MINI Offers Portable Navigation System

For 2007, MINI USA has combined the MINI Motoring Accessories and MotoringGear brochures into a single brochure called “The Fully Authorized, Utterly Definitive & Largely Unabridged Motorer’s Guide to the You-niverse”. Inside are many new accessories, but perhaps the most interesting is the new MINI Portable Navigation System powered by Garmin. The unit has a 3.5″ touchscreen and suction-cup dash mount. It includes maps and points-of-interest information for the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico pre-loaded. The spoken text interface calls out your turns, and yes, you can choose to have it speak with a British accent. As a bonus, the MINI Portable Navigation System includes an MP3 player, audiobook reader, photo viewer, and world clock and currency converter. You can expand the capabilities by adding an SD memory card to its slot. Last but not least, it uses Bluetooth to wirelessly connect to Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.

Beyond the external MINI branding, this GPS unit displays a small MINI on map. The MINI icon is fully customizable, you can choose the body and roof color and even add a Union Jack or checkerboard roof graphic. No other unit allows you to do that.

The MINI Portable Navigation System retails for $750. The MINI part number is 65 90 0 429 399.

Motorer's Guide to the You-niverse MINI Portable Navigation System

Hooked on MINIs Thunderhill Track Video

In late March, MINI Mania and Hooked-on Driving teamed up to present a “Hooked-on MINIS” day at Thunderhill Racetrack, a great 3.5 mile road course maintained by SCCA about 75 miles north of Sacramento, CA (If you’ve seen any ads for Cadillac or Mazda filmed at a completely treeless track, they were shot at Thunderhill).

Running with the advanced group, I was able to get a couple of complete laps of the track with no traffic in my 2006 Dinan Stage 5 MCS, the car that MINI USA has provided to MC2 Magazine as our project car this year.

The laps were captured on video using my standard pocket Nikon Coolpix S3 digital pocket camera, with a 2 gig SD card, and mounted to my rearview mirror using a chasecam.com Universal Camera Mount, a very well-designed mount that costs only $40.

Enjoy the video and listen for that wonderful Dinan/supercharger howl as the car runs up to 7000 rpm on the straights, before the JCW brakes rein it in.

Gary Anderson
Editor, MC2 Magazine

Upcoming Chat: AMVIV Live!

A MINI Vacation In Vegas (AMVIV) is gearing up to kick off this Thursday, March 22 and MotoringFun.com has a special chat event lined up! This Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9:30pmEST each night, we will host a live chat with Agro from Sin City Minis and Will from M7 Tuning, giving us live updates from Las Vegas. This chat event will be slightly different than those in the past. This time, since Will and Agro will not have internet access, we will host the chat via the MotoringFun.com Toll Free Hotline.

Thatís right, we are going old school! All you have to do is call the MotoringFun.com Hotline at 1-800-861-6460 at 9:30pmEST to listen in LIVE! We have set up about 30 call-in lines so if you get a busy signal, keep trying. We will also have the chat room open to add a bit of interaction to the evening.

So if you canít make it to AMVIV, join us at MotoringFun.com and get your Vegas fix!

[ AMVIV Live! ]
[ AMVIV Website ]

Grassroots Motorsports 2007 MINI Cooper S Blog

It’s no secret that the car enthusiasts over at Grassroots Motorsports magazine are big MINI and Mini fans. Technical Editor Per Schroeder owned and autocrossed a stock Chili Red MINI Cooper for years. Recently he traded in the Cooper for a Sparkling Silver 2007 MINI Cooper S and he’s preparing the new MINI for the autocross course. You can follow his exploits on the Grassroots Motorsports 2007 MINI Cooper S Blog.† Good luck, Per!

Grassroots Motorsports MINI Cooper S

MC2 Magazine Speculates About Future MINIs

In the March-April issue of MC2, the only American magazine for Mini owners, which was mailed to subscribers last week, the MC2 staff reviews what it knows, suspects, and hopes for the future of Mini. Particularly provocative is an artistís rendering of what a MINI roadster taking the Triumph name, which BMW MINI owns, might look like.

MINI Triumph Concept Art

The article includes the clearest photographs yet published of the long wheelbase 2008 MINI Clubman, which will be introduced at the Frankfurt auto show this fall, and available at North American dealers in February 2008. We also know that a new convertible on the R56 chassis, available with the new turbocharged engine, will be introduced at the end of 2008 for delivery in early 2009.
Continue reading MC2 Magazine Speculates About Future MINIs

MC2 Partnership With MotoringFun.com

We are pleased to announce that MC2 Magazine has partnered up with MotoringFun.com to bring you even more Mini goodness for your enjoyment. Starting tomorrow, MC2 Magazine will come on board as an official content contributor to MotoringFun.com and will be providing Mini news and stories on a regular basis.

MC2 Mini Magazine
MC2 Mini Magazine

For those new to the Mini world, or those who have not heard of MC2 Magazine, MC2 (MC Squared ñ as the title should be read) was launched in December, 2005 and is the independent American magazine for all Mini owners. The name was chosen to stand for the two models of MINI, as well as the new and classic Minis, indicating that all facets of the MINI/Mini world would be covered.

MC2 Mini Magazine

The magazine is already in its 7th issue and has proven to be a valuable source of Mini information and entertainment. If you do not currently subscribe to MC2 Magazine, we highly recommend it. We are excited to have MC2 on board and hope you check back here often to get your Mini fix!

[ MC2 Magazine ]
[ Subscribe To MC2 ]

Hammer and Coop in Print

You have seen the webisodes for Hammer & Coop. But have you seen the print ads? In addition to the viral videos, MINI is showing up in print in various ways. First was an eight-page fashion spread in the May 2007 issues of Blender and Stuff. The March 22, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone, which just hit the newsstands, has a flip cover “special supplement” called Really Hot Metal Magazine which includes ten pages of features such as a movie poster, photos, style, an interview article, websites, music, and trip suggestions. Finally, one that was not mentioned before, is a black & white Hammer & Coop celebrity glossy photo ad in the April 2007 issue of Automobile magazine. Still to come, Hammer & Coop will be worked into the monthly workout poster in Men’s Health.

Hammer & Coop Fashion REALLY HOT METAL BRAWN IS BACK.

Review: Italian Job Ride – Canada

I can’t believe it is March already. Summer is sneaking up on us in just a few months and now is a great time to start planning your summer motoring trips. For those trying to think of places to motor, alpinamike sent in this review of his trip last summer to Canada where he got to ride the Italian Job Stunt Track at Canadaís Wonderland Park. Thanks for the review Mike!


The Italian Job

Continue reading Review: Italian Job Ride – Canada