Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
$79.95 Four Wheel Alignment Special!
It's that time again! Grab these great offers before they are gone! Get your wheels aligned for only $79.95!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
28 MINI FANS CRAM INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
A team of gym members from East Sussex have today smashed two Guinness World Records™ world records for the number of people inside both a classic Mini and a 2012 MINI.
28 flexible ladies crammed their way into the MINI Hatch at Potters Fields Park, London as part of the eighth annual Guinness World Records day. The team broke their own previous record of 27 people, which they set in Eastbourne last year.
The ladies made full use of every inch of space available in the MINI, including the dashboard, the footwells and they even managed to squeeze four people in the boot.
As soon as they celebrated their first record the ladies dashed off to the ITV studios to attempt the second record live on This Morning, where by squeezing a staggering 23 ladies into a classic Mini, they managed to beat the previous record by two people.
Today more than 400,000 people around the world are taking part in record-breaking events for the eighth annual Guinness World Records Day, which commemorates the day in 2004 when Guinness World Records became the world’s best-selling copyright book.
Courtesy of MINI USA News
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Donate at Checkered Flag BMW MINI!
Don't forget fans! We are currently collecting non-perishable items to donate to the Hampton Roads Foodbank! Stop by any time to drop off your donations and check out some of the great new BMW's and MINI's we have in our showroom!
Keep up the great customer service Brett!
"If there is an issue that needs resolved during the leasing process or during the lease period, Brett is eager to make sure that I am satisfied with the experience and the vehicle. Thanks for the great service!" -kscott1
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thank you for this great review!
"Brian was awesome...he really knows the Mini's and was awesome through the whole process..." -Crisi
Friday, November 16, 2012
Keep up the great work Steve!
"It was a pleasure working with Steve when we bought our 2013 BMW 535i. He was pleasant and extremely knowlwdgeable about the car..." -pegcrutch
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
MASTERING THE ASPHALT ARTS - STEERING
Freestyle racing is a sport. To excel, you’ll want to log some closed-course cockpit time and practice these tips and techniques before employing them in competition, As always, remember to keep your MINI under control and drive safely. In the meantime, this should give you plenty to talk about when hanging out at the water cooler with fellow racers.
STEERING
1. 9 AND 3 O’CLOCK - Trust us, your high school driver’s ed. teacher was wrong. And not just about the latest fashions in footwear. To provide the greatest range of motion for steering,
the ideal hand positions are actually 9 and 3 o’clock, not 10 and 2 o’clock. Not so coincidentally, the steering wheels (especially the Leather Sport steering wheel) in a MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S were designed to provide your hands the most
support possible in the 9 and 3 o’clock positions, while also providing constant feedback from the front wheels.
2. GRIP – Remember, gripping your steering wheel tighter won’t give your tires any more traction, so relax. Grabbing too tightly will only exhaust your hands and cause them to lose
sensitivity to vital feedback they receive through the steering wheel such as the amount of traction your tires have at any given moment. Practice taking deep breaths and relaxing your
grip while still maintaining good control.
3. TURNING – On turns, it’s actually better to push the wheel then pull it because on a push your wrist will stay locked and provide better control. So say you’re taking a left turn. Instead of pulling your left hand down to the 6 o’clock position, try pushing your right hand up to 12 o’clock. In general, you’ll only want to pull the wheel when making quick, minor steering adjustments such as changing lanes.
4. CORNERING – As always, smoother is better. When cornering, try to make your turns fluid, calculated movements to maximize your traction. Many beginner drivers take a smaller, tighter radius than they need to, resulting in understeer through the first half of the turn. And as you accelerate out of the corner into the straight, let the wheel “unwind”. You’ll know you’ve taken the correct line if, after your initial turn, you don’t have to adjust the wheel again until you begin to straighten out roughly 50-75% of the way through the corner.
5. DEALING WITH UNDERSTEER – Understeer can happen when the front tires aren’t getting enough grip and the car wants to go straight ahead even when the driver turns the
wheel. In a high-performance, front-wheel-drive car like the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S, you can generally deal with understeer by understanding how weight transfer affects
handling. If your MINI is not turning into the corner enough, you can transfer weight to the front tires by either braking (or braking a little harder if you’re already braking), or by gently easing off the gas pedal. These shift weight to the front wheels, thereby increasing their grip and willingness to turn.
6. DEALING WITH OVERSTEER – Oversteer happens when the front tires have a better grip than the rear tires. This usually makes the back end want to swing around through a
turn and aim the nose of the car towards the inside of the corner. As you might have figured out based on the techniques for dealing with understeer, weight transfer is also the key to dealing with oversteer. If you’re turning more than intended or is desirable, you’ll usually want to transfer weight from the front tires to the back tires. If you’re braking, just ease up some
and you’ll be surprised at how much more cooperative the car becomes. On the other hand, if you’re exiting a corner and the back end starts to come around, the worst thing you can do in a front-wheel-drive car is to let off the accelerator or hit the brakes. Because either of those actions will simply transfer more weight away from the rear tires that are already losing traction, you’ll want to gently squeeze a bit more pressure on the accelerator to help take the weight off the front tires. This will shift weight, and traction, to the rear tires, thereby helping them hold their ground.
Courtesy of MINI USA
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
MINI’s 2012 WRC Season Finale
In rounding off the 2012 WRC season Dani Sordo once again proved the big potential of the MINI WRC. On the final day of the Rallye Spain, Dani won four of six special stages.
The 13 rallies making up the 2012 WRC season have now been consigned to history. Once again world champion Sébastien Loeb proved unstoppable. In Spain the Frenchman took a perfect ninth win of the season while he will only contest selected WRC events next season. Meanwhile, Dani Sordo of the Prodrive WRC Team was once again responsible for several highlights during the season closer. Driving the number 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC, the Spaniard flew through the first three stages of the final rally day to win all these stages in succession in front of his home crowd.
After placing second on the Powerstage, Dani gave it his all in spectacular style on the last test to take his sixth win in Spain, completing an impressive run from 30th overall to ninth in just one-and-a-half days. He had once again extracted the maximum from the MINI WRC, as he had already done on the season-opening Rallye Monte Carlo, where he finished a sensational second overall. Although further targeted podium finishes evaded him, his promising performances on the second and third days of the Rallye Spain certainly ensured a rewarding end to the season for Dani and the MINI marque. “I gave it everything, and I’m looking forward to the future,” said Dani afterwards.
Three MINI WRC in the Top Ten
The overall fastest MINI WRC in Spain was that of Finland’s Jarkko Nikara, who celebrated his MINI debut with a highly promising fifth place for the Prodrive WRC Team. He was followed closely by Chris ‘Atko’ Atkinson in seventh in the number 12 MINI WRC entered by the WRC Team MINI Portugal, making it a triple in the Top Ten for MINI in Spain. Atko, too, celebrated a successful end to the season, having four times scored points in five starts, and registering the best finish for MINI on a gravel event this season with fifth place overall on the Rallye Italia. “It’s been a great season for me,” said Atko. “Driving the MINI has been enormous fun.” Abdulaziz Alkuwari of the Seashore Qatar Rally Team was the fourth MINI home in 14th place, with the finish of Paulo Nobre in the second WRC Team MINI Portugal entry completing the MINI quintet on the 2012 Rallye Spain.
The WRC now takes a short winter break before the 2013 season kicks off with the Rallye Monte Carlo on 15 January. However, MINI motorsport fans need not wait long for more action. The MINI Motorsport website, Facebook and Twitter will shortly be bringing extensive coverage about Stéphane Peterhansel title defense in the X-raid Team’s MINI ALL4 Racing at the 2013 Rallye Dakar. So from 5 to 20 January it will be again: DUST. DESERT. DAKAR. Be MINI.
Courtesy of Motoring File
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Looking for a new car? Grab this great offer!
Looking for a new car? Grab this great offer!
$500 off any IN STOCK New or Pre owned car
Details:Valid only at Checkered Flag BMW Mini. Cannot be combined with any other specials, discounts, or offers. See Checkered Flag BMW Mini for complete details. Offer expires 11-30-2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
2013 BMW M3 Coupe Frozen Limited Edition
BMW announced the 2013 BMW M3 Coupe Frozen Limited Edition. For the first time, the M3 Frozen Limited Edition will be available in a choice of frozen exterior finishes. Appropriate to this election season in the US, those choices are Frozen Red, Frozen White and Frozen Blue. The interior will sport black extended Novillo leather with contrasting stitching to match the exterior color. In total,150 examples will be available for US customers with production beginning in January 2013. In addition to the standard equipment included in the base MSRP of $76,395 (including Destination and Handling), customers will be able to tailor their 2013 M3 Coupe Frozen Limited Edition with a selection of optional equipment.
All 2013 M3 Coupe Frozen Limited Editions will include the following features:- BMW Individual Frozen Red, White, or Blue exterior paint
- Competition Package including:
- Matte black 19” light alloy wheels
- Electronic Damper Control
- Lowered suspension (-10 mm)
- Sport mapping for EDC and DSC
- Premium Package
- Black Extended Novillo leather with contrast stitching in exterior color on seats, headrests, door inserts, armrests, middle console, and door pulls.
- Carbon leather trim with contrast stitching in exterior color
- High-gloss black kidney grilles
- High-gloss black side gills
- High-gloss black exhaust pipe tips
- 6-speed manual transmission
- Carbon fiber roof panel
In addition, customers will be able to tailor the 2013 M3 Coupe Frozen Limited Edition with the following options:
- Cold Weather Package
- M-DCT Transmission
- Rear spoiler delete
- Moonroof
- Heated Front Seats
- Automatic High Beams
- Satellite Radio with 1-year subscription
- BMW Apps
- BMW Individual Enhanced Premium Sound
Customers have the option to begin the relationship with their limited edition BMW M3 with either European Delivery at BMW Welt in Munich or with a Performance Center Delivery in Spartanburg, SC where a range of driver education experiences, including the BMW M School are available.
Courtesy of BMW News
Keep up the great work BMW team!
"We choose to drive to Checkered Flag because the sales people are very friendly and personable, and the selection on the lot is much better than the other two dealerships..." -skywalk1
Monday, November 5, 2012
Monday Night Footbal Fact!
Five-Stars for Darrell!
"Buying a new car can be stressful at times but Darrell made it wonderful. He gave me a great deal got me all the discounts, explained everything in detail, really took his time, he was professional, courteous, and caring..." -wanniyah
Friday, November 2, 2012
Shout out to our great customers for these great service reviews!
J.D.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
I brought my 2009 mini in for repair and was completely satisfied. I was in a bit of time crunch as I had a conference to attend and as well as personal commits all which required a vehicle. The staff there was solution-oriented and found a way for me to get the repairs I needed without inconveniencing me. I am especially impressed with the climate; everyone is friendly and focused. Frank Lindsay exceeded my expectations and was always quick to inform me or return a call.
Duane A
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
I brought my 550i in for diagnosis, they did a great job and didn't give me the run around like carmax does...they don't seem to know what they're talk about
Lawrence Y.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Just completed Engine cooling Fan repair and a major service on my 2004 Mini Cooper S. As usual the service was excellent and Mr. Frank Lindsey and the rest of the BMW/Mini team did a fantastic job (friendly, courteous, on-time, and the repair was done right). The team washed and cleaned my Mini Cooper – Did an excellent job. That’s why after all these years (since 2004) I still bring my Mini into the dealer for services and repairs. No reason to go to a 3rd Party repair shop.
Neal & Angela
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Just wanted to drop you a note that our recent visit to service to have a replacement windshield installed in our 2010 Mini Clubman was great as always. Frank takes care of the car as if it was his own, mentions sale items not just the trick of up-selling service but real money savers.
Chuck G
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nov 01, 2012
Frank Lindsay wowed me today! Yesterday I had my Mini serviced at 97,000 miles. He has serviced it since new when I purchased it from Checkered Flag. He has been outstanding and it makes me realize that it is all about the people. People like Frank help build the business every day for Checkered Flag. He is the WOW factor!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thank you for this awesome review Richard!
"I have bought several BMW's from Stephen Reid. He is the best automobile sales person that I have had the pleasure of dealing with. He is an asset to Checker Flag BMW, and an excellent representative for the BMW brand!!!" -Richard G.
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