Friday, January 19, 2007

MINI: The Book: More than a car, more than a book

The cult goes on: For everyone who can’t get enough of MINI, there is also now an interesting book. MINI fans will be enthused.

Nearly simultaneous to the 100th birthday of Sir Alec Issigonis and the launch of the new MINI, there is now the first official book about the fascination of the MINI marque. From the design and the development, to the technology and history, up to the MINI CHALLENGE - MINI moved. There is something for every taste in the book, because each chapter has something different to offer.

“Only a single call had transformed Paul Chantry’s office in the operation’s center into an industry thriller. Up to then it was an ordinary office on the upper floor of a car factory.” Thus begins the thriller, which Joachim Bessing wrote about the transfer of the MINI works from Longbridge to Oxford. This chapter shows how unconventionally MINI deals with supposedly matter-of-fact topics.

Therefore, MINI is also so unique as global marque. Its international adaptiveness is made clear in a photo-chapter. Ten artists from cities such as Istanbul, Buenos Aires, and Hong Kong embedded the new MINI into their culture. It goes further with the Swinging Sixties and the unmistakable British roots of MINI, embodied in the style icons Paul Smith and Mary Quandt. Paul Smith experienced the birth of the proto-Mini in the midst of the cultural explosion of the wild London times: “I was from the outset a giant fan, because the original design was equal to its function”.

In the following chapters among other things the three icons of the MINI era are presented: Alec Issigonis, inventor of the Proto-Mini, John Cooper, who brought MINI to the racetrack, and Rauno Aaltonen, which help bring him fame in Monte Carlo from 1965 to 1967. Three unconventional thinkers, without whom the MINI would not be what it is today. It continues with the journey through the MINI world. The most sensational actions around the MINI are put down in the book. Whether the entry in the Guinness Book of Records, the MINI XXL stretch-limousine, the Bisazza MINI, or as a Christmas tree in London – the book shows: MINI is more than just a car. MINI: The Book is a must on the bookshelf of every MINI lover and those who want to become one.

MINI: The Book can be had from HOFFMANN UND CAMPE at a price of 29.90 euro. [Sold by Amazon.de]

[Translated by James from MINI.de]

It appears that right now this book is only offered in German. We’ll let you know if we find it offered in English, either ours or the Queen’s.

Update: We have confirmed the book is in English. 

MINI USA isn’t the only one sending free things to MINI owners. The clever Canucks at MINI Canada are giving away free MINI 3-D TURBOVISION™ Goggles. These will be used to view sections of the MINI.ca website. Unfortunately, it seems you have to live in Canada to receive the glasses. [If any of our Canadian readers can help us out, let us know!]

WorldCarFans.com just posted up a nice video on the MINI Cooper D. In case you have been living under a rock, yesterday MINI announced details on the new MINI One and MINI Cooper D which got picked up by tons of automotive sites and blogs. MotoringFile.com has a great post with complete details in case you missed it. Also check out WorldCarFans.com for other cool car videos.

[ WorldCarFans.com ]

Are you going to MINIs On the Dragon this year? Well make sure you pick up this new shirt to remind people what NOT to do during the weekend! Keep those tires on your side of the road and Don’t Be A Pass Ass!!

[ Order Your Shirt Today ]

I just got my track photos from Homestead-Miami Speedway today. Colour Tech South Motorsports Photography did a fantastic job with these shots and I posted them over in the MotoringFun.com Gallery. Hope you enjoy them!

All Photos Credit: Colour Tech South Motorsports Photography, LLC.

[ More track photos in mct’s gallery ]

I think it’s time I posted the next installment in the Motoring Fun Desktop Wallpaper Collection. For this edition, I decided to use my own 2006 MINI Cooper S named “Scooter” as the subject to celebrate the end of “stock” status. This week, Scooter gets transformed from a cute little MINI to a more aggressive performance machine. New wheels and tires have arrived and the JCW exhaust with the MyMini resonator eliminator and JCW intake will be getting installed this weekend. A 15% pulley from MyMini will also be added within the next month to round out the performance enhancements. More details to come, including dyno data, but for now - enjoy “Scooter”.

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First Impressions
I had the opportunity to see the New “NEW-MINI” at the NAIAS Detroit Auto show this week. First, I have to say I like it. This may seem obvious, but it’s important because that was my first thought the moment I saw it from far away. The exterior appeal of the car remains almost the same which we all know is the best decision MINI had made when they decided to update the very successful R53. I was very interested about the interior. In part, because I was not sure I liked it from the different photos I saw in previous articles.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our good friend Luis (MINIATIC) just returned from the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and gave us a ton of pictures to share. I posted them up in the Motoring Fun Gallery. Hope you enjoy them!

Leftlane News has posted some new spy shots of the 2008 MINI Clubman with hardly any tape hiding the features of the new car. Check them out over at LeftlaneNews.com.

Looks like MINI has started sending out invitations for their new marketing campaign. Remeber those electronic billboards? Well it appears that they are a bit cooler than a billboard with a digital message. It appears that the digital message changes based on certain MINIs driving by them! That’s right! These billboards will be displaying personalized messages to YOU if you are equipped with the special key fob required for this. Certain owners have been selected to take part in this program and an e-mail invite has gone out. Talk about a way to personalize your motoring !!

Now here is the kicker - for those that know me and my MINI, you know that my car is named “Scooter”. Well click the invite below and see what MINI used as the sample personalized greeting!! Man - the personalization has started already!! Thanks to montyformula1 for sending this in!

UPDATE: For more information on MINI USA’s “Motorby Pilot Program”, check out the post over at MotoringFile.com.