WHAT'S COMING UP?

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...

Kristen Stewart Caught In A Black MINI

Ross Edwards caught the Twilight series star with her murdered MINI Cooper S and published his photos on autoloandaily.com

Punked Out Brazilian MINI Coupe

For some reason we think this punk modded MINI Coupe from MINI Brazil won't meet pedestrian safety standards for European motor vehicles.

[Source: Carscoops]

The MINI Cooper Timing Chain Fault

Village Soup of The Republican Journal has an article by the Atlantic Motorcar Center that describes the timing chain fault, its causes, how you know when it affects your MINI, how to help prevent it and the steps needed to fix it.

Brush Up On Your German And Learn About The GP

Autobild @ YouTube provides beautiful footage of the GP and dialogue that only a German language speaker could love.

One Totally Slammed MINI

[Source: via League of Extraordinary MINIacs @ facebook]

Go Crazy With NORCAL MINIS Saturday, November 16, 2013

GO CRAZY WITH NORCAL MINIS!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Meet up at 9:30 a.m. to get your sugar high at 




before we run the twisties of the Santa Cruz Mountains, cruise Pacific Coast Highway, stop for lunch, and end with a tour of the 


Pt. Pinos Lighthouse Reservation
165 Forest Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA



Here is the run map


View Larger Map

This run is also open to non-Members.

NORCAL MINIS Members
 Please RSVP to your email invitation.

Non-Members
Please email us at info@norcalminis.com to let us know you are coming.  

Kenneth Thirlwall Wins Scottish MINI Cooper Cup 2013

The East Lothian News reports Haddington native Kenneth Thirlwall won the MINI Cooper Cup 2013.  This is the second time he has won the event.  The first time was in 2009.

MINI Cooper S Coupé vs MINI Cooper SD Coupé

Here's what they are like, and how they compare, at top speed and from 0 to 100 km/h.



[Source: 41xXXx41 @ YouTube]

Detect Police To Help Find A Cure For Breast Cancer

Escort is offering a pink radar/laser detector where a portion of the proceeds are a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Jalopnik thinks t may not be the best way to raise funds to cure cancer.  It imagines this:
I can see the plea now— "Officer I know radar detectors are illegal here, but surely you can excuse this transgression on account of my supporting a worthy cause while I tried to evade you!"

Making MINIs

This Indian language narration film, with English speaking Oxford workers, provides great insight into how MINIs are made.



[Source: Adhie07 @ YouTube]

The Glow Of The New MINIs' Halo Headlights

Carscoops caught the F56's ring halos in this video for the competition to attend the three continent debut of the new MINI:

"Choose Your Accomplice Wisely"



[Source: meromaniac @ YouTube]

The Path Less Taken

Jalopnik reports on a MINI driver in New Jersey who crashed her Countryman on a pedestrian foot path that she mistook for a road.

X-Raid Team Readies For Final Pre-Dakar Rally

Following the Monster Energy X-Raid Team's driver Orlando Terranova's overwhelming win in Rally Morocco in a MINI ALL4 Racing car, the X-Raid Team readies for its final rally before Dakar, the Baja Portalegre scheduled for early November.  MINI Motorsport reviews the preparations and road ahead.

Scare Crows About MINI Countryman's Boot



[Source: MINIUSA @ YouTube]

2014-15 MINI JCW Rendered

autoevolution's BMW Power blog found this Virtuel-Car rendering of what potentially may be the 2014 (or 2015) MINI John Cooper Works


The MINI Cooper S Convertible Up Close



[Source: master doc @ YouTube]

A MINI Crime Spree

The United Kingdom's Oxford Mail reports that former Cowley plant employee Michael Jones has been convicted for using his old ID card to access the plant to steal three MINI Coopers and a BMW X3,  Check out the article to find out what happened to the cars and Jones.

Artist Alexa Meade's Not Normal Painted MINI

Visual News reviews and creates Meade's 3D creation for MINI Japan.



MINI Paceman JCW Called A "Sizzling Car"

The United Kingdom's Daily Record happily expounds on the virtues of the MINI Paceman John Cooper Works edition.

Dezeen And MINI World Tour Hit Singapore

The MINI World Tour and Dezeen discuss modern day Singapore and provide social commentary direct from the Ministry of Design on MINI Space.

Halloween Countryman


[Source: Todd Biase post in New MINI Countryman Graphics of League of Extraordinary Minis @ facebook]

X-rays As Art

The Boston Globe has an interesting article on the X-ray art of Nick Veasey who took this iconic Man in a Mini X-ray.  Check out the article.  He even X-rayed a Boeing 777!   

Real World Test Drive Of The 2013 MINI JCW Countryman



[Source: RealWorldTestDrives @ YouTube]

What Does It Take To Get A Driver's License Around Here?

TopGear explores some of the more unusual requirements governments impose in order to get a driver's license, such as:
. . . In Finland, it takes a minimum of two years to obtain a full, unrestricted driving license. Learners are subjected to skid-pan sessions and night-driving courses. Difficult as it is to compare driving tests, Finland is, anecdotally at least, considered to have a world-class standard of driving.

* * *
In Russia (incidentally, one of the very first countries to adopt the driving license), drivers must possess a ‘certificate of mental fitness' and not have a history of substance abuse. Similarly, in Brazil, drivers have to pass a psychological exam before obtaining a license. . . . .

Park In A No Parking Zone Without Getting Ticketed


How To Park In A No Parking Zone on ZerCustoms

The MINI Driving Experience In Photos

BMWBlog has a gallery of photos of the MINI Driving Experience training courses throughout the world and discusses their content, including -
True MINI enthusiasts can book the two-day MINI John Cooper Works Fascination Nordschleife Training where they can take the range-topping MINI to its limits on the 20.8 km long legendary racetrack with its 73 corners and 300 metres of altitude difference.

The MINI JCW Paceman Gets 3 Out Of 5 Stars

The United Kingdom's AutoExpress reviews the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman and gives it 3 out of a possible 5 stars.  It summarizes its opinion as follows:
On UK roads, the JCW’s styling and exhaust note are sure to turn heads, but the ride will be too punishing for some. Fortunately, it drives like a true MINI, darting around corners and gripping hard, thanks to four-wheel drive. Its price is steep, though, especially when you can get a Cooper S Paceman – which is as much fun to drive – for so much less.

MINI Modding Madness (Or Genius?)

The first R53 MINI aero brake from Anthony Gennello @ YouTube -

Booth Babes And Cars From The 2013 100% Tuning Show

modifiedcars.com has an extensive gallery of photographs taken by Grant Buchanan of the cars and the ladies.


Owners Marry Their MINIs

U.K.'s Astle MINI invited MINI owners to marry their cars as part of the MINI's campaign to celebrate the "not normal" relationship that people have with their MINIs. The owners and vehicles were joined in matrimonial bliss, with vows, wedding photography and a wedding reception as reported in the Scunthorpe Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Toto, Back In Kansas

A 2005 MINI Cooper S runs an Endurocross at a Wichita SCCA event.



[Source: ss67101 @ YouTube]

Getting In Touch With Their Feminine Side Down Under

Melbourne, Australia based Three Thousand photographs and writes about the male grooming workshop held by Aesop at the MINI Paceman shop

Look Who's Sitting In An Austin MINI Cooper S!

It's StĂ©phane Peterhansel, the reigning Dakar Rally champion in the MINI ALL4 Racing and record winner of the toughest endurance rally in the world, at the Goodwood Revival  - as reported by MINI!

Buy A New Mini Moke In Australia

Carscoops reports that a private company, Moke International, with the help of China's Chery Motors and its subsidiary, Chicar Engineering, for 2013 will produce a limited test run of 1,000 Mini Mokes, to available with a choice of petrol and electric motors. These are only for sale in Australia at this time.

OEM Special Edition Frozen Black MINI Countryman

MotoringFile reports MINI USA will be offering a special "The Black Knight" limited edition MINI Countryman in "Frozen," a black matte paint.  Only sixty will be made and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

MINI Sued Over "Lifetime" Transmission Fluid Claim

abc News reports on a class action lawsuit filed with a California lead plaintiff that claim MINI misled owers with its claim of "Lifetime" transmission fluid that, according to the plaintiffs, led to premature transmission failure when it was not periodically changed during the time of ownership of  the vehicle. The claim is limited to the following models: 2002 through 2006 R53 Mini Cooper Hatchback S model vehicles, 2005-2008 R52 Mini Cooper Convertible S model vehicles, 2007-current R56 Mini Cooper Hatchback S model vehicles, 2008-current R55 Mini Cooper Clubman S model vehicles, 2009-current R57 Mini Cooper Convertible S model vehicles, and 2011- current R60 Mini Cooper Countryman S model vehicles.

Shane Stoney Wins MINI Challenge Championship

York, U.K.'s The Press reports that Shane Stoney has won the MINI Challenge Championship with wins in 13 out of 17 races.  It writes, in part:
The 18-year-old driver from Nun Monkton, near York, dominated the competition in his BMW Mini Cooper, winning at some of this country’s famous circuits, while also winning at Zandvoort in Holland.

Attend The F56 Reveal On Three Continents

3 CITIES.
3 CONTINENTS.
3 DAYS.

WATCH TO WIN A TRIP TO THE NEW MINI WORLD PREMIERE.
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WATCH TO WIN

MINI is running a contest you can enter by watching the videos here. The winner will travel over three days to London, Los Angeles and Shanghai to watch the three continent reveal of the MINI F56!

Robbie Davis Wins B-Spec Challenge Of Pirelli World Challenge

MINI Motorsport reports Robbie Davis has won the B-Spec Challenge of the Pirelli World Challenge and provides details on the action.

Well, Yes, We Agree, Don't We?

[Source: imgur via Hooniverse]

MINI No. 1 In ADAC Customer Satisfication Survey

autoevolution's BMW Power blog announces that this year MINI came in first in the Germany-based ADAC's Customer Satisfaction Survey based on increases in fuel efficiency and value.

BMW Won't Build MINIs In China

autoevolution discusses an interview with Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW Board Member who is in charge of MINI, in which Schwarzenbauer asserted he does not want a MINI plant in China and does not believe MINI presently has the right vehicle for sale in China.

EMEA Gets To Skin A MINI Cooper S

Connected Digital World says Ubisoft has launched a contest for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia) that lets you customize a MINI Cooper S to win prizes and limited editions of a new video game called "The Crew," that features wild rides through the U.S.A.   The winning customized MCS's will also be featured in the game. Contestants register here.

OMG! What Would You Do?



[Source: Interesting Things @ facebook]

Argument Against A $40K MINI GP2

Oppo, a Jalopnik blog, carries an argument against the purchase of a MINI Cooper JCW GP from the imagined viewpoint of the new owner taking it to his or her first auto-cross.

Ten Models Envisioned For New MINI Platform

INAUTONEWS reports BMW envisions 10 MINI Models based on the new UKL platform and may start producing the hatchback in the Netherlands.

An Interview With MINI's Head Of Design

BMWBLOG interviews MINI's Chief of Design  Anders Warming in advance of the debut of the F56.  It never asked hard questions about the exterior design. We also wonder whether Warming envisions turning the MINI into a giant video game after reading this Q and A:

BMWBLOG: Speaking of the connectivity and technology, BMW Group has been using quite a bit of flat panels lately. Is that something that will work for the MINI design? Or will you keep the classic approach?

Anders Warming: Quite on the contrary, we’ve always had a special layout on the dashboard which is an icon with the round display in the middle. It’s a thing that I will hold onto as an icon for MINI – as I was saying it’s an easy decision if it’s the right decision.

On the MINI Vision it was important for me to show how the future will be, and there are three levels to it:

The driver’s functions – rpm, speed, gas gauge are centered on the steering column. On the MINI Vision we show that’s really what the drivers need, the information needed to do his job

The central display is a platform for connectivity. It’s connected to the whole car, so everything that you need to know – of course, the navigation, traditional things, are included – but online, Facebook post,
Buddy Radar, all these features are attached to this user interface

On the Vision we show that the rest of the interior surfaces are also lit up, so maybe the floor will have the blinker going off, when you go right and it’s blinking, the whole floor is giving you this feedback.

So user interface becomes the whole environment you’re sitting in, and that is something that we have on the MINI Vision as the concept car, and things that will be introduced in stages to the public after that.

MINI Considering Diesels And Plug-In Hybrids For The U.S.

Ladies and Gents cross your fingers.  According to hybridcars MINI is now definitely considering diesel variants and a gasoline plug-in hybrid version for the U.S. market.  The source of the tip appears to be from Peter Schwarzenbauer, the BMW Board of Director Member in charge of MINI.