As part of the 50th birthday celebrations of the Mini this year, Mini Cooper owners have been encouraged to attend an event to share stories of their life with the vehicle.
Organisers of the Dunlop Great & British Motorsport Festival are looking to find out more about the lives of Mini owners, particularly if their Mini Cooper has a name or has been involved in any interesting scenarios.
The event is to take place at the Rockingham racing circuit in Northampton over the weekend beginning on April 18th.
James Bailey, Dunlop Motorsport’s communications manager, said: "Every Mini, old or new seems to have its own character, which is why we believe that many of the cars have been given names by their owners.
"With so many Minis, there must be thousands that have been given names and we want to know, just through curiosity what people have called theirs."
He added that over the past 50 years Mini has become a part of the "nation’s heritage" and that everyone that has currently been spoken to has a story to tell about the car.
Meanwhile, Mini Cooper fans may want to plan a journey to Silverstone in May to witness Paul Weller headline the Mini United 2009 celebrations, another event to mark the car’s birthday.
An online bingo fan may not have won money when she entered a recent competition, but instead was rewarded with a new Mini Cooper worth £16,000.
Joanne Kane became the first ever winner of a car from Wink Bingo, after winning a play-off to seal the victory.
An initial game to win the prize was declared a draw after Ms Kane and another entrant both called ‘house’ on the same number.
So a play-off game between the pair was announced with both players getting to choose their own two numbers, with Ms Kane’s nine and 11 balls drawn out before those selected by her rival.
Ms Kane said: "I’ve never won anything in my life.
"It was so exciting; I screamed and screamed and screamed. The kids were screaming, the dog was going mad. I can’t explain how wonderful it felt."
Among the highlights of the Mini Cooper are that it has a top speed of 126 miles per hour and can accelerate from still to 62 miles per hour in 9.1 seconds.
The van-style doors of the Mini Cooper S Clubman are a fun feature of the vehicle, according to a review.
According to the Islington Gazette, the large rear doors are compact but still capable of being opened in confined spaces.
It is also noted that they are practical when a motorist has to drop their rear seats to use the rear boot, as they are large enough to enable easier access.
Furthermore, some 960 litres of boot space is available in the Clubman when the seats are folded down, compared to 260 litres when the seats are up.
Another of the benefits of the new vehicle is that back seat passengers can stretch out further as their leg room has been enhanced by eight centimetres.
When on the road, the Mini provides "go-kart like handling, plenty of grip and bags of fun", according to the writer.
Meanwhile, the 1.6-litre engine allows motorists to complete 68.9 miles to the gallon.
According to Mini, the doors of the Clubman offer "a sleek exterior profile when closed".
A new makeover has left the Mini Cooper looking as "fresh as ever" despite the vehicle celebrating its 50th birthday this year, a reviewer has stated.
Jackie Violet has remarked in the Daily Record that among the developments made to the Mini are changes to both the exterior and interior.
On the outside, buyers have the choice of new roof colours, alongside witnessing developments to the bodywork and wheel options.
Meanwhile, inside, buyers are greeted with new instrument clusters and upholsteries, while there is added space for luggage in the rear.
Air conditioning is also included as standard for the first time.
Furthermore, motorists can boost their chances of overtaking Sunday drivers by switching on the overboost on the turbocharger.
"Whack on the overboost and extra power can be reached for about nine seconds that will ensure overtaking manoeuvres are performed swiftly and safely, but it’s hold on to your wig stuff," Ms Violet indicated.
Buyers of a Mini Cooper with manual transmission can expect to reach a top speed of 126 miles per hour, while accelerating from still to 62 miles per hour in 9.1 seconds.
Motorists opting to purchase a Mini Cooper at the moment are showing that they are right up there in the style stakes, it has been stated.
Writing for the Sun, Phil Lanning claims that motorists will struggle to get "much trendier right now" than through buying a Mini, with the likes of X Factor guru Simon Cowell among the most recent owners.
Mr Lanning tackled the Mini Cooper S Cabrio for himself on a road test and immediately noted that the vehicle has "arguably the most distinctive cabin of any mainstream car".
He revealed that a satnav is placed inside the speedometer, while there are a host of toggle switches and gadgets on the dashboard.
Meanwhile, he highlighted that the engineers have also been busy at work under the bonnet and have come up with a car that is now more powerful.
The inclusion of a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine means that motorists can witness more rapid acceleration in the S model compared with the general Cooper.
Accelerating from still to 62 miles per hour in the standard Mini can be done in 9.8 seconds, but this is significantly improved to 7.4 seconds in the Cooper S.
Overall, he commented that the car "oozes character".
The vehicle also comes with standard safety equipment such as ABS brakes and Brake Assist technology.
Although many people will be looking at the latest pair of designer shades this summer, the Mini Cooper Convertible seems set to be the most wanted accessory, it has been stated.
Mike Noble, sales manager at Lloyd Mini, told the Cumberland News that he expects the vehicle to be a hit with female motorists in particular this summer.
He told the publication: "They look good, they are very easy to drive and I think women like the fact that you can personalise them and add different options."
Mr Noble added that the vehicle has also maintained the original appeal of the Mini, while making slight alterations to coincide with today’s latest technology.
It was also revealed that around three quarters of the Mini Cooper Convertibles previously sold at the Carlisle showroom have been snapped up by females.
Among those to have opted to buy a Mini Cooper in the past are Paul McCartney and Twiggy.
Meanwhile, the Mini Cooper also comes with equipment including Bi-Xenon lights, sports seats and chrome line interior.
X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke has become the first person in the UK to own a new Mini Cooper Convertible, it has been suggested.
The Daily Mirror reports that the Hallelujah singer got her hands on the vehicle 24 hours before anybody else.
A source of the newspaper revealed: "She was the first person in Britain to take stock of one and is absolutely chuffed to bits with it."
Meanwhile, owners of the Mini Cooper Convertible have picked up a car that offers a mix of speed and environmental efficiency.
The vehicle is capable of hitting a top speed of 123 miles per hour, while being able to accelerate to 62 miles per hour from still in 9.8 seconds.
In terms of its fuel efficiency, motorists can benefit from a combined fuel consumption of 49.6 miles to the gallon, while the Mini generates 137g/km of CO2.
Furthermore, four airbags are fitted within the vehicle as standard, while the body structure has been reinforced and an active roll-over bar included.
An "imaginative" interior is one of the stand-out features of the Mini Cooper S, according to a football fan.
Graeme Lennox was joined by three friends as they had the task of manoeuvring two Mini vehicles from the south of France to Glasgow in three days – a 1,005-mile trip.
The aim of the trip was to get home after watching Scotland play football in Amsterdam and Mr Lennox writes in the Sunday Mail that he is "convinced" the vehicle will remain a "market leader".
He stated that the interior in the vehicle "looks great" and is a mixture of "imaginative styling combined with quality materials".
Furthermore, he notes that the Cooper S’s turbocharged 1.6-litre engine "turns heads" as a driver pulls away, with a two-second faster acceleration enjoyed when compared with the vehicle’s standard model.
Overall, Mr Lennox appreciated the car’s "superb handling and finish", while it is also no slouch in the speed department – being able to hit a top speed of 138 miles per hour.
The Mini Cooper S also comes with six airbags, alongside pedestrian-friendly bumpers and side impact protection.
The Mini Cooper was one of five vehicles from the fleet of the BMW Group to be successful at the recent Fleet News Awards.
A panel of industry experts were assigned to decide the winners, with the Mini range being recognised as the ‘Best Residual Value Star’.
BMW was also successful in the ‘Best Small Premium Car’ bracket, courtesy of the 1 Series, while the 5 Series was crowned top executive car and the new 7 Series the best luxury car.
The BMW X5 won the ‘Best Large SUV’ accolade.
Stephen Chater, BMW UK’s group corporate operations manager, said: "This is a fantastic result and underscores the competitive advantage the BMW Group enjoys in the marketplace."
Fleet News added that the Mini was constantly at the head of the charts in terms of the strength of the residual value performance and for motorists the range is "one of the safest places to put their money"
When analysing the handling of the Mini Cooper, Top Gear stated that "the overall set up is even more accomplished, meaning you can push it even harder with relative impunity".
Many male drivers may feel that the Mini Cooper Convertible is not for them, but the opinion of one driver has changed after taking it for a drive around a racing circuit.
Writing for the Telegraph, Stuart Birch reveals that the latest generation of Mini convertibles hold all the right credentials to win over all motorists.
Taking the Mini John Cooper Works for a spin around a test track in Germany, he discovered that the vehicle was more than the "dinky little number" that he had prejudged.
He comments that the vehicle was comfortable "flying downhill at a cool 85mph, through a sweeping right-hand bend and then up a short steep gradient to a 90-degree left-hander".
Furthermore, the latest convertibles offer buyers an increased boot space of five litres, while in all the car is 2.5 inches longer.
Overall, Mr Birch revealed that he was a fan of the performance of the Mini John Cooper Works, alongside its handling and the quality of its hood, which opens and closes in 15 seconds.
Channel Four highlighted in a review of the vehicle that it is "cheap to run", while providing drivers with "great performance and supreme handling".
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