20 September 2002: If you’re the kind of person who just can’t do without your personal digital assistant, then the makers of the new MINI have good news for you. From next year, you’ll be able to park a special PDA, the iPAQ, right in front of your eyes in your car which will provide information on navigation, traffic news, text messages, e-mail, an address book, news, entertainment information, and links to the emergency services.

When not in the MINI, the PDA can be connected to a desk-top PC allowing any relevant information to be up- or down-loaded.

The PDA system works as a ‘Yellow Pages’ style database and can send and receive calls and text messages via the hands-free kit. Messages can also be written on the PDA outside the car then sent via the ’phone when the PDA is re-connected in the MINI.

The Entertainment module can download MP-3 files, which play back through the standard stereo system.