Here you go Robb..... New Albany Road exit. Turn right, it's on the left side of the road, right at the exit.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...8,0.11055&z=14

 

I'm out for tomorrow I expect pics of CHKMINI II and all the details.

 

Have fun, be safe and stay warm!

 

I will also be absent tomorrow.

Chuck and others, please take countless pictures of the unveiling of CHKMINI II.

 

Sorry you guys can't make it. Cooper I was sure you'd be there to drive CHKMINI II. I bet we can put a thousand miles on it tomorrow, one test drive at a time.

 

Thank ya!

 

It was great seeing everyone this morning! We dropped the Clubie off at MAG on the way home to be painted and sport stripped and got a MCSa loaner... this could spell trouble! (actually, I drove a 09 MC while there and wow, does it get off the line quicker than my 06...) I honestly don't notice a TON of difference between the two (MC & MCS)... but I'm sure that is the automatic talking to me and the fact that the roads were not ideal for 'playing' on the way home

 

It was nice seeing you all today. Wow two new MINI's to boot. CHKMINI II & Ang's Little Red Wagon.

Brian & Cooper here are some pictures...

http://crashton.smugmug.com/gallery/...77810165_7eyLR

 

NICE new MINIs! Glad yall had fun!

 

I miss the Clubbie already. We were given an MCS for a loaner car so Robb definitely won't let me drive! The Clubbie will now be forever known as LRW- Little Red Wagon...

 

Both new cars look great What is the story behind MAG painting LRW's roof black? Was it suppose to be black to begin with?

 

We were going to order a 2009 mellow yellow with black MCC but MAG took $2000 off of the 2008's left on the lot. It is so rare that MINI does any discount we thought we would take advantage of it even though the car is red on red. I love the chili red but I'm not a fan of the red on red combo so they are painting the roof black for me and putting on sports stripes. We are leaving the mirror caps red for now though.

 

You guys did very well! Can't wait to see the transformed LRW.

 

Nice photos Chuck (as always). I appreciate the good press! The tranformation to CHKMINI II begins again this week

 

I love the new car, but I also miss the old one. When the weather breaks you'll have to take me out on a test drive.

 

The guys at MAG were talking about how you took delivery on Thurs and then were back in there on Friday showing how much you had already added

They thought it was great!

I was really surprised in the color change, since you had CHKMINI so black before, I thought for sure this one would be MB/MB or something.

 

Haha wow! Very nice pictures indeed. It appears lots of club history took place at that breakfast.

First off, I think its safe saying that WE WILL ALL MISS THE ORIGINAL CHKMINI; the car had so much personality.

However, I love the infancy/toddler stages of CHKMINI II. I agree with Robb in that I was a little surprised that it wasn't Midnight Black. I sort of expected it to be PW if it wasn't MB. But the Dark Silver definitely looks super smooth, especially with the painted arches. You're probably in the .01% of MINI owners that get the arches painted a day after delivery, lucky you. I also really digg the aero kit, wheels, and the of course the 217hp + lots of torque JCW package. Drool.

However, there are still many unanswered questions that leave me puzzled.
1. Did you get the JCW suspension, or standard suspension with plans to go aftermarket?
2. LSD?
3. How much faster do you think it is than your old modded CHKMINI?
4. Will you still hang out with us fewer and fewer R53 owners? :-)

 

I think it came with the arches painted, isn't that part of the aero package these days?

For me CHXMINI right now is all about what will it be next month. The past few months CHXMINI I was getting kind of stale not much could be done to it because it was as good as it was going to get (for me as soon as the roof became all black I thought it was perfect) With II I just can not wait to see what happens each month. When will the wheels get painted? (Mark those wheels need to be painted!) How low will it go?

 

All these new MINIs makes me want to get a new car too. Well, I'd keep my R53 MINI but add a Lotus Elise to my garage. Maybe in a couple of years...

 

Fear not, Cooper. My R50 and R53 are here for good...just can't see getting one of those new ones with those weird center speedo combos. Oh well, that's just me, I guess....

 

But that center speedo on an R56 doubles as a donut spare tire.

 

I already have a big enough spare tire without having to put up with another.

 

It's fer yer car when a tire pops. Pop!

 

I didn't care for the speedo at first either, but with having the Clubie/MCSloaner for just over a week, I have to say, I think I like the new one better than the old.

The new interior, GIANT speedo included, just looks much higher quality. I do miss the temp gauge and a few other things... and am still trying to get used to the radio controls... but I like it. So much in fact I'm hoping to get myself into an '09 BRG 6-speed (drools on keyboard ) MC sometime in 2009

 

That's fine. I prefer the R50 and the R53 to the R56, in all ways. I like the old styles better than the new ones. I'm not out for all that center speedometer glitz and the big power increases brought about by the new engines and transmissions...besides, we all know that fast is NOT my speed, right? [See, Chuck, I AM laughing.... ]