DimON

via Wikipedia: The distance between the moon and the Earth varies from around 356,400 km to 406,700 km at the extreme perigees (closest) and apogees (farthest). On 19 March 2011, it was closer to the earth while at full phase than it has been since 1993.[87] Reported as a “super moon”, this closest point coincides within an hour of a full moon, and it thus appeared 30 percent brighter, and 14 percent larger than when at its greatest distance Depending on what number you look at (and how nerdy you want to be), the moon is between 221,456.69 and 252,711.66 miles from Earth. Or pretty gosh darned close to how far I have driven my 2003 MINI Cooper since I brought her home on March 6th, 2003. If the average driver (my age) drives 18,858 miles per year (via), then I’ve driven the equivalent of 13.4 years worth of miles. And she keeps on going. I especially like it when I tell people how many miles I have on her. The look on their faces is usually priceless and it almost always causes them to do a complete walk around the car for another look. And, for the record, the color always get compliments. Velvet Red, in my own personal opinion, is one of the best colors ever put on a MINI. It’s really too bad that I’m one of 3 people that agree and actually purchased it. As previously mentioned, I just had my 2nd alternator replaced. I’ve got a brand new wish list started as well that I hope to start clearing out in a month or two, starting with replacing the right side axel (again) and all of the upper mounts (engine and transmission). I’m also going to be doing a front brake job pretty soon and need to start thinking about shocks. The end game to all of this, of course, is getting Roxy to the big 300. 300,000 miles that is. I’m pretty sure she’s got it in her. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Пиплы, автопрограмма канала Россия 24 будет завтра снимать сюжет о машине Лифан. Посыл таков - жалкое подобие МИНИ. Для сравнения, нужны машины с вами за рулём. Те у кого будет возможность, пожалуйста, уделите несколько часов. Если вы спрашивайте, причём тут китайский Лифан и Мини? Смотрите розовое чудо в теме Ниже время, место и контакты съёмочной группы: Съемки мы будем проводить 18 августа в Мневниках в 15.30. Вот инструкция, как туда проехать: Проезд со МКАДА: МКАД 61ый километр, поворот на Рублевское шоссе в центр, по Рублевскому шоссе 4 км в сторону центра, съехать на Ярцевскую улицу направо, развернуться в сторону Крылатской улицы, через 1 км - улица Нижние Мневники, съехать через 1.7 км направо. Проезд по Рублевскому шоссе из центра: Подъезжая к метро Молодежная съехать на дублёр, через 200 метров повернуть направо на улицу Крылатская, через 1 км - улица Нижние Мневники, съехать через 1.7 км направо. Проезд по Звенигородскому шоссе из цетра: Звенигородское шоссе переходит в улицу Мневники, через 500 метров повернуть налево на улицу Демьяна Бедного, через еще 500 метров повернуть направо на Карамышевскую набережную, через 700 метров налево на улицу Нижние Мневники, свернуть налево через 2.35 км.— Мы были бы благодарны, если бы удалось собрать хоть несколько автомобилей Мини. По задумке, их должно быть 10, но сколько уж получится! Контактные лица на месте: Владимир, режиссер – 8-916-429-55-00 Павел, ведущий – 8-915-362-86-55

Like the sands of an hour glass, we get that much closer to Woofcast 400. For your entertainment this week, we present you, the fine and good looking White Roof Radio listener, some 3 Stooges, news from Motoringfile.com, Todd maybe on the television and a bunch of AskChad. And, if you missed the MINI @ Red Bull Art of Motion 2011 video, you can check that out .Woofcast 390 Download | 26.8MB | 55:39 |WRR @ iTunes | Show Notes </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Full info from MINI this morning for the upcoming MINI appearance in Rally Germany. With lots of practice and a couple big races under their belts, Team MINI has high hopes for a race that could almost be considered home turf. Full release after the break. [Official Release] With two FIA World Championship Rallies behind it, the MINI WRC Team is now ready for its next test and that will be on the asphalt stages in next week’s ADAC Rally Germany. This will be the first WRC event of the year on this surface for not only Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37, and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) in the number 52 car, but also the rest of the competitors in the championship. The drivers have put in many kilometres of testing in readiness for this asphalt debut, and this is even continuing this weekend in the UK with the team competing on the Richard Burns Memorial Rally, at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Also contesting the event in Norfolk, in preparation for Germany, in a customer MINI John Cooper Works WRC is Pierre Campana (FR). The 26-year-old has just been given backing by the FFSA, the French motorsport federation. This means the driver from Corsica will be following in the footsteps of his two very famous rallying countrymen, Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier, who also received this support early on in their careers. David Richards, Team Principal: “We have high expectations going into Rally Germany. The MINI has shown a great deal of promise in recent tarmac tests in Germany and Italy and both drivers have told me how much confidence they have in the set up. Dani, in particular, very much likes this rally and I know that he and Kris have traded times on these stages in the past. Unlike Finland, where our number one priority was to get valuable competitive mileage on the car, in Germany we will be looking for both drivers to begin to demonstrate the true performance of the MINI.” Dani Sordo: “This is a rally I am really looking forward to. I like the stages in all three areas – the vineyards, the military training ground and the normal roads. It has lots of hairpins, which are very different to the tight corners we get in Spain. I always remember the military training area of Baumholder, as there are some very big rocks there so you have to be careful not to get punctures. I particularly enjoy driving in the vineyards as these roads are narrow and fast. The fans who come to watch us in their thousands are really nice. Obviously rallying is very popular in Germany, and so it will be good for us to have some ‘home’ support this year for the MINI.” Kris Meeke: “I think it is a fantastic rally. I have done it three times before, and all of these have been good experiences. The stages are demanding and, because of the different surfaces, it is more like three rallies in one. You have the vineyards, Baumholder and the Saarland region. The weather can also be very changeable there, so this is another challenge. The year I remember best was in 2005 in the junior category when I was fighting with Dani, and after three days with two stages to go we were just six seconds apart. Unfortunately I then had a puncture, but it was a fantastic battle. I also like the event because it is very popular with the fans. It is based in central Europe so it is easy for the spectators to get there. I know I shall have lots of support as many of my friends from home are heading there.” History and Background: This rally joined the WRC in 2002 and since then it has been won every year by the reigning world champion, Sebastien Loeb (FR). However, this rally actually started back in 1982 and then was based in Frankfurt am Main. Since then it has moved several times and has been at its current location of Trier, Germany’s oldest city based in the Mosel wine growing region, since 2000. It is the first asphalt rally of the 2011 season, but over the three days there are three different types of sealed surfaces for the stages. On Day 1 it is the vineyards, on Day 2 it is the normal roads in the Saarland region and the military training ground of Baumholder, where there are large boulders on the side of the roads and these are known as hinkelsteins, while Day 3 sees the crews returning to the vineyards and the Power Stage on Sunday afternoon is at the famous Circus Maximus in the centre of Trier. The event’s ceremonial start is on Thursday, 18th August in Trier at Porta Nigra at 20.00. However, the competition doesn’t start until the next morning. The first car leaves the service park at 09.30 and the first of the day’s six stages is at 10.13. The first day of action is over 133.14 kilometres and the first car is due back at the service park at 18.18. Day two starts at 07.00 from Trier and after eight stages, covering 150.14 kilometres, returns to service at 20.17. Then for the third and final day of action the start is at 07.00 and then there are five stages over 76.31 kilometres before the cars are due into service from 14.29, with the podium ceremony at 16.45. The rally was the longest last year in the WRC in terms of competitive mileage and this year there are 359.59 kilometres in a total route of 1,245.96 kilometres. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

К сожалению понятие - простой ключ, ошибочно! Их очень много разных типов. Самый простой вариант - высверлить и вставить обычные болты или купить новые секретки уже с ключём.

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Woofcast 389 Download |27.4MB | 57:03|WRR @ iTunes | Show Notesdb, Todd, Gabe and Nathaniel and this week’s White Roof Radio. Starting off talking about news from MotoringFile like we like to do. And quite a bit of news too, which gave us plenty of time to become distracted and talk about other things like the Chevy Cruze diesel. Then it was Gabe’s turn to talk about the MotoringFile Countryman. Expect regular updates about this MINI for the next year! You should also make sure you are following @MotoringFile on Twitter for updates and photos. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

The 2011 race marks back-to-back victories for RSR Motorsports at the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race this last weekend in New Jersey. This year, however, RSR did one better — taking both first and second place, which marks the first double podium finish for the Arizona-based team. Owen Trinkler and Sarah Cattaneo shared the first place finish in MINI #198, while Chris Puskar and Tom Dyer shared second place in MINI #197. The event marked Sarah Cattaneo’s first series victory and Tom Dyer’s first time piloting a MINI in anger. Both are worthy achievements to be proud of. “Wow, what a weekend!” says Smalley. “We’ve won at New Jersey two years in a row now, and this puts us in the championship chase again. We’ve engineered a competitive car, and our drivers did a fantastic job.” “I stayed behind the leader and tried to keep a good pace so we could conserve our tires,” says Trinkler of the final laps of the race. “We got a caution with about twenty minutes to go, and I got a good run on the restart. I passed for the lead in the same place I did last year.” “I’ll be on cloud nine for at least a week!” says Cattaneo. She also had a great qualifying session, taking the third starting spot. “I waited in the pits and went out later. It took a while to find the right break in traffic, but it couldn’t have turned out any better.” Head on over to RSR Motorsports for their full accounting of this win, and to keep up with all their racing exploits. Congrats, team! </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

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MINI will be giving the MINI Coupe and The MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD it’s official US debut at the Peter Hay Display on 17-Mile Drive. The Goodwood, revealed during the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, is a limited production model (1,000 units worldwide) from the MINI Yours range of special edition vehicles, and includes authentic Rolls-Royce materials, colors and accessories. Look for pricing very soon. The MINI Coupe (which we drove last June) has made regional debuts at dealers over the past few weeks. The Coupe will go on-sale October 1st. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

MINI continued on its path to a record year with solid growth across all continents in July. 20,153 vehicles were delivered last month, an increase of 10.5% over the 18,242 cars sold in July 2010. Year-to-date, MINI sales are up 27.1% on volume with 162,066 compared to 127,544 in the first seven months of 2010. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

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The chaps at MINImotorsport.com had a chat with Rally legend Rauno Aaltonen about MINI’s showing at last weekend’s WRC Rally in Finland. Among other topics, Rauno explains what happened to take the MINIs out of the race: There was one section on the “Leustu” stage that had been repaired with large pebbles. On the second run on this special stage, the ruts were deeper than expected. Maybe some cars caused small sandhills there, or Dani and Kris happened to brake at this particular part of the course. The car sank into the pebbles and the spoiler gathered up stones, sand and coarse particles like a snowplough. All that found its way into the air inlets on the radiator and engine. In my opinion, a special surface like this should not be used on a special stage in Finland. On a safari yes, but not in Finland. You set up the chassis and the spoiler so that both are right for the conditions on site, but you do not expect this coarse surface in Jyväskylä. Nobody could have predicted that.” Check out the whole interview over at MINI Motorsports. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

Similar to the US MINI-E trial results, MINI UK has released some very interesting findings from their trial program of one of the world’s first production all-electric cars. Conclusions include: Over 250,000 miles driven on UK roads. Average cost to charge less than 2p per mile. Average daily distance driven 29.7 miles. Virtually all recharging carried out at home. Almost all participants said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part. It’s also interesting to learn that much of the MINI-E fleet will continue to see use, including at the upcoming 2012 Olympics. Full details after the break. [Official Release] Understanding how electric cars are driven in the real world has taken an important step forward with the release of data from the MINI E field trial in the UK. With 62 members of the public and 76 pool users running the battery-powered hatchbacks over two six-month periods, the Government-supported trial is the most in-depth of its kind in the UK to publish its findings. An enormous amount of data was collected electronically by data-loggers in the car and the home charging points, and also from extensive driver research carried out by Oxford Brookes University. The early findings have already informed the development of the 2011 BMW ActiveE car, a four-seat car based on the BMW 1 Series Coupe, but the biggest beneficiary will be the BMW i3, the first purpose-built EV from the BMW Group, set for launch in 2013. This information has also helped to inform UK policy-making decisions and other EV market stakeholders. The UK trial discovered that everyday use of the electric MINIs didn’t radically differ from the typical driving patterns of a control group of drivers of conventionally powered cars in the same segment. In fact, the daily journey distance of 29.7 miles was slightly more than the 26.5 miles recorded by the control cars, a mix of MINI Coopers and BMW 116i models. Interestingly, the UK average daily distance driven for private cars overall is less than 25 miles. With information gathered by on-board data-loggers, the average single trip distance was recorded as 9.5 miles compared to the UK average of seven miles. Four out of five people reported that 80 percent of their trips could be done exclusively in the MINI E, and this increased to 90 per cent of users saying that with the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, all their trips could have been done in the MINI E. 84 percent said that severe the severe low temperatures during both phases of the field trial affected the distance that could be driven between charges, but despite that, four out of five participants told the researchers they thought the MINI E was suitable for winter use, with one user, Janet Borgers, saying she “regularly did 88 miles in a single journey in the cold weather”. Another female commuter clocked up almost 8,000 miles over a September to March period. Given the daily driven distance of just under 30 miles, the drivers felt confident enough not to have to charge their MINI E every night. In fact, the average was 2.9 times a week according to information fed back via electricity smart meters, with special night-time tariffs successfully encouraging individual drivers to charge when it was cheapest, which coincided with a low demand period and a greater proportion of renewable energy in the grid mix. Nine out of ten drivers told the researchers that charging actually suited their daily routine, with 81 percent agreeing with the statement “I prefer to plug in the car than go to a fuel station”. The running cost-savings were appreciated by users, with one participant telling researchers the thing she’d miss most was: “the money I will have to start paying for fuel again!” Most charged at home, with 82 percent using their wall-mounted charging box 90 percent of the time. The lack of a comprehensive public charging infrastructure in the UK was noted, with four out of five participants (82 percent) saying they thought that it was “essential” that a network of charging points was established. However, almost three quarters (72 percent) said they were able to use their car perfectly adequately right now as they had access to private charging. Asked about their driving experience, the trial participants were full of praise. Every single one enjoyed the quietness, with one user quoted as saying: “I like the silence – it’s very futuristic and it causes a reaction when people notice you pull away without making a sound.” And they all agreed with the statement: “electric vehicles are fun to drive.” The reason was partly down to the “fast pick-up and quick acceleration” of the 204hp MINI, again a statement that 100 percent agreed with. One even went so far to say it was “absolutely the best car I have ever driven”. Driving efficiently to extend the range was seen as part of the enjoyment rather than a chore. Understanding that use of the regenerative braking could increase the range by approximately 15 percent, three quarters of the users (74 percent) agreed with the statement that it was “a game for me to use the regenerative braking in a way that enables me to reach my destination without draining the battery.” Asked by the Oxford Brookes University researchers for suggestions to deal with the potential danger from the low noise at low speeds, over half (56 percent) said that instead of an artificial noise, the driver should pay more attention. However just over a quarter (28 per cent) said they’d like to have a warning noise below 12.5mph. Almost all participants (96 per cent) said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part, and half (51 percent) revealed they would pay a third more for an EV. A third (30 percent) said they’d consider taking the plunge within a year, while 55 percent said they’d hold fire for two or more years. The trial found that one week was all that was needed for customers to adapt to the characteristics and peculiarities of driving an EV, such as charging, range, regenerative braking and low noise. However those company car drivers invited to use the MINI E as a pool car on a less frequent basis needed increased training and support during the initial period of vehicle use in order to consolidate their learning. Fleet use was a big part of the trial with organisations in the UK and in Europe reporting positive feedback from both individual drivers and also fleet managers monitoring the MINI E’s use as a pool car. Those users who swapped out of their regular car reported that the MINI E was fine for 70 percent of journeys made during the working day, while the pool car success rate was even better with between 80-90 percent of regular trips achievable. The speed of charging was an important consideration for fleet users, while managers also flagged up the need for a clear procedure for the efficient charging of pool vehicles. Companies that participated included Scottish and Southern Energy, Oxfordshire County Council, and Oxford City Council. The MINI E trial was one of eight UK projects supported by the £25m Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme, funded by the Technology Strategy Board and Department for Transport. These are aimed at bringing forward the introduction of viable electric passenger vehicles to the UK. Suzanne Gray, General Manager of BMW i said: “The feedback from the trial has been invaluable in helping our understanding of how people really respond to electric cars and other factors necessary to support electric car drivers. With this information we will be in a strong position to provide a well-rounded product and service proposition to customers of the BMW i3 and to work with other players in the electric vehicle market to make it a successful experience for a new generation of users.” Kulveer Ranger, Mayor of London’s environment director, said: ‘Electric driving technology is coming on leaps and bounds, but people naturally still have questions and concerns. Research such as this by BMW Group into real life experiences is invaluable as it debunks some common myths and underscores why electric vehicles are perfect for urban driving. The trial has also demonstrated the importance attached to supporting infrastructure, which is why the Mayor of London has launched Source London to provide a network of charge points that will help to create optimal conditions for electric vehicle use in the UK’s capital.’ The MINI E Trial in numbers 40 MINI Es 12 Months 138 Drivers (32 women 106 men) 258,105 Miles 33,345 Journeys 80,282 kWh Electricity Highest mileage by an individual driver over six months – 7954 miles Average mileage per vehicle over six months, including fleet pool cars – 3226 Average cost to charge over six months – £60, less than 2p per mile Notes to editors The MINI E is a two-seat development of the familiar MINI Hatch. It is powered by a 204hp electric motor that also generates 220 Nm of torque. It is driven by battery power in the form of a sophisticated 35 kWh Lithium-Ion battery containing 5,088 cells. The battery was charged by a special home charger supplied by consortium partner Scottish and Southern Energy. This enables a charge time of 3.5 hours at 32 amps. The MINI E has a top speed of 95mph and an official range of 149 miles (according to FTP72 standards), although a realistic range is 112miles. The UK field trial mirrored those on the East and West coasts of the USA, in both Munich and Berlin; Paris; Tokyo and Beijing and Shenzhen. In the UK 40 MINI Es were driven from December 2009 until March 2011. The 40 private MINI E Pioneers were selected from applicants in the South East of England and paid a subsidised monthly lease cost of £330. The remainder were fleet drivers with an individual car nominated by their company. They represented a mix of males and females from a cross section of income-groups, education backgrounds, urban/rural dwellers, family sizes and annual mileages. Drivers with access to a MINI E pool car also formed part of the study. The UK Consortium members who have supported the MINI E trials are Scottish and Southern Energy who supplied the home /public charging technology and energy, Oxford Brookes University who devised the research methodology, selected participants and analysed data from users, SEEDA who provided funding support and enabled the participation of Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, and the BMW Group who led the Consortium, supplied the MINI E and managed driver education and support. The 40 MINI Es are still on UK roads in partnership activities which continue to promote awareness and understanding of electric vehicles, and they will form part of the BMW Group UK’s official vehicle fleet for the London 2012 Olympic Games. BMW’s battery vehicle research extends back to the deployment of an electric BMW 1602 during the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 using lead-acid batteries. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

A few weeks ago we started a new feature at MF called the MF Vault. The idea is to bring back some of our favorite reviews over the years and present them to a new (and larger) audience at MF. We started with our R53 vs R56 review from late 2006. Today we’re back with another view. However this time one that’s technically less than a year old. However with the internets having a such short memory, we thought it appropriate to re-aquaint some of you of our Countryman Comparison pitting the Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S All4 in a death match. And it’s a perfect time as we’ve just taken possession of our own long-term Countryman MCS All4. So with that, let the best really small cross-over win… <a href="http://s3.motoringfile.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/DSC04381.jpg">

Over the past few weeks we’ve had more than a few of you email us about potential navigation ordering issues with 2012 MINIs. Due to supplier issues (relating to the Japanese earthquake) MINI had a shortage of navigation units earlier this summer. But the concern was that this would bleed into 2012. So we went straight to one of more trusted sources for the answer to whether or not Navigation was to be delayed any further. In a word no. According to our source dealer will be able to freely order both Navigation and MINI Connect in a couple weeks in time for August production. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше

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Here at MotoringFile, we’ve held one consistent point of view when it comes to manual transmissions in MINIs: they’re a must. Sure, some people need an auto, but they’re sacrificing a lot of the car’s character in our opinion. Trouble is, a lot of people, especially here in America, don’t know how to drive a stick. So MINI and BSSP, in typical cheeky fashion, are encouraging people to go manual. This story came to our attention via Karl Greenburg over at MediaPost. He’d put out a survey asking what brand his readers thought would have “the audacity” to create a whole marketing campaign just around the manual transmission. Only one person actually got it right (kudos to Tom Keane at USA Weekend.) Yes, it’s MINI. And the BMW unit actually makes perfect sense if one recalls that when the brand (re)launched here in 2002, it offered the MINI Cooper only as a manual-shifter, and most certainly the brand has the highest manual take-rate percentage among any automaker that isn’t a pure sports-car brand. Thomas Salkowsky, manager of MINI brand marketing, says that in spite of an increasingly clutch-free world, about 34% of buyers of the Clubman, the MINI Cooper convertible and the hard top buy the manual version, and that even for the AWD version of the Countryman, MINI’s answer for a crossover, the manual take rate is about 30%. In New England, according to Salkowsky, it’s a 50/50 split between auto and manual, and even in highway-bound L.A. it’s about 15%. That’s a huge percentage, given the national average. AOL Auto’s editor, Kirk Seaman, wrote last year that back in 1985 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. came with a manual transmission. By 2007, it was 7.7%. AOL Autos says last year it was about 5.5%. BMW and MINI remain one of the few auto makers committed to making a manual transmission available in their vehicles. Not simply as the economy option for those who can’t afford the auto, but as a performance option for those who want to get the most out of their driving experience. Greenburg mentions the Countryman, which is actually the only AWD crossover in the US market right now that gets better than 30 mpg, costs less than $40k, and has an available manual transmission. We’ve said it before, and we’re going to keep saying it. If you want to get the most out of your MINI, opt for the stick. So it’s great to see that MINI agrees and the press is taking notice. Check out Greenburg’s full article over at MediaPost, and give BSSP a visit to see their thoughts on the campaign. </img><br/></img> </img> </img> </img> </img> Читать дальше