I guess you will have to wait till you get back to find out! LOL

 

if someone won't tell us.... :-)

you're preggers.. :-)

 

Krut,

A hint can be found in the pictures that have been posted...thats all I can say right now.

 

No one is going to have a baby (that I know of) The surprise is bigger than a baby.

 

Hmph! NAM needs a :miffed: and :pouting: smiley!

Well, FINE then!! I'll make up my own rumor. Or rather, I'll go with krut's thought!

-Paul!

Edit: Hmm, after looking at the pics closely, I see Sherill in one pic holding what looks like could be two MINI keys, a MINI with temp tags parked next to the sag-mobile, and James lingering around the new MINI.... Hmmm.....

 

The GP you ordered turned into a RedBull MINI???? I'd have a serious conversation with your Motoring Advisor!! :-)

 

Hmmmm...you might be on the right track........

 

First off, no. Sherill is not pregnant.

I must give a nod to those of you who were on the run and haven't spilled the beans.

Part of me is wanting to see just how long it will take for those who weren't on this run to find out what the secret is. But as much as I like a good secret, I also like being able to reveal the surprise....

Want to know it? Then follow this link!

 

Looking at the color, I have an idea. If it is what I think it is, I am not going to race you.

 

James,

Now that you've spilled the beans anyway... Congratulations!

I understand you are not too impressed with the suspension/handling at this point, relative to Sherrill's car. If you are interested in driving mine sometime, let me know. That way you can directly compare the addition of the JCW suspension, strut brace and 18" wheels... in other words the "rest" of the JCW "performance-related" parts.

Also, those S-Lites aren't helping you any... you're comparing the absolute heaviest OEM wheels against the lightest (Sherril's 7-hole wheels are as light as they come from MINI).

 

Hey Haemish,

Thanks for the congratulations and for the offer to take your car for a spin. Wow. At some point when we see each other next, I would indeed like to talk more with you about what your setup is.

Yes, you're completely right. I'm used to Sherill's car and one can feel a distinct difference between the two. Sherill's really boogies on the turns and I was getting a different response. Mine is good, but isn't as "nimble" (understandably), which was the cause of my criticism. Also, I'd had about two hours of time behind its wheel when I made the comment, so we're still getting to know each other.

The S-lites were a cost-based choice. I agonized about that because in addition to being heavy, I don't find them aesthetically pleasing either. I have my sights set on replacement wheels and tires as soon as my pocketbook cooperates. I'm planning on putting in a better rear sway bar as well...in time.

 

Congrats on the 'baby'!!

Pardon my ignorance tho, but why would the suspension/handling be worse on James' car?

-Paul!

 

Welcome to the JCW cult/club. :-)

 

Well, we're really talking about very fine grades of comparison here. Even unmodified, my new baby handles better than pretty much everything else I've driven, MINI or not. Sherill claims that it's because her MINI is prettier than mine, but really what it boils down to is that her car just has very lightweight wheels with skinnier tires and a tighter rear sway bar.

The S-Lites I have are not only larger in diameter, but quite heavy and one (okay, I, at least) can really feel that the car takes more muscle to get it to do the same thing as a car with lighter wheels. I just have to work the steering wheel a tad harder to get that mass moving in another direction.

My tires contribute as well, as they are wider and stickier than Sherill's. While they seem just fine for forward traction, these tires tend to be less eager to change their direction than the narrower tires on Sherill's car. In all honesty though, I'm not yet entirely sure what of this whole situation is due to the tires themselves, the wheels, or the combo.

Lastly, Sherill's sway bar removes more of the understeer from her car; the primary reason for my initial impression that her Cooper handles better. At the moment mine has more understeer than hers. I would like to be able to say that mine handles better off the boat than Sherill's did, but I honestly do not remember well enough.

Regardless, lest people begin to think I'm unhappy, I want to note that none of the above should be taken as any sign of dissatisfaction. Rather it's an honest evaluation and perhaps a compliment to Sherill's setup. I knew what I was getting into with the wheels/tires and that was purely a financial compromise. Besides, I gotta give myself something to tinker with.

Thanks also to all of the folks who've sent congratulations and advice, both publicly and privately. I'm pleased as punch right now and looking forward to the next time I get behind the wheel.

 

Heavier wheel/tire combo = more unsprung weight
So you're going to have more rotational mass to deal with thus sapping some of the power and tossability of the car.

I still haven't ditched my S-Lites and I've been talking about it for almost 2 years now. Maybe with the upcoming breakfast at Towson I can finally get some R99s and lose 5lbs a corner.

 

James...where did you order the front tow hook license plate mount from again? And Congrats again!!!

 

Woot WOOT they are now a Poligimini family! Can't wait till WE join THAT club

 

Hey Sally,

Thanks! I got the bracket from www.gominigo.com.

 

James,

Congratulations on your Baby and Welcome to the MultiMINIs family group (DCMM should start and additional sub-club just for us !!!!!) The new MINI is very good looking and goes very well with the older sister/brother. (is Sherrill's MINI boy or girl?)

Happy Motoring !!


MD STREGA2

 

The first thing I did to the car was the lighter wheels and tires. You can definately feel it. In accel mostly in the first second or so from a standing start. Handling of course...

 

Thanks (and Matt too) for the explanation! And I didn't realize that Sherill got a swaybar! I guess it really made a difference! Which one did she get? (And is it easy enough for me to install if I had my MINI on a lift? )

-Paul!

 

Hey James,

From one James to another, congratulations! Looks great...

And BTW all MINIs are girls!

James

 

Pppfffftt... not mine... Just wait until I finally put my "Dragon Eyes" on under the hood... very angry looking... I love it!

 

You know what is really funny! I think mine is ambiguous gender! Soulfire to me is male, but to Jay is female. Wonder why that is!

 

Pics from the winery run.... sorry it took me so long, had a busy week!