Mini Archive

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Driven: Mini Cooper S Bayswater – it’s more than just a looker.

Frankly, the mini is probably the most famous automotive marque in the world. Personally, I have not met a person who hasn’t heard of the MINI. Over 5 million of the original, classic mini were built and although that number seems relatively undermined compared to the Beetle (21.5 million were built), its revolutionary design and petite physique took over the roads for over 3 decades.

When BMW took over Rover Mini in 1994, there was a plan. The mini was a badge that needed to be revived and in 1998, BMW Designworks in California came up with the R50 Mini One. Quickly the word spread out, and when it was launched in 1999, it was crowned, the 2nd most influential car of the 20th century, losing the title to the Ford Model-T. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pulling off a Backflip in a MINI is Not as Easy as it Looks

After bagging Dakar Rally wins two times in a row, the Mini All4 thinks that it could do more than conquering the harsh desert environment. But instead of trying to break existing records, this monster MINI went for something yet to be attempted by any man; making an ‘unassisted’ backflip in a car.

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The Euros Return for a Final Showdown at TIMETOATTACK 2012 Finale!

As with most European makes, they’re commonly associated with comfort, luxury, sophistication, technological advancement and then performance. But as of late – especially after last weekend’s TIMETOATTACK Finale for 2012, these cars came packing with brutish performance levels that seem to have bumped the ‘performance’ factor up higher in the list. The best part is that these cars still manage to retain a certain air of sophistication about them, even though it’s been plastered with stickers and their interior stripped to fit a roll-cage.

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A Super Sunday with a Euro Overdose at the MCKEE Festival of Speed!

Since its establishment back in 1993, McKee Racing is one of the top and trusted tuners that one could find in Malaysia. Starting off its journey tweaking JDM machines into barely road-legal monsters, McKee now widens up their scope by also getting their hands dirty on European cars and being a specialist in tuning Nissan’s new monster, the GT-R. But it does not stop there as McKee is always set to give the customers a satisfying experience by also providing them events and activities for them to participate, like what we have seen last weekend through their inaugural McKee Festival of Speed.

Featuring an all-Euro lineup, the top tuner from Sunway’s horsepower valley shook the Sepang International Circuit wide awake with the roar of thousands of wild horsepower waiting to be unleashed. A huge number of famous European marquees crowd the pits and the circuit, all ready to spend the weekend with an ample dosage of speed and adrenaline. Read the rest of this entry »

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MINI One Returns With Only 30 Units Available!

With the MINI One having debuted in 2011 here in Malaysia, and always been well-known the world-over for it’s fun and exciting driving characteristics, the car is now back with a new batch of 30 Limited Edition units.

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MINI Withdrawing from WRC

The MINI has a strong heritage in rallying back in the 60’s, and the presence of this pocket rocket back in those days were never underestimated as they had a number of great wins under their belt which includes winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. So when MINI made a return to the rallying world in 2011, a lot hailed the return of a great legend in which unfortunately, did not last that long.

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Ingress Auto Appointed by BMW Group Malaysia as New MINI Dealer and Unveils New 2WD Cooper S Countryman (RM268,888 OTR)!

(L–R) Natasha Karim (MINI Manager), Frank Scheffer (Director of Finance and Administration – BMW Group Malaysia), Dr. Gerhard Pils (MD of BMW Group Malaysia), Datuk Haji Ramli (Chairman of Ingress Auto), Encik Affandi bin Mokhtar (Dir of Ingress Auto), Encik Rabian Abd Rahman (Dealer Principal of Ingress Auto)

MINI will soon be making a presence in the Bangsar area pretty soon with their new new site along Jalan Maarof – 65, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur to be exact, that’s almost complete and we’re pretty sure there’s going to be quite a fair bit of song and dance to follow once those doors officially swing open. But untill recently, Ingress Auto was only a BMW dealer, having just expanded to now include the MINI brand and become known as MINI Ingress!

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Review: K-Sport 8 Pot 330mm Big Brake Kit – R53 MINI Cooper S

Everyone needs a set of Big Brake Kit or BBK, unless you’re a regular A-B commuter, and a car is nothing more to you than a depreciating investment, then mods are not for you. If not, then this review may just help with your quest for affordable braking performance and of course, style. But what has style got to do with brakes? In today’s tuning scene, I’d say half the car owners out there place as much importance on style as they do on performance. Who can blame them? If you’re going to put on bigger wheels, you’d ‘need’ bigger brakes, so why not look good while you’re at it?

Above: The MINI with front K-Sport 330mm BBK fitted. Barely nestling beneath the 17X7 OZ Ultraleggera wheel.

The Aftermarket big brake market were at a point dominated by big brands such as Brembo, AP, Mov’it, Tarox and so on, costing either an arm or a leg and sometimes both. But up until the recent years, Taiwanese manufacturers jumped on the tuning bandwagon and were not shy to release their own BBKs with applications for almost any car make and models in 4, 6, 8, 10 and even 12pots! And yes, we’ve all heard how cheaply made and dodgy these Taiwanese products were. Not to mention the kiddish anodized finish and bad English. Ever heard of XYZ brakes?

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Mini Paceman Leaked Ahead of Paris Motor Show!

A certain magazine has somehow let loose a few images of MINI’s upcoming Paceman that’s set to debut at the Paris Motor Show come month-end that featured London’s southeast Gastro scene with local foodies, Sam Bompas and Harry Par. While some would frenzy over what sort of latest gastronomical delights could be had, we weren’t exactly interested in filling our stomachs, but the stead that was used to ferry them about.

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MINI Johnn Cooper Works GP Ready to Show-off!

Turbo-charged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine with 218bhp and 260 – 280Nm (overboost), fully adjustable coilovers, 20mm lower, increased front camber, 17” lightweight alloys, sticky performance tyres, upgraded brakes, a kerb weight of 1,163kg, a 6.3s sprint to 100kmh and a best time of 8mins 23s at ‘The Ring’ is what makes us drool for the upcoming Mini John Cooper Works GP that’s gong to be revealed at the upcoming Paris Motor Show later this month.

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