lol..yeah, after I wrote that I was wondering if that sounded neutral enough. The proper word was escaping me. More matured woman I suppose would've been better???

 

I attended a BMW ADSS event a few months ago. It's not a track event but I sure did learn a lot about my car and driving. It was also the most fun thing I have ever done in a car. Since then I have been checking out the local BMW Auto X events in the area. Everyone seems to have so much fun at these events and everybody is so friendly. I also got to ask a lot of questions about getting started in autoX.

I finally signed up for an autoX this month as well as next month. I'll admit I'm a little nervous about the whole thing because my car is my DD and just looking at a course with all those cones is very intimidating. One thing I have learned though from just going out there to watch is a lot of people are willing to help you out. You can have an instructor go with you for as many runs as you want. I know it's harder on your car than street driving but the way I look at it, you only live once and this just looks like way too much fun to pass up.

 

Because I feel it is wasteful. This might be a touchy comment but I havent been on a track since 1994. Yes, I just placed an order for a JCW09 but it won't see a single track day while I own it. In fact, I will be adding to that car an average of 200 miles per month tops. I love, love the joy of driving such cool cars, but I have made my mind to not be part of a bigger problem as much as I can.

 

This is Fun!

Sorry the video quality is not the greatest.
This is a condensed session on track. Usually you don't have this many cars to pass but this was still fun. Notice that passing is ONLY done on the straight-a-ways and not in the turns.

 

I haven't since I am wondering how the stock brakes will do on the track.

Stock, plus SS lines, Hawk HPS pads, and DOT 5 racing fluid, but otherwise stock calipers and rotors.

And the MINI is too nice to beat on just yet.

I've tracked before (other cars), autocrossed, even test ridden motorcycles on the Nurburgring...

Plus once you do it, it gets addictive (good and bad).

But essentially, I am curious what others think of the stock brake set up for aggressive track use. Are they up to the task?

 

So far I have just used the original pads and they have been fine. I will probably try a more agressive pad when I replace just to see. I have heard that Autocross can be more demanding a car. I have been 3 times to the track so far and can see no adverse results to the car except tire wear. Keep in mind thats 144 miles on the track. I have 11,000 total miles on the car and I am almost ready to replace the brake pads. I will probably do 9 track sessions a year. I did buy an extra set of tires and rims from the Tire Rack and used them the last time on the track. I will save the run-flats for everyday tires. I did replace the oil at 10,000 miles but I would have done that even if I didn't go to the track.

 

I have no problem with the performance driving classes, but as for the racing part my previous post still stands. For me it ain't gonna happen. =p

 

YES -they're GREAT on snow and ice - but even Sir Edmund Hillary (or Bear Grylls, for the younger set) wouldn't walk very well in snow wearing tuxedo shoes! A Mini with the proper footwear works great. Any car on performance tires in snow may as well be on greased teflon.

As far as brake pads and tires, you are in control of your car during a HPDE or track day - the amount of wear you put on the car is up to you and how aggressively you want to drive it... but I've heard few complaints about the stock setup when driven fairly eggressively, though track use can be more like extremely aggressively.

 

Heck, I've got over 30 grand and countless hours of mod time invested in my Mini. I expect to enjoy driving it for a good long time. It gets kept clean, in the garage, and is well maintained. It's not my only vehicle, but I take care of what I own. I ain't gonna take it out and flog the pi$$ outta it.

 

It's a matter of perspective. When I was 25, 50 seemed old. Now that my son is 25, he seems young. My mother and mother-in-law are retirement age, but they are full of get-up and go; they don't seem old, just older. Me, I'm not old. I'm just finally able to scale down from a minivan to a MINI car. It just took 25 years!

 

Yeah, age is certainly a matter of perspective... at "just shy of 50" I can say that 25 was great, and still is, since I mostly feel about 25 sometimes... and sometimes not (like when my daughter bested some Mini autocross times - in our Honda Odyssey...). It's all good!

 

Honda Odyssey, that's not the minivan, is it?! My son's got a Honda Civic; it's unbelievably smooth and fast.