It’s official! The new MINI R57 Convertible is now available for purchase, and Sandia MINI had the best launch party in the country last night … too bad if you missed it! However you needn’t miss out on all of the fun, you can come get in one and drive it yourself! We have the new R57s (Cooper, or Cooper S – for the more sporting minded) here at the dealership and trust me, you should drive it. I would not consider myself a convertible person, but when I was out in Los Angeles for training on this new model, we got a chance to drive them – and WOW! This car is fantastic. I have had two MINIs, and should I be in the market for a third, a convertible might rank highly on my list. Check out the pictures below, and give me call to set up a test drive!
2009 MINI Convertible
The new R57 MINI Cooper S Convertible
Well, dear readers, things have been crazy of late. I’ve been out to LA to try out the new R57 (got to drive it!), learn all about it, and of course, dine on some In-N-Out while in California. Be jealous. However I also experienced some downtime due to a database error, but quickly resolved thanks to my gracious host, DreamHost. Truly a fantastic experience so far with these blokes. AlistairCooper (my twitter personality) is still going strong, and it’s really quite a bit of fun to have my fingers on the pulse of anything MINI on twitter. But I digress…some pictures and info on the new R57 MINI Convertible!
The R57 is going to have the same (new) chassis as the R56, slightly reinforced to deal with the lack of a roof, but otherwise you’ll notice the same improvements from the transition from R50/53 -> R56. Goodbye, cowl shake, and other R52 quirks. Hello, great mileage and torque, better design, turbos, and new colors! MINI is introducing a couple new colors with the launch of the R57, Horizon Blue (slated to replace Lightning Blue)
There's a man inside...trust me
and Interchange Yellow. The latter has sparked a lot of debate on the internet tubes, but in person, I can assure you, it is a … well it’s a badass color. Very MINI. The top works like a dream, and can operate while moving (albeit not very quickly…) a HUGE improvement, and one I got to try out! Please post any comments and questions, or get ahold of me on Twitter.
There he is!
I'm kind of a gangster
Stuff the MINI Update
Thanks to everyone so far who has come in to support our Stuff the MINI event! It has been a great success so far…got a good photo here of the (filling up quickly) Clubman and one of our supporters. Be sure to come in before Feb. 21!
Stuff the MINI – redux
Just a quick update on Stuff the MINI – things are going well! We just got some sweet decals on the car. Come by, bring a stuffed animal (remember – we donate these and some $$$ for each animal to the UNM Children’s Hospital!) and say hello!
MINI Convertible (R57) @ 2009 Chicago Auto Show
I was browsing BimmerFile, MotoringFile’s “BMW brother,” and I noticed they had a great compilation of (some awesome BMWs!) of the new MINI convertible available – which I had not seen posted on MotoringFile. So, without further ado, all credit to Motoring/BimmerFile, their Flickr photo stream. Enjoy!
And please, tell your friends, subscribe to our RSS feed, and post some comments!
MINI “Crossman” Sightings…
If you’re into MINI at all, or even a casual observer of all things “Oxfordian” … then you are surely aware of the AWD MINI coming our way sometime in 2010. Well, here to fuel the rumor mills are some more pictures of the “Crossman” undergoing cold weather testing…sourced from autoweek.com and this article at MotoringFile.
The image gallery is here
Today’s The Day
Worried about the economy? Not sure what’s going to happen? Well, take solace in the fact that you are getting some help this year from the government! In this article about the new stimulus on cnn.com, I found the following excerpt:
“Car buyers: Anyone who buys a new car in 2009 gets to deduct the sales tax. To qualify, buyer must make less than $125,000 individually or $250,000 jointly.” (source: cnn.com)
Sounds like a great time to buy a car! I have my own plans for a JCW later this year…
Stuff the MINI – Day 1
Great turnout so far! We already have made very good progress with “Stuff the MINI” – keep ‘em coming! I’ll keep updating as time goes on. Remember, not only is the for a good cause, it’s for Dave Matthews tickets as well!
Be sure to call me with any questions.
Stuff The MINI
Be sure to participate! This is a great event being put on at Sandia MINI. Questions? Want any more info? Contact me and I will make sure you are in the loop!
Stuff the MINI at Sandia MINI. Bring a stuffed animal now through Feb, 21st to help fill up the inside of a MINI and for every one, we’ll donate money and the animals to the UNM Children’s Hospital. If helping an adorable little kid, who just wants to make the achy’s go away isn’t enough motivation, first of all get some help. Seriously. But secondly, you could also win Dave Matthews Band tickets.
Stuff the MINI at Sandia MINI. Do it for the kids, do it for the tickets. Whatever reason, just do it!!!