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Drive On The Left | The List #0033

When you've been driving on the right side of the road your whole life, driving on the left can be incredibly disorienting. In this episode of The List, hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre brave the traffic-filled streets of London as they take in the sights in a Mini Cooper. "London is not a driving city. There are millions of people and millions of cars," said Patrick. "And the streets seem to have been laid out at random over the centuries." Even Jessi found herself battling old habits in the right-hand drive Mini. "I've already gone over to reach for the door twice to shift it," she said. Our hosts dig into the history behind the traffic swap on the other side of the pond as they attempt to check "Drive On The Left" off their List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick MINI Coupe The List Videos Original Video right hand drive

Mini moving away from leather as it shifts to recycled interiors

In the midst of a far-reaching transformation, Mini announced that it will gradually phase leather upholstery out of its range in the coming years. It plans to fully adopt recycled fabrics in a bid to make its cars more eco-friendly. "We don't need leather any more in the future, because we don't believe it's sustainable. We're totally convinced that we will have modern and high-value products without leather," affirmed Oliver Heilmer, the firm's design boss, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He didn't reveal when leather will disappear completely, however. Demand for real hides nonetheless remains relatively high; Autocar pointed out that about 54% of the new cars that Mini sells in the United Kingdom are ordered with leather upholstery, which is generally either sold at an extra cost or made standard on upmarket trim levels that come with a price premium. We've asked the company's American division to provide us with the take rate on our shores, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Mini's shift towards recycled materials is ongoing. As of writing, 100% of the fabric it uses to upholster seats is recycled, according to the same report, and 70% of the material underneath the cloth is, too. Looking ahead, it will make interior trim pieces with recycled materials. Cork was used in the Urbanaut concept, for example. Heilmer's comments add another piece to the next-generation Hardtop puzzle. Tentatively due out in 2023, so possibly as a 2024 model, it will embody the nameplate's biggest evolution since BMW rebooted it in 2000. It will likely still be offered with two or four doors, though the convertible is allegedly living on borrowed time, and both will be smaller than their respective predecessors. It will also showcase a purer approach to design. Heritage will continue to shape the exterior design. Inside, the theme will come "more from a home perspective rather than an automotive one," Heilmer noted, which partially explains why stylists want to incorporate different materials. His team is still debating whether features like the toggle switches need to come back, or if they're outdated. Most can be replaced with a menu in the infotainment system, but tapping a screen is not as satisfying and a lot more anodyne than flipping a switch. Designing a new Mini requires balancing the past and the future. "We're looking to create a timeless design.

Guerlain Chicherit going for world record for longest car jump

Does the name Guerlain Chicherit ring any bells? It definitely should if you're into competitive skiing, as he was crowned world champion in off-trail freeriding four times. But he's also a rally driver, winning the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup in 2009 and even a stage of the Dakar Rally the following year. What really set him apart, though, was when he back-flipped a Mini Countryman rally car to set a world record last year. And now he's after another.
This time he's going after the world record for the longest ramp jump in a car. The record currently belongs to Tanner Foust at 332 feet, but Chicherit plans to break it by a good thirty more with a targeted distance of 360 feet.
He'll be using the Mini once again, sponsored by Monster Energy and Toyo Tires, and specially modified for the endeavor which he plans to undertake this Sunday under the auspices of Guinness World Record officials. We'll be watching to see how it all goes down.