MTTS2010: MINI Puts the M In Community Across the U.S.

MINI Takes the States 2010

What is MTTS2010? It stands for MINI Takes the States 2010, an event put on by MINI USA. The event is a combination of a multi-city road rallye, owners’ garage event, MINIcross (autocross event) and Festival. It is hard to event describe all the things that the marketing and events group at MINI USA planned, but be assured that all that drove from east or west coast to the final destination of Denver, Colo. had an amazing time. The real amazing part of the MTTS is that is shows outreach and a sense of community that isn’t seen much in today’s automotive industry.

MINI Countryman ALL4 MTTS2010

2011 MINI Cooper Countryman

Community is very important to MINI and it shows with the extensive event that they have put on for their owners, enthusiasts and prospective buyers. If you were on the fence about buying a MINI, attending MTTS might just convince you that you need to be a part of this community of drivers. “In an economic time when other companies are cutting back, MINI felt it was very important to show their customers how much we appreciate them.” Trudy Hardy, MINI Marketing Manager said at tonight’s MINI Owners Garage Party. She went on to describe how the sense of community is something that MINI wants all owners to feel. “We have had people meet, fall in love, get engaged—all during the MINI Takes the States events.”

They aren’t kidding either; they had a couple that met on a previous MTTS rallye, fell in love and at the end of tonight’s event were married in front of the crowd. Witnesses—6000 MINI enthusiasts. The other guest of honor at the Owners Garage Party was the 2011 MINI Countryman ALL4. In fact, there were no less than 5 of them at the event. For those who haven’t seen one, it is the first 4-door, all-wheel drive MINI on the market. Critics will tell you that it isn’t all that MINI, but sitting next to the many MINIs that came to Denver, it certainly can’t be called large…unless you are talking about in spirit. At 121 hp and about 24K for the base MINI Countryman, this might just be the car to get you into the passionate MINI community—4 doors and an extra 6 inches can be pretty compelling. When is the last time you remember a car company showing owner appreciation like this?

Stay tuned as we cover the MINIcross driving event and Festival tomorrow. AllSmallCars.com is going to be in the thick of MINI Cooper S’ being raced against the clock and owners and enthusiasts that make the MINI brand what it is today. The excitement might just make you want to get one of your own.

Be sure to check out our earlier report on the 2011 MINI Countryman: The Power of 4.