MF Desktop Wallpaper Collection – 7th Edition (Mickey & MINI 4)

Another Mickey & MINI is in the record books and this year was the best one yet!! With 300 of the best MINIacs this side of the Mississippi, Orlando was THE place to be this weekend. It was so nice to see familiar faces from last year and so cool to see so many new faces who, for some, this was their first MINI event ever! I plan on having a full weekend recap once I get my photos retouched (darn camera lens got mucked up and now there are spots on most of my photos :().


Mickey & MINI 4 Wallpaper
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Mickey & MINI 4 Wallpaper
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I am also working on a video from the weekend as well. For now, enjoy the group photo from our Saturday Morning Motoring adventure which led us to the main EPCOT parking lot in front of Spaceship Earth. There were 68 MINIs/Minis that made up this photo. If you look close, you will see we had to double them up and create a second row. Sadly, I am short and did not have a tall platform to get an aerial shot to get all the cars in both rows in the shot (hmmm…. there is always next year ;)).

Audi Driving Experience 2008

First off, let me say I had a blast at the recent Audi Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway. MINI USA could learn a thing or two from Audi with regards to putting on a FREE consumer test drive at the track. I’m not talking about setting up free parade laps and sticking 300 MINIs on the track at one time for a photo-op. Yes the AutoX course at MTTS was fun, but nothing compared to 30 minutes on an actual road course at speeds over 100mph.

Audi Driving Experience 2008

Now, before you watch the video, I have to admit, I drove the Audi a bit “hard” :). I took some turns at speed where I probably shouldn’t have, since the car in front of me was repeatedly braking in the middle of a turn, causing me to step out (sometimes off course) to avoid slamming into him. But hey – the reality is, it wasn’t my car and I wanted to see what the baby could do. Enough said?

I was very impressed with the Audi cars I drove. I started the day driving the 2009 Audi A4 on the speedway. The car handled very nice. Horsepower was “ok”, but I think my MINI had better throttle response and felt like it had more torque.
Continue reading Audi Driving Experience 2008

MC2 Magazine Special Offer

MC2 Magazine Here is something you may be interested in for yourself or a MINIac you may know. Our friends at MC2 Magazine are offering a special of 6 issues for $19.95 for anyone in the US. Also, if you select the standard $24.95 paid subscription for US addresses, they will send you, free of charge, the “Motoring” book by Gary Anderson and Don Racine in addition to the 6-issue subscription of the magazine. The book will be mailed in early October.

This is a limited time and quantity offer that should last through September, 2008. Please note, this offer is not available through their 800# or mail-in personal checks, only via the link below:

[ Subscribe To MC2Magazine ]

Mickey & MINI 4 Event Update

The latest event update e-mail has just gone out. In case your e-mail provider blocked it for some odd reason, here is a copy of the message that was sent out:

Can you believe it? It is time to get ready to “Motor the Magic”!! That’s right, our 4th Annual Mickey and MINI event is less than 1 week away! Please take a moment to print out our “Event Guide” with all the event information you’ll need for the weekend. Make sure you print it out and bring it along. In case the Event Guide attached to this e-mail did not come through, you can download the guide at the following link:

Event Guide Download Link:
http://www.mickeyandmini.com/mm4-guide.pdf

Three special notes to keep in mind:

1. If you are going to participate in the Scavenger Hunt, make sure to bring your digital camera. (and yes the printer option has been deleted this year!!)

2. Don’t forget about our Food Drive to support the local community. (see details on page 4 of the Event Guide)

3. Don’t forget to bring your two-way radios. We will be on channel 7-21 all weekend long and will be using them to make announcements in and around the hotel as well as during the various caravans.

Also, if you are arriving early on Thursday and would like to join the planning team for a fun and unique dining experience, we have made dinner reservations at Trails End @ Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. It is an all-you-can eat buffet with great food and great atmosphere. Dinner usually runs about $20 and we have room for 15 people. We will be departing from the rear parking lot of the Embassy Suites (our host hotel) promptly at 6:30pm to caravan over to the restaurant. Since there is limited seating available, we will do this on a first sign-up basis. If we end up with more than 15, we will call to see if we can increase our reservation, but can’t make any promises. If you want to join us, please add your name to the sign-up list at the following link:

Thursday Night Dinner Info & Sign Up Link:
http://www.sunshineminis.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18356

Thanks and “see ya real soon”

Your dedicated Mickey and MINI planners!!

Video: Sebring Track Weekend 2008

First off, let me apologize for the delay in posting this up. From the moment I got back from Sebring, I have been swamped. The weekend was an absolute blast. We had quite a few MINIs attend this event. Seven of them were running in the Solo / Instructor run group, which made for a fun time. In this video you will see 2 of them. Scooter handled very nice all weekend (even during a short slide through the grass at the end of the video).

I was able to heat cycle my new Nitto NT01’s in preparation for Daytona at the end of October. They definitely changed how the gearing felt due to the taller tire. It will be very interesting to get them out on the Daytona banking where I’ll be able to stretch them out a bit. Hope you enjoy the video and stay off the grass!!! 🙂

Last Call: Mickey & MINI 4 Registration

With just a few days left to get your Mickey & MINI 4 registration in, what are you waiting for? Over 260 MINIacs have already sent in their registrations and are making preparations to converge in Orlando for one huge party!! Don’t delay and make sure you are part of the largest Mickey & MINI yet. For those early birds who will be arriving Thursday, we have made some reservations at a Disney restaurant to kick the weekend off right. Check out the link below to add your name to the Thursday night dinner list. See you there!!

Mickey and MINI 4

[ Mickey & MINI 4 Website ]
[ Mickey & MINI 4 Forum ]
[ Thursday Night Dinner Sign-Up ]

iPhone 3G With R53 MINI’s iPod OEM Adapter

Ok, so I’ve really been enjoying my Mac Pro so much so that I am now waiting for Apple to release their new MacBook Pros to replace my Dell laptop that I use for work. I am also being tempted by the iPhone 3G… Before I make the switch though, I was wondering if someone out there can provide me some info. I have searched the boards and have really not turned up much detail on my exact scenario. So here it is:

I have a 2006 MCS with the OEM MINI iPod Adapter in my glove box. The question I have is will I be able to plug in my iPhone 3G and do the following:

  • Listen to my playlists as I currently do on my Nano
  • Answer the phone via Bluetooth headset when a call comes in without having to mess with the actual phone
  • Utilize some sort of voice dialing application to make calls via the Bluetooth headset without having to touch the phone

The key here is that the iPod adapter is in my glove box and so that’s where my phone will be. It would not be very safe to have to reach in there while driving to place or receive calls. Now… I also have an AUX port so worst case scenario, I could just use that and mount the phone in my cup holder. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome!

UPDATE: I just found this cable extender which may allow me to keep the iPhone outside the glove box too:

http://cablejive.com/extendercable.html

Still would like to hear your responses though!

The MINI Crossover Concept

MINI released some information on their Crossover concept. This is an interesting vehicle for sure. If it really has 4 doors, it will be very cool. However, the price tag is surely to price it out of my range, sadly :(. Check out the press release below:

MINI Crossover Concept

The MINI brand is continuing its overwhelming story of success – now taking a new approach with the MINI Crossover Concept.

This Design Study offers a fascinating outlook at a new facet of the brand powerfully expressed by a truly innovative body concept – the fourth body variant, to be precise, following the classic two-door, the MINI Convertible, and the MINI Clubman.
Continue reading The MINI Crossover Concept