News from MotoringFile like we do. Nathanial fills in for Gabe this week to help us sort out news of the week. We clear out some Ask Chad questions and bring a new sponsor in that we think you will like; GearHeadApps.com. They are reviewing iPhone apps that appeal to gear heads!
We did talk about alternative fueled vehicles quite a bit, especially the electric MINIs and possibility of a plug-in hybrid coming. And, watch for White Roof Radio to be streaming in MINI Connected very soon (we hope)! Finally, if you want to hear the discussion about automatic vs. manual, check out the latest BimmerCast.
Download | WRR @ iTunes | 30.3MB | 1:06:13
Hey guys,
Usually, you are totally on the ball, but this time you made a small booboo. When talking about classic Mini’s and rallying, someone (I think it was Nathaniel) said that the speedo is in the center of the Mini because that was useful for the co-driver in rallying. Although it is possible this was convenient, it surely isn’t the reason. Probably, the co-driver didn’t bother with the speedo much anyway; it is not accurate enough for this kind of rallying. What was and still is used, are devices like the TripMaster from Halda; extremely accurate, mechanical odometer devices, specifically made for rallying. For example, they will also let you run the meter down in case you’ve made a wrong turn and need to correct the distance.
When the Mini was first being designed, it was never intended to be the motorsport “giant” it turned out to be (in fact, Alec Issigonis didn’t like much the shenanigans of this John Cooper, who turned his little people’s car into a racing monstrosity – the first running prototypes of the Mini actually had a 1000cc engine, which was tuned down to 850cc for the introduction, as it was considered too fast and dangerous). The reason for the speedometer being in the middle is much more down to earth; since the Mini would be solved in both left hand drive and right hand drive markets, having the instruments in the middle meant less difference between cars intended for these different markets.
Cheers and keep up the good work,
Eelke Blok from the Netherlands
“Solved” should have been “sold”, of course.
Not show related, but those bullet wheels on the GP look great!
We are working on some rail mounted accessories, but we do already have an iPhone mount for the Countryman;
http://www.cravenspeed.com/products/MINI-Smart-Phone-Mounting-Kit.html
Thanks for thinking of us Todd.
I took Harold Stanfield around the Silverstone Circuit in a Hot Chocolate MINI Cooper D with right hand drive during MU @ Silverstone. I LOVED the diesel’s low end torque as I ran it up through the gears but it died quickly around 4500 rpm. If you ask Harold, I was a motoring madman testing the D out during the few times we made it around the track. Sidenote, for those of you having trouble with starting from a stop with a manual, the diesel with solve it due to the torque.