MINI Playboy centerfold ad (front)

MINI Playboy centerfold ad MINI DATA SHEET

MINI Playboy centerfold ad MINI'S MOTORING SPOTS

For the June 2002 issue, MINI USA collaborated with Playboy magazine for this MINI Playboy centerfold ad.  The six-page ad mimics the traditional centerfold with a fold-out poster, data sheet, and a page of MINI’s Motoring Spots instead of jokes.

See the full article for the centerfold poster photo, data sheet, and MINI’s Motoring Spots.

MINI Playboy centerfold ad (inside)

MINI DATA SHEET

NAME: MINI Cooper S

LENGTH: 134.9″ HEIGHT: 55.7″ WEIGHT: 2,678 lbs

HORSEPOWER: 163 TOP SPEED: 135

BIRTHDATE: January 15, 2002 BIRTHPLACE: Oxford, England

AMBITIONS: To turn every which way but back.

TURN-ONS: Hairpins, s-turns, switchbacks, on-ramps, off-ramps, traffic circles, spiral parking ramps and British accents.

TURN-OFFS: Those severe tire damage things.

SPECIAL TALENTS: Motoring down the highway and controlling the insect population.

THE PERFECT PARTNER: Someone who’s unafraid of a seasoned odometer.

FAVORITE SCENT: Premium octane in the early morning.

THE END TO A PERFECT DAY: A hand-washing with warm, sudsy water and a nice wax.

SPARE TIME IS FOR: Helping less fortunate motorers in need of a jumpstart.

PHRASE TO LIVE BY: Idle wheels are the devil’s workshop.

MINI’S MOTORING SPOTS

The follow suggestions of roads and pit stops have been made by fans of MINI.  Thanks for the contributions, everyone.

Southeast
There’s no debating it.  If you have the means and the nerves, go to Deal’s Gap, Tapoco, NC, a.k.a. Tail of the Dragon.  OK, it’s officially called US Highway 129.  But with 318 turns in 11 miles, the nickname fits it well.  A lot of sport bike racers go here to test their skills and courage.  In other words, it’s perfect if you have a MINI.  Plus, it’s one of the only stretches of road that has its own web site.  (www.dealsgap.com)

After that ride, you’ll want to catch your breath.  Head over to Highway 441 near Waynesville, NC.  The view of the Smokey Mountains will put you at ease.  Surely all this motoring will make you hungry.  Pop in to Henry’s Smokehouse on North Main St. in Simpsonville, SC.  Someone once said this was the best BBQ in the world.  Nobody argued.

Northeast
New England during autumn.  You don’t get much more beautiful than that.  Sometime in October, hit I-91 in Vermont, along the New Hampshire border.  You’ll get an eye-widening look at the colorful foliage of the turning seasons.  Or head down Route 126 near Concord, MA and view the picturesque countryside that inspired Henry David Thoreau to write Walden.  A pile of stones marks the spot where the poet spent time in the 1800’s.

If beautiful machinery is more your scene, cruise down the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, CT.  Friday and Saturday are Pike Nights where a variety of automotive style and power gathers under the golden arches to check-out and be checked-out.  Have faith in your ride and you’ll make it through okay.

Take a ride along Route 97 from Port Jervis to Hancock, NY.  Or as the locals call it, the Hawk’s Nest.  You’ll hug the rock cliffs through a series of S-turns.  The overlooking view of the thousand foot drop-off to the Delaware River will make you wonder why you don’t motor here more often.

Midwest
If you’ve never heard of Amelia, OH you’re not alone.  But after motoring along Rout 125 towards Portsmouth through more than 100 miles of switchbacks, hair pins, whoop-de-doos and the occasional wicked straightaway, you’ll want to name your next child Amelia.

The midwest is home to thousands of out-of-the-way eateries.  The Louisburg Cider Mill along Route 69 in Kansas has to be one of the best.  The fresh apple cider and cider donuts are terrific.  You can even see how they’re made.  Just promise not to say “We’re not in Kansas anymore” when you leave the state.  It gets old really fast.

West
For sheer visual pleasure, it’s hard to top US 50 in the Colorado Rockies, between Gunnison and Montrose.  As if thousands of feet of elevation overlooking mountains and lakes and forests weren’t enough, the road curves and winds through enough hairpins to give your neck hairs a little exercise.

If you ever find yourself near Bakersfield, CA, there’re two sights that will have you reaching for your camera.  First, the Jumbo Jet Graveyard which is, well, a graveyard for jumbo jets.  Then you’ve got fields of hundreds of wind turbines that stretch on for miles.  A sight you need to see to fully grasp.

Just south of San Francisco, in a little town called Pescadero, there’s a General Store that sells fresh, tasty artichoke bread.  As it just so happens they also sell wine.  And there’s a beach nearby that somehow seems incomplete without a pair of beach chairs and a bit of romance.

Everyone knows the fun that can be had motoring through the hills of San Francisco, but be sure to take a ride up to Twin Peaks.  The road to get to the summit is long and twisty, and the view of the city below beats any postcard you’ll ever find.

For more information on MINI, or motoring, or motoring in a MINI, visit MINIUSA.COM.  If you have a good motoring spot or story to tell, head to MINIUSA.COM/MotoringStory.