While I've posted in First Gear before, I finally, officially get it.

I've had my 2011 MCS for 2 weeks: Fun daily driver and commuter. Sportiest joint I've owned. But today, after babying it to see if I can game the fuel economy for a while, I decided to leave early for work and rip around the windy back roads of west Marin County, California, finally engaging the Sport button just as the sun was rising.

I drove for 40 smile-filled minutes driving aggressively but not insanely, but still exceeding every speed limit and recommended turn-speed post by 10-15mph. Roads were dry, for the most part, plowed through stands of redwoods and through dense valley fog banks. I pushed as hard as I could while still obeying the limits of the break-in period, which didn't diminish my speed or fun that much (the turns are tight enough to keep the revs and speed down anyway). I was in control, in that state of Flow, where the difficulty perfectly matched the skill and the equipment. Oh, yeah. It was good.

This emptied my fuel tank, so I stopped at a Chevron station for my first fill-up, granting me time to look at the OBC and hand-calculate my mileage on my first tank of gas. The previous hour of driving actually improved my average MPG over my un-spirited highway and city driving (spending more time between 2.5-3.5k on the tach)! First tank averaged 31.1mpg, hand-calc'd, a smidge higher than the OBC's reported 30.1mpg.

After that...now I well and truly get what Motoring is, as opposed to driving, and how those little needs and chores that require using a car can totally be made different in a MINI.

Holy crap!

 

Now that you have drank the kool-aid Welcome to Da Madness
We need pics of your new ride we love to see pics !

 

Life is grand, ain't it!

 

Atomick: and you had that much fun while driving an automatic... Add 25% more fun driving stick


Or at least that's my opinion. Glad to see you had this much fun!

 

keep it up

 

welcome i will soon be grining as much as you

 

You have found the groove.

 

I haven't had that feeling since I put winter tires on! Can't wait for summer weather and matching rubber.

 

Do yourself a favor, don't EVER look back from here.

Welcome to your MINI Cooper.

Motor on.

 

Ain't it great?!?!?!? Yes it is!

 

The best part is that it doesn't go away!
Welcome to the never ending grin.
Annette

 

welcome to motoring
with the MINI
the future is bright ( even brighter than the HIDs)

 

The twisties now have you!

 

Muuuuuwahahahahahahaha! Another one bites the dust.

 

I've always had cars meant for mountain carving rather than straight line speed and I can't wait to take my 4 day old (new to me) MCS out to do what it does best.

 

Double post already!?!? I'm such a friggin' newby-neberton.

 

Atomick, reading your post seriously fires me up to get a Mini! Arrgh, I need to sell my car! It's going to awesome to have a small, light weight car again.

Also, I've grown up on a steady diet of Japanese cars. While they are competent cars, they have all the character of a flashy toaster oven at best. If going to a Mini is anything like going from my old Japanese bike to my current European bike, it's gonna be worth it!

 

 

im sure a mini would be much better than a flashy toaster i promise you

 

Glad you "get it" now. Most people don't until they have an experience like you had. It becomes an addiction!

 

I remember my first real drive in my Mini and how my face was actually a little sore from the constant grinning!

 

Lol I felt the same way after my first test drive. I autocrossed my previous car (a highly modified Mazda 6S) for 3 1/2 years or so, but I found, in the short test drive with what is now my MCS, that with less effort I could get much more out of the mini. That this resulted in a sales rep with white knuckles and the comment, you've seen track time was just a nice little bonus. Also, the fact that it does this while getting mpg's that the 6 could only dream of still has me amazed.

 

wow after reading eveyrone posts here again it makes the wait the much longer ughhh