MINIs autocross at Qualcomm Stadium

MINI Coopers rip it up at the BMWCCA Autocross at Qualcomm Stadium



Visit www.MotorkultTV.com for the complete segment.

What is your Carbon Footprint?

And by "your" I actually mean your vehicle. Mine is, like $18/3.2 tons of CO2/year. I guess that's pretty good?!

"[My] car outputs a moderate amount of carbon each year. If all the drivers in [my] range contributed we would offset a million tons of CO2..."

Whats yours? www.carbonfund.org/vw
(don't mind the 'dub...)

Classic Moment: MINIac Birthday

An apology to all you classic MINI lovers. This post has nothing to do with classic MINIs, but rather, a "classic" moment:

The other day I was at a birthday party for one of the hot female members of my MINI club. At the final act of the gift-giving ritual...

S.O. says "close your eyes" and heads to the other room... Birthday Girl closes her eyes for a delightful b-day surprise. Guests wait eagerly.

As S.O. comes out with an unwrapped swaybar box (it did have a ribbon, and a bow!), I thought, "uh-oh, here it comes..." I forgot that Birthday Girl is a MINIac too! Upon opening her eyes, where most girls I know would have said, "um, we need to talk!", her face lights up and she says "Wow! Cool!" Shows you what I know.

Whether or not they had a "talk" later, I'll never know. Nonetheless, I thought that was hilarious! I need to find me a girl like that!

Compare Old and New EPA MPG Estimates

Unless you've been living under rock then you've probably heard of the updated (and most importantly) more accurate MPG Estimates required by our wonderful federal government beginning in 2008. The conversation came up at work today and in doing a little research, I found a great website that allows consumers to compare the old numbers to the new ones. And since I drive a MINI, of course that's the first thing I checked!

source: fueleconomy.gov

Now here's the kicker-- In all of my ongoing MPG estimates (and I'm pretty consistent in keeping them), what's my average MPG? Yep- right about 24-26 MPG! I think this comparision chart will be invaluable to those considering a new vehicle for fuel effiency purposes. Of course it's always important to remember: your mileage may vary.

:bmp:

Racing MINIs (Not to be confused with "racy")

Found an excellent photo gallery tonight, linked to from NAM*...



...with over 100 awesome photos of track and rally MINIs! NICE!
(click the image above to visit!)


*What's NAM?" You say? Why, its NorthAmericanMotoring.com
(" MINI Cooper news, forums, FAQs, and reviews for enthusiasts and owners of the North American MINI Cooper")

Racy MINI Cooper commercial [PG-13]

I was researching the frequency (or lack thereof) of MINI Coopers reported stolen. Instead I found this "suggestive" MINI Cooper commercial.*

Not quite up there with scantily-clad popstars dripping with condiments, it still has all the important "elements":

Racy + MINI = What more can you ask for?

*After closer observation, I'm beginning to think this is one of those cases of "Steal the commercial and put our brand at the end". Not clever at all! I'll still give a shout out to stolengirlfriendsclub.com.

Review: Street Tuner Challenge (Season Two)

DISCLAIMER: I hate mainstream media. I never listen to the radio, rarely go to the movies, and I canceled my Cable subscription 4 years ago and haven't looked back. I'm certainly not the guy you want to review a TV show!


However, now three episodes into "Street Tuner Challenge", I think I've got a pretty good idea of the show enough to provide a few comments. Good or bad, I already know what the finished cars will at least look like, which makes it interesting to watch the show for "show's sake".

Episode One struck me as very MTV-wannabe, very "16-28 male", visually speaking- plenty of seizure-inducing jump-cuts and "ass-high" camera angles (not my word) to suit the Red Bull generation. "Certainly not produced with diehard tuners, racers, or even show-car fans in mind" I said. I found myself hoping for a couple commercials just to remind me I was watching mainstream media.

Episode Two toned it down a bit- Having met most of the FBR guys on many occasions- and I'll admit they're not the staunchest crew out there- in my opinion the production thus far taints the seriousness in which they take the actual under-the-hood aspects of their products in favor of the over-the-top visual designs Hollywood loves so much (the fact that they insist on referring to the FBR team as "the hollywood team" kinda says it right there). Fireball Tim certainly knows how to work the camera and certainly ads to the entertainment value of the show, so it makes for good TV I guess. I really wish I knew more about the other crews and could compare their "treatment".

This week I saw Episode Three and what I percieve as a huge change in direction- Namely, semi-educational? Watching folks remove and disassemble brand new engines and trannys, just to rebuilt them- explaining each step in detail? My friend walks in from the kitchen, stands there for a sec, and says, "Is this the same show?" I was thinking the same thing!

As a fairly new car "enthusiast", I like the different directions each shop is taking their cars and the persona to match is cool too (can you say "executive pre-production meeting"?). As each episode focuses on a different aspevct of building a tuner car- from what I've seen thus far, I think the show will get better (i.e. less camp, more technical) as the season progresses.

At the end of the day, it's just another "reality" TV show designed to space out the commercials and make me think Smirnoff Ice isn't just another flavored malt beverage. If my friend remembers to TiVo them I'll probably watch the rest of the episodes just to give STC/Speed Channel the numbers and validate the MINI brand. (Wow- I could be blatantly pimping my own online show right now, but I got C+ in Marketing!)

As a non-TV-watcher I am interested in other "reviews" of the show as a whole, and if possible, from some of the folks who may be associated with the other teams. As per NDA terms of course.

MINI by Fireballed!
EVO by Skunk2
Focus by FocusSport

streettunerchallenge.tv

Rear-ended on the LIE!

Saw this one on NAM today:

"Today on my way home on the LIE eastbound I was stopped in traffic then got rear-ended by a Ford Explorer which was rear-ended by a person who is in the assigned risk insurance pool. Explorer because its high plowed right into the boot lid and the left rear quarter, I was pushed into the car in front which got pushed into the car in front, in all a 3 car and 2 SUV collision. The cars in front of me took off before the cop arrived..."

I don't know what a LIE is. "Loser In Explorer"? According to the thread (at the time of this posting), no MINI peeps were hurt. If you must follow the thread here it is: [thread]

Pursuit MINI @ SEMA 2007, by Team Fireballed®

Most die-hard MINI fans have already seen the results of Team Fireballed's entry for the 2007 Street Tuner Challenge on the Speed Channel, unofficially dubbed the "Pursuit MINI" or, the "World's Fastest Show MINI". However, as a diehard MINI fan, I couldn't NOT blog it too, now could I?

Check the official Fireball Tim blog for the inside scoop and a slew of "behind the scenes" clips of the making of yet another one-of-a-kind Team Fireballed® showstopper.

FireballTim.com - SEMA.org - STCMINI.com

TOP TEN* things my GPS device doesn't do!

I've had my TomTom Go300 for a little over a year now, and as I am finally starting to use it more and more, I'm discovering many things it doesn't do, that I really wish it did.

I was messing with my friend's $2000 on-board Navigation system in her shiny new 2007 Lexxus recently, and it wasn't that much better than my $300 device. Add the random 5- minutes on various, crippled in-store demo models, thus sums up my personal hands-on experience with navigation devices. If the one in the Lexxus doesn't do it, then I assume no GPS devices have these features. I'd love to get my hands on an upscale portable GPS system for comparison purposes (hint hint!).


For now, I've decided to start my "Top 10 things my GPS device doesn't do!", a work in progress, and in no special order:

1. Remember my Search! When I look up "Claim Jumper" and it shows me the wrong location, to look up another location, I should be able to go back to "Find > POIs..." type a C and it brings up recent searches. I shouldn't have to start all over. Alas, I get to fumble with spelling C-L-I-A.. delete, delete... you get the picture...

2. More U.S. POIs please! While the TomTom comes in $100 less than it's Garmin counterparts, has a cooler name and funnier commercials, the only real differences I've seen in the two brands is that Garmin is quite U.S.-centric while the UK/EU-oriented TomTom brand is a late comer to good ol' USA, and it shows. I was with a friend and he was looking for his bank, the second largest bank in the U.S. My bank is *the* largest U.S. bank. Yet, when I'm looking for an ATM, neither of them show up on the list of 40 banks I've never heard of. Isa this what I get for opting for the TomTom over the Garmin?

3. (Semi) Automatic POI updates. When I look up a POI ("point of interest")- namely an establishment with multiple locations (i.e. a chain store) like, say, "Claim Jumper"; The magic POI genie should notice I like Claim Jumper, and when I connect my device to my computer, it should check the non-existent POI database and download all the Claim Jumpers in the U.S. to my device. Asking first of course...

4. "Current Direction" option. When looking up a POI it defaults to "closest" location; You can change it, but for instance, the other day, the closest location was in the opposite direction I was headed. If the device were smart enough to notice, that'd be awesome. If it were dumb, but knew to ask "... in the direction you're going right now?" that would be nice too (of course, we never mess with our devices while the car is moving, right?)

5. Wifi/integration/access. After I gave up on finding my friend's bank on the TomTom, I pulled out my entry-level cellphone, accessed Yahoo, and found the address in about two minutes. Then I entered in the address in the GPS and was on my way. Wouldn't it be awesome to not have to use my cellphone for that? The TomTom GO300 does allow Bluetooth integration, but having read the manual a dozen times, I already know this is not a feature!


After proofreading a few times, I guess I wish the TomTom Go300 worked more like an iPhone. Then again, I didn't spend $600 on it. Then again, if I had an iPhone, would I need a GPS device? (I mean, once you hack it and install the 3rd party app).

This on-going list (and I promise I'll stop when I get to ten) brings up a few related questions I'll have to search the InterTube for answers:
- How does an establishment get their location in the POI database anyway?
- Can a user recommend POIs to the manufacturer? If so, how?
- Just how much can I hack my GPS device before it stops working?

What are your peeves of your GPS device?

Newsflash: Women Want Cupholders!

Okay, so perhaps it's not an exclusive...

Making the rounds through my favorite websites (a.k.a. procrastination) I came across a recent article at MyRide.com. The topic: "Top Ten Things Women Like About Cars". Among the list are things you'd expect like Safety and Comfort, Efficiency and Safety, and Convenience. A good read for those who hope to one day proclaim they've figured out women. I for one wasn't entirely enlightened. I mean, except for the cupholders, that is. That blew my mind.

Photo courtesy of MyRide.com

"As a woman with children, cupholders are a must…the kind that adjusts to keep spills to a minimum."

Get the full story at MyRide.com. Then come back and tell us your thoughts!

How To: Rear Badge Removal [PICS]

In a fit of boredom inspiration, I decided to remove the rear badging from my beloved MINI (To take photos of the process was an afterthought. Sorry for the crappy cellphone quality).

The rear badge we know and love...

Step One: Tape off with Painter's Tape (optional but recommended)...

Dental Floss (The cheap kind. Don't use this.)

Step Two: Floss Gently.


Trivia: Floss goes through fingernails better than double-sided tape...

The process continues...

Badge Removed. But you're not done yet!...

The aftermath... Rear Badge, preserved for future use; and about 3 feet of (cheap) dental floss...

Back to work on the tape... Don't use this! (duh)

Plastic scraper from "goo-gone" kit. Better? (note the question mark)

Step Three: Wet & Scrape, repeat as needed...


Looking good! (but only because you can't see the scratches left behind! Grrrr!)...

Step Four: Cut & Polish... (this did not remove the scratches completely!) :(


Wax on, wax off... (Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax, not shown)

The result:




Estimated time: 15-30 minutes.

Supplies used:

• Blue Painter's Tape
• Dental Floss
• Goo-gone® kit (liquid & scraper)
• Meguiar's Speed Glaze + applicator
• Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax (not shown) + microfiber

Tips I learned: If you have all the correct supplies BEFORE you begin, you can probably crank it out in about 15 minutes.

Things I wish I knew before I started: How the heck do you remove the double-sided tape remnants without leaving scratches?

Mission Zero starring Uma Thurman

That's right folks, it's the second* Pirelli Film production, featuring Ms. Uma Thurman...
and the Pirelli PZERO, of course!

www.pirellifilm.com

*Yes, that's right- there was a first one!

Alex Roy's BMW M5... drool...

Photo courtesy of Wired.com

Long before I had any interest in cars, I was the biggest technology fan and gadget freak I know. That has only subsided a bit in favor of the occasional go-fast mod and a penchant for a spotless and shiny MINI!

Imagine my excitement this morning as I read the Wired.com article about Alex Roy (who I now classify as "some crazy Manhattan-ite"), hellbent on beating the U.S. coast to coast speed travel record. Straight out of the movies (Cannonball Run), inspired by a movie (C'était un Rendez-vous), it became a movie, "32 Hours, 7 Minutes." And now I can't wait it to own it- and a couple "road-friendly" gadgets I never knew I wanted. Until now.

If you don't agree this is the the coolest BMW M5 ever, then you're probably not a gadget freak. Enjoy the full-length article anyway, and more video clips at Wired.com and 32Hours7Minutes.com.

(How does one obtain a bumper-mounted, thermal imaging night-vision camera, anyway?)

Dead Key Fix. Best MINI Tip Ever! (so far)

A NAM* member writes:

"...my key stopped working in that the remote lock/unlock feature is not working... Can I fix this myself, or must I take the key to the dealer?"

Now of course, if you ask the dealer, he might say "...and that's $200 for the new key, $50 for re-programming, and you can pay the girl at the desk."

Thankfully we've got InterWeb®, with the power to connect like-minded people(s). And we all know by now there is never a problem someone has not already experienced and written about. And this is where "Steve" comes in (if that is his real name).

Steve responds with:

"The problem is that one of your keys lost it's association with the car. It is not a dead or defective battery. It has happened to me twice in the past year. You need to have all the keys with you when you get in the car. Step 1..."

Sure I could copy, paste, and repost the whole breakdown here, but that would be a) rude, b) stealing (sort of), and c) not giving our buddy Steve his "props" (my staff make me say that).

*Go read the 4 minute solution yourself over at NorthAmericanMotoring.com. You'll be glad you did. And when you need to use it, tell Steve "thanks"!

MOTOR-TOBER 2007!

What a novel concept- October as "National Get Out and do Something Fun with Your MINI Month?", sponsored by "your local MINI dealer"? Sheer Genius! Of course, I already knew about the Mountain Rally going on in my vicinity like, three months ago. Alas the pesky day job... :(

Oh yeah, and don't forget to sign "The Waiver"
(Click for closer view.)

Waiver and MOTOR-Tober event listing, available at your local MINI Dealer and MINIUSA.com)

Revisited... "Mutant steals Mini Cooper for Joy Ride"

Gotta love "The Paper"*...




*five points for who ever can reference that quote! :)

Der Vergleich!

You know you're waist deep in the "internet age" when you somehow stumble upon a Japanese website with German content about a car made in the UK.




Incidentally, "Vergleich" means "comparison". But you probably figured that out already! Of course, if I were on my Macintosh, I'd have pasted in the Japanese text as well.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Blog Plug: MINIs on MotorkultTV!

Is it a Blog? A podcast? A TV show? MotorkultTV crosses boundaries to present a new take on the "car culture" scene. Why do we care?

Shot on location at the "Big So Cal Euro Gathering IV", episode 3 of MotorkultTV features some MINI owners and their "rrrrrriiiiiiidddddddeeeee" (said in thick german accent)

MotorkultTV.com
SoCalEuro.com

Photo Break

I found some "fairly recent" photos! Finally!




plus de photographies pour votre divertissement
mehr Fotographien für Ihre Unterhaltung
più fotografie per il vostro intrattenimento
más fotografías para su hospitalidad
너의 오락을 위해 사진 더