Issue #19

March-April '09:

On The Cover: In keeping with MINI's new marketing theme of "Open Motoring," the long awaited R57 Cabriolet made it's first press ride-and-drive debut this past January in Austria. Freezing, 17-Degree weather and snow didn't dampen the spirits of either

MINI's hardy personnel or the stalwart working press. It was top down motoring all the way, with the new "Openometer" clocking top down hours as journalists hit the Austrian country roads and a snowbound slalom course during the middle of a cold European winter. Luckily, the R57 has a great heater and the well known European car writer, Iain Robertson, was tough enough to endure the wind chill to bring MC2 readers the first ride report on this new MINI in More Open Than Ever. Iain's findings and some great photography by MINI's photographer, Richard Newton, can be seen starting on page 24.

We begin our editorial package this month with the final installment on the MINI GP World Challenge on page 21. Over the past few issues, editor Peter DuPre has been following the exploits of Oscar Revelli, and his co-driver Salvatore Carobene, as the pair attempts a circumnavigation of the glove in a MINI GP. The pair started on their journey in September 2008, and when we last left them, they had driven from Florida to Seattle, flown across the Pacific to South Korea and then driven the GP through Siberia and Mongolia and across Mother Russia. This month, we chronical the pair's dash to Moscow and their drive through Poland, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and to Turino, Italy, where they end their journey at the gates of the Bertone factory, birthplace of the MINI GP.

Mild to Wild: Our main theme this issue is custom Minis and we have a number of really well done

cars for you to examine. On page 30, publisher Barry Brazier talks with John DeGirolamo about his Black Beauty, a 2005 S model cabriolet. We haven't shown a customized cabrio before in the pages of MC2, but when we saw Johnny's car we knew that we had to do a full photo feature on our pages. Owner, John DeGirolamo uses this stunning cabrio as both his daily driver and as a showpiece for his business, Johnny's Auto Clinic, located in San Pedro, California. The car took Johnny almost three years to put together and it is nice to know that he puts the same kind of perfect care into his customer's cars, as did photographer Jason Mordoh when he photographed it for us.

Then on page 37, Neil Chirico heads out to the California high desert country to document Kelli Viselli's Wild Thing, a 2002 S model coupe that just may be the fastest new MINI owned and driven daily by a woman. This car is fast, furious, RED and named after one of the most famous race horses in Grand National Steeplechase history - Red Rum. Although it is also used as a daily driver, this car is powerful fast, pumping out over 267hp and pushing 130 mph on the track, where Kelli is frequently seen behind the wheel.

California, however, isn't the only place where cool-looking MINIs are found and Terry Shea found one heck of a custom in Massachusetts. Although

most New Englanders are known for their liberal politics, few are known for their radical rides. New England entrepreneur, Jim Smith, decided that he wanted his Niice and Blue 2003 S to stand out from the crowd. To that end, he enlisted the help of his son, Jimmy Smith, Jr., who owns Street Customs and Restoration in North Carolina. Together, the father and son team knocked out a killer custom that features Lamborghini-style knife doors, Sparco seats, Konigseder body kit, and Alta performance parts. This is one gorgeous MINI and it never fails to attract a crowd whenever Jim pulls into the local drive-in for a burger and fries.

New Heritage Section: Regular readers of MC2 know that over the past few months we've slowly been adding more coverage of

classic Minis. Well, with this issue, we've put all the classic Mini info into its own special section so classic enthusiasts won't have to be needlessly searching through the entire magazine to reach the information that they are interested in reading. The classic Mini section begins with an interview by Peter DuPre with Rauno Aaltonen, the Flying Finn. Peter caught up with Rauno at MTTS/Miami and spent the better part of an afternoon talking with him about how he got started driving the world's coolest car. For those not in the know, Rauno is the winningest Mini rally driver, but more than that, he loves talking to Mini owners and teaching them driving techniques. Although Rauno has raced since the 1980s, he remains as popular as ever and when he makes a public appearance, crowds surround him as if he were a rock star. Read the interview on page 46 to understand why Rauno is so beloved by Mini aficionados.

Following the Rauno Interview, our own Graham Robson dishes all the dirt on The Square Nosed Minis: Clubman and 1275 GT, on page

48. British Leyland completely changed the famous little car, much for the better mechanically. However, the pinning of a Ford-type front end on the Clubman remains controversial to this day. No matter, Graham sorts it all out in his usual in-depth and behind-the-scenes style, plus provides production numbers for the cars built in Longbridge.

Then, on page 52, Neil Chirico shows us that just because you own a classic, it doesn't mean it has to be dead stock and original. In One For The Money and Two For The Show, Neil highlights a pair of uniquely custom classics owned by Jose Paredes. Originally from El Salvador, Jose has built his

American Dream and included a classic Mini pickup and saloon in the vision. One has a radical paint job and interior; the other boasts V-Tec horsepower. Either way, it's a lot of fun motoring.

Sometimes, when looking at a old Mini, telling if it is a custom or a stocker is difficult. Such is the case of David Haight's 1972 Mini Estate. Originally a square nosed Mini, Dave had it converted in the UK to carry the classic Mini front clip, added a 1275cc motor from a 1993, installed 10-inch reverse wheels, Quad Optics and a beautiful Wood & Pickett interior.

According to Editor, Peter DuPre, the result is a custom original that looks like a stocker. The details are presented in Nose Job, beginning on pg 56.

But Wait, There's More: We've worked hard at packing Issue #19 full of cool features, but we haven't forgotten the nuts and bolts, either. Also included in this issue are articles on detailing your interior, deciphering an OBD reader, and taking care of wheels and tires. Plus, we update you on Project Clubman, profile Atlantic-British, review the FES shift light, and deliver all the columns you love to read such as Mini Cindy, Across the Pond, Doctor Is In, Keep 'Em Running and On the Apex. Plus, we've got all the skinny on the latest Club Happenings and Events. You may think this outline tells the whole story, but you'd be wrong to think so. We've left out a couple of stories just to suprise you later, but you won't be able to read them unless you are a subscriber. To do that, Click Here. ~ Peter D. DuPre, Editor-In-Chief