Watch for the new Miniology TV episode coming out this week… featuring these lovely ladies!

Mini has cancelled plans to host Mini United this Summer in the South of France.

Many disgruntled Mini drivers who have invested thousands of dollars in non-refundable airline tickets, hotel rooms, etc. have decided to organize their own gathering tentatively titled “We Are United”. A FaceBook page has been set up to facilitate this idea.

You can go HERE to find out more.

You can listen HERE or subscribe in iTunes!

Singer, Songwriter, talented and lovely! Laura is our new obsession at Miniology, and from the fresh pix here, you can plainly see why! Click on any pic to see the larger version.

A clean Mini is a happy Mini!

We asked Laura some questions, and here are her replies:

What year is your Mini?
2009

What is your Mini’s name?
Petit Chou (Little cutie).

Is it a boy or a girl?
Well to make a long story longer… born a boy, but she’s trans gender and I support her ALL Z WAY.

What mods or other special things have you done with your Mini?
No mods, she’s just as nature made her.

Yep, that windshield looks very clean!

Custom paint/graphics, etc.?
My next Mini will be custom I think, if I can ever find a 2 car garage in S.F. Incidentally, don’t mention my desire to adopt another Mini to Petit Chou. She doesn’t play well with others.

Is your Mini your daily driver?
Yes, she gets me all over town FAST and with her I can ALWAYS find parking -which is no small feat in San Francisco! The fact that Petit Chou’s a PLEASURE to drive is the icing on the petit four. Oh and btw, don’t tell P.C. but I’m currently lusting over the mini scooter E. I want, I WANT!

The arrow points to happiness.

Have you ever been to any Mini events like AMVIV or Mini’s On The Dragon?
Not yet -let’s go!

Are you a member of any Mini clubs?
No but I’m sure you can recommend some right? Hook a sister up Rob.

Tell us about you and your music!
Hopefully my music is fun and speaks for itself. I adore what I get to do and I’m grateful that I’ve found playmates who like to play with me! Z playmates being my talented producers. In a nutshell we’re interested in releasing joy and beauty into the air waves and pleasing ourselves in the process. At the end of the day we want to look back and say “That was so much fun, let’s do it again tomorrow.”

A girl and her guitar! And her Mini! It's magic!

Single?
Personality? Why yes just the one thank you, I’m no Sybil. Although Sally Field was great in the movie!

Kids?
I approve of them. As long as they don’t smudge the windows on my Mini with their little chocolate fingers.

Day job?
To survive a day in the life of Laura LaRue IS a full time job. Just ask my friends.

Age?
I’ll pretend you didn’t ask me that Rob!

How long have you been writing/performing?
Define performing? I knew from a young age that I wanted to entertain and that I LOVED music. When I was 15 I taught myself how to play guitar by listening to records in my room. I joined my first band at 16 and I’ve never looked back. I’ve been writing and performing ever since and I’ll “practice” my craft as long as I live.

All of the cool chicks drive Minis! Fast!

Any upcoming live shows?
My manager’s working on a few things, when I get the skinny Miniology will be z first to know.

What got you into the music scene?
When I first heard bands like The Patti Smith Group, Blondie & The Ramones they made me think “I can do that!” That’s the beauty of Rock n Roll, it the “Peoples” music, like Jazz and blues -it’s not just for some, it’s for everyone.

Who are your musical influences?
I have so many. Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Devo, ELO, Joao Gilberto, The Smiths, Frank Sinatra. I listen to a lot of international artists too -I love it all.

Any other interesting facts you can think of!
I eat mosty vegan but once in a while I’m tempted to eat fish -so I guess pesco-vegan is more accurate. Otherwise, I’m not very interesting I’m afraid. However, I surround myself the most interesting and intelligent people I can find! I learn so much from my friends, they are so entertaining and they keep me in the know. Quite frankly, if it were up to me I’d hide myself away in my studio all day and night just song writing/recording reading and sewing home made dresses on my brother sewing machine. That and joyriding with Petit Chou are my loves. My total comfort zone.

MINI ROCKS!

Laura’s new album “Beautifique” drops SPRING 2011. Look for it at Amazon, iTunes and all of the other usual places. Laura’s single from the album, “San Francisco Is My Disco”, is available NOW at iTunes as well.

Laura’s songs are also in the rotation at Miniology Live, so click that link above to hear the stream.

You can follow Laura on Twitter: @LaLaRueFrench75

Of course, every respectable artist has a web site: lauralarue.com

We would like to thank photographer Vinny Cancelliere for the awesome pix!

For those of you that have never taken your MINI/Mini our on the track, we welcome you to MINI Thunder II. Admission is FREE for those that want come out and watch, take some demo rides with instructors, and time permitting we will offer parade laps at lunch. Get a chance to visit with some of the top named Mini drivers, chat with the coaches/instructors, stroll through the pit & paddock areas visiting with other Mini owners and vendors. Explore the track from several vantage points and bring a camera. MINI Thunder II proves to be more than just a track day, we hope you will enjoy the social and festive atmosphere, while learning what a track day is all about. Walk the course, where permitted, and see how the turn workers keep an eye on thing and control and advise drivers of hazards ahead, note the two trucks and emergency crews that are there “just in case”, sit in on a classroom session and see how the instructors teach the techniques and critique performance. Track Day events are a “team” effort, with registration, communication, emergency, medical, food and beverage, on track workers, pre-grid organization, and much more.

We would all love to see you come out for the day and even for Saturday night’s dinner and casino night. The vendors will enjoy having a crowd of Mini enthusiasts, the coaches and staff will be happy to answer questions, other drivers will enjoy the attention, and you will see how much fun, safe, and educational this can be. The Thunderhill Grill will be open for food and beverages and we welcome you to join us for our meals. You can buy breakfast, lunch, or diner tickets at the track.

Best of all is to see the smiles on the faces of the drivers as they climb out of their Minis after a track session. As Jo Wattle put it last year “It’s going to take plastic surgery to wipe this smile off my face”.

Remember its FREE admission, FREE parking, so climb in your Minis and take a drive to Thunderhill Raceway Park, near Willows California. Feb 19-20, 2011

We wish you the most festive and joyous season. May love find you all a place in his heart!

Miniology would like to make a shout out to O2 MotorSports of Redding, Ca. Owned and operated by Steve and Stacy Lowery, O2 MOtorSports provides factory trained European specialists committed to quality, service and professionalism.

O2 specializes in Mini, Audi, Porsche, VW, Land Rover, BMW and Volvo service.

If you are in the Northern California area, Miniology highly recommends O2 Motorsports for all of your service needs.

Give Steve and Stacy a call at 530-243-2002 or check them out on the web o2motorsports.com.

Press Release – 11/25/2010, Munich.
The MINI Countryman breaks new ground in delivering the brand’s hallmark driving fun to anything up to five seats, while simultaneously taking on role model status in terms of safety.

The first MINI model with four doors and a large tailgate has claimed the top 5-star score in the latest Euro NCAP crash test results. In this internationally recognised test programme – which was further tightened in 2009 by the addition of more test criteria – the MINI Countryman put in a convincing performance with its wide range of standard-fitted safety equipment designed to ensure highly effective occupant protection for both adults and children in various types of collision.

Alongside the high levels of active and passive safety designed to reduce the risk of injury inside the MINI Countryman, its pedestrian protection measures also played their part in securing the top rating.

In the frontal collision at a speed of up to 64 km/h, which forms part of the Euro NCAP crash test, the passenger cell of the MINI Countryman proved to be extremely stable. Irrespective of the size and sitting position of the passengers, only a slight risk of injury was detected. The MINI Countryman earned the maximum number of points for occupant protection in a side-on collision, while the testers also rated the risk of injury to the cervical vertebrae in a rear-end collision as low. The crash test results were just as positive when it came to the use of seat systems for three-year-old and 18-month-old children. Both in the frontal and the side-on collision, a stable position and minimal head movements at the moment of impact were registered in each case.

The high degree of occupant protection in the MINI Countryman is based on a holistic safety concept that is applied to all brand models. Robust load-path structures and precisely defined deformation zones ensure that the impact forces in a crash are absorbed in specific areas and kept away from the highly rigid passenger compartment. The load-path structures in the floor section, side members, bulkhead and front and rear of the vehicle are coordinated in such a way that the impact force is dispersed among as many body elements as possible and does not reach the passenger cell.

Among the equipment protecting the passengers inside the MINI Countryman are front and side airbags, curtain head airbags covering both rows of seats, three-point inertia-reel seatbelts for all seats and ISOFIX child seat attachments in the rear. The front seats have belt tensioners and belt force limiters, while the safety steering column of the MINI Countryman also comes with a deformation element. The body structure, restraint systems and safety electronics are perfectly coordinated to minimise the consequences of any type of collision.

The technology contributing to the MINI Countryman’s active safety includes Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which is fitted as standard. This system comprises not only ABS anti-lock brakes but also Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Brake Assist and Hill Assist. The MINI Countryman also has a runflat indicator as a standard feature. This system monitors the tyres and uses a visual signal in the on-board computer display to alert the driver to any tyre damage.

The test procedure of the NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) is considered one of the most rigorous in the world to be applied to new vehicles. Governments, automobile clubs and consumer associations across Europe acknowledge the Euro NCAP test as the benchmark for vehicle crash safety. The test profile includes a frontal collision, a side-on crash and a side impact against a steel post. 2009 saw the introduction of further criteria with regard to electronic safety features as well as to additional injury risks in a wide spectrum of collisions.

Beyond these considerations, the Euro NCAP crash test also attaches great importance to pedestrian protection. The MINI Countryman takes account of these demands through elaborately formed body elements with yielding structures at the front of the car, which help reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists. The testers awarded the maximum number of points for the front bumper and front-end elements with regard to the risk of head injury to children in the event of a collision.

The MINI Countryman is the second of the brand’s current range of models to undergo the Euro NCAP crash test and immediately scoop the top 5-star rating. Prior to this the MINI Cooper had already secured the coveted maximum score from the independent NCAP testers by virtue of its comprehensive standard-fitted safety features and its exemplary crash behaviour in a diverse range of collisions.

And now a video of the test here courtesy of YouTube:

Watch for Miniology Radio coming back soon with an all-new format! Not more of the same, but better, more compelling radio!

We will be featuring international guests, listener call-ins, live chat and more! Watch for the new Miniology Radio coming soon!

It’s a shame our two news outlets (BMW Press Group and The News Market) are too slow to post this,
here is the Mini Countryman WRC at the Paris Motor Show Debut!

Source: ZerCustoms, YouTube

Concept Art to drool over:

Source: SickRides, YouTube

Driving Footage: Fourth and final day of testing with the team’s rookie mini Prodrive WRC Cabração in the village of Ponte de Lima, and driving the two-time world champion Marcus Gronholm always very fast in the stretch Minho, and also near the end of the test run the young Pilot Mini Kris Meeke.

Source: Kimikaizen , YouTube
Driven by Markko Märtin and Ott Tänak

Thanks to Miniologists worldwide for providing us with this incredible footage!