MINI is using the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show to present the latest additions to its product range and, at the same time, open a window into the longer-term future of the brand — taking centre stage is the Asian premiere of the MINI Coupé, touted as packing all of MINI’s fun features into a concentrated form, sorta like those shots of RedBull which were wickedly popular in just about every country except USA, but that’s another story

Not only will you get to see the Coupe (and perhaps sister car the roadster) but MINI plans on showing off the MINI Countryman along with the Paceman concept car, the “Sports Activity Coupe” of MINI, sorta like modern MINI cooper meets the AMC Pacer, as you’ve likely seen in our earlier reports!

I’m not going to bore you with any more marketing fluff (though they did send us a crap load of it, which almost put me to sleep!) so instead, I’ll give you this nice little wallpaper sized HDR photo of the current 2011 model line-up, suitable for saving to your desktop or simply drooling over whenever you like. Cheers!

Join us for this all day track event of HPDI (High Performance Driving Instruction) at the SCCA track at Willows California.

This track was designed and built by the members of the San Francisco SCCA. It’s a wonderful track with great facilities.

We are limiting the number to 120 MINI/MInis. This will give enough time and instructors for every driver. We will have groups ranging from first timers to advanced.

The cost is $199 per entrant or $275 for those that want to share a Mini. This includes loads of track time, turn workers, tow-trucks, flaggers, instructors, lunch, & T-shirts. For shared entries the 1st T-Shirt is included for the primary driver and the second to be purchased @ $15 in sizes of S,M,L, XL, 2XL.

T-Shirts will be available in sizes small, medium, large, XL, and 2XL, larger shirts (3XL, 4XL, etc) must be purchased in advanced and will be at $25.00 ea.

This event is for MINI/Mini Coopers only, any model or variation.

Participants must be 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license and proof of current insurance. Guests must be 18 years old to take free rides (Parade Laps) @ Lunch. You must fill out the on-line registration form & vehicle technical check list, http://www.minithunderhill.com/Event_Registration.cfm

You will need a SA 2000 or SA 2005 rated helmet. That is “A” for automotive and not “M” for motorcycle. Helmets are available for rent at the track @ $35/day. Be sure to get to the track early to get your helmet.

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MINI, official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, is to tour the nation to create a collective roar of support so powerful it will inspire our UK athletes to victory at next year’s London 2012 Olympics.

In a mammoth bid to boost Team GB and ParalympicsGB hopefuls’ chances of medal success, MINI will be challenging the country to create a national roar to be delivered to UK athletes ahead of the Games in 2012.

The messages of encouragement will be compiled into one almighty digitally tuned roar, which will be loaded onto MP3 players, for Team GB and ParalympicsGB to listen to ahead of their sporting endeavour. The final MP3 playlist will also include individual messages of support, from the public, to give the athletes a boost during training and in the final run up to their London 2012 challenges.

The MINI Great British Roar will hit the road to record the messages of support using three new MINI London 2012 Edition models, which go on sale in 2012. One of these specially built cars will be transformed into a mobile video recording booth, to fully immerse the public in the roar experience.

Once inside the Roar unit, the public will be greeted by a motivational video from two times Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson, the newest addition to the London 2012 Performance team. Daley’s Roar video will give people his hints and tips of being a roaring success at crowd support and being completely fan fit ahead of London 2012.

To make sure everyone has a chance to show their support for the athletes, MINI has also created a Facebook application ( www.facebook.co.uk/MINI.uk) which allows the public to get involved by triggering a phone call collecting individuals Roars and messages of support from home or on the move.

Once submitted, via Facebook or on the tour, all supporters will appear in a virtual stadium with a sound/video file of their message of support alongside their fellow Roarers.

Jochen Goller, Director of MINI UK comments: “We’re passionate about our partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB and want to make sure they get every support they need to do their absolute best. As Team GB’s biggest fan, MINI is here to make sure the team get off to the best possible start.”

The MINI Great British Roar will be visiting cities across the UK, including Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow, beginning in London at Ely Court on the 23rd September 2011. Team GB and ParalympicsGB hopefuls will also be on hand at each event to kick start the process, encouraging the public to get behind their country’s athletes.

Ellie Simmonds, ParalympicsGB hopeful comments: “There’s no better feeling to propel you to do your best, than when the crowd is shouting and screaming support as you start your medal journey. Listening to the public roars of support, recorded by MINI, is a brilliant way to keep up morale and help us remember the nation is completely behind us.”

The first three, of 2,012 MINI London 2012 Edition models will take centre stage at each event, with one of them being transformed into a recording booth for collecting the nation’s Roars. The new MINI’s are London 2012 themed, inside and out, to ensure a completely patriotic experience when driving.

BMW MINI Great British Roar locations and dates are:

11th & 12th October – Fargate, Sheffield

14th & 15th October – Old Market Square, Nottingham

20th Octoebr – High Cross, Leicester

22nd & 23rd Oct – Williamson Square, Liverpool

26th & 27th Oct Trafford, Manchester

29th Oct & 30th Oct – Briggate, Leeds

10th Nov – Westfield, Derby

12th Nov – Buchanan Gallaries, Glasgow

13th Nov – Metro Centro, Gateshead

[ Source: BMW/MINI UK]

Indy 500 Veteran, Stephan Gregoire, Will Lead ‘Miles Ahead’ at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

MINI Cooper Hardtops will be used for all Miles Ahead driving activities
- ½ day courses at Indianapolis Motor Speedway include on-track and classroom instruction
- Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series drivers will teach all courses
- First classes scheduled for November 5-6, 2011

[Source: MINI Press, Woodcliff Lake, NJ– October 5, 2011]

MINI has partnered with Miles Ahead, a new teen driving school created by Indy 500 veteran, Stephan Gregoire and business partner, Ted Woerner, to address the disproportionate number of collisions, injuries and fatalities involving teenage drivers. As part of the partnership, MINI USA will supply Miles Ahead with 12 MINI Cooper Hardtop vehicles for all of the specialized instruction for licensed teen drivers. Indianapolis Motor Speedway will serve as the program’s host site.

“Teens tend to be more engaged in learning when there is an element of excitement,” said Stephan Gregoire, former Indy racing driver and founder of Miles Ahead. “The combination of using the fun-to-drive MINIs, racing champion instructors, maximizing time behind the wheel and a driving course at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway should really help us connect with the students and make a real difference in reducing their chances of being involved in collisions on public roads.”

Fast facts / startling statistics.

- The chance of one crash in the first three years of driving is 89.2 percent
- The chance of two crashes in the first three years of driving is 52.5 percent
- A 16-year-old is 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash than an adult
- Teens are 400 percent more likely to die in a car crash than 25-34 year-old drivers
- 63% of teenage passenger deaths occur in vehicles driven by another teenager
- 113 teenage drivers each week in the U.S. are involved in fatal crashes
- Nearly 1000 teens each day are treated in an emergency room for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle crash

“The need for additional teen driving programs is clear, and this is a great opportunity for MINI to extend its commitment to safety beyond the engineering of our vehicles,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President – MINI USA. “MINI USA and its dealers are proud to be part of Miles Ahead, a very dynamic teen driving school that addresses a serious problem with a fun learning style that is sure to provide teens with lifelong lessons to keep them safe on the road.”

Each class will last approximately 4.5 hours, providing licensed teens with specialized instruction to improve their decision-making behind the wheel. This includes driving modules focused on things like distracted / impaired driving, skid control, emergency ABS brake application and hazard avoidance.

In addition to Gregoire, an impressive list of Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series drivers have been added to the instructor roster for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, including Dillon Battistini, Dan Clarke, Conor Daly, Alex Lloyd, Philip Major, Stephen Simpson, Stefan Wilson and James Winslow.

The first classes will be held on November 5-6, 2011, with a full season of up to 50 class days per year beginning in 2012. Individual classes will be priced at $389, and Miles Ahead will offer group sales to companies that want to extend the course to their employees’ or customers’ children. There will be a scholarship program to award school slots to applicants in need.

The Miles Ahead Teen Driving Intensive is open to any teen driver over the age of 16 who has already earned their driver’s license. For more information or to register for upcoming Miles Ahead classes at IMS, go to www.bemilesahead.net

CLICK THE PIC TO EMBIGGEN!

We are getting ready to set up the registration website and start accepting entries. We will be prominently displaying our sponsors on this page and on all other website and media outlets. We will be listing the event in several of the Mini Community Magazines, Mini Community Websites, Club forums, newsletters, email blasts, and more.

What we need from you as a vendor is a decision to be a sponsor, your logo, website address and contact information. You will enjoy having your name and logo displayed for the next 6 months.

We need to know if you are interested in participating as a “primary” sponsor, contributing sponsor, or vendor.

Last year’s primary sponsors were Niello MINI, O2 Motorsports, and Valley Motorwerks.

We had several contributing sponsors: Mini Mania, Seven Enterprises, MC2 Magazine, Miniology,

Vendors included:
Thunderhill Catering Grill
Revolution Motor Works
MCE Dyno Services
Vinyl Styles
Casino Party People
SlicART Custom Apparel
Hooked on Driving
Group4Autosport
GotBlueMilk Motorsports Photography
Rock Auto
Racine-Web Design
Craven Speed
Ad 3 Graphics
MotorsportReg.com
Defenders of Speed
San Francisco Region – SCCA
Bavarian Auto

Please let me know ASAP as we will be starting our AD campaign shortly.

You can reach me at 530-246-9943 or email me at pooper@wildblue.net

Cheers,

Norman Nelson
MINI Thunder III

Source BMW Press Release, Munich.

For the second time in succession, carmaker MINI is supporting renowned snowboard manufacturer Burton in organising the Burton Global Open Series (BGOS). This international snowboard competition series takes place annually and draws tens of thousands of spectators and top snowboarders from around the world.

Creative Use of Space takes flight.

With its Creative Use of Space award, MINI launched a prize last season that draws on the MINI philosophy of utilising space intelligently. The prize money goes to the male and female rider who demonstrate the most inventive and progressive tricks in the halfpipe or slopestyle competitions. For all the Creative Use of Space awards the prize money will be $85,000 in cash. The overall winners of the 2011/2012 BGOS season will also be presented with a brand-new MINI Countryman. This crossover model comes with luggage space of 1,170 litres – ample room to accommodate a snowboarder’s full kit.

This season MINI is presenting the following BGOS events:

Burton New Zealand Open     8 – 13 August 2011

Burton European Open           January 2012

Burton Canadian Open           February 2012

Burton US Open                     March 2012

In addition, MINI will be the presenting partner of the Burton Super Demo Tour, the Burton AM Series and the new Burton Rail Days event taking place in Tokyo on November 19, 2011.

Source: Uploaded by MINI on Jul 28, 2011

‘Free running’ or ‘parkour’ is an art form for the concrete jungle. MINI has teamed up with Red Bull to bring you “Art of Motion”, a worldwide tour of the sport. Get a glimpse of the first event from London this past March. Five more stops to come worldwide, so stay tuned. The next is in Yokohama, Japan!

Source: From our friends at MINI SPACE – Uploaded by MINI on Jul 20, 2011

Yes, it’s that time again! The folks at BMW-owned brands MINI and Rolls Royce finally bang heads together to make yet another one-off (well, 1 in a 1000) special MINI!

Here’s a look at how it all went down when THE MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD was revealed at Munich’s Pavillon 21 MINI Opera Space. Disco balls, a Diamond Black MINI and Jade Jagger inside! (who is quoted saying she owns a classic Cooper S already, hehe)

More at http://MINIspace.com/Pavillon21

I can just imagine everyone commenting about that interviewer’s smart arse remark she wasn’t giving anyone a lift .. (gasp! mighty neighborly of her eh? Why sheesh, I’d always give people crazy rides in me Mini for sure!)

Then, here come the Ting Tings, who used to cart all their band’s gear around in a classic Mini (woot!): “July 5, 2011 – The Pavillon 21 MINI Opera Space 2011 played host to rock-star duet The Ting Tings, and The MINI Space Team was there to get an interview before they hit the stage, following HURTS as headliners for MINI in Concert. Exclusive footage here.”

ALTA Performance
3111 Northeast Shute Road
Hillsboro, OR (503) 693-1702 ?

ALTA invites you to our Air Show Extravaganza in the back parking lot at our building!

Come see the jets and airplanes from the Oregon air show fly just feet overhead!

Enjoy free food and drinks as well as great sale prices and amazing deals on scratch and dent parts.

This is their biggest sale of the Summer so make sure you come!

Get Directions (bing) -Facebook Page here

Check out the video here..