Gizmodo: mini cooper

Photo Du Jour: An Electric Mini Cooper's Dashboard

Brian Lam — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:29:29 EST

This car has 43% battery life remaining, but I wonder if that gauge depletes linearly or, as on my laptop, surprisingly quickly near the end.

The car charges in under 3 hours using a 240 volt [fixed...Jalop had it wrong, and I neglected to fact check at 3am, but good catch people!] power source at 50 amps. I like the yellow trim. [Jalopnik Review]

RC Mini 'n' Garage Combo the Hottest USB Thing in Yonks

AddyDugdale — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:07:05 EDT

See this remote-controlled Mini in Racing Green from Solid Alliance? You're probably not that impressed with it, are you? (I admit, the headlights are just shonky.) Well, you should see what it comes with: a garage that acts as a charger and connects to your computer's USB port. Find out how to control the car and watch the video after the jump.

[Solid Alliance via New Launches]

Park the Mini in the garage for just 10 minutes to charge it up. Then, you can make the car zoom all over your table, re-enacting scenes from the original version of The Italian Job, via the desktop application.
Costing $30, the RC Mini and USB Garage charger will be available at the beginning of next month.

Mini Motorby Billboards Put Your Fave Saying Up in Lights

Charlie White — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:45:00 EST

Now isn't this something right out of Minority Report? Last month, Mini placed interactive electronic billboards advertising its upcoming new Mini Cooper models at locations in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami, and they're able to read RFID information off a key fob the company's distributed to Mini owners.

The owners themselves specify whatever information (irreverent or otherwise) they want to be shown on the billboards, and when it's transmitted to the billboards, that phrase is displayed up in lights for all to see.

Seems like a pretty good idea until you realize that you're carrying around a tracking device just to have some fun with a billboard or two. Weird. – Charlie White

Mini Motorby Billboard Cool Hunting, via CrunchGear]

Goofy Light Switches Might Turn You On

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:52:46 EST

Those Brits are a wacky bunch, decorating with tacky wallpaper and now topping it off with some of the most unusual light switches on the planet. Just turn this pool ball, dolphin or Mini Cooper clockwise to turn the lights on, and as you turn, it adjusts brightness, too.

Too bad these are all 400-watt switches, not usable in the US. Maybe this will give some enterprising switchmaker in the States some ideas. If you like to trick out your place with unusual light switches like we do, you'll be eagerly awaiting such a development. Check out three more of the switch choices, including one that's unquestionably our favorite, and then imagine the unlimited possibilities:

We're especially fond of that hippified VW Microbus. – Charlie White

Product Page [Boutique to You, via Spluch]

Mini Desk is so Fun, Your Employees Will Just Have to Love You!

Adam Frucci — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:53:54 EST

Are you a "fun" boss that insists on being called by your first name? Do you manage a Chili's? If you answered yes to either of those questions (or better yet, both), I have the perfect desk for you.

It's a desk made to look like a Cooper Mini! Isn't that so cute and fun? Just imagine all of the hilarious puns you can make while sitting at it. Sure, always making cracks like "Let's step on the gas and really get this meeting started" or "These ideas have just stalled out on us" will send your employees running to monster.com faster than you can say "Michael Scott," the entertainment value that you'll provide yourself is well worth it. –Adam Frucci

Product Page [via Ubergizmo]

Mini Cooper to Get iDrive Car System

Gizloco — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 10:47:47 EDT

Usually found in BMWs, it looks like the Mini Cooper will be getting a simplified version of the hate-it-or-love-it iDrive driver assistance system. Starting with the 2007 model year, Mini Cooper drivers will get to control some of their car's different system—like climate control, audio system and navigation—with the help of iDrive.

One of the knocks against the iDrive is that it encourages drivers to look at all sorts of things that aren't, you know, the road ahead and surrounding traffic. That is supposedly being worked on with suggestions that the Mini Cooper's version of the iDrive will feature more voice-activiated interaction, leading to less wandering eyeballs. – Nicholas Deleon

Let's Interface: Mini to Get BMW's iDrive [Jalopnik]