodrive WRC Team Manager

MotoringFile reports that Prodrive is looking worldwide for a MINI WRC team manager in hopes of filling the position by April before the team's season which starts in May. According to MotoringFile:

Prodrive chairman David Richards said: “People have always assumed you should have lived and breathed rallying all of your life to do this job, I’m not sure that’s the case any more. The person we’re seeking has to have a passion for motorsport, but it’s a professional approach that we will be looking for and although he or she may well come from another discipline within the sport, it could equally be an enthusiast who is working in another business environment altogether.

What Are The Chances Of Getting Pulled Over?

[Source: via Hooniverse]

NorthAmericanMotoring.com's Best Picture Of 2010

 C

Congratulations to NorthAmericanMotoring.com member ke4sfq whose picture was voted the Best of 2010 by the NorthAmericanMotoring.com membership.

Hot Wheels Video Racers

Check out this updated Mattel Hot Wheels. Mattel is now making Hot Wheels cars with built-in video cameras and LCD screens. The Video Racer, which retails for $60 and goes on sale next month, can store 12 minutes of racing footage and has a USB port that allows you to connect it to your computer. It also comes with video editing software, acase and a strap. Check it out!

[Source: via Car Advice]