2012 Mini Cooper Hardtop on 2040-cars

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Cool Shunnings: Mini helps the Jamaican bobsled team train in lockdown

Need to train for an upcoming outdoor Olympic competition, but COVID restrictions are forcing you to shelter in place? Well, if your sport happens to be bobsled and your place happens to be an indoor ski slope, that just might be doable.  Perhaps you remember Jamaica's national bobsled team for pushing a Mini Cooper convertible around earlier this year as a conditioning exercise. If that sounds like a stunt straight out of "Cool Runnings," well, that's pretty much the idea. Now, they're doing it in isolation, within the safe confines of an indoor skiing facility in the UK.  Evidently, they're still at it, only now they appear to have better corporate sponsorship (note the Jamaican flag livery on their spankin' new 'vert) and a pandemic-friendly training venue as they undergo conditioning at the UK’s largest indoor slope at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, ahead of the World Championships in Lake Placid, New York, in February.  "This second lockdown has been even harder on our training," said team pilot Shanwayne Stephens. "Matt [Wilson] and DyÂ’Neal [FeÂ’ssal] are new to the team so weÂ’re focusing on gelling together as a team and getting them up to speed – they have never been in a bobsled or even seen one yet!" "Pushing the MINI here may seem like a bit of fun but this has been an important exercise, just being on ice is completely different to training in the summer – the toll on your body is entirely different and you use energy in different ways," Stephens said. "The Snow Centre is only -3 degrees [27 degrees Farenheit], thatÂ’s pretty mild compared to what weÂ’re normally in, and theyÂ’re already complaining about the cold!" Lake Placid is just the next step toward qualification for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Car Club USA: Minis On Top

Car Club USA heads to New Hampshire for Minis On Top, an annual Mini owner event at the base of Mt. Washington. Owners meet, greet, and compete for best of show honors, and then make the thrilling ascent to the top of Mt. Washington. "You get about halfway up the mountain and all the sudden you can't see," remarks one driver of the sometimes treacherous conditions. Events like Minis On Top have been bringing together this tight-knit automotive community for years. "When I bought it, I really... didn't know it was a car that came with friends," said Eric Ruiz, one of the event coordinators. "I have no idea where my life would be had I not bought that Mini off the dealership floor," said Emily Martian, who struck up a long-distance relationship with fellow Mini driver Steve Nikitopoulos at another owner event. "So, yes, technically Minis brought us together." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. MINI Driving Ownership Car Club USA Videos Original Video

EPA: Four 2014 Mini Cooper models need to drop mpg numbers

After the huge problems that Hyundai/Kia experienced with its mislabeled fuel economy labels, you'd think that any time an automaker has to adjust its mpg numbers, heralds would be shouting from the rooftops. But, after Ford admitted to three big mistakes with its numbers for the 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Mercedes-Benz had to lower the fuel economy rating for the C-Class, we understand if those heralds are a bit tired by now. The models affected include the 3-door and the 3-door S. Still, today's news is that BMW has to lower the fuel efficiency numbers for four versions of the 2014 Mini Cooper thanks to an audit conducted by the EPA and then some joint re-testing. The models affected include the 3-door with the 1.5-liter engine and the 3-door S with its 2.0-liter powerplant, with both manual and semi-automatic transmissions. As with the Benzes, the rating changes are not big ones, around one or two miles per gallon. The big exception is the manual S 3-door's highway number, which lost four mpg from 38 to 34. You can see all the numbers, new and old, in the press release below, but the EPA isn't saying what caused the problem this time. The Agency's new test procedures can't come fast enough. It should be noted that the 2015 Mini Cooper was recently delayed a bit because of the extra time it took to get the EPA numbers right. There's no confirmation that these two items are connected, but we would not be surprised to hear they were. EPA Requiring BMW to Correct Fuel Economy Labels for Four Mini Cooper Vehicles Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising estimates for four 2014 BMW Mini Cooper vehicles to ensure consumers are given accurate fuel economy values. The EPA performed a fuel economy audit on the BMW Mini Cooper and obtained values that differed from those BMW submitted to EPA for certification. With EPA oversight, BMW conducted new emissions and fuel economy testing, and EPA conducted its own testing at its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a result of this subsequent testing, EPA is requiring BMW to relabel four of its 2014 Mini Cooper models with lower fuel economy values. The specific changes to fuel economy stickers are listed in the table below.