Yes, MINI may have gone too far with this model. But despite this, it's a complete hoot to look at, sit in and drive. It's quirky in the extreme, and gets better each time you experience it, and I like that.
And — as is the case with my serial line-crossing colleague — life would be far duller were the madcap MINI JCW Countryman not around.
Question is, can you handle the constant craziness?
WHAT'S COMING UP?
Anderson Valley, Ft. Bragg, Lake County, & Lake Berryessa Overnight Run - June 24-25, 2023
Cruising North of the SF Bay through wine & beer country, rocky Pacific coastline, redwood forests, inland lakes, & finishing in Dav...
Ryan Bubear Road Tests The MINI JCW Countryman In Africa
iafrica.com writer Ryan Bubear road tests the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and concludes:
Joseph's Tastefully Modded Pepper White 2006 MINI JCW
VersatileMedia provides nice videography that is posted by Alpha Motoring at North American Motoring.com.
"A Pure Pleasure To Drive"
Brian Harper shows great affection for the 2013 MINI JCW Convertible in his review for The StarPhoenix, especially in his concluding paragraph:
There are days when I, like most others, appreciate the hedonism that is part and parcel of a finely crafted luxury sedan. Yet, when push comes to shove, I prefer my rides like the JCW convertible - small and sassy, with a wind-in-the-hair driving experience to go with it. Throw in a manual gearbox and a twisty piece of tarmac that will keep my hands and feet in motion and my mind sharp, and precious few are the pleasures that can compete. It should always be thus.
"A Minimum Of Practicality And A Maximum Of Quirky Personality"
That is the conclusion of Dan Weise in his review of the 2013 MINI Paceman for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
MINI Cooper S Roadster A "Spunky" "Irrepressible Ragtop"
That appears to be the assessment of writer Ken Walston in his review for the ABQJournal.
London Evening Standard Reviews The MINI JCW GP2
London Evening Standard writer Mike Stone reviews the vehicle and finds,
The more you push it, the more it impresses.
Robin Fauld Furious MINI U.K. Won't Fix His MINI For Free
The Daily Record reports on the anger of Robin Fauld, the second owner of a 2007 MINI Cooper S with 30,000 miles over MINI U.K.'s refusal to fix his timing chain failure, a carbon build-up and install a new fuel pump for free despite, according to him, similar problems being covered by warranty in the U.S.
MINI Cooper Paceman For, And Reviewed By, Russian Hipsters
We have no idea what these "cool cats" are saying about the Paceman. It's all in Russian!
[Source: Саша Митрофанов @ YouTube]
[Source: Саша Митрофанов @ YouTube]
MINI Caught Sex-ting!
Carscoops carries this story of MINI mocking former congressional representative and New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner after he was caught posing as Carlos Danger sex-ting a young 23-year old woman from Illinois named Sydney Leather. The photo showed up on a new Twitter account set up by MINI USA's ad-agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partner account under the pseudonym @CarlonDMotor.
The Australian MINI Paceman Art Series
MINI Space discusses the MINI Australia sponsored MINI Paceman Art Series, and provides reviews of each of the pieces in the series, that asks artists:
"To put their own slant on Paceman's new slant on things"
"Runs Like Race Car, But Still Commute Friendly"
That is how the New York Daily News headlines its review of the John Cooper Works MINI Countryman.
22 Minutes On British Columbia's Mission Raceway
A track session in a modded MINI Cooper S with a bit of competition from a Honda Integra type R.
[Source: Wooram Aaron Yang @ YouTube]
[Source: Wooram Aaron Yang @ YouTube]
Dates For MTTS 2014 Revealed
whiteroofradio.com reports MINI Takes The States 2014 will occur July 26 through August 9, 2014.
German Police BMW Traffic Stop Goes Swimmingly
According to Spiegel Online a German motorcycle officer pulled over a BMW without plates that was suspiciously sloshing around turns. The officer discovered, as the men fled once the vehicle was stopped, that the Bimmer had been turn into a portable swimming pool, complete with teak decking!
MINI Design Of Tomorrow
BMW Group Pressclub USA has released an illustrated article titled "MINI Vision: An exclusive look at MINI design of tomorrow." The article contains a large gallery of interior and exterior treatments for future MINIs and this video:
Speed Enforcement Ramps Up On I-80 Across The U.S.A.
Cars.com's Kicking Tires blog advises that, according to USA Today,
California is one of the participants in the effort.
. . . 11 states are joining forces for the "I-80 Challenge." Implemented by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the "More Cops, More Stops" strategy is aimed at curbing dangerous speeding before accidents happen.
California is one of the participants in the effort.
BMWBLOG Test Drives The 2013 MINI Cooper S Paceman

With its unique design, the MINI Paceman carves out a new niche. The base price is higher than the Countryman but still lower than the Range Rover Evoque, which puts the two-door Paceman in a good spot. The design caters to a new, younger demographic and even the MINI die-hard fans will come to appreciate the boldness of this crossover coupe.
Following the recipes of latest MINI models, the Paceman is hippy, practical and most important, fun to drive, the perfect ingredients [sic] that will help increase MINI’s overall sales.
Team TWINI Takes Thruxton
MotoringFile reports on Chris Knox's win for Team TWINI at Thruxton in the twin engined R53.
MINI Concepts For Weekend Warriors



DIY: Tint Your MINI's Taillights
autoevolution has a great article, with demonstrative videos, on how to use vinyl to tint your taillights. If you intend to do it, you should read the entire article and watch all of videos! Here's one of the videos -
[Source: Chris Tom @ YouTube]
[Source: Chris Tom @ YouTube]
MINI Cooper JCW Vs. Citroen DS3 Racing
PistonHeads.com compares these two vehicles that share the same engine.
Edmunds Track Tests The 2013 MINI Paceman Cooper S
You can get all the numbers from the tests in Edmunds' article by Mike Mcgrath. Here are the "Tester's comments":
Acceleration: A little bit of a stumble off the line when using Drive and simply whacking the throttle. Responds well to some pedal overlap for the launch, and as is the new normal with turbo-4s, there's plenty of torque even in the lower rev range. Sport mode also seems to add a little pop, but I doubt it makes a difference at full throttle.
Braking: Little dive, zero wiggle or wander. Dead consistent from first to last stop with very little to no variance in pedal feedback or distance. Buzz- and vibration-free ABS action.
Slalom: Steering feels unnecessarily heavy, but it is precise and direct. These tires provide more grip than most drivers of this car will ever know. The stability system is properly calibrated to take full advantage of the tremendous tires; little to no intervention approaching the limit, which turns out to be very mild loss of grip at the front that can be easily swapped for mild slide at the rear with the proper throttle technique. Excellent balance.
Skid pad: Again, steering is too heavy for heavy sake, but it does load/unload with variations in grip. Good balance here, too, with mild understeer on the front tires. Exceed the tires' limits and the stability system gently closes the throttle, almost imperceptibly.
No More U.S. MINI Clubvans?
AutoGuide.com reports that MINI is pulling the Clubvan from its U.S. line-up after only selling 50 of the vehicles. According to the article, slow demand and a 25% tax on commercial vehicles has caused MINI to believe the vehicle is not viable in the U.S.. The Clubvan is reportedly selling well in countries that don't impose a large commercial vehicle tax.
Would You Buy A MINI Speedster?
Braminator @ North American Motoring.com posts a few concepts and asks whether you want one.
USA Today Test Drives The MINI Paceman
USA Today writer James R. Healey finds the vehicle "sporty, bouncy" and "[f]un, but noise and bounce can be tiresome."
Pictures Of The 2013 AC Schnitzer Color Concepts Packages
See the entire set of pictures and packages at modifiedcars.com.
(More Than) Four Convertibles With Good Gas Mileage
The Christian Science Monitor mentions four MINIs in its article about four convertibles with good gas mileage and includes the Roadster among its ultimate four.
CarBuyer Reviews The 2013 MINI Paceman
The U.K. review by CarBuyer sees the MINI Paceman as fast becoming a less expensive competitor of the Range Rover Evoque.
"Wacky, Like A Fox" MINI Advertising
Diana T. Kurylko, writing for Automotive News, explores MINI advertising and comes up with some pretty interesting marketing facts, some directly from the mouth of MINI USA Vice President Jim McDowell, such as:
McDowell said. "Mini has grown year after year. We never have had a huge burst of sales -- but sustainable growth."McDowell also expects US sales to soon exceed 100,000 units per year.
With a loyalty rate of 30 percent, high resale value and a three-year residual value close to 60 percent . . .
What FUNkhana!
Thank you MINI of Concord for a great run, FUNkhana and Carnival 2013! Even the MINI of Concord's facebook photos of the event are awesome!
25 Hours Two Engines One MINI
According to AutoGuide.com, the Bay Bridge Bimmers & Minis and Minis of Oakland built twin engine MINI Cooper will be piloted at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, December 4-5, 2013, by Jacques Andres and Steve Romack. Word from TWINI @ facebook is Scottish driver Chris Knox will also come across the pond to help Andres and Romack race the behemoth.
F56 Debut May Be In Oxford And L.A. In November 2013
MotoringFile thinks BMW's i3 debut has pushed back the F56 MINI's debut from September 2013 at the Frankfurt Auto Show to early November at the Oxford plant and then appear at the mid-November Los Angeles International Auto Show. It also expects an Internet debut sometime in late October with U.S. deliveries beginning in February 2014.
Looking For 1,500 MINIs On The Mackinac Bridge
Autoweek covers the attempt by MINI USA and MINI of Grand Rapids to beat the 2009 record of the London & Surrey Mini Owners Club of 1,450 Minis in a parade. On Saturday, August 3, 2013, assemble at the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan if you want to participate.
"On Holiday" Until July 15, 2013
While we won't be towing a CampLite travel trailer, NORCAL MINIS' blog will be taking a short summer vacation. We will be back with new posts on Monday, July 15, 2013.
Before then, we hope to see you Sunday, July 14, 2013, at the MINI of Concord Funkhana-Carnival.
Before then, we hope to see you Sunday, July 14, 2013, at the MINI of Concord Funkhana-Carnival.
After The First 1,000 Miles In A 2013 MINI Cooper S Clubman
danjreed @ North American Motoring.com assesses his 2013 MINI Cooper S Clubman after 1,000 miles on the odometer. Overall, he loves the car but points out a few "Cons."
Vancouver Sun Writer Reviews The 2013 MINI Cooper Roadster
Vancouver Sun writer Zack Spencer reviews the 2013 MINI Cooper Roadster on driving.ca. His verdict:
What this car has going for it is a freshness and attitude, where the MX-5 is old and also has that “chick car” stigma. However, this Mini Roadster might also be saddled with that label too one day. The reality is neither should be, they are both fantastic driving cars for any man or woman. Here is some good news if you are single and don’t need a back seat. This Mini Roaster is cheaper than the 4-seat Mini convertible, but just slightly. This car looks fantastic; BMW has done a great job of staying true to the original design but always keeping it fresh. Outward visibility is a real problem, especially for taller drivers, but if the looks and size of this car are just the thing you have been looking for, most drivers will easily adapt. The fact that there is another two-seat roaster [sic] on the market is exciting for all four seasons of the year.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sixteen members of the Tar Heel Mini Club conducted a six day, multi-state run where they stopped for ice cream three times a day at independent ice cream shops and parlors. The trips also included stops at Civil War battlefields, the oldest brewery in America and four Maine lighthouses. Read more about the run at
fenceviewer.
fenceviewer.
MINI Responds To Unflattering Spy Photos Of Undisguised 2014 MINIs
Carscoops carries this press release from MINI:
[MINI Press Statement]
Outrageous! MINI secretly photographed at private getaway.
Oxford. "Aggressive and relentless papping is something British celebrities have had to learn to live with. Members of the Royal Family, as well as actors, footballers and top models are all familiar with the sensation of being caught in uncompromising situations, and now MINI is the latest victim. Absolutely unaware and without make-up, the youngest member of our family was caught by sensationalist photographers in a highly private moment. The young one was yellow and completely defenceless. We understand the worldwide interest in our family but it is not the British way to send such unfavourable pictures around the globe.
But like a good stiff-upper-lipped Brit, MINI shall not complain, although we would like to officially state that we are not flattered. The published pictures do not reflect our good looks any way. As every celebrity knows, those extra long telephoto lenses have the devastating ability to negatively distort all surfaces, lines and angles. Therefore our advice: next time come closer to the object of desire. If that doesn’t work, don’t worry, shortly you will have the opportunity to experience the MINI up close and personal, and to take pictures from all angles."
MINI Dakar Racing Team To Appear On DRIVE's New Season
MotoringFile advises that this season's premiere of the show DRIVEN will feature a behind the scenes look at the X-Raid Team. Here is a teaser -
June 2013 Is MINI's Best June Ever
A BMW PressClub USA press release shows advises that 9.6% more MINIs were sold in June 2013 than in June 2012, a record increase for MINI. MINI sales in 2013 are now up .9% over sales to date in 2012. Sales of pre-owned MINIs were up an astonishing 16.3% over June 2012 and 18.5% year over year to date.
2014 MINI Cooper And S Spied Without Camo
LeftLane has posted a series of 15 spy photos that it claims are of undisguised 2014 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S models.
", , , One Of The Best City Cars You Can Buy."
That is CarJunkie's conclusion about the 2013 MINI Cooper in CarJunkie's "First Drive" post at That Guy With The Glasses.
MINI RX Wins Gold In Its Debut At Munich X Games
RallySport Magazine reports Liam Doran won gold in the debut of the Prodrive MINI RX at the Munich X Games. The MINI 1.6 litre WRC-based vehicle competes against 2.0 litre competition. Doran and the MINI RX now head to the USA for two further rounds of the Global Rallycross Championship and the Los Angeles X Games.
900 HP MINI Podiums At Pike's Peak
BMW Power Blog by autoevolution reports French Driver Jean Phillipe Dayraut came in third at the Pike's Peak Climb in a 900 horsepower MINI that looks like a Paceman.
2014 MINI Cooper S Spied On The 'Ring
MotoringFile looks at recent spy photos of the 2014 MINI Cooper S at Nurburgring and tries to explain what it sees, such as 18" rims and wheels.
Car and Driver Tests The 2013 MINI JCW GP
Calling it "The Porsche approach to a Mini track toy" Car and Driver writer Eric Tingwall and photographer Michael Simari review the 2013 MINI John Cooper Works GP and conclude:
The Mini John Cooper Works GP generates impressive performance numbers, but it’s tough to justify the car’s $9150 premium when you recognize that the performance gains are largely the product of $1000 worth of track tires. Then again, minimalist performers like the Cayman R and 911 GT3 are some of our favorite Porsches, and the GP represents a similar transformation in a much lower tax bracket. The boisterous John Cooper Works becomes downright rowdy in GP guise, energetic and spry to the extent that it’s sometimes difficult to live with. But if you can tolerate its imperfections, the Mini John Cooper Works GP can hustle like very few front-wheel-drive cars can.
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