What specific tires are you running on your base Cooper over the winter?

 

Bridgestone WS90 Studless Ice and Snow: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...l=Blizzak+WS90

For my Cooper S I used to run the Bridgestone LM60, which is a “performance” winter tire and it was noticeably less good than then WS90. Not saying it wasn’t a good winter tire; it was a good one. It is just that it was not as good as the WS90. And the fact that it is an RFT saved the days in the middle of a ski trip to Stowe a few winters back... Now that car has become a garage queen, it no longer needs them.

 

Anybody else considering the afternoon event at LRP this Saturday? Forecast is for a chilly start, but by the 1 PM start time it should be in the mid 50s. These last couple of days have transmitted the track virus variant to me, and driving the Classic around with those huge speakers just isn't cutting the mustard for me...

It would be great to have some MINI company to start off the season.

 

VV - Glad to see you are getting an early start to the season.

There is still ice on the ponds around here and maybe some snow in the forecast... Not sure I would dare to get the 200 TW tires out at this point, although the snow tires did come off the Cooper a couple of weeks ago.

Even so, I have a prior commitment for then and will need to take a pass.

Enjoy the day! Take care to warm up those R-comps Ssssssloooooowly.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes for this early in the season.

 

I'll miss your tent, your cordless drills, all your tools, your sunshade, your air compressor, your expertise...and even you! 😉

Don't worry, I'll spend the entire first session out warming up the tires and dusting off the cobwebs in my head! 😁👍

 

Track season already??!!?? I still need to change the brake pads and do a few small things before taking it out. This weekend is too soon for me. If you want, I can set you up with bigger speakers on the classic.

 

Yeah, I need more bass! Perhaps a subwoofer in the boot?

 

You forgot the heater (that didn’t stay going)

I think I have a few mice with those cobwebs to clear out...

I’ll get there, not to worry.

 

Hey, they have already run the 24 hrs of Daytona and 12 hrs of Sebring. For some track season started 2 months ago...

Speaking of brake pads... I need different ones for the rear of the JCW...

 

Of course, the heater!! That was the key piece of equipment that day as I recall! Someone should design a seat that can fit under the bonnet to use between track sessions. After all, you can get interior heated seats, why not exterior??

What are these 'brake pads' you speak of and why would you ever need to replace them??

 

Oh, and just so no one gets the wrong impression, all of that is packed inside my MINI, not some big gas guzzling toy hauler... Energy conservation.

As for those brake pads... I know that there are a number of people out there who are totally unaware that the MINI has a set of rear brakes. This right in line with the understanding that the rear wheels on a front wheel drive car are only there to hold the exhaust up off the ground. Or, if they are aware of that, they believe that they serve no purpose other than to rot out in our salt laden roads so mechanics can have one more thing to charge us for to repair. But the truth of the matter is, I have found that there really are brakes on the rear wheels of a MINI and, on my JCW, they are there to confound the car’s brain when mismatched to a set of race pads in front. The brain, being smarter than the loose nut behind the wheel, knows to slow the car in this situation to what the brain knows to be a safe speed. This is unlike the dumber brains in the earlier generation MINIs, who don’t know any better, which leaves such actions to, god forbid, the driver...

My goal is to find a set of rear pads that will un-confound the uber-smart, I-know-everything-and-the-driver-knows-nothing MINI brain. I could just try turning off the brain, but we all know where that landed me when I did try that...

 

For me, when the rear pads are mismatched, everything goes haywire. And when they're matched the rears last forever, as if they aren't being used. It's weird.

 

Yeah - I have that on my R56 too. Running with the DTC-60 in the rear cured that problem and, like you, they have crazy long life.

 

 

Hello everyone, my old track buddies. This is a blast from your past. Managed to get back on after a very long absence.

Sounds like you guys are still having a great time.

 

This has to be a good omen! Welcome back, slinger! It's been way too long!😁

 

Slinger! Welcome back to the forum!

So, you got any track days planned?

 

I heard he'll be bringing his new Tesla to the track soon...

 

Teslas just don’t sound right for the track...

 

How about this then?

 

Definitely looks the part. But I think it will need a big a$$ set of speakers strapped to its back to make it sound the part:

That is what BMW/MINI does on my JCW, only they pipe the sound into the cabin. With that car they would need to pipe the sound to the outside...

Watching cars like that Porsche racing would be like going to a Kiss concert with the sound turned off. It would look spectacular, they would be making all of the right moves.... But that little something, that would otherwise make it a real “Kiss” concert, would be missing...

 

Agreed, Eddie07S, but Porsche offers a 'sound' option that does exactly that, without the hassle of mounting any speakers...don't ask what it costs, though!!

 

that is really nice. The Tesla is meant for grocery shopping. That is the extent of my track days nowadays.

 

Thanks, Slinger, it even comes in a vegan version. The very capable base model will come in under 6 figures. Definitely the best value in the Taycan lineup. The rub is this color is unusual, and they don't make many base models, of course. I'll have to spec the car out, which means a 4 month wait time.

 

Wait... I just noticed that it has 4 doors. Nope, that’s out for me.

BTW - What’s happening with electrifying the Mini?