Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, the FUN podcast for the MINI motoring community!

Once again, Producer Kodi is nowhere to be found. We can only assume he's taken an unscheduled personal day. Although, with a thunderstorm rumbling through the area, chances are our resident four-legged producer will be making a dramatic return to the studio any minute now. Funny how that works.

This week, Dale heads back into the wonderfully unpredictable world of the MINI Facebook groups. Love them or hate them, they never fail to provide interesting conversations, good advice, questionable advice, and the occasional "Wait...what?" moment. Whether it's technical questions, spirited debates, or stories that make you shake your head and laugh, there's never a shortage of material.

Then we turn our attention to MINI Takes The States 2026 and what Dale believes was a golden opportunity that somehow slipped through the cracks. It seemed like such an obvious win for MINI... yet it never happened. Fortunately, someone else recognized the potential and stepped in to make it happen instead. Curious? You'll have to tune in to hear what everyone missed.

And because it wouldn't be a week in the MINI world without another special edition, MINI has unveiled yet another exclusive model—this time destined for China. Is it just clever marketing, or is this one genuinely worth getting excited about? Dale takes a closer look at the latest addition to MINI's ever-growing collection of limited editions and discusses why some markets always seem to get the really cool toys.

So grab your favorite beverage, settle into the driver's seat, and join Dale for another episode filled with MINI news, community chatter, a few laughs, and maybe even a surprise appearance by Producer Kodi... assuming the thunder lets up.

After all, there's always something happening in the MINI world—and if there isn't, someone on Facebook will invent something.

Motor safely… and don't forget to wave! 🚗⚡🐾