October 2014 - The Daily Toggle

October 2014
Welcome to Issue 5 of The Daily Toggle!
This issue contains all of the daily articles posted in October 2014 in one convenient
magazine.
Hey MINI vendors! We're kicking off our first ever advertising offer. If you're
interested, we can work with you to customize an advertising plan at extremely
affordable rates. From standard display advertising to fun Top 10 lists, we can put you
in front of MINI owners in a way no other enthusiast-based media can.
Download all previous issues of The Daily Toggle:
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Issue 1 for June 2014
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Issue 2 for July 2014
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Issue 3 for August 2014
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Issue 4 for September 2014
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Cheers!
Jennifer Lane, James Day, and Ryan McClune
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MINI Yours Accessories Collection
for 2015 Announced
James Day
MINI released its MINI Yours accessories collection for 2015. Some highlights:

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MINI Yours Lapisluxury Blue paint
18″ MINI Yours Vanity Spoke design alloy wheels
MINI Yours Lounge Carbon Black leather seats with Union Jack headrests
MINI Yours Dark Cottonwood, MINI Yours Fibre Alloy and MINI Yours Off-White
interiors
MINI Yours leather sports steering wheel
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From BMW PressClub Global:
MINI Yours – for individualists with personality.
It’s not just the driving fun that is unique. With an incomparable variety of special
equipment and accessories, the British premium car maker MINI offers its customers
enormous scope for customising their vehicles to reflect their own personal style. The
wide range of exterior paint finishes and alloy wheels, upholstery variations and interior
colour schemes, trims and colour lines, as well as the numerous MINI-specific options
such as mirror caps, additional headlamps, roof decor and graphic elements create
almost limitless options for making every MINI a unique made-to-measure creation.
The options available from the MINI Yours programme are the most exclusive way to
customise your car according to your personal preferences. Top-quality materials,
stylish designs and precise workmanship to the highest standards characterise the
special equipment available ex works for the exterior and interior of the latest MINI
models.
The market launch of the latest generation of the MINI 3 door and the also completely
newly developed MINI 5 door means that the MINI Yours range is more extensive and
more attractive than ever. The packages specially designed for the new models are
particularly effective in setting clear standards in exclusivity and style in individual car
design. In addition, MINI Yours also widens the choice of special equipment available
for the MINI Convertible, MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster models. Like all special
equipment, these unusually high-quality options are installed at the MINI plant in
Oxford or, in the case of the MINI 3 door, as part of contract manufacturing at VDL
Nedcar in Born, Holland.
British pedigree – fascinating tradition, personal style.
MINI Yours builds on the British brand’s decades of tradition with carefully and stylishly
customised small cars. Following its launch in 1959, the classic Mini quickly transforms
itself from the ultimate example of clever use of space and impressive agility in an
urban setting into a firm favourite among trendy drivers. Its unconventional yet
pioneering vehicle concept meant that it was not just a mode of transport, but also an
expression of personal style. The classic Mini inspired creativity among its fans at home
in the UK in particular. Extravagant one-off models for celebrity clients were evidence
of this, as were the special versions of the classic Mini created by fashion designers
Mary Quant and Paul Smith.
Since the relaunch of the brand in 2011, MINI has been meeting the wishes of
customers with an unerring eye for the unusual in fascinating special editions and
design models. The MINI Yours range also answers the need to distinctively underline
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the individual spirit of the MINI, its high-end character and its British roots. All ranges
reflect the tradition of the brand, an awareness of superior quality and a highly
developed sense of creativity in design and choice of materials. They are created in
special production processes that are inspired by classic hand-crafting skills. The
exclusive character of MINI Yours reaches its pinnacle in MINI INSPIRED BY
GOODWOOD. This limited special edition of the MINI 3 door with a perfectly balanced
combination of top-quality exterior and interior features was produced under the
inspiring leadership of the design team from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in cooperation with
the MINI design team.
Stunning paint finishes and eye-catching alloy wheels.
The latest MINI Yours programme for customising the car’s exterior encompasses a
selection of unusual, sophisticated paint finishes and highly expressive, elegant alloy
wheels tailored to each specific model. Maximum depth and intensity are achieved by
the MINI Yours Lapisluxury Blue paintwork, developed specially for the new MINI 3 door
and MINI 5 door. 18 inch MINI Yours alloy wheels in two-tone Vanity Spoke design are
also available for both models.
The MINI Yours Highclass Grey metallic paint finish and 17 inch twin-spoke turned black
MINI Yours alloy wheels are currently available for the MINI Convertible, MINI Coupé
and MINI Roadster models.
The finest leather, top-quality wood, precise workmanship.
Personal style and a sense of superior quality can be expressed with the MINI Yours
interior range. Carefully selected leather for the seats, instrument panel and steering
wheel, interior surfaces in genuine woods and other particularly high-end materials as
well as precise and artful workmanship come together to produce the options available
for the latest MINI models. The seats of the new MINI 3 door and MINI 5 door feature a
particularly natural material finish, soft surfaces and precisely worked details in
particularly luxurious MINI Yours Lounge Carbon Black leather, their prestigious
characteristics emphasised by an eye-catching seam and a Union Jack design artfully
incorporated on the back of the head rests. In addition, particularly expressive interior
styles are also available in the MINI Yours Dark Cottonwood, MINI Yours Fibre Alloy and
MINI Yours Off-White variants, while the MINI Yours leather sports steering wheel is
also to be had in nappa leather with hand-finished aluminium-coloured contrasting
stitching:
The MINI Convertible, MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster models can be fitted out with
exclusively designed seats in the MINI Yours Leather Lounge style, Satellite Grey, and
with a MINI Yours instrument panel fully covered with nappa leather in Black/Satellite
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Grey, including a colour line in Satellite Grey. A matching MINI Yours leather sports
steering wheel is also available.
5
MINI Lifestyle Collection 2014-2016
Announced
James Day
Yesterday we brought you the MINI Yours accessories collection for your MINI. Today
we have the new MINI Lifestyle Collection debut for you. There are some familiar items
in new colors as well as some new items. Jackets feature prominently in this collection.
From BMW Group PressClub Global:
Munich. MINI is synonymous with urban lifestyle, and with its new collection for
2014/16 the brand continues to be the perfect partner for everyday life in the city. The
collection was born out of MINI’s urban, urbane nature and takes its inspiration from
the very place where trends emerge: the street.
From 15 October, around 50 new products will be available, completing a range of
products that comprises over 100 lifestyle accessories and items of clothing. In parkas,
bags and bicycles, the design language is always typically MINI. The brand’s British
heritage is expressed through stylistic motifs such as the Union Jack and racing stripes,
and even the new MINI three-door model find themselves immortalised in details on
certain items. The new collection will be available from selected MINI stores and online
at www.MINI-shop.com. To make sure MINI fans are well prepared for the coming
season, our first look at the new collection focuses on the weatherproof highlights.
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Dress code: Casual coolness by MINI.
The biker jacket is a timeless cult object that optimises masculine style and rebellion,
thanks to iconic figures like James Dean and Marlon Brando. The new Men’s Racing
Jacket is MINI’s own interpretation of a classic. The hard-wearing jacket combines hightech fabric with faux leather and features a stand-up collar. The colour is a powerful
sapphire blue with white bonnet stripes on the sleeves. The environmentally friendly
Union Jack printed lining is made from recycled PET, while orange lining is revealed
under the cuff zips.
The Ladies’ and the Men’s MINI Jacket Yours are dependable companions in wind and
rain. The coated outer fabric is water-repellent, windproof and breathable thanks to the
integrated eyelets. The male model stands out with its modern field jacket design, while
the female variant is a tailored short jacket that keeps the neck of the wearer
comfortably warm thanks to the ribbed collar insert. The inside lining of both models
features a print of the new MINI, and racing stripes in contrasting colours stretch from
the hood down the back of the jackets. A two-way zip allows the wearer to sit
comfortably behind the wheel of a car, while the drawstring waist provides an
adjustable fit.
The Ladies’ MINI Parka is durable and is one of the collection’s perennial favourites.
This feminine hooded coat is characterised by its light weight, water-repellent function
and comfortable fit. The grey hood lining is made from jersey and stands in contrast to
the black outer material of the parka.
As well as weatherproof jackets, the MINI collection includes several sweatshirts and Tshirts for both men and women. The brand focuses on a high degree of comfort and
soft materials. Highlights of the collection include the Men’s T-Shirt Speed Up, which
features a print of the new mini on the front, and the fitted V-neck Ladies’ T-Shirt
Yours, which displays 3D graphics of a MINI assembly kit.
The new product range also includes a number of accessories, such as the MINI
Umbrella Fashion – the perfect companion on a rainy day. The umbrella opens and
collapses at the touch of a button, and the Teflon® coating and Fibertec® ribs are
perfect for braving stormy weather. A special feature is the handle, which is in the
design of the new MINI gear knob.
The MINI Duffle Bag is one of the collection’s classic pieces. This roomy, retro-style bag
injects even more colour into autumn and is now also available in vibrant yellow and
cordovan – a rich, burgundy. Standard features include a removable shoulder strap, red
lining, and a separate zipper compartment. The bag is also available in six other colours
to suit every taste.
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Printable images can be found on the BMW Group Press Club page at
www.press.bmwgroup.com.
The MINI Lifestyle Collection
The MINI brand offers an extensive portfolio of products in the areas of lifestyle
accessories and clothing. Products range from fashion and accessories to toys, bags,
luggage and even bicycles. The MINI Lifestyle Collection comprises over 100 products,
all meeting MINI’s very high standards in terms of quality, performance and design.
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MINI products interpret current trends while also incorporating the brand’s own design
tradition. Stylistic motifs such as the Union Jack, chequered flags and racing stripes
evoke the brand’s venerable history and its close ties to Great Britain.
The MINI Lifestyle Collection is available from selected MINI stores and online at
www.MINI-shop.com.
The Six Stages of Naming Your MINI
Jennifer Lane
If ever a silly national holiday belonged to MINI owners, this would be the one. National
Name Your Car Day. Not into naming your car? We feel you. It can be daunting. We
have identified these six stages of MINI naming.
1) Denial
I’m not naming this car. You people are silly. This is just a machine. I’m not naming my
car.
Stop asking. It’s not gonna happen.
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2) Acceptance
Fine. I’ll name the car so people will stop
asking me what its name is and looking at
me like I’m insane when I say that my MINI
doesn’t have a name.
3) Elevated Expectations
I will come up with the best name ever!
4) Performance Anxiety
I got really excited there for a minute but now I have no idea what to name this car. I’ll
ask my friends and family.
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5) Resignation
Finally. A name. I’m actually proud of myself.
6) Disappointment
What? There’s another car with this name? That’s unfair!
So what are you waiting for? Go name that MINI! And when you’re done, download
MINI’s Name Certificate and add it to your motoring files!
11
Some US 2015 MINI Hardtops
Released
James Day
MINI USA announced on Twitter that some 2015 MINI Hardtops have been released to
the dealerships. If you were waiting for a 2015 MINI Hardtop 2 Door, check with your
Motoring Advisor for the arrival date.
UPDATE: According to MINI USA via Jalopnik: “[A]s of October 1st, three out of the four
2015 MINI Hardtop 2 door models, the Cooper with manual transmission, the Cooper
with automatic transmission, and the Cooper S with manual transmission, have been
released for retail sales and deliveries. We are currently sending the new models to our
waiting customers and to our dealers.” That means only the 2015 MINI Hardtop 2
door Cooper S with automatic transmission is still being held.
12
UK Releases List of 2009 Scrappage
Scheme Cars
James Day
Similar to the Car Allowance Rebate System
(CARS), also known as “cash for clunkers”
program in the US, the UK in 2009 offered
a Car Scrappage Scheme for owners of old
cars to trade them in for a new car and
receive a £2000 rebate. Over 400,000
Brits took them up on the offer including
hundreds of classic Mini owners.
The UK government just released the List
of scrapped vehicles in 2009 (Download CSV). According to the list, 702 classic Minis
were turned in, including several special editions such as the Mini 25, Mini 35, Mini
British Open, and even 45 1990s-era Rover Mini Coopers. There are even 3 MINI
Coopers and 2 MINI Clubman on the list.
Below are the majority of the Minis on the list:
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14
Photo by mab01uk.
See more photos at mk1-forum.net.
[Courtesy of Library of Motoring.]
If MINIs Got Computer Viruses
Jennifer Lane
It’s Virus Appreciation Day, a day when we’re supposed to marvel at the little beasts
that make us sick. But it makes us wonder, with all of this technology, what life would
be like if MINIs were vulnerable to computer viruses.
1. Anti-Virus Software
Your car would come with pre-installed with a 60-day
trial of Norton Anti-Virus. After the first 30 days, you’d
be asked to run updates before leaving for work each
morning. Each update would take 35 minutes and
feature a pre-checked option to also download a toolbar
at the top of your windshield that would scroll ads.
After your free 60-day trial, you would have to go to
the dealer to have Norton removed from the system,
eliminating the subscription reminder pop-ups from your heads up display. But that
useless toolbar? It’s there for life.
15
2. Your Toll Pass Becomes Vulnerable
Once the virus is downloaded to your MINI, it uses
Bluetooth to scan for a Toll Pass connected to the
car. Suddenly, the little box that let you motor on
the highway without stopping to pay a toll is
draining your bank account and sending the
money to a Nigerian prince. You have no idea until
you stop for gas and find your account balance at
zero.
3. Evil Hackers Controlling Your Speed
The same awesome computer that allows modders
to tune their cars for better performance suddenly
works against you. You can’t go faster than 25
mph, no matter how hard you try. The resulting
traffic jams won’t bother the hackers one bit; they
never leave their parents’ basement.
4. The TPMS Virus
It may have taken you three weeks to figure out how to reset the TPMS the first time it
went off but this time you’ll never be able to reset it. If you try, you’ll also disable your
car radio.
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5. Have an Automatic?
Good luck. A whole series of viruses will cause your transmission to change gears only
at the redline. You’ll still turn heads when you pull away from a red light but for a whole
new reason.
6. Check Engine Lights
Viruses will display any of a variety of fun symbols in place of your check engine light,
causing mass confusion and also telling you that your car now has dysentery.
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7. Battery Draining Malware
So you connected your phone to your car and your
MINI started reading text messages to you. Next
thing you know, malware is running in the
background and draining your car battery. Now
you constantly have to rely on the kindness of
strangers.
8. Self-Parking
That self-parking feature that seemed so cool, the
one that meant you never had to suffer curb rash
when parallel parking ever again, has suddenly
turned against you.
MINI 5 Door Up for World Car of the
Year
James Day
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The new MINI 5 Door / 4 Door Hardtop is on the shortlist of 25 cars nominated for
World Car of the Year (WCOTY). MINI placed 2nd for WOCTY in 2007 behind the Lexus
LS460. The winners will be announced in April 2015 at the New York International Auto
Show.
World Car of the Year 2015 candidates:
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
Kia Sorento
Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban
Mazda 2
Chrysler 200
Mercedes C-Class
Chrysler 300
MINI 5 Door / MINI 4 Door Hardtop
Citroen C4 Cactus
Nissan Qashqai
Dodge Charger
Nissan NP300
FIAT 500X
Opel / Vauxhall Corsa
Ford Mustang
Renault Twingo
Hyundai Genesis
Subaru WRX / WRX STI
Hyundai Sonata
Toyota Camry
Hyundai i20
Toyota Highlander / Kluger
Jaguar XE
Volkswagen Passat
Jeep Renegade
Sir Michael Caine Had A Female
Body Double
Jennifer Lane
Sir Michael Caine has revealed a bit of shocking news. When they filmed The Italian
Job, he couldn’t drive. His stunt double was a woman.
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While attending a gala on Wednesday at the Royal Albert Hall for the British National
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Children, he told Jonathan Ross, as reported in
a story by Contact Music, “I couldn’t drive. I didn’t have a
license. I’m not one of nature’s drivers. My double in the
car was stunt man Remy Julienne’s wife because I was
blonde back then and she was the only blonde person on
the team. Luckily for me she was the best driver so I
looked very good.”
I don’t know about you but I feel a little like I just learned
there’s no such thing as Santa.
Sir Michael Caine, A Night Out With… Sir Michael Caine
held at the Royal Albert Hall – Arrivals. Daniel
Deme/WENN.com
MINI Marketer Earns Kudos
Jennifer Lane
You may not know their name but you know their work. Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners
(BSSP) has been named one of the Best Places to Work in America for the fourth
consecutive year by Outside Magazine.
Outside Magazine
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“Being named to the Outside magazine list as a great place to work is a tremendous
honor to us. This award is based on an independent employee survey, affirming the
strength of our culture, and the mutual respect BSSP and its teams have,” said Greg
Stern, CEO of BSSP.
BSSP ranked 43rd on the list, which also featured notable companies like Patagonia,
CamelBak, Deschutes Brewery, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The 141
employees of BSSP certainly work hard but they are rewarded for it, creating a positive
environment that fosters the creativity required in the world of marketing firms.
Located in Sausalito, California, the BSSP office is located in a building that was used to
create WWII era ships. The signs of its past are still evident, including the tracks which
lead boats from the building to the bay. The front yard of their office features boats and
seals. And their neighborhood is full of artistic influence. Employees get four weeks of
vacation to help prevent burn out, there are monthly concerts with food trucks in the
summer, and they get paid days off to go volunteer. BSSP also has a partnership
with Sea Trek Kayaking which allows employees to kayak or paddle in the bay.
What employees highlighted in their entry, however, was the culture. They emphasized
their volunteer efforts, the athletic and fitness offerings, the dog-friendly office, and
their benefits.
What of their work? Here are a few recent campaigns that you may remember that
were created by the teams at BSSP. They also created that Super Bowl commercial
where Tim Tebow saved the puppies from a burning building.
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BSSP
Do Something Nice Day Activity
Planner
Jennifer Lane
It’s Do Something Nice Day and that means you’re supposed to go out there and
perform some random acts of kindness!
We’re big fans of trying to do something nice every day, of course, but having a day set
aside for planning to do unplanned things seems a little strange.
To save you from the dilemma of planning spontaneous kindness, here’s a MINI
Kindness Activity Planner that might help.
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1. Leave a MINI Note.
Use the MINI Compliment
Cards created by MINI to
spread a bit of MINI love!
2. Meet a friend for lunch and pick up the tab!
Or bake something yummy to share.
3. Spread some happiness in a traffic jam.
Stuck in a traffic jam? Take a cue from Trinidad North Steel Drums. Stuck in a traffic
jam on I-76 just outside Philadelphia a few weeks ago, they noticed the frustrated
drivers around them and decided to put on a show. Watch what happened next!
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4. Start spreading kindness all year long!
Let’s not forget about the MotoringHearts program, which can inspire you to do kind
things all year long. MINI’s website has a link to volunteer matching and a list of
suggested organizations to get you started!
Nonfunctional Scoop: MINI Coupe
Owner Not Asked “The Question”
James Day
Springfield, Illinois – Yesterday Keith Stephens, 32, from Taylor motored his 2014
MINI John Cooper Works Coupe around town running errands and was not asked “The
Question” a single time.
Mr. Stephens left his home at approximately 11:30am yesterday and made five stops
before returning around 5:30pm. Not once during that period was he asked “Does the
roof come off?” by strangers. “It’s unprecedented, really,” Stephens said.
His first stop was the grocery store. “I parked and climbed out of the Coupe with my
grocery list in hand. A couple was getting into their SUV across from me and I could
see them both eyeing my MINI. I made eye contact with the man and I thought he was
about to ask, but he stopped. Perhaps he didn’t want to look like he didn’t know what
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it was.” Mr. Stephens proceeded to buy his items and returned to the parking lot 40
minutes later. He tells this remarkable tale, “An employee of the store, a kid of about
16, was gathering carts and shouted to me ‘Nice car!’ and gave a thumbs-up. I said,
‘Thanks!’ and waited for the inevitable next question.” But that question never came.
Still unfazed, Mr. Stephens motored to his next stop to fill up his MINI with gas. “I
stood next to my Coupe for maybe four or five minutes with many people coming and
going around me, yet not one of them asked me about the roof.” Mr. Stephens started
to sense this day would be unusual. “It was a bit disconcerting, yes,” he said.
He still had two planned stops. First was a stop at a local sub shop to eat a quick
lunch. “I got my BLT and sat next to the window where I could see my Coupe. We
MINI owners do that.” After finishing his sandwich, Mr. Stephens returned to his
car. An elderly lady was exiting her car next to the Coupe but merely stated, “You have
a very pretty little car, young man.”
Mr. Stephen’s route had one more stop at the local home improvement store. Despite
the lot being busy and several people turning their heads to examine his MINI, “The
Question” was still not forthcoming. When a store worker accompanied Mr. Stephens to
his car to assist in loading his building supplies, Stephens was confident his
extraordinary streak would finally end. But after stuffing it all in, the store clerk simply
remarked, “Wow, I can’t believe all of that fit in your trunk” before walking off. Mr.
Stephens was left stunned.
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His errands were complete, but he felt that he just could not go home at this point. He
decided to stop at the ice cream stand on his way home. “I parked close to the little
hut and stood near my Coupe eating my pistachio sundae. I thought surely someone
would ask. But no one did!” He finally had to go. “I don’t really remember motoring
home,” Stephens says somewhat embarrassed, “I was in such a daze.”
During his six-hour ordeal, Mr. Stephens estimates he came in contact with about 30
people who could have inquired about the ability of his roof to be removed. But if they
were all wondering, not one individual had the inclination to ask. “I can’t guess what
the odds are of that happening in one afternoon,” before adding, “Maybe I should have
bought a lottery ticket today.”
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Collectibles: MINI Cuckoo Clocks
James Day
Shown above is the original MINI Cuckoo Clock. On the hour the Chili Red MINI would
start up, appear from its garage, rev its engine, and sound its horn. The clock had a
light sensor to turn off this feature at night.
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Around 2009-2010, MINI offered two versions of the second-generation MINI Cuckoo
Clock:
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Above left is the regular Cuckoo Clock. The housing of the clock is silver with a
Chili Red MINI Cooper that motors around the dial.
Above right is the Clubman Cuckoo Clock. The housing of the clock is Hot
Chocolate with a Pepper White MINI Clubman.
See the other items in our MINI Collectibles series.
Quiz: Which Gen2 MINI Are You?
Jennifer Lane
Which Second Generation MINI Are You?
From the trendy to urban, MINI models speak volumes about who we are and what we
enjoy. Take this quiz to find out which MINI model suits you!
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Rapper DMX Challenges a Guy to
Leap Over MINI
Jennifer Lane
Recently, rapper and actor DMX found himself in Heart Plaza in downtown Detroit. A
Red Bull MINI was parked by the curb and there happened to be a young man there
who likes to jump over things.
Stage, set.
Police Officer Shoots at MINI,
Becomes a Ninja
Jennifer Lane
So the backstory here is that the MINI had been stolen in São Paulo last week. The
police officer tried to intercept it, firing a shot into its radiator. That shot disabled the
car but not before the officer, Felipe Costa e Silva, 25, had to become a ninja to avoid
being run over by the speeding MINI.
The two men who allegedly stole the MINI, aged 26 and 19, have been charged with
vehicle theft and attempted murder.
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MINI Wins Rally of Morocco 2014
James Day
Photo by X-raid Team.
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What is now a familiar headline, a MINI from X-raid Team won the OiLibya Rally of
Morocco 2014 (Rallye du Maroc 2014). Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel in the
MINI ALL4 Racing No. 301 finished atop the standings that also included many of their
teammates.
Rally of Morocco 2014 Results:
1. Al-Attiyah / Baumel MINI ALL4 Racing
2. Terranova / Graue MINI ALL4 Racing
3. Van Loon / Rosegaar MINI ALL4 Racing
4. Vasilyev / Zhiltsov MINI ALL4 Racing
[...]
6. Garfulic / Palmeiro MINI ALL4 Racing
[...]
15. Rakhimbayev / Nikolaev MINI ALL4 Racing
[...]
28. Roma / Périn MINI ALL4 Racing
[...]
32. van Merksteijn jr / Chevallier MINI ALL4 Racing
Follow X-raid Team on their Facebook page.
Photo by NPO Events.
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MINI Has Best September Sales Ever
James Day
Despite the delay in getting the 2015 MINI Hardtop on sale in the US, MINI had its best
September global sales ever. This is a positive turnaround after months of mostly
lower sales due to, MINI says, the model change.
MINI still hopes 2014 sales will match 2013 figures. With one quarter left, 2014 sales
are down 7.5% or 16,753 vehicles. That’s a typical monthly sales amount. The bright
spot is the new MINI 5 Door goes on sale soon which might give MINI the boost it
needs.
From BMW Group PressClub Global:
September saw MINI brand sales increase compared to the same month last year with
a total of 31,871 vehicles delivered to customers (prev. yr. 31,314 / +1.8%). “MINI has
achieved its best-ever September which means we remain on course to equal last
year’s annual sales,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management
of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and
Aftersales. Deliveries of the new generation MINI that was launched in spring this year
jumped 18.2% in September (15,337 / prev. yr. 12,977). The year-to-date sales
figures for the MINI brand overall are down 7.5% due to the model change (207,529 /
prev. yr. 224,282).
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MINI Oxford Plant to Support
Technical College
Jennifer Lane
BMW Group
Lord Baker, the mastermind behind University Technical Colleges, has visited the MINI
Plant in a bid to encourage more local businesses to get behind the scheme.
What are University Technical Colleges? They are secondary schools that are affiliated
with a sponsor University. There are 30 such programs in the UK, with more in
development. Essentially, the sponsor University works with the school to curriculum
support, to provide ongoing education for teachers, and to help students gain the skills
and education they need to gain careers in technical fields.
The schools are free to attend, they’re tax-payer funded, and they are controlled by
academics, not by groups of politicians. But in addition to the University sponsorship,
many UTCs are also sponsored by private companies. The corporate sponsorship
arrangement helps ensure that graduates have the skills required by employers
while also gaining traditional education. It’s essentially a win-win, although the program
is not without criticism.
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Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking (who we will refer to here as Lord Baker), along
with Ronald Dearing, established the Baker Dearing Trust, a charitable organization that
administers the network.
How does this relate to MINI?
In September of 2015, the Oxfordshire UTC, based in Didcot, will open its doors.
Specializing in life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, the college counts the
MINI Plant Oxford among its supporters, alongside the Reading and Royal Holloway
Universities. According to a press release by BMW Group, “The technical college is
aimed at ensuring that young people gain specialist skills and knowledge relevant for
today’s high-tech industries and where they can study in a professional environment to
help them prepare for the a career in business and industry.”
During the visit by Lord Baker, Chairman of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, and
the UTC’s new principal Owain Johns, Lord Baker said: “This is an impressive example
of industry working closely with education to provide valuable local training. This is why
I am delighted that MINI Plant Oxford is a partner in the creation of the new UTC
Oxfordshire.
“The UTC will offer young people across the region the chance to combine an academic
education with an opportunity to learn the essential technical and practical skills needed
to pursue careers in sectors like advanced engineering. There is an urgent need for
these skills and I am confident that MINI Plant Oxford, and other businesses in the
area, will benefit a great deal from this new source of talent.”
According to BMW Group, “Plant Oxford has a long-established apprenticeship
programme which lasts between three and four years and covers a wide range of skills
from human resources and business to electrical maintenance and engineering. The
plant currently has 119 apprentices going through the scheme.
Simon Farrall, head of apprentice and associate training at BMW Group UK, said:
“Investment in young people is a key part of our development strategy for the plants.
We need to foster the development of talented young engineers and technicians to
become the MINI employees of the future. The UTC supports this objective by providing
us with a steady stream of suitable candidates.”
The Oxfordshire UTC will admit up to 600 young people aged 14 to 19 and MINI Plant
Oxford will provide curriculum advice, project support and visits.
Owain Johns, the new Principal of Oxfordshire UTC, said: “We are delighted that today
we could bring together Lord Baker’s wealth of experience of success and good practice
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in UTCs across the country and gain insight and understanding of BMW’s training
expertise. We are currently in the curriculum design phase for September 2015, being
able to work with one of our lead partners will mean that we can shape a curriculum
that results in students who are prepared for the world of work.”
Scottish MINI Cooper Cup 2014
Season Results
James Day
The 2014 Celtic Speed MINI Cooper Cup season came to a close last weekend after 20
races over seven weekends.
The 2014 men’s champion is Kenneth Thirlwall with Kenneth Thirlwall
Racing. According to his Facebook page, this is his 8th Scottish championship win.
The women’s champion is Stephanie McMurdo. Hannah Chapman with Tim Sleigh
Racing led in points until a disqualification lost her enough points to give McMurdo the
championship. Chapman took home the Newcomer’s Cup.
For a gallery of photos see www.celticspeed.eu/mini-cooper-cup.
Follow the Celtic Speed MINI Cooper Cup on their Facebook page.
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Modern MINI Teardrop Trailer Wins
Design Award
Jennifer Lane
The Mini Cooper, the classic Mini, is equally at home parked on a city street as it is
parked in the English countryside next to a picnic blanket. Modern MINI owners may be
arguably disconnected from their Mini heritage by technology and price point, more
likely to cringe at the thought of driving into a field in the event their TPMS goes off or
they break an expensive piece of trim, but the spirit of adventure is certainly alive and
well.
Bryan and Jen Scott, the owners of Zenbox and a MINI Cooper, recently won the 2014
Serving up Style “Designers Choice Award” at the Serving up Style event which was
held from October 2-5 in Portland, Oregon with his MINI teardrop trailer design. The
design’s popularity certainly aligns with the tiny-house trend but it also has mass MINI
appeal, serving as a beacon to those who prefer nature or the rustic spirit of the earlier
MINI over the bells and whistles of modern technology and satiating that need for
adventure.
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Serving up Style
Desia Graybill of Atomic Design, who designed the scene around the trailer at the
competition, describes it as “Donald Draper meets Frazier Crane.”
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Their goal for the project was to create a camper that would not only tow behind the
MINI, but contain a full size bed and a kitchen. According to Zenbox, they “started by
sketching sleek and smooth teardrop layouts and studying existing plans. While
teardrops have been around for decades, the reoccurring element that seemed
outdated to us was that the galley was always pushed forward by the ‘typical’ teardrop
shape, meaning that you had to lean forward when trying to cook or prep food.”
To eliminate the cooking challenge, they moved the cooking area to the rear of the
trailer to provide less back-breaking counter height. That altered the design of the
bamboo-skinned trailer, creating a modern look reminiscent of traditional teardrop
trailers but with more aerodynamic and modern lines.
The trailer features hollow core insulated walls, a stainless steel counter, and passthrough storage to the sleeping area where there are storage nooks, two little drawers,
and a skylight. It reportedly travels very well at speeds of 70mph on the highway.
You can check out their camper on the Zenbox website.
Serving up Style
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7 Family Stickers MINI Owners May
Appreciate
Jennifer Lane
You can click on any of the images or captions to go straight to the website to order
any of these family stickers.
The Stig Family
Some say he looks great on the back of a MINI but family stickers may mean -5hp.
gearheartshirts.com
Zombies
Whether you’re a member of the MINI Cooper
Zombie Outbreak Response Team or a Walking
Dead fan, these might be for you.
pushindaisies.com
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iFamily
For the Mac fans.
ifamilystickers.com
For the Android Fans
Won’t require an upgrade in two years.
sassystickers.com
Your Family Was Delicious
For the paleontologists.
amazon.com
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Cat Butts
Why not?
etsy.com
The Lego Family
etsy.com
A Mini Wins SCCA National
Championship Runoffs
James Day
A classic Mini Cooper won the GT-Lite class of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
National Championship Runoffs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last Friday. Joe
Huffaker from Petaluma, California took the class win in his No. 77 Mini for his 9th
victory.
Yesterday, Travis Washay of Milford, Connecticut finished 2nd in the B-Spec class in his
Indian Summer Racing/Northern Cross MINI Cooper No. 30. He lead for a brief time
after a restart on lap 6, but was overtaken by the eventual winner Kyle Keenan from
Vancouver, Washington in his Kia Rio. Washay did win the GoPro Hero Move of the
Race Award. Another MINI driver, Scott Lovewell from Modesto, California finished 8th.
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Photo from SCCA.com.
Photo from SCCA.com
All 27 National Championship Runoff races will be viewable on-demand later on
SpeedcastTV.com.
Visit the SCCA website for all of the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoff Event
Results or follow the SCCA Official Twitter feed.
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Breaking the Sound Barrier
Jennifer Lane
On this day in 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier. We
haven’t heard of any MINIs breaking the sound barrier but there are some pretty
stunning attempts. Here are a few:
Team 1320 MINI
In 2013, they set out to be the world’s “quickest and fastest BMW MINI.”
TWINI
We’ve all seen it but we can’t omit the Jay Leno’s Garage edition featuring the 2002
Twin Engine MINI.
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Schirra Motoring on the Nordschleife
Excellent on-board footage.
Mom in an R53
It’s not a race MINI, or all that fast by some standards, but we love this mom’s reaction
to a ride-along in her son’s R53.
Spa-Francorchamps
Just a lap around Spa.
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Another from Spa – this one in a GP.
Helicopter Turbine Jet MINI
We don’t care why. It’s just great.
Part 1:
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Part 2:
Cody’s Cooper
We cap it off with a lesson in keeping it out of the mulch.
It’s National Grouch Day. Bah!
Nigel A. Cooper
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Today is National Grouch Day and the editors asked me to slog together an article “to
celebrate”. As I’m due for service soon, I could use the extra fiver.
Like many things, I happen to know a lot about this holiday, being it’s my favourite
one. Actually the only one I like, but that’s a whole other article.
It’s rumoured that the holiday was named for Oscar the Grouch, my favorite Sesame
Street character from when I was a young lad. He’s even green like me! I understand
why he’s grouchy too, wut with humans constantly banging on his metal can waking
him from his nap. Do you know Oscar has a motorcar? He motors in the “Sloppy
Jalopy” and is even known to race it. His custom license plate reads “SCRAM”. A little
known fact: Oscar is Canadian and came to the US at an early age (he’s always 43)
which I identify with, being from England and sent to the States very early in
life. Definitely a role model to me.
I don’t consider myself a grouch. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a grouch as “a
habitually grumpy person”. It’s not a habit! Like Oscar, I have good reasons to be
“grumpy” sometimes. Bloody Hell, look at what has happened to my fellow MINIs over
the years, with the dull colours, overblown technology, and bloating due to government
regulations. Almost daily I am subjected to SUVs parking too closely, kids leaving
prints on my glass, human’s junk in the road, and those pigeon bastards!
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So try to have a happy National Grouch Day. Celebrate with Oscar’s favourite dessert:
a spinach sardine chocolate fudge sundae followed by a cheerful motor in your
MINI. Or don’t. Do whatever you like. Bah!
Have a look at my brand new Facebook page and Like it if you want my take on things
MINI and whatnot.
Six Things We Wish the MINI Key
Could Do
Jennifer Lane
The MINI key can do a lot – from opening and closing windows to popping the boot
open and, obviously, unlocking the doors. But that doesn’t really seem like much, in the
grand scheme of things. Other than the obvious, here are six other things we wish the
key could do. Assuming you have comfort access, the available features could be pretty
cool.
1. Open house doors
How many times have you tried to open the door
to your house with your car key? Might as well
make it work.
2. Open the car doors all the way
Not every time but maybe sometimes. Maybe if you press the unlock button twice, the
door would open all the way so you can toss stuff in while your hands were full.
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3. Remote Control
Imagine never having to walk across a
snowy or rainy parking lot again. Impress
your coworkers by using the key like a little
remote control to navigate the car right to
the door.
4. Use it to pay for things
Like Starbucks and groceries. I mean, how
cool would it be if our bank account were
linked to our car key so we never had to
fumble through the wallet for the bank card
again. Cause let’s be honest – we’re usually
in a hurry.
6. TaMINIgotchi Pet
If the key can store personal settings,
why can’t it store info about the car –
like service intervals and fuel level at
last turn off? What if your key could be
set to remind you at 4 p.m. that you
need to get gas on your way home and
that it’s almost time to schedule an oil
change?
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5. Activate the rocket launchers
Wouldn’t it be cool if when the car
were running, the key could emit a
laser ray to scramble the computers
of offending vehicles, forcing them
onto the shoulder and out of the
way?
This would solve everything.
MINI Meme: Plastic Spray Paint
James Day
SO YOU’RE TELLING ME YOU IMPROVE A $30,000 MINI WITH $15 WORTH OF PLASTIC
SPRAY PAINT
MINI you-ification comes in all kinds of ways, from expensive JCW tuning kits to
inexpensive valve stem covers. Maybe even a few $2 decals. Sometime in the past
few years it became the craze to black out the chrome or even spray paint various bits
with a product called Plasti Dip. And some of us prefer to leave them just the way they
came.
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6 Signs That MINI Is Your Spirit
Animal
Jennifer Lane
You’re photogenic.
CarlosDMotor on Twitter
You’re adventurous.
behance.net
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Style. You has it.
Norcal MINIs.
You don’t mind standing out in a crowd.
funny-pictures.picphotos.net
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You like to take the long way home.
Instagram: bbphotogirl via MINIUSA
You’re a little bit into mischief.
You have it together but sometimes you just want to be a big kid.
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7 Things We Want From the
Rocketman
The Editors
The world is abuzz again with reports that the Rocketman will be a go. It’s something
we’ve been hearing about for quite a long time so we’ve had a while to think about
what we’d like to see in the ultimate city car. I mean, city drivers have a lot to pay
attention to and the Rocketman should be up to the task of making life easier! Here are
some features we hope to find in the small wonder.
1) Toggles where they belong
Because we will.
2) Some actual gauges
Because we want to know these things.
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3) Factory alarm
Because the only way to get back at your neighbors for having sensitive car alarms is
by getting a sensitive car alarm. Also, it might deter a thief or something. At the very
least it will turn heads because no one looks out the window to see who the thief is.
They look out the window to find out which car is making that horrendous, useless
noise.
4) An easy place to mount parking / EZ pass dohickies
We like hiding places because we like clean cars. MINI has a history of being cheeky
and making the ordinary extraordinary so we hope they come up with some cool hidden
cubby holes where we can stash important stuff like parking access cards and GPS
units.
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5) The LED Paneled Sunroof.
We want to see the city through the roof at night but we also want to see the stars,
too. Because that’s just awesome.
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6) AWD steering to get you through snowy narrow streets.
Because it would just make things easier.
7) Insulated boot.
We want a built in cooler so we can make it home in all that traffic before the ice cream
thaws. Plus, tailgating. We want that, too. No one enjoys hauling ice around in the car.
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New MINIs That Aren’t New MINIs
Jennifer Lane
You see it almost every day. Someone posts a photoshopped rendering by a fan of a
futuristic MINI Cooper in a forum or group. At least ten people try to point out that it is
a three year old photoshopped rendering but people don’t read comments so it spreads
again, like wildfire.
So we thought we’d have a little fun highlighting a few of the things that have made us
laugh over the years and a few early MINI designs that still rear their subjectively ugly
heads, making those who remember them happy that things went in a different
direction and those who don’t remember them wonder where we’re going. Some, on
the other hand, are quite (subjectively) stunning.
At the very least, they spark discussion.
When it comes to viral MINI images attached to rumors, there’s little distinction
between the MINI-released concepts and artists renderings. From the intern-designed
Paceman truck, to the Rocketman, Beachcomber, and Vision, unless you’re really
paying attention (or read the watermarks on images, if they’re even there at all), it can
be hard to tell which are real (released by MINI for any variety of reasons) and which
are fake (fan designs).
Coupe and Roadster Concept Sketches
autoalias.com
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These images first appeared in 2009, teasing the future R58 and R59. You can see
them in a June, 2009 article from Motor Trend. Despite the fact that they were early
sketches of cars that came to be (looking quite different from their early concepts),
these images still popped up from time to time before the release of the F56 and the
new front end design.
autoalias.com
autoalias.com
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autoalias.com
With the reveal of the F56 and the future of the front end was clear Theophilus Chin, a
self-defined automotive manipulator from Kuala Lumpur, created this F-body concept
which frequents the Internet circles.
theophiluschin.com
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theophiluschin.com
theophiluschin.com
And then we have Liviu Tudoran, a German transportation designer yet to reach his 30s
who has more design talent than most people who actually design cars. Seriously. If
you’re bored, visit Liviu Tudoran’s Flipcard.
His MINI Boost concept design was defined as a car for a new imaginary segment but
the artwork often pops up as a future design for the R58. Yes, please. Take my money.
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liviutudora.com
liviutudora.com
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MINI ACV30
This one falls into the “what might have been” category. BMW and Rover were tossing
some concepts for the early MINI around in 1997 and the ACV30 (Anniversary Concept
Vehicle – we’ll let you do the math on the 30 part) was born. It’s been attributed to
Adrian van Hooydonk and Frank Stephenson.
What is remarkable about the concept is that it was mid-engine and rear wheel drive
with only two wheels and a rally-racing inspired interior. None of those bells and
whistles of modern, fancy cars, thankyouverymuch.
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F-body Convertible
After applying F-body styling to the Coupe, Theophilus Chin applied the same concepts
to the Convertible in November of 2013.
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theophiluschin.com
theophiluschin.com
theophiluschin.com
Saloon / 5-Door Concepts
Even before MINI announced the 5-Door / 4-Door, rumors were abundant that MINI
would offer a saloon car. Theophilus Chin offered his design in March of 2014. There
would be a precedent for a MINI with a more pronounced boot (reference the Riley Elf)
but this one isn’t MINI’s, even though numerous people have thought it to be.
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theophiluschin.com
theophiluschin.com
Trucks
The Red Bull MINI wasn’t the first MINI truck. There’s a precedent for this as well in the
classic Mini catalog. But a mass-produced pickup truck based on the MINI platform
wasn’t really on the radar until the Paceman truck came along.
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Back in May of 2014, Theophilus Chin designed what he called the MINI Coupe Utility
Concept. It came just a month or so after the Paceman Adventure truck concept was
released, a design that had been created by MINI Design interns in Germany.
theophiluschin.com
theophiluschin.com
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This is the Paceman Adventure truck. Production car? Not yet. But we can dream.
MINI
Yacht
Far-fetched. Not too many people have fallen for this one. This one was an April Fool’s
joke. It’s just too much fun not to include it in the list.
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Vans
This one first popped up in Road & Track in 2012. It has this odd Fiat, Kia Soul feeling
to it that’s just all kinds of wrong. It also came up on Mini Mania in white.
Brenda Priddy & Company
Superleggera
The original Superleggera design was, indeed, MINI. And there are rumblings that it
might actually happen. But the Coupe version presented by Remco Meulendijk from the
Netherlands, a 20 year old business student with some exceptional talent, designed this
Coupe version. Here’s another one I might do some illegal things for and with, if it ever
came to be.
designrm.wordpress.com
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Core Concept
Back in September of 2010, Niels Steinhoff, a student at the Munich University of
Applied Sciences, created the MINI Core Concept. This was prior to the F56 design
release and was his proposal to create a MINI entirely futuristic.
Niels Steinhoff
Countryman Chosen as Car and
Driver 2015 Editors’ Choice
James Day
Car and Driver magazine announced its
choices for the best SUVs and crossovers of
2015.
The MINI Cooper S / JCW Countryman was the
winner (and only selection) in the Sport
Compact Crossovers / SUVs
category. Previously it beat the Nissan Juke
SV AWD and the Jeep Compass Latitude 4×4
in a comparison test.
Read more about the MINI Cooper S / JCW Countryman at Car and Driver.
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The 13 Most MINI Things That Have
Happened
Jennifer Lane
1. This cat chasing down a ride.
2. Having a blast in the driver’s seat while your passenger is freaking out.
3. These dogs cruising a neighborhood, feeling cool.
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4. This woman packing for vacation.
5. This competitive detailing moment.
6. This guy using his cool car to pick up chicks.
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7. This zippy little car that’s super excited to see a country road.
8. This kangaroo who’s just trying to find his car after accidentally pulling
in too far.
9. This cop who misjudged egress.
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10. This boot that doesn’t open automatically.
11. This guy who just went into LIMP mode.
12. This guy who has embraced the spirit of modding his MINI.
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13. This girl embracing a stereotype.
MINI Masterpieces, Sixth Edition
Jennifer Lane
We figured it was time for an autumnal installment of MINI Masterpieces!
Frederick Hendrik Kaemmerer: Tea in the Garden, Autumn
Tea in The Garden, Autumn was painted
around 1870 by Dutch painter Fredrick Hendrik
Kaemmerer (1839-1904). Kaemmerer was
born in The Hague and did most of his work
while living there, in Oosterbeek, Geneva, and
Paris.
Kaemmerer was a student of Salomon
Vermeer. Like his teacher, the Romantic artist
focused mainly on landscapes until 1965 when
he moved to Paris where his classical studies
drew him toward the more challenging fabrics,
ribbons, and laces. Later, in the 1870s,
Kaemmerer started spending more time in his
native Netherlands. It was here that his work
took a turn for impressionism.
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Tea in The Garden, Autumn was most likely painted while he still lived in Paris.
Hans Andersen Brendekilde: A Wooded Path in Autumn
Brendekilde was born “Hans Andersen” and lived his entire life (1857-1942) in
Denmark. The son of a family living in poverty, he started working as a young boy
doing housework for a farmer. He later acquired an apprenticeship with the sculptor
Odense. He continued to study sculpture in Copenhagen until he turned his sights to
painting in 1881.
While studying in Copenhagen at the Royal Danish Academy of Arts, he struck up a
friendship with a man Laurits Andersen. Before the friends had their first exhibition,
they made the wise choice to take on “pen names,” if you will, adopting their hometown
as their surname. Hans Andersen became H. A. Brendekilde and Laurits because L. A.
Ring.
Brendekilde painted in what is known as a social realist style, a commentary on both
social plights and the realist style of painting.
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John Atkinson Grimshaw: Autumn Morning
John Atkinson Grimshaw was a British painter, born in Leeds in 1836, who married his
first cousin (not unheard of at the time) and had a successful job as a clerk with the
Great Northern Railroad. At the age of 24, he quit his job to become a painter and has
his first exhibition a year later. Autumn Morning was painted just three years into his
painting career. It took nearly a decade before he found success as a painter but was
well off enough by 1870 to afford a rent a second home.
By the 1880s, Grimshaw was painting from a London studio. He was a Pre-Raphaelite in
that he loved scenes from nature and realistic lighting, fond of painting rural scenes in
the evening and quite skilled at capturing the tricks of moonlight on the landscape.
Translating that rural evening and nighttime style to Industrial Victorian England made
him popular with middle class collectors who were drawn to the realism. (If you’re
curious, look up Shipping on The Clyde and Nightfall on the Thames.)
He died on October 13, 1893 of tuberculosis. Among those he left behind were four of
his children who also went on to become famous painters: Arthur, Louis, Wilfred, and
Elaine Grimshaw.
Previous MINI Masterpieces:
MINI Masterpieces, Edition One
MINI Masterpieces, Edition Two
MINI Masterpieces, Edition Three
MINI Masterpieces, Edition Four
MINI Masterpieces, Edition Five
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The Best MINI Design Sketches, Part 1
James Day
With the debut of a new MINI model or concept in the press, we always see lots of
photos of the new MINI. But with each release, BMW Press often releases a few of the
original design sketches. The automotive press rarely republishes the design sketches,
but they can be beautiful works of art. Produced under MINI Design Heads Gert
Hildebrand and Anders Warming, designers such as Marcus Syring, Dirk Müller-Stolz,
Fabien Clottu, J. Buckingham, Henning Holstein, Alexander Schneider, and Tanja
Schöller (interiors) created these works which range from faithful reproductions to
fantastical caricatures.
Enjoy a selected collection of the best MINI design sketches for the second- and thirdgeneration MINIs.
MINI Clubman (R55)
Before the launch of the first MINI Clubman, MINI produced four concept vehicles for
four major auto shows in 2005-2006. The names were simply MINI Concept Frankfurt
(September 2005), MINI Concept Tokyo (November 2005), MINI Concept Detroit
(January 2006), and MINI Concept Geneva (March 2006). Below are two sketches of
the MINI Concept Geneva with its Rallye Monte Carlo theme and an interior sketch of
the 3-dimensional display.
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MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster
The MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster were introduced together as “The Twins” despite
their actual launches being separated by many months. Notice the original design
sketches did not include the now signature active rear spoiler.
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MINI Beachcomber Concept
The MINI Beachcomber Concept was introduced in January 2010 at the North American
International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. It foreshadowed the MINI Countryman.
MINI Rocketman Concept
After several larger models, MINI introduced the smaller MINI Rocketman Concept in
February 2011. It was shown for the first time at the International Geneva Motor Show
in March 2011.
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MINI Hardtop (F56)
For the third-generation production MINI Hardtop, the design sketches were more
realistic but still stylistic.
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MINI 5 Door / MINI Hardtop 4 Door (F55)
Now we enter the future of MINI design starting with the 2015 MINI 5 Door / MINI
Hardtop 4 Door. Introduced earlier this year and set to go on sale this month in
Europe, the new four-door Hardtop has proportions well-suited for design sketches
and Dirk Müller-Stolz produced some poster-worthy drawings.
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MINI Clubman (F54)
Further into the future we have the next version of the the MINI Clubman. While the
actual car looks a bit boxy, the concept design sketches show a much sleeker version.
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MINI CHALLENGE 2059
For the 100th anniversary of the MINI in 2059, Müller-Stolz produced this design sketch
for the German magazine Auto Bild. No longer having the iconic wheel-at-each-corner
design, the future MINI Cooper will be a hover-car.
If you enjoy MINI design and want to explore it further,
there is a book for you. In 2009, MINI published a
coffee-table book to celebrate its 50th birthday
titled MINI Design: Past Present Future by Prof. Dr.
Othmar Wickenheiser and Gert Hildebrand. The large
hardcover book with slipcase traces the design of the
MINI back to its early days. Written in German, it
presents inside interviews and technical information
enhanced by hundreds of drawings and photographs.
MINI Design: Past Present Future can be purchased from Amazon.com and Amazon.de.
At the publication of this book, MINI Space published a Q&A with Gert Hildebrand, then
the Head of MINI Design.
We will have more rare and historic MINI designs in the next installment.
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Auto Bild Klassik Names New MINI
as Classic of the Future
James Day
Auto Bild Klassik gave a Golden Classic Steering Wheel 2014 award to the new MINI
Hardtop in the category of “Classic of the Future”. The award was presented
to Fredy Schnitzlein, Project Manager at MINI.
From BMW Group PressClub Global:
Munich. The new MINI offers instant appeal, but it is also excellently equipped to
provide long-term fascination, too. As far as readers of the automobile magazine “Auto
Bild Klassik” are concerned, the latest generation of the premium small car already has
what it takes to become a lasting classic. They voted the new MINI “Classic of the
Future” in the category of small and compact cars. This has led to the new edition of
the British original now being awarded the “Golden Classic Steering Wheel”.
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Very few cars can be said to have the kind of properties which set them clearly apart
from their current competitive environment while also demonstrating classic potential at
an early stage. The new MINI has it all: a unique brand tradition, its current status as
the original in the small car premium segment and also pioneering technology. Even 55
years after the launch of the classic Mini, the brand’s hallmark principle of the
intelligent use of space and its agile handling properties known as the go-kart feeling
have lost nothing of their attraction. Authentic design, unique style and characteristic
driving fun are timeless quality features which give the new MINI lasting appeal, too.
This is now the fifth year in which the “Golden Classic Steering Wheel” has been
awarded. The prize is based on the results of a vote in which readers of “Auto Bild
Klassik” were asked to name their favourites in a number of categories, including
“Classics of the Year”, “Find of the Year”, “Restoration of the Year” and “Classic of the
Future”. So the prizewinners not only include highly coveted milestones of automobile
history, spectacular rarities and exotic specimens painstakingly saved from disrepair
but also current models whose particular appeal for later generations of motorists is
already obvious here and now.
The “Golden Classic Steering Wheel” is the second award of its kind the new MINI has
received in the space of just a few months, having already won the “Motor Klassik”
readers’ vote last spring. Here the new MINI came first in the small car rating and was
likewise voted “Classic of the Future”.
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Last Minute Halloween Costume
Ideas
Jennifer Lane
Eek! Did you wait too long to sort the kids’ Halloween costumes?
Don’t panic! Here are some ideas that might help. You’ll need to devote some time to
these creations but they look worth the effort. If you choose to make one, send us
some pics!
The Car
With some packing tape, a cardboard box,
some plastic plates, aluminum foil, and poster
board, you can have yourself a car costume.
allyou.com
The Mini
With a little more skill (and some paint, a pool noodle, and a lot of duct tape), you can
make a Mini! Get the tutorial here. You have to scroll down a bit, but it’s there. It’s
pretty self-explanatory how to make it if you look closely at the images.
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These guys went with the same type of construction but chose a snazzy blue instead of
the more traditional BRG.
Pinterest.com
Another Mini
This one was submitted to Martha Stewart and appeared in a slideshow. You can see
it here.
Marthastewart.com
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The Simple MINI Cooper
Don’t have time for all that detail but still
want a cool MINI? Here’s a great one!
Cardboard, tape, paint, and a marker.
finleyandoliver.blogspot.com
Trunk or Treat
These events are growing in popularity in
neighborhoods across the U.S. The idea is to
decorate your trunk with a theme and give away
candy in a safe area so kids aren’t running around
neighborhoods with scary people. You get the idea.
Pinterest.com
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Plastic Surgeon Drives MINI to Raise
Awareness
Jennifer Lane
It’s national Make A Difference Day! We could run down all the ways that MINIs make a
difference, all of the great social causes that MINI and MINI Clubs have supported over
the years, and even the ways that dealerships have impacted their communities.
Instead, we’re going to tell you how one plastic surgeon is making a difference by
driving a MINI across the country.
It’s not hard to build a stereotype. You would think that Dr. Ben Talei spends all of his
time implanting things in faces, breasts, and butts. Removing and adding excess from
any location the wealthy are willing to suffer and pay for. There’s no symbolism more
tangible to represent the excess, the vanity, the self-importance, and the quest for
youth and physical presence than plastic surgery in Beverly Hills.
Suffering, however, is relative.
At any given time in a Beverly Hills-area plastic surgery office, you can find a car
incident victim next to a Botox consumer. And you can find domestic violence victims
who need to move past the scars.
Dr. Talei’s Drive Against Domestic Violence and Botox-for-a-Cause are raising funds and
awareness for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the American
Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery‘s Face to Face Domestic Violence program.
Organized with his brother Nathan Talei, Esq. (a prominent California-based lawyer),
Dr. Talei’s cross-country journey recently ended in Los Angeles after capitalizing on
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month to highlight the issues. Awareness, as he points
out, is just as important as funding. By donating Botox, patients were offered a
complimentary treatment in exchange for a donation to the cause. He has also provided
free cosmetic and reconstructive procedures to victims of domestic violence.
The drive began in Manhattan on September 24th with a fundraising event at the
“Beautique Restaurant.” The brothers departed New York on September 29th, making
their first stop at Hill Country Barbeque in Washington, D.C., and ended in Los Angeles
at the W Hotel in Hollywood on October 13.
If you’d like to contribute, you still can! Visit http://beverlyhillscenter.com, click on the
MINI, and follow the links to learn more. You can see more videos and a map of their
travels, as well. But as you’ll see in this video, for Dr. Talei it’s about more than just the
money.
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If you are a victim of domestic violence, it’s important to know that you are not alone.
Please visit the NCADV website to learn more about how you can get help and create a
safety plan.
MINI Definition: S-Hole
James Day
S-HOLE [ess-hōl]
noun.
A MINI enthusiast who looks down on a “base” MINI Cooper.
See more of our MINI Definition posts.
MINI Cooper Music Videos: Volume II
Jennifer Lane
Taio Cruz: There She Goes (2012)
Robin Thicke ft. Kendrick Lamar & 2 Chainz: Give It 2 U (2013)
50 Cent: Window Shopper (2005)
Flo Rida: Good Feeling (2011)
Eliza Doolittle: Mr. Medicine (2011)
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We Build Our Ideal MINI Dealership
The Editors
Just for fun, we sat down and created our dream MINI dealership, pulling together
some of the best of the best concepts we’ve seen and offering up some of our own.
Does your dealership have an awesome amenity or offer a unique experience? Share it
in the comments!
MINI Boutique Shop
MINI owners aren’t like most car owners who buy a car and then promptly stop thinking
about it. For many MINI owners, MINI is also a lifestyle. And as such, we love to buy
all things MINI, whether accessories for our MINIs or accessories for
ourselves. Counting all of the car parts in the MINI Accessories catalog and all of the
clothing and other items in the MINI MotoringGear catalog, MINI has enough products
to fill a small shop. We think this is a great source of income for the dealership that is
not being utilized to its fullest. MINI owners would buy more gear if it were in stock
and easily accessible.
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Our idea MINI dealership would have a boutique lifestyle shop selling all of the MINI
accessories and gear from the catalogs. We would like to be able to see, feel, and try
on all of the shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets in the shop. Ideally, shop offerings would
also include items sold by aftermarket MINI shops such as vinyl decals, MINI club and
event shirts, and grille badges.
MINI-themed Lounge / Cafe
It’s every car enthusiast’s dream come true: A bar where everybody knows your name
with a big glass window you can look through to watch the magic happen. So maybe
that bar would serve parfaits instead of porters and coffee instead of cocktails but we
would love it. If we’re going to be there for a while, we might as well eat cake and
drink coffee, like they can at this Toyota/Scion dealership in Arizona. But better. And
with more checkerboards. And more red.
Toyota of Chandler.
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In addition to delicious snacks and beverages, our lounge would offer a home-awayfrom-home set of amenities to entertain and educate the MINI owner. And maybe even
provide a place for them to gather.
MINI Community Bulletinboards
Some MINI dealerships will gladly post your event posters or pass out your club
postcards. In our ideal MINI lounge, there would be a large bulletinboard for local clubs
to post their information and events. Similar to what Starbucks does. Having a MINI
community bulletinboard would also benefit the MINI dealership when they can show
potential customers that there is an active community of owners and enthusiasts that
comes with MINI ownership.
Video Games
MINIs are featured in many video games. So why not set up a gaming console or two
and allow customers to get behind the wheel of a virtual MINI?
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Books, Magazines, and Tablets
For the non-gamers, our ideal MINI lounge / cafe would have a
small library of MINI and automotive books and magazines. Have
a selection of current MINI books for sale. Keep a supply of The
MINI International magazine on-hand to give to
customers. Finally, have a supply of tablets which could be
loaned to customers waiting in the lounge. They would be
connected via Wi-Fi and loaded with MINI ebooks, The MINI
International, and the MINI USA Configurator.
MINI Dealership Passports
Like a scavenger hunt where all you need to collect is stamps in your passport. Each
dealership has a unique stamp. You’d get a passport book from MINI USA grouped by
region. When you visit all the dealerships in a region you get a unique prize: maybe a
T-shirt, maybe a grille badge, a sticker, who knows? Bigger prizes are obtained the
more dealerships you get to, like a free oil change or spa treatment. You’re going to
need it after getting all your stamps in California! What happens if you complete
multiple countries’ passports? We’ve got a call into Germany to find out! OK, not
really, but our minds are racing on what the grand prize could be if MINI ever adopted
our MINI Dealership Passport idea.
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Carwash and Detailer
Most MINI dealerships will wash and perhaps vacuum your MINI after a service. Some
offer free washes on weekends. Our idea MINI dealership would provide a free basic
carwash service and vacuum every day of the week. For an additional fee, you could
have your MINI detailed right at the dealership. Technicians could also offer
reasonably-priced dent removal and paint touch-up.
A Close Look at MINI Plant Swindon
James Day
From Google Maps Satellite View
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All MINI enthusiasts know about MINI Plant Oxford. Many of you might even have
made the pilgrimage to visit the facility where the MINI was first built in 2001. It
certainly gets all of the attention in the press.
But there is another production facility that builds parts of the MINI in the UK. MINI
Plant Swindon makes up one-third of the British MINI production triangle with MINI
Plant Oxford and Plant Hams Hall. So let’s take a close look at this lesser known MINI
production plant.
MINI Plant Swindon is located on Bridge End Road in the tiny Stratton St. Margaret area
of Swindon, in Wiltshire, England. The front of the black facade says: MINI PLANT
SWINDON. HEART OF MINI PANEL PRODUCTION. The facilities cover about 280,000
ft².
From Google Maps Street View
From BMW Group PressClub (2011):
Swindon Pressings Ltd. was founded in 1955 by the Pressed Steel Company. On 9 May
2000 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group. The Swindon plant is
approximately 1.5 hours west of London by car and has highly complex press lines and
sub-assembly facilities.
With 16 fully automated press lines, including three coil blanking lines, and subassembly facilities covering more than 26,000 m², Swindon produces high-quality steel
pressings and complex sub-assemblies. Roughly 800 employees produce, for example,
90% of body components for the MINI including all the skin panels and closure
assemblies.
Plant Swindon also manages the logistics of ‘Direct Delivery’ to the MINI plant at
Oxford. Parts are despatched from Swindon against call-offs from the customer and are
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delivered to unloading decks line-side in Plant Oxford. This lean manufacturing initiative
has reduced stocks of components to a minimum.
Here nearly all of the exterior metal panels of the MINI are pressed from blanks. Plant
Swindon produces over 300 parts for the MINI body-shell, including the bonnet skin and
sub-assembly, roof, doors, and tailgate. The plant produces and ships to Oxford over
30 million parts per year. Parts are typically produced in batches needed for about one
week of Oxford MINI production. Using a just-in-time system, the plant has four hours
to get parts to Plant Oxford when requested.
Last Fall saw several new manufacturing technologies introduced at Plant
Swindon. These included tactile laser welding for the MINI bonnet assembly, an
innovative remote laser for welding (the first in any BMW plant), and a new facility that
can produce five different MINI door designs on the same line. This Summer there
were further updates to the production process for the manufacture of the new MINI 5
Door. New processes to build rear door sub-assemblies were begun as well as new roof
and panel tooling.
Unfortunately, MINI does not offer public tours of MINI Plant Swindon.
Visit the MINI Plant Swindon website at www.miniplantswindon.co.uk.
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In the next installment we’ll take a close look at Plant Hams Hall where MINI engines
are built.
9 Times Winter Tires Would Have
Been Useful
Jennifer Lane
This Cat
This cat who needs traction.
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This Bad Idea Guy
This bad idea guy who didn’t change lanes very well.
This Horse
This horse who worked really hard to get to the other side.
This Dog
This dog who had to use a low gear.
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This Goat
This goat that learned to make the most of it.
This Little Girl
This little girl who’s never done this before.
This Dog
This dog who needed a tow up the hill.
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This Deer
This deer who also needed a tow.
This Fancy Guy
This fancy guy who probably never would have learned to do this if he had snow tires.
But Not This Cat
This cat is all set.
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We Dress up Our Favorite MINI Staff
for Halloween
The Editors
We here at The Daily Toggle office didn’t dress up for Halloween. We’re pretty scary
already. So we decided to dress up some of our favorite MINI and MINI USA staff
instead.
David Duncan, VP MINI of the Americas, MINI USA
Walking Dead – season 6?
Looks like his casting photo is ready!
Tom Salkowsky, Head of MINI USA Marketing
Today is Tom’s last day at MINI USA before starting his
new position with MINI in Germany tomorrow. We
imagine he’s been busy packing boxes and preparing
to move a family half way around the world so he
might actually just look like this. It might not be a
costume.
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Pat McKenna, MINI USA Product Manager
Very scary look today!
Tristan Panasik, MINI USA Social Media Manager
We love Tristan. We hope she spreads as much fun in that makeup aisle as she does in
MINI land.
Deneen Vaughn, National Experiential Events Manager
Deneen is dressed as a cheeky puppy or something, we’re not sure what. But we like it.
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Caryn Grun, MINI USA Events Manager
You can run, but you can’t hide from motoring maven Caryn Grun.
Anders Warming and Adrian van Hooydonk
The designers in Germany are in the Halloween spirit, as well. We hope they hold it
together, at least through the convertible launch.
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Jim McDowell, Former VP of MINI USA
We couldn’t leave out our old friend Jim even though
he is retired from MINI USA. Time sure does take its
toll.
Happy Halloween!
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Grumpy Old MINI
Nigel A. Cooper
Say, back in my day we didn’t make such a to-do about
holidays!
I’m not a fan of your human holidays. They are pretty
absurd if you really look at them. And each year they get
earlier and more overblown. Bah!
So today is Halloween. And you’d think being a motorcar
and not a human child, my fellow MINIs and I would be
spared the annoyance of being dressed up in some daft costume. But bugger me if we
MINIs aren’t often subjected to a ridiculous or downright humiliating dressing-up. Do
Hondas and Toyotas suffer this holiday each year? Probably not! I supposed this is a
bloody consequence of we MINIs having an actual personality. It seems this madness
is even encouraged by MINI USA!
These days my owner tends to leave me well enough alone. But some of my fellow
chaps aren’t so fortunate. I’ve seen them dressed as ghosts, bumper cars, pirates,
punk rockers, bumblebees, Hot Wheels, and even Hummers.
Almost as bad as Halloween is Christmas. Bah humbug! Each December you humans
like to gather us up, string lights and garland and other decorations on us, and motor
us in parades. And antlers! Do I look like a reindeer to you? The poor Convertible
bastards have it even worse, with humans sometimes sitting on the back of them. And
for wut? To motor slowly in some straight line to be gawked at. I might be more
interested in a Christmas rally through downtown at high speed.
The rest of your human holidays are tolerable as they don’t involve costumes or
parades, although Independence Day is a bit iffy. Yanks! St. Patrick’s Day is all well
and good, but it was St. George who saved England from the dragon. I say 23 April
should be a bigger holiday than it is. Bah.
If you want to celebrate a birth, make a holiday for the birthday of Karl Benz, the
inventor of the motorcar. Karl Benz Day would be 25 November. Of course, being a
MINI I would suggest a holiday for the birth of the most important human, Sir Alec
Issigonis, on 18 November to be the biggest holiday. Another red-letter MINI day
worth getting off of work for is 26 August, the original launch day of the Mini in 1959.
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But instead you humans have holidays where a jolly artic-dweller breaks into your
house or a giant bunny hides your eggs but gives you chocolate. How in bloody Hell did
you humans ever invent me?
Get off my lane!
Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of The Daily Toggle.
Have a look at Nigel’s new Facebook page and Like it if you want his unique take on all
things MINI.
If you would like to become a contributor to The Daily Toggle, please send us an email
to [email protected].
Follow The Daily Toggle online at TheDailyToggle.com!
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