OMG! What's that temp gague say!?!

I was all excited about getting some cheap S-Lites and a brand new set of Dunlop Wintersport M3's. Would have been perfect for the usual Washington "winter" (ie. slushy snow here and there with regular ice).



That was before the car went into the shop for an undertermined period of time. Looks like I'll be facing winter in a service loaner Cooper convertible!

 

Now throw the top down on that sucker and make the other cars say "WHOA LOOKIDAT!!"

 

Im in big bear right now on a snowboarding trip. It is getting hit hard with snow. This is the first time I have brought the mini in the snow. It has had some problems with spinning out in the snow and having the brakes skip alittle. Other then that it has been great. I hope I make it down tomorrow since the storm is going to hit pretty hard. Im not running snow tires. Just using chains. My tires are Toyo Poxy 4's. Which are probably the worst for snow. I almost brought the hummer here. Im glad I didnt. I have seen about 40 hummers and NO Mini's

 

I just saw the weather news for BigBear. You should be able to get down early in the day with no problem. The biggest thing to remember is to keep your distance from other cars. You are probably a great driver; the guy in fron t or back of you is a "weekend snow enjoyer" and probably not such a great driver. Leave room to maneuver around them when they do something stupid.

Take it slow and steady and we'll see ya at a rally soon!

 

Gotta love the black wheels. Fits the Bulldog character of the car.

 

If the MINI SAV winds up being essentially a Clubman w/ AWD capability and custom trim, some snow-bound folks are really gonna love it. Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all!!!

 

I just got home. I left at 2:00 from Bear Mountain. It tooke me over 5 hours to get home. I had a set of snow chains break on me wrapping around the axle. I was able to get them off. Then I was stuck in the snow. Finally a really nice guy and his dad in a Raised dodge Ram 3500 turbo desil pulled me out. I was able to make it down to the local gas station to buy new chains. Paid $100 for them. (small price to pay for safety) It snowed all the way home though. It was bad at some parts. Ive never seen so many people crash. A new Bmw 5 series had crashed and blocked the hwy. A hummer H1 didnt want to wait and decided to crawl the side of the mountain. He made it and basically left me amazed haha. Now Im finally home and its raining.

 

Good to hear you made it home, albeit a few surprises along the way.

I am still not convinced bigger is better. Yesterday we went out for a drive on a back road through Temecula. I got to a section of washed out road and slowed way down so i could make it through the six inch deep mud slide. ALong comes a big pickup the other direction. He of course, due to his size and height felt he did not have to slow down at all. he hit the mud even with me and began to slide. He came 2 inches from broadsiding me. If it hadn't been for the MINIs ability to get out of keep going and not get bogged down, I probably would have been exchanging info with the guy. It did slide as I revved to keep away from the truck and my husband about had a coronary, but all is well that ends well.

I have decided most SoCalrs just need to be flatlanders when the weather turns to anything but sunshine. We have enough of a time on clear days keeping things right.

 

Well, this week was the first time I got to drive the Mini in significantly bad weather. The roads were snowy, icy, curvey and hilly. All the advanced electronics helped a lot, but it still wasn't a pleasant experience. Maybe it's just too light for that. I was kind of surprised to find, when I parked, that the upper and lower grills were packed with snow, but the open areas of the "fake" hood scoop were clear.

If the MINI came in AWD I'd certainly be interested.

 

When the weather turns to snow just plow it out of your way...

 

NICE! Love the plow!

Hey, if you want to REALLY get some winter driving practice and instruction, come join PittStopMINI club at BeaveRun Wampum, PA, 1/2 hr north of Pittsburgh, on February 24th! Our "Wintry Driving Refresher" is a Driver's Ed event that includes:
- Classroom instruction on winter driving techniques, equipment, and car survival
- Individualized instruction in-your-car on closed courses: slalom, skidpad, braking, a coned-off autocross-type setup for car control, and use of the Wilson Circuit to simulate road driving
- Review of YOUR winter vehicle survival tools, and winter equipment review
- Vehicle recovery basics (last year we practiced the several times...)
- Ample time for practicing what you've learned in a safe (non-timed) environment
- Event will be held rain or shine, even if there's no snow!! (vee haff vays of making zee ascchphalt zlippery...)

AND... it's timed to coordinate with the Clubman launch, so we'll have Clubmans ("Clubmen"?) there for closer looks - and test drives - courtesy of Mini of Pittsburgh!

We're working out the specifics, but the cost will be REALLY reasonable, and there's even good local lodging if you're coming from a distance away. If you're staying overnight, let us know and we'll schedule a "gathering" around you...

Last year was GREAT, this year will be even better... and we'll have plenty of time for socializing too...

 

^^Nice! That's all of 5 hours away from, but if scheduling works out I'll try to make it. Definitely keep me updated once the specifics are ironed out

 

Msteadman, keep in touch with the Philly club, there are a few who came to our Gyminikhana event and loved it, and may caravan for this too. If you need to stay overnight there's a Holiday Inn right near the track (both are turnpike exit 13), or a bunch of good hotels and restaurants in Cranberry Township about 20 minutes from the track (turnpike exit 29)...

 

I wondered if the temp gauge had a negative sign. I also always wonder if those radar speed limit signs go to '00' if you can hit a ton.

 

I always wondered if the temp gauge had a negative sign! Glad YOU found that out for me. I've also always wondered if those radar speed limit signs go to '00' if you can hit a hundred.

 

Will do, thanks for the info. Knowing that there's a hotel near the track definitely makes thing easier. I'm thinking if I drive over there Saturday afternoon, spend the night, attend the event Sunday, then drive back that evening I should be able to fit it into my schedule. If I have to spend the night Sunday that will make things more complicated. Any forecasted time on when the event will be over Sunday?