The Cooper Cast Podcast

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and Producer Kodi, who once again makes a surprise speaking engagement and clearly feels very comfortable sharing his thoughts these days.

This episode kicks off with a deep dive into MINIs On The Dragon, quite possibly the longest continually running MINI Cooper event in the United States. Registration is well underway, and one stat really stands out—first-timers a...

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and his ever-faithful producer Kodi—faithful, of course, as long as the treat supply holds out.

This episode kicks off with a deep dive into a Road & Track review of the new MINI Cooper JCW hatchback. And when Road & Track weighs in, it’s worth paying attention—they’ve reviewed more performance cars than most of us will ever drive. To say they weren’t impres...

🎙️ 2nd Anniversary Episode of The Cooper Cast Podcast

Welcome to a milestone episode of The Cooper Cast Podcast as host Dale Blankenship and the ever-present Producer Kodi Monster celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the show — and yes, Kodi earns yet another speaking encounter, making this a truly historic broadcast at Cooper Cast HQ.

Dale kicks things off by sharing some fascinating podcast stats, both from the industry as a whole and...

 Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and Producer Kodi, who once again earns himself a few speaking parts and is clearly becoming far too comfortable behind the mic.

This episode starts with a look at some interesting MINI sales numbers from 2025, but before we get there, we take a quick international detour. First stop: India, where the MINI Convertible is doing surprisingly well. Hint: when supply i...

 Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and Producer Kodi, who not only showed up for this episode but actually grabbed a few speaking parts—a rare and historic moment at Cooper Cast HQ.

This time around, Dale and Kodi take a random stroll through the MINI Facebook groups, and as usual, the experience covers the full spectrum. Some posts are perfectly normal, helpful, and familiar… while others drift str...

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, broadcasting once again from Cooper Cast HQ with host Dale Blankenship and an ailing—but still on duty—Producer Kodi, proving that the show must go on… preferably with snacks and naps.

In this episode, we start by talking through some early plans for 2026 for the Hampton Roads club MINI group. These are ideas that are working, scaling well, and might be worth borrowing for other growing MINI ...

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and an under-the-weather (but still supervising) Producer Kodi, who bravely powered through despite feeling a little rough.

We kick things off with a look at slowing EV sales and what that means for MINI, including a significant production shift involving the Countryman EV. Dale shares perspective on what’s happening in the broader market, why automakers are adjusti...

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and his ever-watchful sidekick, Kodi Monster, holding down the studio and the snack budget.

This episode starts where so many MINI conversations begin these days: Facebook groups. Dale shares some of the things we regularly see floating around in MINI groups — good advice, questionable advice, repeated myths, and the occasional head-scratcher that reminds us why con...

 Welcome back to another episode of The Cooper Cast Podcast, with host Dale Blankenship and his trusty sidekick, Kodi Monster—faithful, furry, and always ready to supervise from the nearest nap spot.

This week, we dig into a topic that doesn’t sound exciting at first… but absolutely matters: registering a replacement battery in your MINI. Dale breaks down why this step is so important, what can happen if you skip it, and how failing...

Welcome back to The Cooper Cast, the FUN podcast for the MINI motoring community, with host Dale Blankenshipand his ever-faithful, treat-eating Producer Kodi keeping a watchful eye on things.

This episode is a direct continuation of last week’s discussion about MINIs for sale. Bargain or mistake? Well… you rolled the dice, wrote the check, and brought that new-to-you MINI home. Now what?

Dale walks through the logical, smart first st...

In this shorter episode of The Cooper Cast, host Dale Blankenship and Producer Kodi (silent, judgmental, and still unpaid) take a quick but important look at MINIs for sale on Facebook Marketplace and other online listings. Are these cars hidden gems and great bargains… or are they desperate attempts to unload a rolling money pit? Dale shares some real-world perspective to help you read between the lines before you fall in love wi...

🎙️ In Episode 104 of The Cooper Cast Podcast, host Dale Blankenship and his ever-silent but sometimes-present studio supervisor, Producer Kodi Monster, kick things off by diving into a recent year-end review from an automotive outlet that spent the last year living with a 2025 MINI John Cooper Works hatch. The verdict? They loved it… mostly. Dale breaks down what the reviewer praised, what raised an eyebrow, and what long-term own...

On this week’s Cooper Cast, Dale and Producer Kodi (who still refuses to speak but continues demanding executive dog-treat compensation) kick things off with a quick look at the infamous start-stop feature. Good news: that universally hated gremlin might finally be headed for retirement… someday. We’ll take it.

From there, we dive into the brewing storm around those “5-Star Safety Ratings” every automaker crows about in commercials...

In Episode 101 of The Cooper Cast Podcast, host Dale Blankenship and the ever-dependable Producer Kodi (who, as always, contributes exactly zero words) dive into another packed week in the MINI universe.

We kick things off with a cruise through the wilds of the MINI Facebook world — where the posts are chaotic, the advice is questionable, and the entertainment value is always top-shelf. Then we revisit a popular listener topic: Owne...

In this very special 100th episode of The Cooper Cast, host Dale Blankenship and his ever-faithful sidekick Producer Kodi Monster (who still doesn’t say much, but looks adorable doing it) celebrate a huge milestone in MINI podcast history.

We kick things off with a look at a new–old headlight mod that’s making a comeback among MINI owners. Then it’s on to some upcoming MINI events you’ll want on your radar, followed by a surprise t...

In this episode, host Dale Blankenship and the always attentive (but never talkative) Producer Kodi Monster dive into the nuts and bolts of MINI life — literally and figuratively.

• Tire Rotations: Your MINI’s Silent Lifesaver

We kick things off with a big one that gets overlooked far too often: rotating your tires, especially on second-gen MINIs. Dale breaks down why it matters, how it affects handling, longevity, and safety, and wh...

In Episode 98 of The Cooper Cast Podcast, your host Dale Blankenship — joined, as always, by our silent-but-essential producer Kodi Monster — dives into a fun mix of MINI heritage, motoring tools, and end-of-season club talk.

We kick things off with some exciting news from the Legendary Cooper Car Company, run by Mike Cooper Son of the John Cooper Works namesake. They’re taking classic MINIs and giving them new life — rebuilding, re...

In this episode of The Cooper Cast Podcast, host Dale Blankenship and his trusty sidekick Producer Kodi Monster(who still doesn’t have a speaking role) take on one of the trickiest challenges every MINI event organizer faces — Route Planning.

If plotting a great drive for your club feels like herding cats with a GPS, don’t worry — we’ve got help. Dale reveals a simple mapping resource filled with pre-planned routes that’ll save...

 
Host: Dale Blankenship | Producer: Kodi Monster (silent but deadly… cute)

This week on The Cooper Cast, Dale dives headfirst into MINI’s latest attempt at fashion-forward motoring… and let’s just say the results are about as exciting as a beige wall in a blackout.

First up: the new Paul Smith Edition MINI Cooper — the long-anticipated, high-fashion collab with the legendary British designer himself. Sounds colorful, right? Well...