This has to be one of the coolest ideas I have seen in a long time. Imagine playing football (ok – soccer for us in the US) with a car! Now don’t get me wrong – I am not playing this with my MINI. BUT… I am sure this was a hoot to film. And I bet you that TV ratings for a sport like this would be pretty high. I know I have watched it several times and am sucked in to watching it all the way through eachtime LOL. Thanks to 2phun for this find!
Category Archives: Other Automotive
Video: The NEW Classic Mini w/ John Cooper
Check out this cool video introducing the “new” Classic Mini, featuring John Cooper himself. Special thanks to xxTHIR13ENxx for this find!
Video: Audi Quattro Concept
Ok – at first I was not sure about the looks of this Audio concept… I know I know – it is NOT a MINI, but I have to say it is growing on me after watching this video. Check it out:
Fiat Officials Downplay MINI Comparisons Prior To Fiat 500 Launch
MSNBC.com posted an interesting article regarding the Fiat 500 as it prepares for its launch this Wednesday:
Fiat Auto will be showcasing the rebirth of an iconic car and its own financial revival when it relaunches the Cinquecento city car at festivities around Italy on Wednesday.
In reviving the Cinquecento in multiple versions, with improved technology and a high price for its size, Fiat is following the lead of BMW, which has produced more than 1m Minis since relaunching an upscale version of the car in 2001.
Fiat will offer customers a choice of accessories for their 500s including chrome elements, special wheel rims and upholstery, and Italian-flag graphics, making ñ it says ñ more than 500,000 permutations possible. The carmaker is also aiming for a five-star crash-test rating, ambitious for a car barely 3Ω-metres long.
The Turin-based producer is also billing the Cinquecento as “the manifesto of a ‘new Fiat’.” Under chief executive Sergio Marchionne, the company has swung back into profit and increased its share in a tough European market. Last month Fitch Ratings gave Fiat’s debt its first investment-grade credit rating in four years.
The new Cinquecento’s price, starting at about Ä10,000 ($13,600), will put it towards the top end of Europe’s growing city-car segment, where it will sit alongside models such as the Citroen C1 and Renault Twingo. Company officials try to discourage comparisons with BMW’s luxury Minis, which start at Ä15,850 and go up to Ä21,600 for the Mini Cooper S.
The full article can be found at the following link:
Testing The Fiat 500 Abarth At The Nurburgring
I’ve said it before and I will say it again – I really like this car! Can’t wait to see these here in the states.
Fiat 500 Coming To The US?
By now you know that the Fiat 500 is a car I wish would be made available here in the states. I just think it is a cool little car, like the MINI. Well you can imagine my excitement when I saw this over at MotorTrend:
Fiat is considering whether to send the sporty Abarth version of its new 500 minicar to the U.S., reports Automotive News. The car would be sold without Fiat badges at select Alfa Romeo dealers sometime after 2010. If the plan becomes reality, this would be the first car Fiat has sold in the U.S. since it left the market in 1983.
Set to be launched on July 4, the Fiat 500 is a remake of the automaker’s famous minicar from the 1960s in the vein of the Mini Cooper. Not coincidentally, Fiat sees the Mini as the Abarth 500’s main competition. The Abarth version of the 500 will reportedly come with a 1.4-liter four-banger that could push as much as 150 horsepower, depending upon configuration.
Fiat does have reservations about the long-term willingness of U.S. buyers to buy small cars. CEO Sergio Marchionne points out that previous stints of small-car popularity brought on by high gas prices always ended when prices dropped to a normal level.
Reserve a Smart Car For $99
I know this is not a MINI Cooper, but I think it is “mini” nonetheless. If you want to get a jumpstart on the 2008 Smart car, Smart USA will be taking reservations on their website for $99. If you donít end up buying the car, you get your money back. Prices range from $12,000 – $17,000. If you reserve one, let us know!
New Fiat 500 Coming Soon
Ever since the Disney movie Cars was released, my 2 year old son has developed an affection for the Fiat 500 (in addition to his love for Minis of course!). Luigi is one of his favorite characters. I have to admit, the Fiat 500 has grown on me as well. Just this past weekend, we saw a classic red one parked at a shopping plaza in town. Needless to say, we were both excited and looked it over like kids in a toy store.
Fiat Automobiles released some pictures of the new Fiat 500 coming out on July 4 of this year and I must say – I like it! In my opinion, the new interior slightly resembles some aspects of my 2006 MINI. It is unfortunate that we can not get them here in the states.
[ Fiat.com ]
Fully Functional 1:3 Scale Ferrari 312PB
While we tend to focus on MINIs around here the majority of the time, every now and then something non-MINI-related is sent to us that classifies as “Motoring Fun”. This is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! This guy actually built a fully functional 1:3 scale Ferrari!! According to this video’s YouTube description:
“There are few if any models in the world to rival the Ferrari 312PB built by Pierre Scerri. This 1:3 scale masterpiece is the real thing in every sense, from its operating 100cc 12-cylinder engine to the exact scale operating Ferrari gauges which are calibrated precisely to indicate rpm, oil pressure, water temperature and oil temperature. It took Pierre 15 years and more than 20,000 hours to build this car! He learned to make glass so he could make the exact pattern lens for the operating headlights. He learned to make rubber so he could mold his own tires. The creator of the original gearbox even came out of retirement to produce an exact 1:3 scale version for the model. Featured on Jeremy Clarkson’s Extreme Machines.”
All I can say is – WOW!!! Thanks to beaner for sending this one in!
Daihatsu’s Counterfeit Mini?
I have mixed feelings on this one… On one hand I think this is pretty darn cool that a new car so closely resembles the Classic Mini. On the other hand I am like – WAIT JUST A DARN MINUTE!! What are they thinking trying to copy the Mini?? It has a 58hp engine and can do 0-60mph in 12.2 seconds. I suppose that is not all that bad all things considered, but I am still on the fence on this whole idea… Thanks to Snooter for this find!
[ Daihatsu Trevis @ Autoblog ]