Only 25k to go. I have a feeling it’s going to happen pretty quick.

I was as awesome as you can imagine. No, it was way awesomer than that! I also got to drive a Lambo and a Jag on this same day. I was also asked “what’s it like to be you” later this night, but that’s for a later post.

In Vegas, you want to check out World Class Driving. Those guys are pretty damned awesome and offer you, the regular Joe, the opportunity to drive several different kinds of cars that you normally wouldn’t get the opportunity to drive. On the day I went out, the choices were Jag, Lambo, Ferrari, Corvette Z-06, Shelby Mustang or an SRT Charger.

The Super Car tour costs about $500. You get the chance to drive up to 3 different cars (that do change, you would want to call for availability) in the Nevada desert. Keep in mind, this will be at the posted speed limit and you are escorted with a lead and a chase car. They don’t just hand you the keys to a $US1,000,000 sports car and say have it.

The guides were super friendly and knowledgeable about the cars. They want to make sure that you are having a great time and it shows. I know I had a brilliant time driving these cars and would recommend it to anyone.

If you are heading to Vegas and looking to do something that’s a little different and have the cash, check out World Class Driving. You won’t be sorry!

Over the course of the last week or two I have had the chance to drive some very interesting cars. And, the BMW 328i. You’ll recall that I spent a few days in this particular model back in 2009 and I wasn’t a huge fan (the term “BWM for your Mom” comes to mind). And, I’m here to report that, not only is it still a total snooze fest, it has also become one of the most limp-wristed cars I have ever driven.

Besides the feeling of disconnectedness and an overly cushy ride, there are 3 new things that I have to question.

1. This car makes a very pronounced ‘DING’ at speeds above 80mph and displays a warning until the speed is reduced to under 80MPH.
2. The automatic transmission control is overly complicated. And a button has to be pushed.
3. Auto stop/start is jerky and un gives an unsettling feeling when stopped

The speed warning is just ridiculous. Have we, as a society, become so stupid as to not realize how fast we are driving while we are driving? I mean, the BMW drives quiet and soft, but it’s no Cadillac Sevelle. You get the feeling of speed in this car. Or, are we overly distracted and no longer paying attention to what is happening around us as we drive around in a vehicle that weighs close to 2 tons? Also, for a car of this caliber and price, I would expect the auto stop/start to be more seamless. It’s not, more like unsettling like I mentioned above. It feels like the car has actually stalled and the delay on start up is enough that it made me nervous while waiting to turn left. I would expect this to be smoother and to have a much shorter delay. A delay that is extended when Eco Pro mode is active.

Speaking of Eco mode, it was actually drivable this way. Sure it felt like I was driving in a foot of really thick mud, but not so much that a little bit more throttle didn’t overcome it, which defeats the purpose of this mode. Treated like a overdrive on the interstate would probably be the best way to use this.

I know there is a chance that we will be getting auto start/stop in the MINI with the F56. Make sure to test drive that feature before you buy. Personally, I never got used to it and don’t think it will be able to keep up. The last thing I want is to be stuck in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left and having that feature leave me hanging out there well into the red light.

I will say that the BMW was comfortable and quiet, with plenty of room for 4 people as long as the front seat passenger is short/doesn’t mind having their knees in their chest. It also has a pretty large trunk to add to the plus column, and it does pretty ok on gas for a car of it’s size.

But would I own it? Not a chance. This is near the top of the most boring cars I have ever driven. Unlike a Ferarri, Lambo and Jag that I drove during AMVIV. Check back later this week for more on those!

‘Twas the Sunday before AMVIV X and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for me writing this blog post about a few things.

Wait. That didn’t quite work. No matter.

AMVIV is this week. Roxy and I will be heading to Vegas on Thursday with a few other Arizona MINI peeps. Fluids are checked and full, tire pressure is good and she will be getting a bath on Wednesday. I also had a few other things checked out and changed that I wanted to share.

First thing is an attempt to make Roxy run better with the air conditioning running, especially when coming to a stop or when driving in traffic. She has had the tendancy to shudder, shake and almost stall when the air is running and she comes to a stop (engine has no load). I’ve cleaned the throttle body but it doesn’t help quite enough. What I’m hoping does help is the boost in idle speed, from 750RPM (stock) to 950RPM. So far, it does seem to be helping, but it’s only been a day and temps aren’t over 100 yet. I will report back.

While Jerry was doing that, he also cleared some of the older fault codes that were left over from a long time ago and found a few new ones that I need to address pretty quick regarding the airbag light. According to Jerry, it would seem that the drivers side airbag is throwing a fault, as are both front seat tensioners (where the buckle goes). This is not really great news since the only fix, really, is to replace the seats. It’s definitely not in the budget right now, but it has been moved to the top of the list. Luckily, seats are easy to find on eBay and other places.

For AMVIV this year, I’m also trying something new. I was asked to provide photographer duties during the pool party on Saturday night in the shape of a photo booth/creative portraits. I’m pretty excited about it, but that’s because I’m a nerd like that. Something that I am also doing for AMVIV this year is offering my photo services to MINI owners that would like to have nice photographs of their MINI. If you are going and would like to have me snaps some shots, you can get pricing (it’s pretty cheap) at whiteroofphoto.com. You can also follow along at Facebook to see the shots that happen at the pool party!

A few years ago, my headlights started to discolor. Slowly but surely, until they ended up almost completely yellowed and hazed over as you can see above. More than once I had the lads at the car wash do what they could with chemicals, but it was only a temporary fix. Time for the tools!

About a [long time ago] I picked up a kit that 3M makes for fixing this. Cost was $20 at Harbor Freight. It contained multiple levels of sanding pads, including a wet sand disc, and some 3M polishing compound. The kit also included the green masking tape you see above.

The process was pretty simple. Attach the roughest pad to a disc attached to a drill and sand all of the discoloration off. Then, stepping down in roughness between steps, polishing it until it’s clear. The entire process was pretty simple and only took about an hour. I’m more than pleased with these results.

I doubt any of you have headlights as faded as mine, but perhaps you have a friend or relative. Trust me when I tell you the only way to get the lights clear is to actually sand material from the lenses. Chemicals alone might give you a temporary fix, but to keep them clear, you’ll need the big guns.

I’ll report back after a month or so to see how they are holding up!

About a month a go or so, when applying brakes at highway speeds my MINI had this very annoying chatter. A quick ask around confirmed my suspecions; warped brake rotors. I was hoping it wasn’t so, since I just did the front brakes a little more than a year ago, not even 20k miles. But, sure as anything, when I removed the centric rotors they were both slightly warped. The left (driver) side more than the right, but they were still both warped.

So, new rotors were installed. Upgraded this time to some Brembo’s. They aren’t fancy, let’s call them OEM+. And, as I have done since I have been putting brakes on my car, a fresh set of EBC Greenstuff pads were installed because I’m weird. I didn’t fancy the idea of installing new rotors with the old pads (that still have a ton of life in them), so I have stored those to be installed when this set wears out.

Since I was there, tire rotation was in order. A quick check of fluids and a wash to finish things off before heading to Scottsdale Pavilions for the weekly car show.

I keep telling you guys that front brakes are about the easiest DIY job on the planet. Not quite as easy on the R56 as my car, but still easy enough to give it a try yourself. For me, it’s a flathead screwdriver, a 16mm socket, the star socket that I forget the size of, a jack and about 30 minutes to get the job done. Parts this time were a little more than $200. Sure, that’s a lot for parts, but when you look at what a dealer charges (almost $800), or you local shop charges (about $60 less), it’s worth it to figure this one. I still leave the rears to a professional since I don’t have the fancy tool need to open the calipers, but I still bring my own parts so I only have to pay labor.

I finally got the chance to check out the new MINI Paceman last weekend at my local dealer. It was Penny brown (as pictured above) surround by clever marketing collateral.

And I didn’t like it.

Sure, I sat in it. It was like the Countryman. I didn’t sit in the backseat because, well, I just couldn’t be bothered. It was nice enough on the inside I suppose.

My issue comes when looking at this MINI from the outside. To better illustrate when I’m about to be on about, let’s check out another photo.

I wish I would have snapped a pic of the car at the dealer because I now know why this car is always photographed at this angle with a busy background. There is something about this MINI that just looks weird.

Look at the bonnet and front bumper in the photo. Is it just me, or does it look really, really long? Longer than the Countryman to be sure. Out of place long. Awkwardly long. Maybe it’s the extreme slope of the rear roof line?

And that roof line. It’s a pretty extreme slope in person. So extreme I had people tell me they thought the rear of the car looked like a Pontiac Aztec. I don’t think it looks that bad, but it also looks weird.

To me, the overall proportions of this MINI aren’t pleasing to the eye. I’m sure that the front half of this MINI has the same overall exterior specifications as the Countryman. I just wish I could see it that way. I mean the front of this is like a ’79 Ford Grenada.

This is definitely a MINI that looks better in photos. At least it does to me.

I haven’t had a chance to drive this MINI yet and seriously doubt I ever will which is too bad since I’ve heard good things about the driving dynamic. I just don’t like the way it looks. Am I the only one that is seeing the bonnet this way? Let us know in the comments!

I also got the chance to finally see the new GP. Sat it in and everything. We’ll add this to the list of cars I will probably not get the chance to ever drive (I’ve never driven the previous gen GP either), but the interior is really nice. The seats are amazing and wish I could have them in my MINI now. The leather dash is also a nice touch, along with all of the other GP changes to the interior. The graphics are ridiculous and the roof numbers are just lame. I’m also not a big fan of the wheels, but I really like this MINI otherwise.

Comments are open. What say you?

Before we go any further, please take a minute and refresh yourself with this post from late last year.

Now, to move forward, re: the raised lettering. Personally, I think it’s really cool and like it a lot. Can’t wait to see MINI introduce this ‘feature’ on other models across the range. I can understand that you don’t like them. That’s totally cool with me. But to threaten to not buy a MINI or to switch brands because of this? Or to decide to not buy a car because of a decal (that is there or not). Really?

I understand that you have a short fuse and the slightest thing sets you off and over the edge. That’s cool. But to base your decision on whether or not to purchase a vehicle that costs north of $27K on such an insignificant detail is truly absurd. I would bet that, with a short length of dental floss, those letters could be removed in less than 15 minutes before you even pull of the dealer’s lot.

It’s cool if you think the car is too expensive (I do). It’s cool if you don’t like the way it looks (I don’t care for the Paceman, but that’s for another post). It’s cool if you don’t like the interior, the lack of features or support for Android phones. All of that makes sense. Hell, you could even think the car is too small to be safe (yet another post). Those are valid reasons to not want a car.

But, plastic raised letters and decals? That’s just dumb.

I was going to do this myself, but again, small clips and other things that can potentially break and drive my frustration level through the roof kept me from doing it. I was able to watch the process and snap the photo you see here, once the valve cover was removed. Still nice and clean, no staining on the metal, no gunk build-up, nothing. Probably looked pretty close to this when it was new.

The old gasket was beyond done. It had gone from being a flexible piece of rubber to a hard piece of rubber that had zero flexibility and zero ability to actually do what it was designed to do. The new piece (and accompanying spark plug gaskets) is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Still have one more leak to tackle, but it’s a bit more of a procedure. That would be the oil pan gasket. I’m going to try to double that up with the power steering hoses (both of which need to be replaced) as soon as the budget allows. Those hoses are ridiculously expensive, as is the oil pan gasket. Not to mention the labor involved for both of those repairs. Probably close to $600 to have it all done, if not slightly more.

Also new to the list is a front brake job. Turns out, the $35 Centric rotors can be good and can be bad. The set I have now are bad and have already warped. Not an issue most of the time, but I can definitely tell when trying to stop at speeds above 50mph. I’m going to try to spring for something nicer this time, possibly even going back to the Power Slots that I loved. I’m also hearing that the OEM rotors have greatly improved since I last used them (2004) and am thinking about giving them another shot.

Open to suggestions unless you are suggesting a big brake kit, which is both out of my budget and out of my budget (big brakes require big wheels, I can’t afford either). I’m a fan of EBC Green Stuff pads with the Power Slot rotors, but always up for suggestions. Comments are open, let me know what you like!

On the odd occassion, I do get access to cars you wouldn’t expect me to be able to drive. Case in point is the car you see above, the Lexus GS450h. It wasn’t much more than a test drive, but I did drive it. Car and Driver had a chance at it too, and my thoughts echo theirs.

Well, in this case, the GS450h may be the most powerful member of the GS lineup, but it is also the least sporty of the bunch. The GS450h wafts itself over the road with the same sort of tranquillity as its big brother, the LS460. There’s a complete absence of road or engine noise, the ride is plush, and the seats are as soft as buttery mashed potatoes. This sort of luxury is Lexus’s trademark, and it’s a delight, provided you aren’t expecting a sports sedan. We didn’t love the mouselike control for the Lexus infotainment system, but the rest of the interior is a soothing cocoon.

via.

The term disconnected came up quite a bit during the drive. It had a distinctive floating feeling, as you would expect from a car that costs just about $US60K. It had all the tech and leather and heads-up-display too, in case you are a fan of the tech (like I know you are). And I really didn’t care for it.

Besides not feeling like I was part of the driving experience, I didn’t think it was that comfortable. Sure the seats are infinitely adjustable and if I would have had an hour to get the seat sorted out I might feel differently. There was also a surprising lack of headroom. There is no way I could wear a helmet and drive this car, not that you would because it’s not an LFA. One other thing I don’t think I would expect from a automobile that costs sixty thousand dollars is the amount of wind noise in the cabin, especially at highway speeds. This might have been a glitch with this car since I’m pretty sure it’s done the rounds with the press and as a training vehicle, but still. Doesn’t say much for the current state of Lexus build quality in my opinion.

The driving experience was kooky too. There was an iDrive like dial that told the car what you wanted to do. Set it to Ecoboost and it’s what you expect, a gutless, torqueless boring car. In normal mode, it’s still boring but the driving dynamic was slightly better. In sport mode more power from the electric engine goes to the wheels and it tightened up a little bit.

And it was really huge. Like not fit in my standard-sized 2 car garage huge. At least not without having the front over hang barely missing the washer and dryer. Rediculous.

Sure, comparing this to a MINI is the same as comparing an Ariel Atom to a JCW GP, but I have to say that I didn’t enjoy this car at all. I wanted to, you know, because it’s a Lexus. The pinacle of Japanese Luxury cars. I just thought it was boring. My car is definitely better.