Today, MINI became the first car brand in the Netherlands to open an official Brand store, which offers a large assortment of MINI accessories and lifestyle articles. Visitors can also compose their own MINI on a large screen.

Everything in the store revolves around the pure experience of our favorite British brand.

During a traditional ceremony, four Queens Guards handed the key of the lifestyle shop to the Director of BMW Group The Netherlands Jan-Christiaan Koenders and the Director MINI Netherlands Chris Collet, who allegedy are pictured in the photo to the left. I wonder if they celebrated afterwards by going to one of Amsterdam’s popular cafe shops?

This Saturday the store opens to the public, no words if the smokin’ hot guards will still be there or not, but rumor has it more stores are planned globally, the Dutch Brand Store is a pilot for the rest of the world.

We’ve never seen Queens guards that look like this, and don’t know if they’ll be participating in the change of guard ceremonies at the palace or what-not, but then again they are much more pleasant to look at than the usual stuffy old men in big black fluffy hats that we are used to seeing.

Three cheers for MINI, Amsterdam and old blighty!

[Source: BMW Group, December 19, 2011 in Amsterdam]

MINI United time is here again! The international community growing up around the British small car brand is set to come together for the fourth running of a very special open-air festival; MINI has announced the date and venue for what is sure to be a spectacular event. MINI aficionados and music fans alike should set aside the weekend of 11 – 13 May 2012 in their diaries and programme the destination Le Castellet – or, more precisely, the Circuit Paul Ricard – in France into their sat-navs. Lying in wait for the MINI United 2012 crowd at the circuit, which played host to Formula One races over several decades, will be a top-class line-up featuring live music acts, motor sport, lifestyle action and MINI Community activities.

Some 25,000 fans from more than 40 nations flocked to Silverstone in England for the MINI United festival in 2009 to celebrate not only the third Community catch-up but also the 50th anniversary of the brand’s founding. However, the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet offers enough space for even the Silverstone masses to be exceeded in number. Indeed, the event programme is richer in depth and variety than ever before. Live appearances by leading lights of the international music and DJ scene, fun sporting activities, stunt shows and driving experiences on the track, exhibitions of accessories, current MINI and Classic Mini cars on display, and the exclusive presentation of a new MINI model ensure an attractive blend of al fresco party, shared experience and MINI action in every shape and form.

An extensive entertainment programme for younger MINI fans is guaranteed, as are a broad spread of culinary treats laid on by various restaurants, bars and catering stations. Other essential features of a MINI United festival are the MINI Club Area and Beauty Parking, which serves as both a car park and stage for the more strikingly styled members of the MINI fleet. Indeed, for the majority of the fans at the fourth MINI United festival, driving to the venue in their own MINI will be the perfect way of getting into the mood for a weekend among the MINI Community.

Further information on MINI United 2012 is now available at www.MINIspace.com/MINIunited. Regular updates on the event programme, motor sport line-up and MINI Community will also be posted on the site, as well as tips and links on the event location, registration, ticket bookings and accommodation reservations in the area around the venue.

[Source: BMW Group, Munich/Le Castellet, 16-Dec-2011]

The annual North American International Auto Show is one of the world’s most important car shows. As the traditional curtain-raiser to the year, it will point the way for the entire automotive industry once again in 2012. Over 150 exhibitors from every corner of the earth will come together in Detroit’s Cobo Center to present new models and other product innovations. The organizers are expecting more than 5,000 media representatives from around the world to attend the event, along with some 750,000 members of the public.

The NAIAS 2012 is the venue for the world premiere of the MINI Roadster. The first open-top two-seater in the MINI model range provides a spontaneous, unadulterated recipe for urban driving fun. A contemporary take on the compact, open-top sports car concept, the MINI Roadster boasts advanced drive and chassis technology, and a classical, manually operated soft-top roof which can be opened and closed quickly and easily.

Of course, you knew that already, dedicated Miniologist that you are..

The design and technology of the MINI Roadster are geared squarely to laying on open-top driving fun for two. With its inspiring agility and cutting-edge efficiency, expressive design and remarkable practicality, the youngest MINI representative gives the brand’s traditional qualities a fresh new twist. All of which will see the MINI Roadster unveiled at the NAIAS on January 14 – 22, 2012 welcomed not only as an attractive addition to the current model range, but also as the world’s first premium model of its kind in the small car segment.

We’ll spare you the rest of the marketing fluff, but hey, anyone who already has their hands on a roadster or is going to NAIAS, feel free to send us pics and vids and what not. We’ll be sitting here in on the west coast recovering from the holiday festivities, and keeping ourselves toasty warm in the California sun.. In fact, that’s the perfect place for a MINI roadster, somewhere you can drive topless (we mean a convertible, er, that’s our story anyway) .. Cheers!

[Source: Highly edited from BMW's press release, Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 15, 2011]

Local car club “Shasta Minis” will be delivering Toys 4 Tots on Wednesday Dec 14, 2011 from 12 noon – 2:00PM. Shasta Minis who have been active in many local charities and Veteran’s events will be bringing out their colorful little classic Minis filled with toys. Q97 FM Radio will be broadcasting live from the parking lot of Fatboy’s Rotisserie & Sandwiches 829 Twin View Blvd, Redding CA. Shasta Minis members will be on-hand in Christmas costumes, including Santa himself, to welcome the public to bring by new and unwrapped gifts. All gifts are being donated in the memory of Adam Martinez. This is the second year that Shasta Minis and friends have collected Toys 4 Tots.

The Toys are part of the US Marines effort to bring gifts and toys to needy children.

Shasta Minis has also participated and contributed in the Shasta Lake Veteran’s Parade, “Stuff the Bus” food drive, Cops and Rodders (Redding K9), Northern California Veterans Home in Yountville, SLATE Autism Program Car Show, Anderson Veteran’s Walk of Honor and others.

Shasta Minis have about 100 local members with nearly 50 that are active in these events and touring our beautiful north state mountains, valleys, lakes, waterfalls, caves and more. You can find us on Face book at www.facebook.com/shastaminis

• World Championship kicks off in Saint Paul, Minnesota January 12-14, 2012
• One lucky MINI USA Facebook fan will win a trip to see the action
• Admission is free to see the races

After an amazing year in 2011, MINI is again the official partner of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship 2012, and invites fans to join us Jan. 12-14 as the events kick off in Saint Paul, Minnesota to see for themselves who will be crowned the world’s strongest, fastest ice cross downhill racer in the U.S.

On a man-made ice track made for head-to-head battle, the 100 toughest, fastest ice cross downhill racers from around the world will go head-to-head, racing up to 40 miles an hour down steep ice canals dotted with jumps, rollers, obstacles, banked corners and hairpin bends – until the first two cross the finish line and advance to the next round. This bracketed madness will continue until the final chapter when the four remaining competitors race to the bottom to crown the champ. All of this takes place against the backdrop of the strikingly iconic Cathedral of Saint Paul with thousands of spectators bearing witness.

MINI USA will host a contest on its Facebook page, and one winner will receive a trip for themselves and a guest to see the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship action in Saint Paul, including two VIP Access Only Passes to the event, hotel and roundtrip airfare (within the U.S.). Please go to www.facebook.com/MINIUSA for more details.

MINI will partner with Red Bull to host fans throughout the World Championship series, and admission is free to all spectators. In Saint Paul, MINI will have some of its newest vehicles on display, the MINI Countryman ALL4 for snow lovers, and the MINI Roadster for those who are looking forward to top-down driving season.

“We all have an itch to hit and go fast, and Red Bull Crashed Ice feeds that desire like nothing else,” said 2011 champion Arttu Pihlainen of Finland. “Each race attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators packed into a breathtakingly cold and action packed scenario, and I can’t wait for the first U.S. stop this year.”

The U.S. will host seven qualifiers through December with the best moving on to take on the icy gauntlet in Saint Paul in January. From the competitors in Saint Paul, a Team USA squad will be selected to travel to three additional global stops. The athletes come from a variety of disciplines – hockey, downhill skiing, speed skating, boardercross, and others – with grit, skate skills and toughness as mandatory barometers of success.

The Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship 2012 calendar is as follows:

Saint Paul, MN (USA) January 12-14
Valkenburg (NED) February 2-4
Aare (SWE) February 16-18
Quebec City (CAN) March 15-17

Points are up for grabs at each of the four stops of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship: The winner collects 1,000 points and competitors all the way down to 100th (0.5 point) can collect valuable points. Whoever finishes the season with the most points after the four races is crowned champion.

At the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship, MINI will also be demonstrating its innate commitment to supporting outstanding new talent. In 2012, the company will again present the Rookie Award at each of the four World Championship events. The award is reserved for the best newcomer of the year and will reward the top-placed of all athletes venturing onto the ice cross downhill track for the first time in the new season.

For more information on Red Bull Crashed Ice, the qualifiers and global stops, please visit www.redbullcrashedice.com

[Source: MINI, Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 9, 2011]

RSR Motorsports will have a lot of familiar faces next year as five drivers return to the team for another season of GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

Ron Farmer and Jason Hart had a successful first season in the Street Tuner class during 2011. They earned four top-ten finishes, with a best of sixth at Virginia International Raceway. The duo will once again co-drive the No. 196 U.S. LED MINI Cooper S.

Farmer was encouraged by the recent test at Daytona International Raceway, where he and Hart finished seventh last year. “The test was only my second time at Daytona, and I think we can do well there,” says Farmer. “We’re down on horsepower compared to other cars, but we qualified well last year. If we can get that prefect run again—that draft—we can hope for the best again.”

Hart adds, “Our outlook is really bright. Ron and I learned a lot of valuable lessons in our rookie season, and some of those unenjoyable lessons will make for an enjoyable 2012. We made some developments on the shock package, and it was really a positive change for the test at Daytona.”

Hart has stayed busy this off-season, including a class win in his rookie outing at the Baja 1000. “Winning the Baja 1000 was incredible. It’s such an historic race and something I’ve paid attention to since I was a kid. To compete in the biggest off-road race in the world is amazing, to win it is over the top,” Hart says.

Chris Puskar, Mark Congleton and Dicky Riegel are returning to RSR Motorsports to drive the No. 195 MINI Cooper S.

Puskar earned second place in an RSR MINI at New Jersey last year. It was only his second of three races in the series, but he will race every event in 2012. “I’ll be returning as a rookie in the series. I’m very excited about it,” Puskar says. “I was really impressed with Dicky when we drove together at Mid-Ohio last year. He was really competitive. I also saw the lap times that Mark was running; he’s really quick and I was impressed with his abilities, as well.”

Riegel, who earned his own second place at Lime Rock last year, thinks the 2012 driver line-up and the strength of the RSR MINIs is a winning combination. He says, “I’m really looking forward to returning to RSR for my fourth season with the team. It’s been pretty incredible to watch the team develop over the past several years. They have turned into a truly competitive team and a leader in the series. I have to believe that with the strength of the drivers we have this year, we’ll be seeing the RSR cars on the podium a lot more often.”

Congleton, who will be co-driving with Puskar for half of the season, says, “I’m very excited about running with Chris. In the short time he was with RSR last year, he demonstrated an ability to get the car to the front of the pack quickly. My first goal is to get at least one podium and hopefully a win. I want to be instrumental in assisting Chris with getting rookie of the year.”

The drivers returning to RSR Motorsports will have their first chance at a 2012 podium finish during the GRAND-AM 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, January 27.

What degree of lateral acceleration are you experiencing mid-way around a quickly-taken corner? How much output is the engine currently producing? The latest version of the MINI Connected app answers these questions and more. The functions Condition Check, Force Meter and Digital Sports Instruments offer Apple iPhone owners unique ways to experience MINI driving fun in even greater depth. For example, the driver can find information on the status of the car and its surroundings, plus acceleration, coolant temperature, engine output, and rpm and/or torque on the on-board monitor’s high-resolution colour display. The new MINI Connected app underlines once again the leading role of the British premium small car manufacturer in the intelligent link-up of the driver, car and outside world.

Like the preceding versions of the MINI Connected app, the latest update is uploaded into the car via the iPhone. The MINI Connected app can be used in all current MINI models equipped with the radio MINI Visual Boost or MINI navigation system and MINI Connected option. The functions are operated using the MINI joystick, steering wheel buttons and on-board monitor, where the displays for each function are presented safely and with customary MINI flair.

The Condition Check function keeps an eye on – among other things – the engine temperature, fuel level, status of the optional Sport Button, outside temperature and signs of rain. Should conditions allow, the display in the on-board monitor proudly declares everything “BE MINI”.

The Force Meter, meanwhile, presents a new and unique visual showcase for the hallmark MINI go-kart feeling. This function measures and records the longitudinal and lateral acceleration generated over a pre-defined timeframe when pushing on and braking, and through right and left-hand corners. The on-board monitor uses a virtual MINI to show the direction in which the forces are developing at any particular moment. The strength of the acceleration forces is displayed within a circle, with various segments illuminating to reflect the driver’s responses at the wheel.

The Digital Sports Instruments turn the on-board monitor into an attractive extension of the standard cockpit dials, presenting vehicle data graphics in typical MINI style. In the centre of the virtual instrument the driver will find the coolant temperature gauge, while to the left the engine output currently being requested by his right foot is shown in the form of a bar chart and concrete figures. Displayed in the same form on the right of the temperature gauge is the engine’s current rpm or torque, according to driver preference. The output and revs/torque data are presented in drag indicator mode so that the maximum values achieved remain visible in the display for a short time after the driver has taken his foot off the gas. The driver can choose to have output shown in either kW or hp. The MINI Connected app for the iPhone also includes a detailed tutorial outlining the fundamentals of skilled, sporty and, above all, safe driving.

The new functions of the MINI Connected app can be activated via a new mode selection route. The focus in Excitement mode centres on the driver and his MINI, with the aim of injecting as much go-kart feeling as possible into the driving experience. When the audio function is activated, the driver can make the choice between web radio and Mission Control/Dynamic Music. All other functions are deactivated in this mode, but can still be accessed by switching to MINIMALISM/Infotainment mode.

The new MINI Connected app is the latest example of innovative infotainment technology designed to enhance the enjoyment of driving. MINI Connected takes the in-car integration of telecommunications, entertainment and online functions offered by the latest smartphones into a new dimension, and uses intelligent networking technology to create a scope of in-car infotainment functionality unmatched in the automotive world. The existing range of MINI Connected functions, which can be activated in the usual way in MINIMALISM/Infotainment mode, include a web radio function, in-car use of Facebook and Twitter, reception of RSS news feeds, use of Google services, the Mission Control and Dynamic Music functions, and the MINIMALISM Analyser. With each new app update, MINI Connected offers customers the option of integrating new services and functions into their car. The uniquely future-proof MINI Connected technology therefore gives customers the reassurance that they will continue to benefit from fresh entertainment, communications, navigation and information innovations as they become available.

It’s our annual video holiday greeting to you!

Join REME for a holiday cruise through Sonoma County!

Happy Holidays from Miniology!

The word is in from Julie of Sin City Mini Club that the dates have been set for the next A Mini Vacation In Vegas. June 14th through 17th has been chosen. Be there or be square!

Click HERE for the skinny! amviv.com

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (November 1, 2011) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill has received another quality entry from RSR Motorsports with two of its BMW Mini Coopers. The Minis will compete in the ES class at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California, December 3-4.

Randall Smalley’s RSR Motosports, with support from Cruise America, US LED, Thor Motor Coach, Casetech, and Carbotech Brake Pads will run their Minis for the first time at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The team, from Orlando, FL, will have Ron Farmer, Jason Hart, B.J. Farmer, Mark Congleton, Dicky Riegel, and Owen Trinkler driving.
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“I have raced in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, but this is the first time for me at the 25 Hour race and the Thunderhill circuit,” Trinkler, RSR driver said. “Jason Hart is the only one on the team that has raced in this event in the past. I have heard good things about the event so we are looking forward to running in the 25 hour this year. We will run in the ES class, we want to use this as a warm-up for the upcoming Grand-Am season so we can make pit stops and fuel the car like we would for those races. I’m for sure that we will not have the raw speed in that class, but if we can keep making laps we might be around at the end of 25 hours.”

“RSR Motorsports has had great success with their Mini Coopers,” Jerry Kunzman, NASA Executive Director, said. “They won the PTC Class at our NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in September. They came back to Mid-Ohio two weeks later and were battling for the ST championship in the Grand-Am Series. They field great cars and will definitely be a factor when the sun comes up on Sunday morning.”

“NASA has also arranged for live timing and scoring to stream live, which can be found at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill web page once the action starts on December 3.”

The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill will see a field of nearly 70 cars racing in six classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3) going twice around the clock plus an hour over the three-mile, 15-turn track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento. For entry and rules information, visit http://www.nasa25hour.com/.
For additional information, please contact NASA Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail on NASA and the Thunderhill 25 Hour can be found at www.nasaproracing.com or www.nasa25hour.com.