Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Saturday, August 14, 2010

The mini Minicross

Drove an hour down to Denver this morning to do a Minicross, the Mini (car) version of an autocross. They're having their national convention here this weekend, and this is one of the activities.
I looked at the Mini back in 04 when they first came to the US market as I wanted a car along side my F150. I left a deposit on a Cooper S, but when I finally got to drive one I asked for my deposit back. I loved the handling, but it was a little underpowered, and hard to see up out of (at traffic lights). I ended up buying a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, a better car.
I was in Denver at this event, as I was interested in the new 4 door all wheel drive Mini, the Countryman. I found out that they were only showing it to mini owners in private tonight. So, I registered for this minicross, and told to show up a half hour before my hour slot of 9-10am. I got there at 8:30... and had to wait a half hour for registration to begin. 9am comes around and registration is smooth and I cycle outside where the cars are waiting. Everyone wants a stick, so I volunteered for an auto. I'm with a guy in the passenger seat from Mini. We start off, make a right turn, do some zig-zag back and forth lane changes in the street between cones. We make a right at the corner and do some more, another right, and we're done. That was it. I didn't even begin to push the car, as I thought there would be more to it, like a second and third lap or a autocross area or something. I was majorly disappointed.

They did have two of the Mini E electric cars there, but in a static display, not even with the hood open.