And why do only a very few MINI owners particiapte in DEs?

 

BBW CCA? Big Beautiful Women CCA? Couldn't resist.

Speaking for myself, I don't drive a BMW. I drive a Mini, and I find nothing in common (to me) with a BMW.

That Mini is owned by BMW is to me, irrelevent.

Would you expect Corvette owners to come to Firebird clubs because both are owned by GMC?

I'll stick to SCCA.

 

i am a BMWCCA member BECAUSE i do DE's. as a social club, i have other alternatives. i joined the peachtree chapter (as well as the everglades chapter) because they do DE's at Road Atlanta. The everglades chapter is social as DE's are handled locally by PBOC, PCA, NASA, SAFE and Chin.

 

Actually I was just at a BMWCCA drivers school in the IL/WI area last friday. There were corvettes there too, as well as Porsches and other (fast!) cars. The head instructor was driving a 02 MCS! I got to go for a ride with him. I always thought my car was way better than me, now I'm POSITIVE!

 

I don't know what any of those initials mean.

 

I hate BMW and other than the mini want nothing to do with it.

 

BMW CCA - BMW Car Club of America

As a Mini owner we are welcome to join the BMW CCA, they have great monthly magezine (Rondel) and the regional clubs put on lots of DE's (Drivers Education) events. I joined for Satch's commentary, been a fan since he was in AUtoweek, and the DE's. However I find that Rondel has very little for Mini owners and the local region to me does little to reach out to Mini owners. I do attend the DE's but the Mini club has great social events.

I think the BMW CCA needs to create a special group for the Mini much like they do for the M3. Some more publication that Mini's are welcome would help too.

 

Maybe it varies from region to region, but in the northeast there are usually half a dozen or more MINIs at any given BMWCCA HPDE event.

One of the local chapters has organized a MINI only advanced driver skill school (skidpad, etc).

 

I'm a member of Heart of Dixie Chapter, Peachtree Chapter, Audi Club, PBOC, SCCA, Chin, and NASA so I can do DE's.

I think there are more dyno drivers than track drivers.

See you at Road Atlanta this weekend.

 

Keep the responses coming...thanks.

 

I personally don't want to have anything to do with BMW after experiencing the local dealer's snotty, superior attitude. Other than one warranty job, I've had Detroit Tuned do all my maintenance, and, now that I'm out of warranty, that will continue.

 

I belong to BMWCCA and to the Buckeye Chapter. I think a lot of MINI owners do not join BMWCCA because of some of the snotty BMW owners they meet at HPDEs or elsewhere. For me, joining has been a blessing because it enables me to participate in their HPDEs here in Ohio as well as in neighboring states at a much lower cost than ones offered by others, and the instructors are first-rate, too. There are always a few MINIs at the schools and we are a literal "band of brothers". Often, we make new friends among heretofore BMW-only members, mostly because they see our cars as actually being not just competitive but even better than what they are driving [or, is it how they are driving what they are driving?]. There will always be the snobs who look down at us with their usual disdain, but we ARE making inroads...in fact, one of Roundel's columnists is a MINI owner and writes a great column about our fantastic cars. We ARE welcome to join...or not...I'm just glad I did.

 

I'm a BMWCCA member, but that's because I have 3 bmw's.

 

Do you have to join to take advantage of the DE's. I really enjoy the social aspect of the MINI clubs, but I would also like to get more into using the car on a track.

 

You get a better rate for the BMWCCA HPDEs if you join, plus, some of their HPDEs are for members only. It's not expensive to join BMWCCA, and often the local chapters just include you in their memberships for free, as long as you provide them with your BMWCCA membership number. Another nice thing about being a member is that you can participate in other states' chapter HPDEs, at the same discounted rates their own members receive.

 

I've been a member for 6 years I think (one little lapse at some point reset it on my card so it doesn't reflect the duration unfortunately) and started by owning BMWs. I stay with it although I really don't benefit much from the membership given that I don't go to many events and don't really read the Roundel. The very infrequent social things we do get to I do enjoy though and it is a good organization filled with nice people so I keep with it, but I don't really see myself participating in the competive events seeing as how it can* effect the warranty (and is not technically covered by my insurance). Besides I find we really can't dedicate the good amount of time required to attend most events.

*I'm not saying it will, but given that the warranty is pretty clear about it I choose to be safe at this point..

 

I hate BMW's. Well I like the M3's. And the M Coupe. But otherwise they suck. Or so I am told. But I am a BMW CCA member. And so is my wife. But she also hates BMW's. Not as much as me but she hates the 7 series. I hate the 2002 (take that Krassanova). I joined for the well organized AutoX events, which the LA chapter no longer holds. And their semiches. The semiches rock. And don't get me started on the Rx6's.

 

Many comments here seem quite harsh for the company that kept MINI alive.

 

I was a member for a year, did a few DE events at Barber Motorsports Park. Had a good time, but didn't care for some of the negative attitude I saw reflected in the magazine they sent me. I didn't renew my membership. However, the folks I met at the track were great and did not express the same attitude as those that write for and write letters to the magazine.

If I planned to do another DE, I'd join only so I could save a few bucks.

Most MINI owners are just people who drive a cute car and are not even interested in the clubs/community. Most people who are interested in the clubs/community are not into driving on the track. So you only end up with a small percentage of people who would be interested in BMWCCA.

However, I'd be willing to bet that the percentage of MINI owners who are members is greater than the percentage of BMW owners who are. There is just a lot less of us out there. . . .

 

At a track day in Southern California? Well, I wouldn't say 50% MINIs (well i would- but i'd probably be wrong). However, MINIs are certainly the 2nd most common Make/Model out there.

Personally- On a day to day basis, I often forget BMW is associated with the MINI. Until I have to go to the dealer of course!

 

I also didn't know what any of the acronyms were, now that you wrote what the stand for, ok, but I still don't know what they do or are for?

Also, what is a DE?

 

Yep and BMW still sucks. The one thing they have ever done thats worth anything is the MINI.

 

BMWCCA = BMW Car Club of America

DE = Driving Experience [aka Driving School]....NOT to be confused with ED! LOLOLOL

HPDE = High Performance Driving Experience

 

Although I didn't make any such statements in this thread and cannot speak for everyone, I am among those who have had bad experiences with BMW service and how the HQ chooses not to help, that among other issues and with multiple BMWs, so the fact they did a bang up job designing and marketing the new Mini doesn't really change that...

 

I belong, & the reason I do is so I can participate in track days with them. If it wasn't for that I see no reason for me to join.

Same with the SCCA. Only joined so I could hold a competition license. Now that I've hung up my racing helmet I no longer belong.