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Car Events 2016 -British Motor Museum

The Welsh Mini Group organised a day out at The British Motor Museum at Gaydon For Saturday 9th April. We had been before a long time ago but it has recently been refurbished and we were keen to see what had been done and how it had been improved.
We met up with friends at Strensham services for a quick snack and drink then made our way cross country to the museum. The day was beautiful when we left home but had already turned cloudy by the time we reached Strensham, and when we left there it had started to rain, and this cold rain stuck with us for the rest of the day.
There were some more Minis already waiting for us in the car park when we arrived and after a brief catch up we made for the Museum. It has to be said the £14 entrance seemed a bit steep but it did give you free entry for a year, although in reality most people probably won’t use it again.
It is a well presented display with plenty of information about the cars and the history of British car manufacture,. It was well lit and warm, but it didn’t seem to us to be vastly different from what it was before. There was a pleasant and reasonably priced cafe upstairs and on this occasion a small antiques market outside the cafe which was fun to browse. Beastie got excited when he discovered some Biggles books only to have his hopes dashed when he realised he already had the ones on sale!
There is now another hall full of cars, Jaguars only downstairs and a more varied collection above. This was not so well presented or lit and we felt the upstairs display was little more than a smart garage.
When we had all finished we made our way back to our cars and after a brief farewell some of our group left for home, while the four remaining minis sought some food, which was found in a Harvester nearby.
We had a great day out but this was primarily due to having a catch up with friends from the Welsh MINI Group rather than because we were blown away by the wonders on show at Gaydon. For all the hype we were not that impressed with what had been achieved at the museum compared to how it was before the redevelopment and felt that in truth £14 was a lot to pay.

Click on the photo below to see a slideshow from the day.

British Motor Museum April 2016


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Car Spotting – Porsche Macan

  
I have to say that ever since we added a MINI Paceman to our gang both myself and Mrs P have really warmed to the SUV thing. We both like the semi command driving position and while the Paceman doesn’t handle like our other MINIs it does nonetheless handle ok on its sport suspension. The overall effect is a fun car that has been great on the long haul trip we are on now from England down to St Tropez. 

This Porsche Macan caught our eye as a good looker that also just happens to go a bit and handle well. I can see why this sector is so popular.


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The Transcend DrivePro 200 Dash Camera

  
Time to invest in a dash cam for PaceBeast and after reading the review below from dashboardcamerareviews.com we went for the DrivePro 200.

The DrivePro 200, also known as TS16GDP200, is a reliable, easy-to-use dash cam that was released in late 2013 by the renowned Taiwanese memory card manufacturer, Transcend. They include a free 16GB SD card with the device.
At a bit rate of 15 Mbps, this camera records excellent day time video, and night video quality is also good. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its high reliability, its Wi-Fi capability and because it is relatively easy to use.
This camera is one of the very few to offer Wi-Fi support. At 160 degrees, its angle of view is larger than most other dash cam’s. It comes with a 2.4” screen for comfortable video playback, or you can configure it from your tablet/smart phone via the Wi-Fi function.
Many buyers will be happy to know that configuring the DrivePro 200 is a breeze, even for the technically challenged. After connecting it your car’s cigarette lighter for power, it will come on by itself, prompt you for the time and date (on first time setup) and then start recording automatically whenever your car’s ignition is on.
It comes with a G-sensor so your video files will be saved if a sudden breaking maneuver or impact is detected. It also has a large emergency button that you can use to the same effect for any footage that you would like to keep for whatever reason.
You can choose whether you wish to record video clips 1, 3, or 5 minutes in length. We prefer 1 minute clips because they are more manageable. Recording is seamless, there are no gaps between the video files.
The Wi-Fi function is useful for changing the camera’s settings, and you can also use it to update the device’s firmware should this become necessary. You can even use it to view your video footage, but bear in mind that these are large video files, so transferring them wirelessly will be relatively slow. Plucking your SD card into a computer is the easier option, or just use the camera’s internal screen.
The Transcend DrivePro 200 is not one of the smallest dashboard cameras, but it isn’t terribly large, either. There is a narrow silver ring around the lens that reduces its stealth somewhat. We would have preferred an all black casing.
All the regular dash cam features are there, such as auto on/off, loop recording, impact detection (G-sensor) and date/time stamp on video. A word of caution though: Several users have reported an issue with the camera not being able to keep the date/time settings for more than a couple of days when it is not in use. This is apparently due to the camera using a relatively low power capacitor instead of an internal battery. However, there are also many users who do not seem to be having this issue at all.
The camera’s build quality is solid, and even taking into account the date/time issue, customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Furthermore, Transcend’s after sales support have been reported to be very helpful and respond quickly when needed.


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Car Of The Week – F55 MINI Clubman D

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ThunderBeast our Gen 1 GP went into MINI for a service and some new shocks and bushes and while it was in the garage MINI lent us a MINI Clubman Diesel to try.

Options

It came in pepper white with black roof and no packages on it, which allowed us to weigh up what you got if you didn’t go mad on the options tick list. A basic but perfectly useable sat nav is standard and again the radio is perfectly useable but basic in sound. The cloth non sport seats were comfortable enough and the steering wheel was adjustable for height and reach. The Diminutive Lady P was perfectly comfortable behind the wheel and it was also clear that the 6 footers of this world would have plenty of room too. Luggage space and room in the back was fine too. The option list was miles long and you could make this a luxury compact cruiser very easily.

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Looks

It’s handsome. It’s elegant.

Engine

This was a big surprise. The diesel is faster than our SD Paceman coming with 150 hp and 300nm and it was a very nippy and forgiving engine. Our Paceman punishes you if you are in the wrong gear, while this one is much more forgiving and therefore flattering to an average driver. It is also refined lacking the industrial feeling of the R55 basic Diesel and the R55 SD. If /when the SD comes along I would expect something rather special having sampled this one.

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Handling

Neither of us are F1 drivers or track trained drivers so we know nothing. But the car felt tidy to us. Very nippy, nice gear changes, smooth braking. The most grown up MINI we have ever driven.

As owners of a Coupe and a Paceman, we have had to listen to a lot of nonsense along the lines of, “ yeah but it’s not a MINI is it.” Well the Clubman I think has finally cracked this bugbear. By a countryman mile this is so not a MINI, so completely unlike any other MINI, so different in sophistication than anything before it. Yet this seems to be getting accepted. I hope it does it deserves to. As soon as you see it you know it’s a MINI (this is also true of Paceman’s Countryman’s and Coupe’s) yet it adds a level of sophistication to the driving and ride not seen before.

Would I have one? You bet I would. I’d stop short of the JCW. I’d have an SD or an S. I would tick all the options, including automatic gearbox and create a luxury compact cruiser. It would cost about £35k, which is why the order has to wait for the lottery win before it is placed, but place it I would.

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