Moog K90656 Coil Spring Insulator/seat-coil Spring Insulator on 2040-parts.com

Mini is 50: a Mini celebration by CAR writers and readers

By Tim Pollard Motoring Issues 13 October 2009 12:45 Mini is 50 this year and we've published a 33-page Mini special in the new November issue of CAR Magazine – packed with memories, drives and analysis of and with the cars and people that made Mini great.  Here we've asked some of CAR's top writers to remember their personal highlights from the past five decades. Gavin Green explains why he recently drove across Australia in a modern Mini, while Anthony ffrench-Constant recalls why crashing a classic Mini caused him to start a lifelong nicotine habit. Click on the links below for our new Mini stories – and don't forget we want YOUR Mini memories too.

Citroen Lacoste concept car first pics

This is the Citroen Lacoste concept, a playful tie-up between the quirky French marque and its equally French fashion partner. If you think you can find a hint of the next-gen C1 in here then good luck with that. After all, this car has no doors, no roof, an inflatable hood and a retractable rear bench which is literally that, ie, a bench.

Bridgestone Potenza S001 – standard on 458 Italia & Rapide +video

The Bridgestone Potenza S001 - as fitted to the Ferrari 458 Italia I think it must be a petrol-head thing, but we love tyres. Anything from a cross-ply to the latest high-performance job is a source of fascination. Our tyre fixation this last few months has been winter tryes, and we’ve told anyone who’d listen not to rush out and buy a 4×4 when the snow hit but to invest in a decent set of winter tyres.