A Less-Mini Mini: The Mini Cooper Clubman

For those who love the design of the Mini Cooper's re-released Hardtop or Coupe models, but weren't thrilled with the lack of cabin and storage space, Mini Cooper has released the Mini Cooper Clubman. With an extended wheelbase and redesigned cargo doors, the Clubman packs on a touch more utility to the classic Mini Cooper design without losing that Mini Cooper charm. With suicide-style "club" doors in the back, dual side opening cargo doors in the near, and 3 inches of additional leg room, the Clubman provide passengers with comfort and drivers with style. The rear hatch has been split down the middle into dual side-opening doors that are hinged on the extreme sides of the car to ensure that they're out of the way for loading larger cargo.

 With the rear seats folded forward, the rear boasts 32.8 cubic feet of cargo space. The Clubman comes with either the Cooper or the Cooper S engines and averages between 32-37 miles per gallon on the freeway. For more information on this model and many other splendid models from Mini Cooper, log on to Mini Cooper's website. For Tulsa's European auto experts, check in with your friends at European Auto Specialist for the finest European auto maintenance, repair, and upgrades.

Nothing "Mini" About It: Review of the Mini Cooper Counrtyman

Usually when one thinks of the Mini Cooper, an image of urban convenience comes to mind without many thoughts to how the auto would perform if the car were to need to traverse an unpaved road or transport four or more passengers comfortably. It was with these ideas in mind that the European auto maker, Mini Cooper, is pleased to introduce the Mini Cooper Countryman. The first vehicle of its size to be introduced onto the market, the Counrtyman takes a stab at competing with similar crossover vehicles. Where the Countryman shines is in that fact that its style label of "crossover" does not mean crossing a boring sedan with an SUV, but rather a high performance vehicle with a fuel efficient, utility-focused automobile.With similar handling to its smaller Mini Cooper counterparts, the Countryman gives Mini Cooper enthusiasts a higher ground clearance, a more forgiving suspension, full rear seating with rear doors, and ample head and foot room. For interior passenger convenience, the Countryman introduces Mini Cooper's Center Rail; a rail that extends from the base of the front shifter to between the two rear seats which houses cup holders, eye glass cases, iPod holders, and other function-filled attachments that can be attached, removed, and repositioned for individualized utility placement. For fuel efficiency as well as performance, the Counrtyman is power by a 1.6 liter 16-valve alloy engine with a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The rear cargo area is much more generous than your average Mini Cooper with forward-folding seats and a cargo-area fold-up divider. Depending on the selected package, the Counrtyman is available with adjustable interior ambient lighting, an all-wheel drive option, heated seats, navigation system, and many other features to sup-up the ride to the owner's heart's content. For more information on the Mini Cooper Countryman and other Mini Cooper autos, stop by Mini Cooper USA's website. For all your European automotive repair and upgrade needs, visit your friends at European Auto Specialist in Tulsa, OK.

The Best of April Fools 2012

From a Mini Cooper with a front end that resembles a yacht for the boating enthusiast to a self-cleaning Subaru and Mini Cooper with camping trailer options, this year's April Fool's Day tricks from the automobile industry certainly took consumers by store. Subaru's commercial for a self-cleaning car that seemed to make dirt vanish with the push of a button seemed to have some consumers going for a while before they figured out it was simply too good to be true. Some other car gags included a BMW driverless running coach that follows runners on their morning jogs, a completely solar-powered Subaru Tribeca, and Google coming out with their own self-driving NASCAR racer. For more on the some of 2012's best gags, check out Autoblog.com's Automotive April Fools' joke roundup. For any actual BMW, Mini Cooper, or other European auto info and service, check in with the experts at European Auto Specialist. 

BMW Teams Up With Toyota

An announcement has been made that Toyota Motor Corporation and BMW Group have signed a collaborative agreement that the two auto makers will work side-by-side in developing some of the most technologically advanced and efficient batteries for a new generation of energy efficient automobiles. For more info on this group venture, check out the BMW Blog. For the finest in European automobile repair and performance upgrades, stay close to the experts at European Auto Specialist.

Return of The British Roadster: The 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster

This year, Mini Cooper has come out with the 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster. This is a two-door, soft-top convertible for those pleasure cruises on the weekends, but also stout enough for use as a commuter. You might be asking yourself, "a two-door convertible Mini Cooper? How is this different from the their hard-top Mini Cooper Coupe?" The good people at Mini Cooper offer this explanation; "It's the return of the British roadster." For the most part, this soft-top convertible provides the quality and drive Mini Cooper enthusiasts have come to expect from the company. The two-door provides drivers with a short-throw 6-speed gear box and three available strengths; 121-hp Cooper, turbo-charged 181-hp Cooper S, and 208-hp John Cooper Works. Being a bit less expensive that the 4-seater Convertible, the 2-seater Roadster also boasts of over 8 cubic feet of trunk space; a bit more than that of its sister Convertible. For more on this punchy little ride, check out Automobile Mag's "First Look" at the Roadster. For all your European automobile repair needs, look no further than your friends at European Auto Specialist of Tulsa, OK.

High Performance Meets High Fuel Efficiency in BMW's i-Series

BMW has always had a reputation for bringing high performance to the city streets, but with some announcements this year about getting serious about fuel economy, BMW has introduced their i-Series cars; the "megacity" i3 and the high performance i8. Though projected to be 2014 models, the autos are already redefining what it means to meld performance with efficiency. The BMW i8 is a high performance electric-hybrid with plug-in capabilities and the i3 is an efficient plug-in electric city cruiser. With a light carbon body and 0-62 mph in 7.9 seconds for the i3 and 4.6 seconds for the i8, these are some of the highest performing autos to ever run on electricity. In addition to performance, when these hit the streets sometime in 2013, they'll be some of the fasting charging electric cars on the road. For more specs on these groundbreaking rides and information about their release, check out Zero Emission Motoring and this sneak peak by Car & Driver. As always, for the finest in European auto repair and maintenance, visit the experts at Tulsa's own European Autospecialist.

BMW and Stitcher Radio Collaborate to Bring Internet Radio to the Road

Think cars and cell phones don’t mix? In most cases, you’d be right, but with the innovative iDrive infotainment system from BMW, BMWs and iPhones go so hand-in-hand, you don’t even need your hands on your phone to safety use many applications of your iPhone. With this idea of safe access in mind, BMW is proud to announce collaboration with the Stitcher Radio application. If you enjoy great radio show programming online, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for within Stitcher Radio’s 5,000+ radio shows with topics ranging from news, tech talk, politics, sports, religion, arts, and culture; all streaming from your iPhone. With this new announcement in integration of Stitcher with the BMW iDrive system, access to all your favorite radio shows is right at your fingertips. BMW recently announced their collaboration with Stitcher at SXSW 2012 and plans on featuring more of user’s favorite iPhone apps for the iDrive system in the future. For more information on the BMW iDrive system, visit your local professionals at European Auto Specialists.