Used Cars Make A Comeback, MINI Dominates

Today Forbes.com discusses the increase in used car values for older, fuel-efficient vehicles. I about lost it when I read:

"...This year's Mini Cooper buyers expecting to find a lower-priced used 2007 Mini were in for a big surprise. They paid, on average, $2300 more for a used Mini in mid-June, a 12% increase over the average transaction price on Jan. 1 of this year..."

Twelve percent? Twelve percent?! Since January?! Well, you know how I am-- I immediately got distracted from the article and had to get an update on the ol' "Kelly Blue Book vs. Payoff" challenge for my own MINI. The results? Wait for it...


Kelly Blue Book, Private Party, Excellent Condition: $21,945*
Current payoff (after 3 years of payments): $15,662.73*

That's right folks by these numbers, not only have I only lost about $6,000 in value after three years of ownership- if I sold it today, I'd make it all back! Yeah, I know I probably missed something in the math there somewhere. Feel free to correct me. Meanwhile, excuse me while I laugh my a** off for a second and do a little dance...

Forbes continues:

"Dominating the list of 15 fuel-efficient used cars making a comeback is the Mini Cooper with four model years, including 2005 ($1,900 average transaction price increase, or 11%); 2006 ($1,600 average transaction price increase, or 10%); and 2004 ($1,050 average transaction price increase, or 7.4%)..."

Yeah, I had to include that part in there too. But in all fairness, its not all about the MINI. Check out the entire article for some jaw-dropping, cork-popping numbers! Well, I guess that depends on what you drive.

*(Figures are for comparison and commentary purposes only.)

Related Links:

• Forbes.com
• KBB.com
• MINIUSA.COM

Can a Hornet sting the MINI?

A few articles I ran across today question if the Dodge Hornet (concept) is specifically aimed at taking a piece of the MINI Cooper market.

"We wanted the Hornet to be dynamic, nimble, fun to drive, and have an adaptable space-efficient interior," said Mark Moushegian, Principal Exterior Designer. "At the same time we set out to create a vehicle with a uniquely American character to expand the image and presence of the Dodge brand in Europe and international markets, especially in the entry-level market."

Underhood is a 1.6L 16-valve OHC supercharged I/C four-cylinder engine putting out 127 kW (170 hp)/224 N•m (165 lb.-ft.) of torque @ 4000 rpm.

"Like the exterior, the interior is geared around young rally enthusiasts," said John Sodano, Principal Interior Designer. "Our intention was to maximize the interior volume by pushing all interior surfaces to the perimeter of the vehicle as much as possible. I studied images of space capsule interiors, since they are designed for high efficiency in a limited space. I wanted the Hornet inside to have a functional, 'engineered' look, but with pleasing surfaces and materials."

My two cents? Um, just look at that front end. And the back end. And the interior.


Form your own opinion by reading the articles in full at the links below!

Related Links:

• The Official Dodge Hornet website
• cartoday.com
• minicooperreviews.com

LifeBall MINI Auction Closes at 45,000 EUR

When the eBay auction closed on June 15th, some lucky Austrian fella (or fraulein) became the proud owner of the one-of-a-kind Life Ball MINI 2008 by Agent Provocateur.


Closing at 45,000 Euros (equiv. $69,700 USD), that's a pretty good deal for a custom MINI Cooper Clubman! In addition to the hand-stitched leather interior, custom graphics and paint and of course, bragging rights- proceeds from this auction go toward international AIDS charities, which is a pretty cool statement right there!

The winning bidder will also receive two VIP tickets, including overnight accommodation, for the MINI Challenge Finale on 27 September 2008 at the Salzburgring race track.

Not a bad deal for 70 grand! I would certainly take it over a 7-Series any day!


Related Links:

• LifeBall MINI
• LifeBall.org
• Agent Provocateur

Video Friday: R56 Autocross...

Found on NorthAmericanMotoring.com...

"I get good comments like 'that can't be stock!' 'what do you have in that thing?' I'm pretty sure most of those guys think I'm a liar. My answer always is 'look at the ride height, if It wasn't stock would I have it riding so high' ..."

Norcal UFO Autox 2007 Mini Cooper S from Brendan on Vimeo.

Related Links:

• NorthAmericanMotoring.com

MINIUSA.COM Visitor Traffic up 90%. Attributes Rising Fuel Prices

filed under "you could see it coming a mile away"...


Auto-blog site, Cars.com reports that 900,000 people went to miniusa.com in May 2008?!

"Maybe it was the recent introduction of the Clubman, but MINI is saying, nope, it’s high fuel prices that have driven traffic to its website to increase nearly 90%. Last month, more than 900,000 people went to miniusa.com to check out the Cooper lineup. Searches for new Mini Coopers were also up on Cars.com, nearly 40% in May compared to April 2008."

The article continues on to cite mileage estimates in comparison to other cars in the same class. Friends of "Bushfinger MINI" will recall more realistic, real-world mileage statistics conducted by yours truly!

Read the full article at cars.com

Related Links:

• Cars.com
• MINIUSA.com
• Bushfinger MINI - Mileage Log

Video Friday: Thumb-sized R/C MINI Cooper

Thinkgeek.com is one of my favorite sites to look at stuff I'll never buy. I might actually buy this thumb-sized R/C MINI Cooper though!

Related Links:

• Thinkgeek.com

Video Friday: 2008 JCW Cooper vs. JCW Clubman

Cars.com asks, "Which MINI is best for Suburban Dads?"

Cars.com's Patrick Olsen compares the 2008 Mini Cooper S, Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman to see which one is the best for a suburban dad.

Related Links:

• Cars.com
• MINIUSA.com

Clubman, xB, and Smart ForTwo- compared?

Tell me Cars.com did not just compare the 2008 model MINI Cooper Clubman, Scion xB, and Smart ForTwo?!


How on earth could they? I mean, these models have nothing in common. Well, except for each counting as "Iconic". Or as Cars.com writers put it,

"Some cars are merely popular, like the Toyota Camry, while others have a rabid following in which the car is more than just a car. The three cars below fall into the latter category, and we're here to see which has the best odds to win over the hearts and minds of its owners."

Okay- I'll accept that. With categories like "Biggest head-turner" and "Cabin aesthetics", this is not your typical comparison. And the results may astound you!

Visit Cars.com for a complete, and admittingly- quite unique look at three otherwise totally uncomparible 2008 models.


Related Links:

• Cars.com
• MINIUSA.com
• Scion.com
• smartusa.com

Life Ball 2008 MINI [Video]

Yep, again with the Agent Provocateur MINI... but, it's so hot! Or is it the women?





Here's some heartwarming text to offset any NSFW guilt you may be experiencing:

The Life Ball MINI is traditionally designed by the fashion designer to whom the fashion show at the opening event is dedicated - in 2008 this was the English lingerie label Agent Provocateur. The starting point chosen for the exclusive one-off design was the new MINI Clubman. Agent Provocateur, founded by Serena Rees and her husband Joseph Corre, son of fashion doyenne Vivienne Westwood, is known for its wicked, burlesque collections - and this year’s Life Ball MINIM was designed accordingly.

Exterior/interior:
"We really enjoyed giving the MINI Clubman our unique brand look. The new shape of the MINI is so reminiscent of the old Mini police car that we immediately came up with the idea of giving the interior a makeover in the Agent Provocateur style, so that you’d actually want to be arrested. The classic exterior has been pepped up a little, using the Agent Provocateur signature colours of Pink and Black and finished off with a pink flashing light. Inside there is a truly seductive prison cell which is fitted out with leather loops as manacles that are attached directly to the walls, as well as mirrored windows and metallic prison bars.

"Always under the assumption that the long arm of the law requires plenty of space when questioning a prisoner, we fitted our Agent Provocateur police MINI Van with couch seats in the back and leg restraints for forensic examinations. The quilted leather seats and tailor-made compartments for notebook and pen, the Agent Provocateur MINI police car is the perfect vehicle for finding a criminal’s hidden treasures, don’t you think?" says Joseph Corre, founder of lingerie label Agent Provocateur.

The designer MINI 2008 made its debut in front of 40,000 spectators at this year’s Life Ball in Vienna’s town hall square. Escorted by four models, with Joseph Corre at the wheel and Sophie Ellis Bextor as the front-seat passenger, the Life Ball MINI 2008 opened the fantastic show on Vienna’s town hall square.
[source: lifeball.org]




Related Links:

• www.agentprovocateur.com
• www.lifeball.org
• eBay.at

Agent Provocateur's hot hot Clubman!

The Agent Provocateur MINI Clubman. Not a totally new topic, and maybe even a bit over-covered (and under-dressed), but hey- still tres chic in my opinion... (click photos for larger view)

(Photos courtesy Jalopnik.com and LifeBall.org)

"The Agent Provocateur Clubman was built as the Life Ball 2008 MINI. As in the years before MINI chose a trendy designer to create a unique MINI to be auctioned off on eBay to raise funds for Europe's largest AIDS charity from the 5th of June. The auction ends on Sunday 15th June at www.ebay.at."

Visit the any of the 200+ articles for a thorough review, and even more racy photos...

Related links:

• AgentProvocateur.com
• LifeBall.org

MINI CHALLENGE Series For Sale?

What the what?!?!?! Okay, not exactly...

Specifically, today I read that Motorsport Event Management (MEM), the agency contracted to run the Australian MINI CHALLENGE, has been put up for sale by its current owner.


While one of the fastest growing iterations of the MINI CHALLENGE (they speak English y'know!), the Australian automotive blog site, ausmotive.com reports that this sale is actually a result of the MEM owner's desire to focus on his own "multiple racing teams". I'll accept that! (how one finances, "multiple racing teams" is a different story altogether!)

"MINI is confident that any sale of MEM will be to a suitable purchaser who will continue to manage the increasingly popular MINI CHALLENGE series..."

--- BMW Group Australia, MINI National Manager, Justin Hocevar

For the full story check out ausmotive.com, one of my new favorite sites!

Related links:

• ausmotive.com
• minichallenge.com.au
• sherrinmotorsport.com.au

AC Schnitzer's 226-hp MINI Cooper Clubman S

AC Schnitzer does have a pretty good reputation at tuning MINIs. So I don't know why I didn't think I was going to be as excited about AC Schnitzer's tuned MINI Cooper Clubman S as I was.

Some specs:

• 226-hp
• 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels
• spoiler treatments
• diesel option(s)

And it looks, oh so sweet!

photos borrowed from egmcartech.com

The price? Well, if you have to ask... (€ 39.035)

Read the full story at egmcartech.com

MINI of Charleston Team Picks Up Track Record

Found at the Post and Courier (from Charleston, SC):

While unable to claim wins last month in Virginia, the Mini of Charleston racing team did pick up a track record, with Robbie Davis averaging 84.692 miles per hour in a 2005 Mini Cooper S. Davis took two second places in the weekend races at the 3.27 mile Virginia International Raceway in Danville. The track record came on a lap in the Sunday race. The team returns to action in May 17-18 at Summit Point Raceway in Summit Point, W. Va.

Read the full story at: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/may/10/whe40358/

(oh wait, that was the full story!?)

Related links:

• Charleston Post and Courier
• Mini of Charleston
• Summit Point Raceway
• Virginia International Raceway - www.virclub.com

MINI Turbo engine to power BMW 1-series?

MotorTrend reports BMW plans to outfit (non-U.S.) 1-Series' with the turbo four-cylinder from the Mini Cooper S. Yeah, we never get the good stuff:

(Image courtesy of MotorTrend.com)

In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said the Munich company will include both normal and turbo versions of the 1.6-liter four-cylinder in the next-generation 1 Series, though whether they will be available across the model lineup or just on specific cars remains to be seen. Both the turbo and 118 horsepower base engine are currently available in the second-generation Mini, as well as versions of the Peugeot 207 hatchback, wagon, and hardtop convertible.

Oh yeah, and some jazz about a 7-Series hybrid. But, who can afford a 7-Series in the first place?

Read the full story at Motortrend.com (http://wot.motortrend.com/6246143/auto-news/bmw-1-series-will-get-mini-engine-hints-at-7-series-hybrid/index.html)

NYT asks, "GP MINI: An instant collectible?"

Within in the last month or so I have seen photos of two out of the 415 U.S. issued GP MINIs crashed on the Internet and a third in real-life (and in real time no less!). Meanwhile, the question of whether the GP MINI, or as it is officially billed, the "Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit" qualifies as a true "collectible" has surfaced not only on a recent episode of White Roof Radio, but just today in an interesting editorial from New York Times writer Richard Chang:

(Photo courtesy: toddsmods.com)

"When carmakers label something as limited edition, it typically means they’ve added leather and slapped on some chrome badging to spark sales in the middle of a model cycle. For example, you don’t see Ford Mustang Bullitt editions going for anywhere near the $31,075 sticker on eBay (and this is a brand new car).

Could the Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit (its official name) be different?...

In two years, the GP Kit, according to my friend, had become a collector’s item. “People bought them and stored them in their garage,” he said. Really? An instant collectible? I brought this up to Vincent Kung, a Mini product spokesman, who wrote back, “The GP, yes, has been selling for more than sticker. I saw a used former press car for sale at a local dealer at $36,000...”

As always New York Times' online editions are a pretty good read. I encourage you to enjoy the full article and let us know what you think!

New York Times: Mini's Instant Collectible

No MINI COOPERS in Grand Theft Auto IV?

The most anticipated game of 2008, one of the coolest popular cars in the world. You'd think there would be room for the two in one game?

Searching the internets I finally came across this short (maybe fake) clip of the cars to be featured in the latest release for Rockstar Games, "Grand Theft Auto IV, Liberty City"

Siddhartha Waxes Poetic on New MINI Blog

Many of us in the MINI community know all to well that fellow MINI driver (and now official race car driver), Jerry "Siddhartha" Bradbury has quite a way with words.

(photo courtesy of newmini.wordpress.com)

Now as a contributing writer to the blog at MiniMania.com, Jerry waxes poetic on his experiences as a sponsored driver in the 2008 U.S. Touring Car Championship series. Here's a recent excerpt:

Infineon Raceway, April 11, 2008

It’s quiet tonight under this hill in Sonoma. A few lights gleam and the faint tink-tink-tink of a hammer sounds from some hidden pit area where work continues as it always does on a race car. Bright stars look down on a few early arrivals and the air is redolent of hay and the sea. All through the night the transporters pull in, towing their brightly colored cars. They’ve come from Oregon, Utah, Nevada and all parts of California to become a part of this temporary community, to see old friends, to make new ones, to race. Dawn reveals a small village sprung up over night. There are streets, traffic, pedestrians, wives, sweethearts, kids and dogs. Cars of all descriptions, from daily drivers to factory sponsored racecars have become the focus of attention as they are prepared to go on track. An air of festivity prevails over this day at the races, but an undercurrent of the potential for violence and wreckage is present as well as the tow truck rumbles slowly around the perimeter like a bright red velociraptor, tail high, looking for prey.

Oh yes, and he talks a lot about racing and specs and such too. For a well-written inside look into the world and mind of an up-and-coming track driver, Jerry's contributions to the MINI Mania blog at newmini.wordpress.com can't be beat!

Related links:

• newmini.wordpress.com
• MiniMania.com
• www.ustcc.com

Plus, I've been begging for a suitable opportunity to say "wax poetic" for a couple days now. :)

MINI Cooper Tops 'Best Affordable Tech Cars'

Today a friend pointed me to a CNET.com articles that rates the "Best Affordable Tech Cars".

"When a car costs $100,000, you expect a cabin filled with the latest gadgets. The trick is getting good cabin tech in an affordable car, the kind that most people drive. We're very impressed when we see a navigation system in a car that costs less than $30,000. Good stereos make an appearance at many different price ranges. Sure, these cars often won't have all the tech you could want, but a few quality components make them true tech cars."

Of the seven cars that made the list (including the Volvo C30 and Nissan Altima Coupe), yeah- the MINI Cooper grabs the #1 spot with a 9.3 out of 10. Or as CNET put it, "Spectacular"! (But we knew that, didn't we!)

"Good-looking and one of the most fun cars on the road, the 2007 Mini Cooper S is well-engineered throughout. While we were impressed by the audio and handling, these can be made even better with an optional premium speaker system and a limited slip differential."

Visit CNET.com for the full list and a pretty good video review of the 2007 MINI Cooper.

MINI Takes The States 2008! Registration now Open!

If you are a new MINI Owner, a non-MINI owner, or just been living under the overpass the last two years, you may be saying "what is 'MINI Takes The States'?" In my own words, it's a four-part, nationwide party sponsored by good ol' MINI USA! In their words...

Two years ago, MINI Takes the States motored coast-to-coast with thousands of MINI Owners and enthusiasts joining up for a legendary motoring extravaganza. This year, though, everyone hoped even more folks could get in on the fun. So MINI owners voted to visit four U.S. cities for four separate weekends of good times, including the chance to drive a MINI on an aggressive autocross course.

Plus, the net proceeds from registration fees are all going to help out a regional MINI Motoring Hearts ™ charitable organization. So mark your calendars for one or more of these unforgettable events, register today and start picking your co-pilots...

Highlights in each city will include:

* MINI Parking Corral at festival grounds
* MINI-Autocross Test Drive
* Live festival entertainment
* Headliner band Saturday night
* The “Bootload of Fun Zone” with activities for all ages
* MINI Vendor Village
* An official MTTS Welcome Kit for each paid attendee
* Friday night Meet & Greet (MINI Owners only)
* Rise and Shine Saturday Rally (MINI Owners only)


And the list goes on! (click here for the rest)...

This event takes place in MIAMI, BOSTON, CHICAGO, and L.A. Now, here's the kicker- EVERYONE IS INVITED – EVEN IF YOU DON’T OWN A MINI!!

Now that's marketing, baby!

MiniTakesTheStates.com