Dynolicious – iPhone Performance Meter

This has to be the coolest thing I have seen in a while and another reason that makes me mad that Apple won’t release the iPhone on the Verizon network! Imagine having a full-functioning automotive performance meter on your cell phone. Yep – complete with the ability to track speed, Lateral Gs, and horsepower. Check out the link below for more information and let me know what you think! Thanks to minilisa for this find.

[ Dynolicious @ Autoblog ]

650-HP MINI Cooper S Marks Brand’s Foray Into Drag Racing

This was sent in last week and I am bummed I missed it when it came in because this would have been really cool to go out to watch. Not that I could have made it, but maybe some of you all could of gone. Once I find out when this will air, I will let you all know.


MINI Dragster - Pinks All Out

MINI USAís Drag Race Cooper S, Prepared by ABF Performance, Readies for ìPINKS All Outî This Weekend at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ

July 24, 2008Ö After the burnouts are done and the arm-drop signals the start, drag racing enthusiasts attending this weekendís PINKS All Out competition may find themselves cheering on a new crowd favorite ñ the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S Drag Racer, custom built by ABF Performance. Marking the MINI brandís foray into sport drag racing, the MINI ñ with its 0-60 time of less than 3 seconds, top trap speed of 134 mph and best quarter-mile run of 10.6 seconds ñ is expected to turn in a lightning-fast performance at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, on July 25th ñ 26th.
Continue reading 650-HP MINI Cooper S Marks Brand’s Foray Into Drag Racing

I’m Baaaaack

Just got in from my week-long vacation to the Lonestar state, and all I can say is – WOW – it gets HOT in Texas! I’m used to the hot and humid Florida summers, but we just don’t get daily 104+ degree afternoons like they do. And you can say all you want about that “dry” heat… when you walk outside at 11pm and get hit in the face with Texas heat, dang!

I did manage to see about 5 MINIs while I was out there, mostly pre-2007 models. No Clubmans were spotted, however. Of course while I was there, we did have a hurricane come our way. Leave it to me to leave Florida to go on vacation, only to land in the path of a hurricane! Luckily all we got was some rain and some wind in the San Antonio area.

I am still sorting through the 2,000+ e-mails I received while I was out of town and “unplugged”. I did spot 2 interesting e-mails that I will post about next. I hope you enjoy!

JCW Stage 2 Has Arrived!

My local dealer received the new Stage 2 JCW MINI earlier this week, giving us MINIacs more to drool over. Since I will be out of town for the next week, I won’t be able to go check it out in person. However, here is the official MINI press release that should give you an idea of what is in store:

JCW Stage 2 MINI Cooper

The short story behind the new MINI John Cooper Works and MINI John Cooper Works Clubman

Production of the new MINI began in 2001 in Oxford and soon after, the Cooper Car Company in East Preston launched a wide range of John Cooper Works tuning kits and accessories for MINI. This gave MINI owners, obsessed with personalisation and performance, an even greater opportunity to create their perfect MINI. John Cooperís achievements in world motor sport laid the foundations for the John Cooper Works brand. Now in 2008, fans of MINI and the John Cooper Works brand have something new to lust after: the new MINI John Cooper Works, hot off the production line at MINI Plant Oxford.
Continue reading JCW Stage 2 Has Arrived!

MINI Cooper Challenge on Atari’s Race Pro

If you recall Race 07, the game by SimBin for the PC that features the MINI Cooper Challenge is one of the most realistic PC racing sims that I have seen to date. Well the good folks at SimBin are releasing a new game, called Race Pro, exclusively for the Xbox 360 that will also be a racing sim and feature the MINI Cooper Challenge. Since I don’t own an Xbox 360, I will have to rely on some of you to provide some feedback on this game. If Race 07 is any indication on the quality, I would say this will be a sweet game. Of course, I don’t think it will come close to GT 5 on the Playstation 3. Now THAT is a slick game :).

[ Race 07 Race Video ]

Video: Custom MINI Cooper Roll Cage

As many of you know, Team Minspeed likes to get things done on the track. While most of us are happy running around the track in our daily drivers in non-competition-style HPDE sessions, a few of us want to take things to the next level and get the adrenaline rush that comes with actual “racing”. For those who are so inclined, some safety modifications must be made. Here is a video of Team Minspeed member, Greg “beaner” showing off his newly installed custom roll cage in his 2006 MINI Cooper S, “Earl”, which will be ready for competitive racing shortly!

[ Roll Cage Photo Gallery ]
[ Download MINI “Earl” Desktop Wallpaper ]

BMW Group Working With Fiat Group

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I really dig the Fiat 500. Well, this press release from MINI shows some really cool things in the works (maybe). It will be interesting to see what comes out of this collaboration.

Fiat and MINI

MINI Press Release (Munich/Turin): The BMW Group and Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA) are considering the possibility of co-operation in the areas of architectures and components for their MINI and Alfa Romeo vehicles. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed by Friedrich Eichiner, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Corporate and Brand Development, and Alfredo Altavilla, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Fiat Group Automobiles and CEO of Fiat Powertrain Technologies.
Continue reading BMW Group Working With Fiat Group

BMW To Test Electric MINIs

In case you missed this on every car/technology site out there (MotorTrend, CNET, PC Magazine, you name it), BMW is getting set to test a few hundred special MINIs, each equipped with electric motors (not hybrids). I don’t know about you, but I think it would be nice to bring over the Cooper D until these all-electric MINIs are ready to roll ;).

MINI Press Release (Munich): Over the next months, the BMW Group will be carrying out various series of tests on electrically powered vehicles to determine the alternative drive of the future. Several hundred MINI brand vehicles are being prepared for this. The cars, built in the Oxford plant, will be modified accordingly in Munich and fitted out for trials.
Continue reading BMW To Test Electric MINIs

Mickey & MINI 4: Hotel Rooms Going Fast!

If you are one of the 100+ registrants who have already registered for Mickey and MINI 4 and have been holding off on booking a hotel room at the host hotel, you may want to book ASAP. Rooms are filling up FAST and there are not too many rooms left at the discounted $89/night event rate. To help make sure that as many rooms are available for registrants, the organizers of the event are asking the hotel to honor the special event rate only to those who have actually registered for Mickey and MINI 4. This will help prevent those who try to get the hotel discount without actually supporting the event. Even if you register for the $10 base registration package, you will qualify for the discounted room. So what are you waiting for? Register for Mickey and MINI 4 today and book your hotel room now!

[ Register Now For Mickey & MINI 4 ]

[ Book A Room Now! ]