>>Remember how I just said that? Yeah....that again.

 

Oh I am ALL OVER that......

 

Has anybody noticed that if you get into a corner too fast and the front end starts to "push" if you stick your foot in it a little bit more it will transfer just enough weight to the rear end to stop the slide?

 

I beleive that driving at a normal speed is just as fun. There is no need for speeding in order to enjoy this car. There are many reasons why not to and one of them is for safety. I did not buy my mini to speed it down the street. Im not a NASCAR racer. I enjoy driving it and being in it.

 

>>>>You wouldn't happen to have that cute monkey from the super-funny retirement commercial, do you?
>>No. But I have this for miniclo...
>>

 

I've seen that photo before, there's a whole series of photos of that accident. Trust me, that's the mildest one, the others are from different angles and show the deer's guts all over the inside of the truck, just brutally nasty.

 

>>Oh I am ALL OVER that......

okay l.mini... imagine micheal jackson in an AZTEK!

 

>> I did not buy my mini to speed it down the street. Im not a NASCAR racer.

Thank goodness you are not, or else you won't know what to do when you got to a right turn A stock MINI could probably keep up with the NWC Cars on a tight road circuit.

X2

 

Don't try this at home!
I had the MCS up to 120+ on a stretch of bridge in the rain a couple of weekends ago. That was pretty nuts! The craziest part was after the end of the bridge I kept doing 100+ (in a 50 zone). Then aaahhh! I passed a cop radaring from the bushes. I passed the cop so fast that I'll bet he didn't even see what kind of car it was. I haven't done this since I was 17 (am now in the 30s) and I am not generally this crazy, but I knew at that speed I'd probably go to jail, so I made super-fast left-right and parked it. About 2 minutes later I saw him go by, he made the wrong turn, had no clue where I went. I was laughing my *** off but I drove about 35mph the rest of the way home.

 

>>okay l.mini... imagine micheal jackson in an AZTEK!


Thanks, buddy....a mental image that I could have lived without.

 

I'm not going to catalog my also ranging from fun to bad to stupid behavior. One good way I find in more populated areas is simply to hit it real hard until cresting the high end of reasonable. Sure, it's barely into third gear, but I get plenty of satisfaction just feeling the pull through two gears.

Talking to a friend who spent a couple years at Bondurant as a mechanic, hoping to make to running in Formula Fords (is that class correct? This was the mid eighties), and he made a really useful suggestion: take a weekend driving course on a closed circuit. There are lots of people here with SCCA and club racing experience, and just as many without. Since the MINI is creaming every handling demonstation magazines can throw at it, it does mean that the car is both safer, and more dangerous. Because even though it is less likely to perform badly, it will also encourage under-experienced drivers from abusing that. Performance driving is as much cognition and observation as it is dexterity, and watching for 'ambient' conditions (driveways, other cars taking corners wide, people, etc.) when you are used to coming out of a corner at 40 that you can now come out of at 60 means you have reduced your reaction and decision making time considerably, and you have zero experience with that. Just like the SUV drivers we would deride for not knowing that 4 wheel drive really only helps under acceleration and not braking, we too should be aware that we have been given a performance ability that we might not have the experience to exploit.

 

I agree! (much applause) I once had a Mustang GT that I had put a complete Ford SVT race suspension under. I raised the cornering limits of the car to a scary level. However, the handling at the limit was razor sharp. Once the car had crossed over the limit it was almost impossible to catch. I knew this and respected it because I knew if it got away from me I was going to be going along for one very rough ride.

 

Liquid_Yellow,

You want an honest, non-judgmental response? Yes, it is a valid affliction. It is a disease called MINIspeeditis, a.k.a. Goslowaphobia and Fasterneediteria. It cannot be transmitted through casual contact with others. It is only spread when a person comes in contact with both the steering wheel and gas pedal of a MINI at speeds above 1 mph. There is no cure and no current government funding for research. If you send in your speeding ticket stubs, the city will donate $1 to finding a cure (similar to the Yoplait yogurt lid campaign). Top scientists at Amgen are composing a proposed research study as we type.

I too have been infected and share the same symptoms as you. I take the longest, twistiest, non-highway route to work now, even though it takes longer than sitting in traffic on the freeway. I exceed the speed limit at all times, but do so safely. I still drive courteously and always use my turn signals before I cut someone off (just kidding, I don't cut anyone off!). I back off the person in front of me when we approach a curve so enough distance grows between us that I can gun it into the turns. I feel frustration and pity for those driving normal vehicles which have to brake going into turns. I am angered by people who have to brake on the twisty freeway onramps when I want to speed up. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when I can take a corner with a 25 mph caution sign at double that speed. I get all tingly when I can feel the G's through a good corner. I look forward to going to work because the drive is so fun. I can't wait until the day is over so I can enjoy the drive home with some good ear candy!

Fortunately there is hope... you can communicate and relate to others with this same problem right here on MCO every day! We're all here for moral support.

 

Eegads, 2minis - where do dig up all the pix? outrageous!
ROFL

 

You, my friend, understand. That is exactly what I am talking about.

 

While I agree that owning a new mini is a contributing factor...

I think that most people who speed (mind you I live in FWY heaven so. calif) are gaining control of a life just out of their control. We who have subscribed to be part of the masses and participate in the day to day earning of money and having a half way decent life have a tendency to feel like maybe our lives aren't all ours. One place we do have all control is behind the wheel of a car. We can go and do whatever we want and as slow or fast as we want. Control isn't just exercised by reckless drivers. Slow drivers are also trying to gain control. A CHP once told me I had no right to be in the far left lane if I was blocking someone elses ability to go beyond me, even if they are exceeding the speed limit. So I guess what I'm trying to say is recognize where your control issues are and see if there are other ways to deal with them.

We need to all evaluate why we do the things we do. I commend LiquidYellow's ability to recognize and question his behavior.

In San Diego kids are dropping like flies by participating in illegal street racing. Everyone is concerned, so like a good city, San Diego is setting up a few areas in the county where kids can go and drag race in a supervised, non-expensive place keeping everyone's safety in mind. That's a good thing. Won't help us on the curves, but it's a start!

Stepping down from soapbox now!

 

I can be scary fast at times... my morning commute is usually 50-70 mph in 35/40/45 mph zones.