Today I drove up to Sandia Peak - Starting at 5,500 feet and ending at 10,300. This road has lot's of sharp 180 +/- degree turns and lot's of what's shown in this twisties picture (shown with the base of the ski lift and the ski lodge in the background). The second picture is at the summit.

Now THAT was fun. What do I love best (aside from the great handling and magnificent turbo power)? I love the way it stays so flat on the curves. Without the 'lean' it's much easier to drive roads like this.

One other point, are the cars of the rest of you folks getting the attention my car's been getting? Complete strangers from all walks of life show no qualms about being obvious about admiring, stopping to chat about the car, or just commenting with the likes of, "Great looking car", "Beautiful!", and my least favorite, "What a cute car". Personally, I think MINI (BMW) really got it right with the R56. I certainly can't think of anything I don't like about it.

Here's the photos:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...1&d=1175131674

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...attach/jpg.gif

 

Nice pics - great looking car

 

i like the r53 wheels on your r56

 

Ken,

Nice choice...

Do you live in Albuquerque? I have family in Rio Rancho...

 

I remember that road! I went to UNM in the '70s.

My MCS is still in Oxford, but when it gets here it is going to see a lot of twisties out past Carmel Valley Village.

 

I wish I had roads like that!

I've only had one comment so far from a stranger, and it was faintly derogatory. Can't remember what he said but it had to do with the small size, like he was surprised anyone would want to buy a car that tiny. Little did he know we (our MINI club) had just spent the past 80 miles motoring--in the truest sense of the word! Redneck!

 

Great pix, Ken! You really captured the twisties in the first one...love it!

 

Nice PICS!!!

Last night it was dry, and I took a stab at my local road HWY 9 up to the HWY 35/Skyline intersection. I was SHOCKED and AMAZED at how fast I got up there!!! I was even short-shifting at 4500 rpm because of the break-in period. Amazing handling in this car. I have never owned a car like this. My last car (2005 Audi S4 V8) seemed like it wasn't as fast in the corners. I literally was surprised to be at the top that fast.

I can't wait to carve up some roads once I'm broken in.

 

Nice pics. Ken. Have you done the Manzanos yet? Not quite the include but a nice drive nonetheless.

 

Very nice! I like the wheels, too.
Bet that peak is a bad place to hang out during a lightning storm.

 

I love the pics Ken especially the one of the twisties! I really have to get out and find some good roads around here, city driving just isnt as fun.

 

I sure appreciate your comments folks.

Thanks srfman7, Green Goblin, MINIclo, and Trinity07 for your very nice comments on my car, wheels, pictures, and local twisties.

4xAAA .. Daily thunderstorms around here are pretty common in the Summer. From my previous home in Sandia Heights I loved to stand out on the patio and enjoy the storms. There were lots and lots of lightening hits up around that antenna farm. So .. I agree .. I wouldn't want to be up there during a thunderstorm.

Guapo2001 .. Yes, Rio Rancho where you have family is just across the river and up the hill. A nice place to live.

Smedley .. I haven't driven the Manazanos yet with this car but I love driving twisty hwy 14 out through Torreon on to Mountainair. That'll probably be my next trek. Any other suggestions for driving that area?

Robin Casady .. Was the Crest road about as it is in this twisty picture back then? Somehow I imagine it being an old rutted dirt road in those days (I was in the Bay Area in the '70s). Hope you get your car from Oxford soon. I drove that road from Greenfield through Carmel Valley on to Carmel and Montery a couple of years ago. Unfortionately I was driving my Prius. I may be out there again this Summer and driving that road in my MCS. I think whoever desinged it had Mini Coopers in mind. There are good twisties and not much traffic.

Fjork_duf .. What's that road that runs from near the Stanford Linear Accelerator on up to Hwy 35? Next time you head up to Skyline try taking (I think it was either Sandhill or Page Mill) heading up to Hwy 35 and then return down Hwy 9. Don't know how it is now but that narrow little road had some great twisties on it with not much traffic a few years back. I used to love going up there with the family to be amongst the redwoods, especially in the area around Portola park. By the way, that's a nice complement for your MINI. I've driven the S4 (was thinking of getting one - it wasn't a V8 though) and that car goes like a son-of-a-gun. Audi made the suspension on that machine pretty good too.

daffodildeb, are you one of the unfortunates who live in one of the totally civilized areas? I get the impression that you make up for your lack of twisties with an excellent MINI club. Sounds like you do some fun motoring. By the way, I find that inviting the, "it's small" commenters to sit in the driver's or even the 'shotgun' seat totally changes their perception.

 

We vacation in Albuquerque every few years and in spring of 03, a few months after we picked up our 02 EB/W MCS, we drove up that same road. It really makes the case for forced induction. We are looking forward to taking our R-56 there some time in 08.

 

IIRC, the Crest Road was pretty decent. It was a popular tourist site. I also recall driving out to Madrid to take photos (BFA in Fine Arts Photography). The Los Alamos route to Santa Fe would also be good MINI territory.

I think Sandia Heights didn't exist when I was there. Does the Sandia Lab still have its Friday afternoon public access to its scrap yard? Art students (myself included) would go there and buy strange bits of scrapped experimental equipment for sculpture projects. There were wonderful things made of plexiglass, stainless steel, brass, etc. all custom machined at great expense. You could buy the stuff for scrap metal prices.

Yea, there is some fun roadway between Carmel Valley Village and Millers Ranch. Just have to watch out for the odd pickup truck and Million $$ Ferrari going 35 mph (owner too scared of denting his investment to enjoy it). Hope I have a chance to drive it in my MCS by the time you get there this summer.

 

Ken, it's flat and straight for much of the Houston area. Fortunately I live about 50 miles north, so I've found a lot of roads that have twisties. Not the same as where you live, though.

Lots of rednecks in pickup trucks here, and there's no convincing them that anyone would WANT to drive a small car.

 

Deb-

Have you tried parking in the back of some guy's dually yet? It might save time in looking for a parking space.

 

Nice Color Choice Ken!

Glad you enjoyed the twisties. mini will never fail to put a smile on my face either.

 

Good to hear from you, db! You've been hiding ever since you got your MINI--have you been Motoring? If you come up to Lake Conroe area I'll show you some NICE twisties!

 

Deb,

Come on down to San Anton' we have plenty o' twisties in the hills around town. Scary fun stuff.

Sean

 

It's a deal--can I bring the dogs and birds with me? (I need a babysitter!)

 

That depends, do they have their own 4-point harnesses?