By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Now, Mini Coopers have cornered the market on funky cool. This much we know. But there’s a lot of hot hatches out there and more coming. But is there really a “MCK” out there?

Case in point… The Audi A1 and Citroen Ds3. I’ve heard a lot about these lil’ beasts taking away a wee bit of the Mini control. But, I think not. The doods that buy a MINI are into levity. The A1 and Ds3 are anything but funny.

These two road rockets are destined to be serious pocket powered attitude generators. Therefore, they’re different. But which one is for you? And which one is for me?

The ONLY way judge is to get behind the wheel and lay down the hammer. Let’s see if Audi and Citroen are up for a Fireball foot smack…

Continue reading "Fireball’s MINI Cooper Killers?" »

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

This from my buddy, Steven Johnson…

Buy a $55,000 Mini and GET A FREE BUS! I’m totally serious… kinda!!! Okay, whose bidden? Do I hear $55,001?? Check out the page HERE.

Thanks, Steve-o!

Continue reading "Fireball spots ‘Nuther Shorty Mini" »

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

So, there I was, riding my bike down PCH with my squeeze when I spotted this Mini. Well actually, not a Mini, but a MiniMini. I mean teeny.

This dood cut, chopped and sniped. (I’m sure scissors were involved.) And since I’ve never seen a smaller Mini than this, it’s officially “THE SMALLEST MINI EVER.” (Now, don’t go all hog wild and tell me “NO! THERE’S A SMALLER ONE!” Unless, you send me a photo.)

But, for now. It’s Fireball’s Official ‘TeenieMeenie.”

You want to see more? Check out his Facebook page.

Continue reading "Fireball Spots a Teeny Meeny" »

By John Naderi

StreetFire.net

The SpoCom show took place this past weekend in Long Beach. Our complete coverage is posted over on StreetFire, but I wanted to share a few pictures of the cars on display. Check out the best of show: Lyle Engleson’s Auto Concept Elite 1975 Mini Cooper. The craftsmanship on this old Mini is remarkable with a custom widebody and a rear-mounted 408hp Borg Warner S362 turbocharged Honda K20Z1 driving the rear wheels. As much as I love the ACE crew and I appreciate the work that Lyle has put into his Mini this car just doesn’t do it for me. Do you agree with me or not? Hit the jump to see some other cars from the show.

Continue reading "What Show Car Style Do You Prefer?" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Check out this “outdoor lifestyle” concept that’ll be making its debut at the Salone del Mobile in Milan later this month. It’s a collaboration between Airstream Europe, Mini/BMW, and furniture designer Republic of Fritz Hansen. A little frou-frou for most of the surfers I know, who prefer rides like beat-up Ram vans piled with boards and sandy beach towels. But hey, an Airstream’s always cool, even if it’s trimmed in black-and-green neoprene. Interior view below the jump, and more details here.

Continue reading "Mini-and-Airstream Combo For Yuppie Surfers" »

By David Wallens

Grassroots Motorsports

I’ve taken the Mini Cooper to various local gatherings and cruise-ins, but never a formal car show. Today I mailed in my entry for the Winter Park All-British Car Show, which takes place April 4 in Orlando. I have been there before to watch, but never as an actual participant. Guess that means I need to get the car ready for its first actual show. Anyone have some tips?

Jerry had been doing pretty well racing his MINI—Arthur II—in NASA events when he came into a corner a little too hot and wound up turning the car onto its roof. Initially, he just wrote the car off, and was contemplating replacing Arthur II with a race-prepped Miata. But as he explains on his Ride Page, "the thought of sitting in a swarm of buzzing Miatas going as fast as possible and having a MINI dive through like a dog through a flock of pigeons was just anathema" to him, so after some friendly advice, Jerry decided to try and salvage his mangled MINI. The result was Shiva: the Destroyer, a leaner, meaner machine that’s even more fun on the track. Jerry has actually had so much success with Shiva that he’s attracted the attention of the US Touring Car Championship and a couple of sponsors. Check out his page for all the details!

Yup, it’s true. The only bad part? Not many folks will get the opportunity. BMW is only planning to make 500 cars, and since the company is going to keep ten as showpieces, only 490 will be available to "the public." Something tells me that celebrities and big shots will snap them all up, but maybe some regular folks will luck out. Think they’ll be some EV1-styled backlash when Bimmer pulls them back?  Automotive News Europe via Wired

This four-dollar gas ain’t just hurting new car manufacturers. Collector car enthusiasts are feeling the pinch too, and many have already told me that they’ll be curtailing or altogether cutting out their show schedules this summer. Don’t blame ‘em, either–it takes a lot to fill up the tow rig and the ol’ showpiece they’re towing.

But there are alternatives. Such as this 1960 Fiat Jolly I found in the Hemmings classifieds. Perfectly restored, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in a rolling cabana while enjoying the economy of either a 499cc two-cylinder or 633cc four-cylinder. Then again, if you can afford the $79,000 price tag, maybe high gas prices won’t hurt your wallet as much as they do the rest of us.

If the initial price of that Jolly’s a bit too much, maybe a vintage Mini, such as this ’75, imported to Massachusetts from New Zealand and available for $6,500 – heck, Geo Metros are selling for more nowadays! Want a droptop? How about a 1970 Datsun 2000 convertible for $15,500? Now who said all old cars are gas guzzlers?

To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Oscar Mayer gave its the "Hotdoggers"—the people who drive the Weinermobile fleet—a new ride. Introducing "LTL LINK," the Mini Cooper S Wienermobile, a 15-ft long  and 8-ft high publicity stunt. A number of companies have been turning to the Mini Cooper for promo vehicles, notably Red Bull, and it certainly seems to make sense given the rising costs of powering these rolling billboards. But Hotdogger Big Dog Bill disputes the shift to a greener Weinermobile, maintaining that the Mini was build as a simple stunt to bring attention to the company’s anniversary. With the help of former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, the mini meat rolled all of 40ft to join the current fleet of Wienermobiles during a ceremony in Times Square last week. In case you were wondering, a full-size Weinermobile spans 27 feet long and 11 feet high, and sits on a W-4 Chevy truck chassis.