Hey all. Just thought I'd drop in with a quick "first impressions" type of post. I picked up my MCS from Dreyer & Reinbold late yesterday. I pulled it in the garage last night to install an official GBMINI auto-up window/AFF circuit and the Dension ice>Link: Plus my wife got me for my birthday last week. I have to admit to feeling a little weird about pulling the console apart on my first new car, and with only 12 miles on the clock!

This morning, after running around the city picking up our vehicles (the SUV was in Fishers for a repair and my motorcycle got stashed in a service bay at D&R last night, since my wife couldn't be with me to pick up the car) and dropping the dogs off at the "spa", I was finally able to get out for a familiarization cruise. At about 12:30, I headed South out of the city on 67 and down to Mooresville where I picked up a couple of roads that I had a vague recollection of having been on last year on my motorcycle. After wandering around for nowhere long enough, I ended up back on 67 heading South. Booooring! I made a quick tactical decision when I saw the sign for the Morgan-Monroe State Forest and zipped up Old State Road 37, and then into the depths of the forest to the "Forest HQ". It's truly beautiful back there. The forest road is a 2ish lane paved road with no markings and a 30mph speed limit. There's a fair number of cyclists and other cars around, but the road's curvy enough that it was fun in the MINI even at 30!

Once I got to the end, I took a quick breather in the office, gathered some pamphlets and headed back out, continuing on Old 37 in the direction I'd been heading. That's a fun road; the pavement's not great, and there was some traffic, but it's hilly, wooded and twisty. I wouldn't have enjoyed it much on my motorcycle, due to the rough pavement, but the MINI ate it right up! Old 37 eventually dumped me in Bloomington at, oh, maybe 3pm or 3:30, and I started to head back to Indy. I took 45 North out of Bloomington, and wow what a fun ride! I got stuck behind several slow-moving vehicles (and a slew of bicycles) at several points (and some of the cars were even doing *below* the speed limit! The nerve!) but as they either turned off or I had the opportunity to pass, I was able to take the curves a little more aggressively.

45 ended just North of Nashville on 135, which I took for a while, until I hit 44. 135 can be quite a bit of fun, but that seems to be mostly further South, around Brown County State Park. Instead, I got stuck behind these mo-mos on Harleys who were obviously of the loud-pipes-save-lives school of non-thought. I actually had to roll up my windows, their pipes were so loud. Anyway, I meandered North on 135 until 44 presented itself, and I cut West to pick up 37 for Indy. I'd been on 44 between Franklin and 37 twice about two months ago on my bike. It's a good 20 mile or so stretch of road with a mix of straightaways and some nice twisty sections. I'm simply amazed at how well the MINI takes corners. I never felt uncomfortable, even at multiples of the posted speed for the corner. The car just begged for more!

So that was the route. There were tons of really yummy twisties on 44 and 45 and Old 37 that made the nearly 5 hours and 175+ miles I spent in the car an absolute blast. I'm looking forward to building up a better catalog of good roads, and hopefully finding something fun in between Indy and the Brown Cty area. Even though I tried to vary my speeds a bit going down and coming back up, I know I didn't to my breakin much good with those freeway drones. I was utterly disappointed to come home and still see the little rubber nipples still on the tires; I had delusions of grandeur including balled up rubber on the tread. Well, maybe at Putnam in a couple of weeks... It's best to save that kind of speed for the track anyway, of course.

If anyone wants to get together for a ride, let me know!