Even when we’re apart, MINI brings us together.

Richmond Hill, May 5, 2020. The community of friendship is more important today than it has ever been.  Neighbours are helping neighbours, the young are helping the eldery, and we all send thoughts of gratitude to front line workers.  This spirit of friendship and togetherness is intrinsic to MINI’s DNA.  That’s why MINI Canada is launching MINI Virtual Meetups, a series of community events for family, friends and fans of the MINI brand from across Canada…and around the world.  

This small car brand has always had a huge heart.  With its Virtual Meetups, MINI is offering a digital solution for bringing its community together.  Over a three week period – May 11^th to 31^st – MINI will offer two to three hours per week of virtual events, classes, and activities aimed at entertaining and inspiring its fanbase.  Care to join a scavenger hunt – MINI style? Join in on Monday, May 11^th for the inaugural event.  Want to treat the family to a drive-in at home?  Sign up for May 22^nd’s event.  Do donuts delight you?  Check out the programming for May 26^th. 

“MINI is an emotional and highly-human brand with a close connection to its customer and fan base,” said Mat Sayer, director, MINI Canada.  “Members of the MINI family love connection and love being together.  In the absence of that possibility, the Virtual Meetups are a way for us to bring everyone together and provide them with a unique source of entertainment and escape. I can’t wait to see what the MINI community brings to the table.”

A unique element of the program that is expected to bring in MINI fans from around the world is a series of live-stream interviews with influential characters from MINI’s 60 year history.  This MINI knowledge, history and lore will be shared through “Cooper’s Corner,” hosted by none other than Charlie Cooper, grandson of John Cooper, the man who transformed the Classic Mini into an agile track and rally racer and earned three wins at the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally between 1964 and 1967.  Charlie played a part in furthering his grandfather's legacy by helping his father, Mike Cooper, create and launch MINI "John Cooper Works" – a name now synonymous with MINI's passion for motorsport and high-performance tuning.

MINI Virtual Meetups Hot Topics:

• Cooper’s Corners Calendar & Characters:
  • Sunday, May 17^th:  Charlie speaks with his father, Mike Cooper, about building the MINI John Cooper Works dynasty.  A surprise guest will also make an appearance in this inaugural episode.
  • Sunday, May 24^th:  In this edition of Cooper’s Corner, Charlie speaks to Frank Stephenson, the car designer who played a pivotal role in MINI’s 2001 reboot.
  • Sunday, May 31^st:  Charlie takes a peek inside the adrenaline-fuelled mind of Carlos Sainz, the rally driver who recently won the Dakar Rally for the third time, and this time in a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy!
• To spice things up in the kitchen, join Canadian celebrity chef and many-times-over MINI owner Lynn Crawford as she serves up some of her renowned "elevated comfort food” on May 26^th.
• Cassie Day, a Toronto-based athlete, nutrition fiend, and fitness personality, will host a live excercise class on May 13^th.
• Kids’ TV entertainer and native British Columbian Will’s Jams will expend some of the little humans’ energy in a live session on May 19^th.
• A donut demonstration will be offered by Haligonian and MasterChef Canada runner-up Andy Hay on May 26^th.   
• Do you miss going to the movies?  MINI does.  So a drive-in at home is being arranged for Friday, May 22^nd as a Netflix screening party.
• Missing the barber or stylist a wee bit?  Tune in for Haircare 101 on Friday, May 29^th.

“The calendar of MINI Virtual Meetups offers something for absolutely everyone in the MINI family,” continued Sayer.  “Cooking, excercise, music, movies.  In short: fun things that we all love doing together.  We may feel far apart, but we can be MINI together.”

To learn more, to reigster, and to share, visit:

• https://www.mini.ca/en/discover/virtualmeetups
• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZjRMgnNgHKyctGi4VJcJ23MOwd68AQ_d
• #MINITogether

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BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI.  BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 51 BMW automobile retail centres, 22 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 31 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Belcourt

Director, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5078 / marc.belcourt@bmwgroup.ca

Barb Pitblado

Manager, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5005 / barb.pitblado@bmwgroup.ca