Small Emissions Once Again Make MINI a Big Winner

Here is the latest MINI USA Press Release detailing MINI’s latest award “Best Small Car 2008”:

Fleet News has become the latest media outlet to nominate MINI as a green winner. In the publicationís 20th Annual Awards ceremony, MINI was named Best Small Car 2008 thanks to the introduction of new fuel-saving technologies and amazingly strong residual values.
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Gran Turismo 5 To Feature 2006 MINI Cooper S

I don’t consider myself to be much of a gamer. However, I do love my driving simulators! As I hoped, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will once again feature the MINI Cooper S in its vehicle line up. If you have not had the chance to play around with the Gran Turismo HD demo on the PS3, I STRONGLY encourage you to check it out. The graphics are just AMAZING!!! At first I did not realize the footage I was watching was part of the game. It looked THAT real! Game is scheduled to be out mid-April, and from what I can see Costco.com has the cheapest pre-order price on it for about $35.

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Motoring For Undies – The Undie 500!

This past weekend I took part in the first ever Undie 500. This wonderful event, put on by MotoringFun.com member speedy1, provided an opportunity for MINI enthusiasts from all over the state of Florida to join in on some awesome motoring and fun, while collecting underwear for underprivileged children (in conjunction with DignityUWear.org). The goal was to collect 500 pairs of underwear during the 2 day rally. Well, in just the first 2 stops on Saturday, 800 pairs were collected!!!

Undie 500

On Sunday, the rally made a stop at the Queen Mary Pub in Jupiter, FL where the Gold Coast MINIs and the Minis of Miami dropped off about 900 pairs (800 of which were from Minis of Miami)!! All in all, it was a well planned event that raised awareness (and undies) for a great cause. Speedy1 did an amazing job and we here at MotoringFun.com are all proud of her efforts. Way to go Speedy!!!!

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MINI Scores Well In NHTSA NCAP Crash Testing

In case you missed it – MINI has done well again in the latest round of crash tests. Check out this press release:

MINI Cooper Scores 5 Stars for Driver-Side Impact and Roll-Over
4 Stars for Front Impact and Rear-Side Impact

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 27, 2008… The second generation MINI Cooper hardtop earned impressive scores for front and side impact and roll-over testing in the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing.

In the NCAP side impact testing, the 2008 MINI Cooper received a 5-Star rating for front seat occupant side-impact protection – the highest rating issued by NHTSA. In the same test the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for rear seat occupants.

In frontal impact testing the MINI Cooper received a 4-Star rating for both front seat occupants. In addition the MINI Cooper carries a 5-Star rating for rollover safety.

“We are delighted that the NHTSA tests confirm MINIs excellent occupant protection in crash situations” said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA. “It is a testament to the level of safety we engineer in our cars, making MINI one of the safest small cars on the road today.”

The MINI Cooper and Cooper S help to maximize occupant safety with a total of six airbags – two frontal impact bags, two seat-mounted side impact bags and an impressive Head Protection air bag curtain that protects both front and rear passengers in the event of a side impact or roll-over. MINI’s crash worthiness is also enhanced by a rigid steel safety cage that helps to redirect impact forces away from occupants.

Of course it is better to avoid an accident and MINI offers a palette of advanced electronic braking and traction management technologies to help keep the car safely on the road. In addition to standard Anti-Lock Brakes, and All Season Traction, (AST), MINI offers Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Corner Brake Control (CBC) and available Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).