DimON

There is something elementally fun about mud. Rally drives and off-roaders have known about it for years. But few of us have ever had a chance to some go all out down muddy trails. Recently I had an opportunity to take the MF Countryman long-term tester out to the muddy trails and dirt roads of rural Indiana. The goal was to test the All4 system. But somehow I ended up with me, an hour later, drifting around muddy corners steering the R60 with the throttle. We’ve told you about the control the All4 system gives the Countryman. However in the dirt and mud, control leads to a car that feels surprisingly neutral and balanced. The reason starts with All4 itself. The system control unit is fully integrated into the DSC unit and thus transfers data much faster than a typical system. In the real world (in the mud and snow) this allows the system to react to changing traction much faster. This is what gives it the seamless, balanced feel. It’s also what allowed me to concentrate on the car control rather than worrying about putting the power down. All4 engages a small clutch in the front detecting wheel slip when engaging the rear driveshaft. Unlike BMW’s xDrive, it’s a simple (but very effective) system that doesn’t use complex electronics. It’s not quite the center differential locking system in a car like the WRX STI, but it is a simple, lightweight system that works quickly and effectively in sending up to 50% of the available power to the rear wheels. Whether it’s mud or snow, the Countryman All4 does away with MINI’s typical understeering characteristics and gives the driver the ability to steer with the wheel and the throttle. The results are pure joy. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Всем привет. Прямо сейчас на Клубном Сервисе появилось одно приглашение на 2 лица презентацию Jaguar XKR-S. Информация о мероприятии www.jaguarxkr-s.ru Если у кого есть желание, звоните на +7905 737 6666, резервируйте и забирайте. Спасибо AnKo

Поздравляем нашего 100ого клиента Яну (Yahoo). В течении всего этого и следующего года, Яна будет мыть машину на Сервисе бесплатно.

Back in September during the MINI Coupé press launch in Nashville, I got to drive several Coupés with a variety of specs. There were JCW cars, regular Cooper S Coupés and a variety of colors to choose from. What each car had in common, however, was MINI Connected w/Nav, and a MINI-supplied iPhone with a pre-release version of the MOG app installed. While I wasn’t previously aware of MOG’s on-demand music service, its main rival, Spotify, had just launched in the US a few weeks earlier. So I was at least familiar with the concept. Additionally, this was my first real chance to use MINI Connected for an extended period of time, so I didn’t have any pre-conceived bias as to how it should or shouldn’t work. While they weren’t on my radar, MOG actually started in 2005 and had an iPhone app before they partnered with MINI to integrate into MINI Connected. Additionally, MOG is one of the first 3rd party apps to come to MINI Connected since its debut last year. Like the Pandora app, this new version of the MOG app relies on the iPhone for data connectivity, but allows listeners to access the app’s functions without having to fiddle with their iPhone. Now I’m not going to get into how MOG compares to Spotify, or Apple’s iCloud, or any of the myriad other ways you can you can get your tunes through your mobile phone. What I’m going to focus on instead is what it was like to use MOG as integrated into MINI Connected. Basically, it was extremely easy. With the MINI-provided iPhone plugged in, using MOG was just like using any of the other audio sources already available through the MINI Connected interface. Once connected, MOG appeared on the screen as a source like satellite radio, CD or music stored on my iPhone. Since I was in Nashville, it only seemed appropriate to play some Johnny Cash as I got to know the Coupé. Because MOG uses the MINI Connected interface, I was able to use the text selection wheel to search for Cash, then choose an album. Ring of Fire, obviously. Playback started within two to three seconds — about as long as it takes a CD to find a track and start playing. (For those who don’t know what a CD is, ask your parents.) Music quality was good, especially mated to the H/K speakers. Even though I was driving in areas both rural and urban, I never experienced any buffering pauses or skips in playback on the Verizon iPhone they’d included in the car. I listened to the whole album, and this included a few stops. MOG paused and resumed what I was listening to without being asked. My only quibble with the experience was that once I got to the end of the album, the app simply replayed the last track over and over. While not a bug (I don’t think) it seemed like a strange choice. Still, it’s a minor thing and the current app may behave differently. Oddly, it was my own iPhone that actually informed my experience with MOG most of all. I had some specific music of my own I wanted to listen to (music I looked for first on MOG but didn’t find), so I unplugged the MINI-supplied Verizon iPhone and plugged in my own. Accessing the music I wanted on my own device was exactly the same experience as finding and listening to music on MOG. That’s where it clicked. By integrating into MINI Connected, MOG has put the cloud in your car stereo and there are no extra hoops to jump through. There’s nothing to fiddle with. Just log into the iPhone app, plug in, and off you go. Easy. I like easy. So if you’re one who likes a music-on-demand service such as Spotify or MOG, and you spend a lot of time in your MINI, the MOG app for MINI Connected might be just what you’re looking for. More than anything, my experience with the app simply reinforced our opinion here at MotoringFile that MINI’s future-proofing strategy with MINI Connected is bang on. With the platform now open to third party apps, the best is yet to come. Meanwhile, MOG is another high quality arrow in the MINI Connected quiver. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

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Дорогие друзья, многие из вас знают про или уже участвуют в акции MINI-ликбез. Суть экшена в том, что вы помогаете "диким" владельцам MINI узнать про Клубный Сервис. Тем самым вы помогаете и нам, Клубному Сервису, привлекая новых людей. Для участия нужно взять на Сервисе или на завтраке (когда они там есть) дырявую карточку с пипликом с подбитым глазом и резинку. На карточке нужно написать свой ник и далее вешать карточку на водительскую дверную ручку. Когда новоиспечённый пипл приезжает на сервис с Вашей карточкой, вы получаете бал в копилку. Спасибо всем кто уже принял участие. Призываем остальных вливаться. На сегодняшний день у нас 2 лидера: mariarti и Vikkionly. Конкурс продлевается до 17 декабря. Награждение пройдёт на специальном Клубном мероприятии. Маленькие призы и сувениры получат все, чьи карточки появятся на Сервисе.

Если про въезд на территорию для сдачи или получения авто, то не проблема.

Ребята, есть у кого ещё хорошие фотки?

MINI Motorsports News caught up with MINI WRC driver Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle about their outlook for the 2012 season. With two podium finishes, it’s been a very strong first season back in rally racing. As the team prepares for next year’s races, MINI fans are as hopeful as Kris and Paul appear to be. Full interview after the jump. Can you believe that your maiden WRC season is already over? Kris: We did not start until Rally Sardinia in May and had another two-month gap before Finland, so we had to be a bit patient at the beginning. Of course, a driver wants to compete in all rallies. In the final part of the season, our pace was getting better and better. Dani had two podium finishes, you won the power stage in Spain and almost finished 3rd at the Rally GB, so you must be satisfied with the way the season progressed. Kris: It was a good season. I don’t think anybody expected us to get such good results. Dani’s podiums on tarmac, in particular, were definitely ahead of where we thought we would be this season. As for Paul and myself, coming back from 11th overall to battle for third place up to the very last stage at the Rally GB was also great. So hopefully we can battle for more podiums in the future. From the start it was a learning year for the MINI WRC Team, but also for the two of you, as you basically had to write your pace notes from scratch at almost every rally. As there are 13 rallies scheduled for 2012, there is more work to be done. Paul: Yes, it will be mid-season next year before we return the rallies we contested this year. We have been to Monte Carlo, which will be the opening rally of the 2012 season, and have also visited a couple of other rallies this season where we already gathered some recce information. However, many rallies will be new territory for us again next year. At the same time, driving many rallies on brand-new pace notes never prevented you from being fast this year either. Kris: Well, some of the stages were new to everybody else too. We were a bit further down on some of the stages in Finland and Germany that had been used many times before, but with the results that we got this season in general I don’t think we could have asked for much more. What were the highs and lows of the season? Kris: Winning the power stage in Spain was definitely a high for us. The low was certainly France, when we crashed at a point when we were probably going for a podium finish. This was disappointing. But we certainly learned from that rally, bounced back from it and ended the season with two good finishes. You said that you bounced back from the setback in France. Actually, it seemed as if you were starting with a whole new, more relaxed approach to the rallies. Kris: Generally speaking we wanted to approach every rally in the same way and learn from it. But in France we were running inside the top five before we crashed out. So we learned from that too. In Spain we did not have the pressure on our shoulders anymore and were able to enjoy the rally a bit more, which worked very well for us. Is that also going to be the way you approach things next season? Kris: Rally Monte Carlo and Rally Sweden are going to be very difficult and it is easy to make mistakes there. Then it is Mexico, which is all new to us. So yes, we will be taking a similar approach to the start of next season. Now it is the off-season. What are you going to be working on? Kris: For the next four or five weeks we will be working on getting ready for Monte Carlo. Plus, right after Christmas, we will do another test. Then it is a case of getting the recce preparations ready, discussing things with Dani and Carlos and the rest of the team. It is also important to stay in shape because after Monte Carlo the rallies come one after the other. So we have quite a bit of work to do. Paul, communication is so important during the rallies. Anything you are looking to work on here? Paul: No, we are setup and ready to run. The communication in the car works perfectly, the team is doing a great job on the radio and we have the latest technology on the intercom. So this is all fine. So what do you personally expect from next season? Kris: We are looking forward to putting everything in place to have a successful season. We will develop the car a bit more. We will gain some more experience. So I hope we can be challenging for a top place on the podium. But it is not going to be easy to do that at world championship level. I think we need to get back to the rallies we know from this year, where we were already strong, and to get top results there. To do this, however, we must first get all the bits and pieces in the right place. Speaking of the MINI John Cooper Works WRC, was the initial positive impressions of the car that you got from all the preseason test drives confirmed by its performance during the rallies? Kris: With the MINI WRC it was also a learning season for us. And you only know how good you are when you put yourself up against the opposition. This is the only thing that counts. We had minor technical issues this year, but the team very quickly got on top of this. During the final three rallies both cars proved to be very reliable and fast. If we push our overall performance a bit more, we will have another successful season. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

The current 1.6L MINI engine wasn’t quite born out of the strange bed-fellow partnership that the previous power plant was. The Tritec came to MINI from of Chrysler (where it was engineered and designed in Detroit) via Brazil (where it was produced). It just so happened that it turned out to be a robust and characterful power plant that suited the R50 and R53 rather well. In comparison the Prince family of engines has quite the pedigree. Designed and engineered by key members of the same team that had just finished work on the famed M54 inline six BMW engine, the Prince engines introduced MINI to a number of new technologies. BMW even enlisted the help of the then BMW F1 team and some of their engineers when it came to a few key components within the JCW version. Motorsports and the Prince engine started in 2008 with the updated MINI Challenge car. First shown in the summer of 2007 at MINI United (teased actually) the engine found under the bonnet was essentially a freer breathing version of the forthcoming JCW MINI. In JCW street guise the turbo four made 210 bhp. And while that was down on the Tritec JCW power plant (which made due with 211 bhp) torque was way up. In all it was the fastest MINI made yet. But that wasn’t the end of the Prince’s motorsport involvement. Fast forward to 2010 when both BMW and MINI race cars debuted with the 1.6L turbo Prince under the hood. For the MINI this was in the form of the 300 hp WRC Countryman. However with BMW it was (surprisingly) in the form of a rear wheel drive 310 bhp, 310 lb-ft BMW 320 TC. Yes that means tranverse mounted 1.6L is turned sideways and mounted in typical BMW fashion (longitudinally). BMW then went even further and put the revised MCS Prince engine (code named the N18) into the rear wheel drive F20 1 Series BMW. That engine (using the BMW code-name N13B16), is mounted transversely powering the rear wheels. It features two different tunes: the 116i with 136 hp and the 118i with 170 hp. The engine characteristics are slightly more refined to better suit the BMW brand. What does all of this mean? For starters there will be a greater emphasis at BMW on developing the Prince family of engines in the years ahead. It’s also clear that BMW sees a bright and increasingly high performance future for some Prince engines. Last year the Cooper S turbo got a sizable boost thanks to BMW’s famous variable valve timing. Next year we expect that upgrade to extend to the current JCW power plant in the form of more power across the power-band. How much? Don’t be surprised to see the 2013 JCW (available in Coupe, Roadster, Convertible, Clubman and yes, Countryman) to flirt or even surpass the 220 hp mark. Also under development (likely for 2014) is hybrid version of the engine that will likely make it’s way into the the Countryman and/or Paceman along with BMW’s own front wheel drive MINI based 1 Series. Yes MINI is introducing a 1.5L 3 cylinder engine in the next generation MINI that will wow with it’s efficiency and performance. But it’s clear that the four cylinder Prince will continue to play a very important role for both the BMW and MINI brand on both the road and the track. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

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According to research MINI USA has just received, the number one complaint from US about the MINI Countryman is that it’s too small. Yep, the largest MINI ever made, the one that has caused a huge uproar within the MINI community is apparently not large enough for some within the American market. Sound familiar? It was the same complaint that the US market had about the R50, R53 and R56 hatch. So here are our thoughts; It’s a MINI. That means, if it’s in the crossover segment, it will be the smallest one available. Yes it’s tight with four people and luggage. But it’s doable. And that’s the key with the Countryman. It makes things possible that weren’t when owning a MINI previously while staying true to the brand’s ideology. Does it handle 100% like the hatch? No. Does it out-handle anything else (by a wide margin) within the small cross-over segment? In our experience, yes (the only thing close being the Nissan Juke – if you can get past the pretty much everything else wrong with it) But enough of what we think. Let’s hear your thoughts. Should MINI care that the #1 complaint from the American market is that the Countryman is too small? Should the next generation be larger to accommodate more storage space? Or should MINI stand their ground and be MINI? This news comes from our recent interview with Vinnie Kung at the LA show (which you can hear tomorrow). </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

With our own winter tires arriving today we thought it appropriate to talk about why you should consider winter tires if you live in the snow-belt. MINI UK’s program (similar to the one in other parts of Europe) offers owners convenient (retail price: £560) set of tires and steel wheels straight from the dealer. Convenient in that the same dealer will store your summer tires for you. We’ll talking more about our own set-up and choices in the US soon. However in the meantime, if you don’t know why you might need winter tires, check out the videos and read-on. [Official Release] With average British winter temperatures dipping below 7°C, this winter MINI is dedicated to helping drivers stay on the roads, regardless of weather, with its Winter Tyre Programme. All MINIs are fitted with summer tyres as standard, providing excellent levels of grip, acceleration, braking, comfort and fuel economy in normal road conditions. Summer tyres operate best at temperatures above 7°C. However, once the Great British Winter sets in and air temperatures drop to near freezing the rubber in summer tyres hardens, detracting from the summer tyres’ performance. And in true wintry conditions of snow and ice summer tyre performance is even worse. MINI’s winter tyres have been specially engineered to operate much better than summer tyres at temperatures below 7°C. MINI’s winter tyres contain more natural rubber in their compound and a different mix of silica as well as featuring special grooves. This allows them to retain flexibility at much lower temperatures. Research has shown that the difference in breaking distances at 60mph in wet conditions under 7°C on summer and winter tyres is a whopping 4.8m*. Being safe doesn’t mean having to compromise on style; MINI’s winter wheel and tyre packages come in steel or alloy rim designs. A set of winter wheels and tyres is available from £560 RRP per set**, and is by far the safer option in these colder months. To make life easier, MINI dealers will even store customers’ standard wheels and tyres for just £30 until it’s time to switch them back again in spring. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Сервис для МИНИ и Мини. Мы стараемся держаться этого принципа.

Друзья, спешу сообщить вам, что у нас уже больше недели назад появился шустрый интернет. Мы его оттестили и для почты и интернет серфинга более чем адекватно. Надеюсь, что уже на следующей неделе появяться удобные кресла и столик. До конца месяца, мы планируем разжиться диваном и телевизором, но не всё сразу.

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With MINI adding the Recaro seating option along with the Roadster to the production line at Oxford, we’ll be seeing availability of some options ending with March production. Specifically Laguna Green (just introduced in September) and Laser Blue will be ending production. In addition Hot Chocolate will become unavailable on the convertible. But colors are just the start. MINI will be phasing out the venerable Web Spoke wheels except for the newer black and polished lip combination that came out a couple of years ago. Also going away will be the Pace spokes which are the standard 17″ wheel that comes on the Clubman with the sport package (in the US). They’re also one of our favorite 17″ wheels MINI has ever produced. In fact, aside of the JCW Challenge spokes, we can’t think of a wheel we’d hate to see go more. Finally MINI will be ending production of the rarely chosen Hot Chocolate top on the R57 Convertible. Not surprising since Hot Chocolate as an exterior paint color will be going away at the same time. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Official Release: The MINI WRC Team’s drivers were fighting to the very end of Wales Rally GB to give the team a great result on the last event of its first year in the World Rally Championship. Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) finished the event in fourth, while Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) set the second fastest time in the final test of the day, the Power Stage at Monument, and finished 20th overall. Meeke left Cardiff in the early hours of the morning 45 seconds behind the third placed Ford of Henning Solberg (NO). From the first stage of the day Meeke was determined to do everything he could to snatch a podium on his home event, and by the start of the final stage of the day the gap was down to 1.8 seconds. Unfortunately he hit a rut and had a half spin and this was enough to put paid to his challenge. David Richards, Team Principal: “This event, like so many others, has had its ups and downs. Kris I am sure will reflect on that half spin on the last stage and what might have been, but there have been so many other occasions on the event when we could have also done a little bit better or had a bit better luck. At the end of the day when I look back on this rally and think where we have come in six months – Dani and Kris have achieved five top five positions in only six events – quite honestly the team has come of age and this is only just the beginning for the MINI WRC Team.” Dirk Hollweg, Head of MINI Motorsport:“We are overwhelmed by the success of the team, which is much better than expected. We are very happy with the performance of the whole team and the drivers and we have a great spirit. This is of great benefit to the MINI and the John Cooper Works brand. This is exactly what we wanted.” Dave Wilcock, Technical Director: “It has been a good day. Kris had a big challenge to make up the ground between himself and Henning Solberg , with 45 seconds to find which averaged to just over half a second a kilometre. He was completely on track with that until the Power Stage when he had to find 1.8secs to match Henning’s time and take a podium. Unfortunately a couple of corners in he had a half spin in one of the ruts and it was enough for Henning to secure the podium. Still we are very happy with fourth and Kris’ performance on the event. Dani’s very uncharacteristic mistake on Friday meant he was in the SupeRally. We wanted to build his confidence for the future in these conditions and did this, as he was setting competitive times and second on the Power Stage is something we are very pleased with. We got both cars to the finish, they are in reasonable shape, and we have learnt an awful lot. For the drivers it was difficult physically, as there were some very long road sections to contend with, but they came through it very well. It was a tough rally for the car and we are very pleased with its general reliability. This has been a testing year for us, it has been a good rally to finish on and overall we are very happy with the result as the team has worked extremely hard. Also important to what has happened this year has been our partnership with Michelin. It is a very good relationship and we work together very well. We share all our information with them in order to maximise the performance of our tyre, and the results have proven that the partnership is working very well.” <a href="http://s3.motoringfile.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/wilcock_kris_will_continue_to_push_news_full_large_gallery.jpg" rel="lightbox-21319">

After years of US MINI fans asking for them, MINI USA has finally made the business case work and will be bringing a Recaro seat option to the US. The seats will be available on the R55 Clubman, R56 Hatch, R58 Coupe and R59 Roadster (i.e. not the Countryman or Convertible). The seats will come only in one configuration; heated finished in black Dinamica and Leather. Now let’s talk pricing. (more pics after the break) The Recaro Seats (known as option 4FA) will retail for $3,000 on Cooper models and $2750 on MCS and JCWs. Again that includes the price of the heated seat as well. The option will be available starting with March 2012 builds. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Спасибо за комменты, продолжайте. По сказанному выше - дополнительное чувство клубности нужно не всем, а некоторым. Многим нужна доп атрибутика, фенички, штучки. Пластик - он бездушный и не хранит историю. В паспорте можно ставить штампики, клеить наклеечки и, тем самым, отслеживать активность. Пришёл на 10 завтраков - получи прикольную наклейку. Съездил на МЮ, получил спец визу. Потом можешь сидеть и рассказывать новичку про Детей в Конаково, листая странички. Опять-же, фотки своих предыдущих машин.