Wow!

After my thirteen-week wait, enjoyable as it was, today I finally joined the ranks of motorers after picking up my new JCW MCSc!!! While I was planning on being at the dealer at 9:00 when they opened, I arrived 20 minutes late to see my MINI being unloaded from a flatbed while I drove up. It was sure nice to see her safe and sound and eager to go. My MA said that they had NINETEEN pick-ups today and I was the second at 9:20 am.

Everything on the car was just as ordered - except for a couple minor things that will be in soon. I also ordered the new JCW checkered floor mats and the European Parcel Shelf while there. Man, the car looks great now that she is finally here !!

Did not get too much motoring done today with the blizzard blowing through NJ (wouldn't you know that after Spring weather for weeks, today Winter returns?) but these are my first impressions -

• I have never owned a car with this much power and performance. Even being careful with the throttle, I was watching things disappear in the mirror without the car straining. I will need to watch it - just too darn easy to get the thing to 60 without thinking... It will be a challenge (and another agonizing wait) to keep this baby under 4500 revs during break-in.
• I am 6' 1" and 225 lbs. and am more than comfortable with the room - in fact the MINI has a more comfortable and "in control" feeling that any larger car I have driven lately.
• For the first time in a while, I was beginning to feel that drivers were not noticing me as much as I am used to in my old Explorer - however, when a full blown Hummer zigged around me, I certainly did not have the expected feeling of smallness (just one of moral superiority ).

Here are the first photos of my new baby. No name yet - toying with "Maggie" and "Fiona" (red-headed theme) but somehow not happy with those...



Edited to reduce image size (Thanks Flikr !).

More later !!!

Bill

 

WOO HOO! Another CR/B owner . Enjoy your ride . Check my CR/B in my gallery.

And yes....yer pic is TOO BIG. Try to get a Ficker account to post pics. I use Flicker for all my post....pics load fast too.
That way you can limit the size of pics...and still look COOL and AWSOME!!!!!!!!

 

Your MINI looks awsome. Welcome to the MINI MOTORING WORLD hope you enjoy.

 

 

Bill,
Congrats on getting your new baby - hope you enjoy putting the top down today! Guess we are getting a whole winters worth of snow in one shot. Your MINI looks real sharp. Amazing that they were delivering 19 MINIs in one day!
I will be getting my MINI sometime next week. She departed from the Boheme at 3 P.M. on Friday and is probably under a foot of snow now. My MA said she would know more on Monday about when Emma will arrive at Princeton. I am also having the sportlink installed at the dealer.

 

Nice MINI 'vert and congratulations! Question: Are the brake calipers painted or JCW specific? Inquiring minds want to know...

Don't fear, winter can't last forever! We'll be driving around topless soon enough!!

 

Looks great<img>. I've got an appointment next week to order my CR/B MCS JCW. I've been waiting to do this since the new Mini came out, and now I can finally afford it!!!! Tell us more about your initial impressions as you form them!!

 

Woooottt!! Nice.... Hope that snow melts SOON.....

Donna

 

Well done, JB. But my in-laws just sent pix of Princeton Jct. this AM. I don't think that top is coming down today. But maybe you could pick up some cash as a snow blower?

Enjoy. You should post over in the Production Week 4 thread and claim victory as "first to motor."

--dwf

 

nice!!!!!!!!

 

Very Sharp looking build out!

I like the name Maggie. As she would not only that the red head thing but also after Ms. Thatcher appropriately. Anyway good luck with the naming!

 

woo hoo! congrats!!

 

Bill, congrats...that is one fantastic MINI!! I must admit I do sometimes doubt the sanity of you crazy JCW folks...that is a lot of car!!! Plus, all that smiling could seriously strain some facial muscles. But what the heck, it's all about the fun, right, and a MINI + JCW + plus top-down motoring most certainly ensures bucket-loads of that!!

 

Thanks for all the great comments, everyone !! I am reminded of some amazing statistic I heard somewhere - and I am probably getting this wrong - that only 3 out of 1000 MINIs are exactly alike. Thus, we call all be proud of showing off photos of our very unique vehicles...

As nice as my MINI looked the first day of ownership, here is a photo taken today of her shivering under cover !!



I may leave her in the driveway for a couple days with all this white stuff about - I find myself typically paranoid about that first nick or scratch... (yesterday a salt truck drove by and pelted her with salt pellets - ARGHH!)

Can't wait to get to know her better...

Bill

 

Bill, they have this wonderful new invention, I think they call it a garage and MINIs like it in there (all snug as a bug while the winter winds blow)!

 

Got one - but only one.... and none of my cars has the seniority of my 1939 Hudson bought by my great aunt (the REAL little old lady who only drove it to Sunday School...) and restored by my dad. I could own a Ferrari and that car would still have priority (though if I had that kind of money I would probably build a two-car garage !!!)

Brushed off and uncovered the car today - a little ice clinging to it under the cover but an absolute work of art. Man I am hooked....

Bill

 

The red calipers are a mark of the JCW option. The JCW brake kit uses red calipers and the JCW suspension kit uses red coil springs....

Come April, I will slip on my JCW 18" 5-spoke wheels which will show off the red calipers all the more !!

Bill

 

Enjoy!

 

Wow, '39 Hudson - do you take it to any shows?
Will you be venturing out to work in the MINI tomorrow?

 

Bill-

WELCOME TO JERSEY MOTORING. Whereabouts in Jersey are you? Definitely come to some rallies, and I encourage you to register on nemini.org as well. Hope to see/speak/motor with you sometime this spring, she looks great btw, and yes, that thing is a beast. Careful. I learned that early I guess. Anyway, enjoy, hope this blizzard gets cleaned up so you can legitimately motor.

Chris

 

Congrats JB. I think I'd be goin' nuts if I had my new car in the driveway and still couldn't see it! Keep the faith, better weather is on the way - soon? :impatient

 

Yes, we had a huge Hudson meet in Princeton a few years back - less active these days though but the car is great. Some mice ate some of the wiring (I think) so I need to confirm that is why the car is not turning over these days.

I may just keep the insurance on my old Explorer through the winter - would love to take the MINI to the station tomorrow but that place is a zoo with snow - and salt. What I MOST look forward to is coming back to that car and motoring home with the top down on a soft Spring evening.

She is comfortable at home - all things in time !!

Bill

 

Hey Jersey Bill,

Where are you in NJ? I spend a lot of our summer down the shore in Lavalette. My inlaws live down there all year round in Ocean Beach.

 

Middle of the state near Princeton - the dealership is only 20 minutes away and the shore is probably 30-45 min (Belmar / Spring Lake is due east from where we are). Will be looking for some good motoring opportunities at the Jersey shore - Sandy Hook, Cape May - love it all !!

Also looking forward to hooking up with the local club(s) and taking in some events - I can think of many MINI-friendly roads across the state I would love to conquor "en masse" !!!

Bill

 

Nice looking MINI! I didn't even notice it was a cabrio at first, and to me, that's a good thing. Congrats, and enjoy!