does anyone know if one can "tilt" both sunroofs?

 

Wasn't that just answered in the last post?

(Not in the First Gen...back sunroof is fixed.)

 

And if you've seen MINIs with both tilted up, they are R56s.

 

R56 yes

R50/53 correct

 

where can you hid a key in the rear wheel on the driverside in a mini cooper? i looked and i must have missed it or something!!

 

2007-2008 you can roll up your windows & close the sun roof by using your key on driver side door

 

There was a cubby on the earlier cars. It was just a door that popped down and you could temporarily stash a key there. I dont think your supposed to drive with it there.

 

that works for all years 2002-

 

opens them too (without using fob battery)

 

did anyone know the exhaust tip on the 05 mini cooper is in the exact shape of a beer can because when the designer made it, he forgot the exhaust tip and just slapped the end of a beer can onto the clay model and everyone loved it

 

wow. interesting.

If you are in your car and you hold your lock switch up, your windows and sunroof go down. Im sure thats already been said

 

:0 i thought it was only with the key hmm, nicee

 

 

It is a nice story. The only problem is that it isn't true. If you see pictures of the full-size clay model of the MCS, it has a large single exhaust tip that doesn't look anything like a beer can (unless you drink Foster's out of those really big cans). Also, all of the early Frank Stephenson sketches of the MCS clearly show the twin exhausts-- it's not like they were an afterthought.

 

If it's not true, then Stephenson himself is in on the hoax:


"Mini designer Frank Stephenson explains what a can of Budweiser and the new MINI have in common: "We worked a number of 24-hour days trying to get the full-sized clay model completed for presentation to the board of directors," says Stephenson. "So when we finished the job with just hours to spare, I thought it appropriate that the team have a beer or two to celebrate. That's when I spotted the problem."

That problem was the complete absence of an exhaust tip on the otherwise complete clay. Thinking quickly, Stephenson stripped the paint from his beer can, punched a hole in the bottom, and fixed it in place on the model. It wasn't long before he was called on the carpet by his boss at BMW. "It wasn't the shape (of the tip)," he says, "everybody liked it because it was unique yet oddly familiar. He was concerned that I had wasted a modeler's time milling the piece when his time could be better spent elsewhere. That was when I felt the need to confess." That confession got him stunned silence followed by nearly uncontrollable laughter."(BMWworld.com)

 

Sorry silvrcelt but Scott proved my statement. If you do some research on it, you will see what I am we are talking about

 

Also if you look at the exhaust tip on any of the first gen minis, excluding the s, it resembles the bottom of a can

 

The book MINI (by Patrick Paternie, 2002) quotes the same thing and in addition:

"'The review (of the clay model with the beer can) went off without a hitch,' Stephenson recalls. 'The board told me not to change a thing. Imagine the difficulty I had communicating the specifications of the exhaust to the supplier without telling him to go copy the sides and bottom of a beer can.'"

This book has a picture of a clay model Cooper S with the large non-beer can single exhaust that I think silvrcelt refers to. So the story about the beer can must have applied to a (earlier?) clay model of the base Cooper.

 

My 1st gen S exhaust looks like beer cans too!

 

I believe the story goes that the engineer/designer, Stephensen? who designed the origina Mini thought of the design for the Mini in his kitchen and put 4 kitchen chairs to represent the wheels and did use a beer can for the exhaust......can someone corroborate this?

 

as was already posted, the story is that the first full-scale mockup was made sans exhaust tip and so a beer can was painted/polished and put in as a place-setter. They liked it and so designed the tip with the same shape.

 

That's because your whole body suddenly becomes an antenna.

 

In a straight line on a closed course my car will hit 129mph at 7000 rpm before the fuel shuts off—in 5th.

 

I bought my 06 R50 BRG/Silver used a month ago. I've finally got through this thread and wanted to post a big THANK-YOU to all as I've learned many things. My dealer mailed me an owner's manual which I just got today. Thanks to this forum, I already had my .pdf manual (from the motoring.com site). It is finally going to be above freezing this weekend in WI, so I might get to check out how the ride feels with the sunroof open!

One question: My MINI does not like to drive slower than 35, why is that?

 

I have found that too. I was driving in a parade and my mini was having some issues. I had to stop and restart a few times. Maybe our minis are just trying to tell us something...