Cars.com has a cool chart listing the top 10 cars from the 2007 model year that expect to hold the most value on a resale. Given the history of the previous models and their resale values, this is no shock.
Category Archives: Media Coverage
The New MINI Cooper S in Pocket-Rockets Comparison Test
The June 2007 issue of Road & Track compares another gaggle of “hot pocket-rockets”. Included in the test with the 2007 MINI Cooper S are the Honda Civic Si, Mazdaspeed3, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, and Volkswagen GTI, all sporty cars in econobox guise. This is the theme of the twelve-page article.
The test took place on the curvy roads of northern California and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Road & Track testers rated the five cars in several performance categories like acceleration, slalom, skidpad, and braking. Subjective ratings were applied to driving excitement, engine, gearbox, handling, styling, and others. All cars were four-door models except for the MINI Cooper S.
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MINI Clubman Spy Video On The ‘Ring
Check out this video of the new MINI Clubman undergoing final track testing at the ‘Ring’ in Germany. I must say that it does look pretty sharp out there on the track. If I can ever convince my wife to stop driving a minivan, this would be a great addition to my current 1-MINI household! Have any ideas on how I can convince her? I am open to suggestions :).
MINI 50 Years – in Bookstores Soon
Although not due to be released until April 15th according to Amazon.com, yesterday I got my hands on a copy of MINI 50 Years by Rob Golding. Here’s the description from the back cover:
From swingin’ sixties darling to racing champ to twenty-first-century hipster transport, the diminutive Mini has made it big from the first. A favorite among patient, nostalgic drivers and now among new, performance-minded drivers, Mini and MINI seamlessly combine economy and style. With a smart book design as playful as the car that inspired it, MINI 50 Years tells the full story of the iconic car, from its initial launch in the late 1950s through its current superhip BMW-built incarnationóright up to the revised version released in late 2006. The threads that tie together the original Mini and today’s are numerous and fascinatingóalmost as interesting as the differences that set the two cars apartóand MINI 50 Years follows them all.
MINI Cooper Top Performer In South Africa
Wheels24.co.za posted an article today that showed the MINI Cooper was the top choice among passenger cars in South Africa, beating out Mercedes-Benz, which was at the top for the past 3 years:
“Mini and Mitsubishi may have been voted the top buys in the latest Synovate study, but a few local manufacturers experienced a dramatic fall from grace.
The study measures customer satisfaction in four categories, including purchasing of a passenger vehicle and light commercial vehicle, and the servicing of a passenger vehicle and light commercial.
Synovate surveys have been conducted for the last 16 years. The latest findings are for the period January to December 2006.
The Mini Cooper was the top Gold performer when purchasing a passenger vehicle. The little car moved up to the top of the rank following Mercedes-Benz’s virtual dominance at the top of the chart for the past three years.”
Minspeed Featured in AutoWeek
Our very own Pete Foglia from Minspeed has been featured in the latest AutoWeek. The article discusses Pete’s original vision for his shop (formerly MyMini) and how the past few years has led him to where he is now (Minspeed). Also, my good buddy, Luis Gonzalez’s 2005 MINI Cooper S was also featured in the article, sporting quite a few Minspeed goodies. If you have not had a chance to check out Pete’s site, it is located at www.minspeed.net. As someone who sees first-hand what Pete has done for the MINI community, I am glad that Pete is doing well and look forward to the new items he will be rolling out shortly. Keep up the good work Pete!
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!
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.
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.
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100-Year-Old Man Is Oldest MINI Owner
A centenarian from Somerset, Pennsylvania, will become the oldest MINI owner in the US when he takes delivery of his Chili Red MINI.† This MINI will actually be Ernest Trent’s second MINI.† He bought his first one the day before his 96th birthday and drove it 500 miles home.
You can read the story at The Tribune-Democrat.
Mickey and MINI In Modern MINI Magazine
If you recall, back in October, I helped organize Mickey and MINI – a yearly MINI meet at Walt Disney World in Florida. Well, it looks like our little event got published in the March edition of the UK magazine, Modern MINI!! My son actually got featured (see picture below) as well as Scooter. The magazine is set to go on newstands on February 11th, but reports have come in that some stores already have them.
Photo Credit: Steffi Barnett