AutoBeast

Random cars we like

Tag Archives: MINI


by Leave a comment

ThunderBeast – The Drive

DSCF9183

ThunderBeast is our first generation MINI GP. He has just returned from the garage where he has had a full service, two new front bushes, two new front shocks, a couple of oil leaks fixed and a perishing petrol cap replaced. It was good having him back. This is a car that makes you want to write about something as simple as just driving him…

I clocked out of work early, I had suffered enough pain from the cancer in my back. I wanted to rest. First though I was relishing the drive home in ThunderBeast – Our MINI GP1. As I crossed the work car park I clicked the remote and heard a faint click as the remote control opened. My heart matched the click. My mind had been conjuring with a catch phrase for the car. Mini has the “blow the bloody doors off” and Glennister has made “Fire up the Quattro” a modern classic.

I slid into the full leather Recaro seat. “Gun up the GP Ade” I said to myself, at the same time putting the heated seat on to comfort my aching back. The revs as it started hinted at the symphony the car promised to play to me. I reversed out of my parking space slow, real slow, prolonging the moment. Work colleagues were watching me. I was real slow, they were probably wondering where my Trilby was. I crawled past them giving a quick wave.

The road outside the factory was a thirty. Full of pot holes and abandoned cars and lorries on the pavements and road. Schoolkids were passing along. I took it slow to the lights at the top of the road. I was at the front at the lights. I gunned the throttle as I took a right and hit 40 in seconds.The supercharger whined. The Limited slip did its work on the bend. How do I explain the pleasure that move just gave me.

I slowed up to the roundabout then shot through it, stopping on a red light on the roundabout stopping me entering onto the motorway. A green light and I whizzed up to 70 as I went down the slip way, easing off as I did so.The supercharger whined, the exhaust popped as I let off. The car was playing its favourite tune.Driving this is not about speeding, I know how fast it will go, it’s having fun but legal fun.

I cruised along the motorway for one stop.I looked around the cockpit of the GP. Near vertical A-panels gave it a tank like feel. Things looked huge in the rear view mirror and the side mirrors. The gray instruments looked special. The loops of silver gray in the door panels gave it a rally car feel. It feels like a very special place.

Off the motorway now and exiting Upton’s 30 limit onto a 60. Two cars ahead were dawdling along. I lined them up and floored the GP. “Waaaaaaaaaarrrrrp!” went the supercharger as we flew past them. At 60 they were out of sight behind and I reined him in. Again the exhaust popped. My heart was a part of the car. It popped too as it recovered from the “warp” that shot through my chest.

I got home. Peanut was waiting for me on our steps. She hugged me and kissed me. Was she kissing Beastmaster or Steve McQueen? How should I know, I mean inside I felt like Steve McQueen.


by Leave a comment

SilverBeast Gets GP Under Tray Fitted

DSCF9094

A long while back we installed the GP rear diffuser on SilverBeast. This improves the aerodynamics under the car and gives a more appealing look to the rear of the car either side of the exhaust.

It is because of this visual improvement, giving the car a beefier, sportier and more purposeful look, that this modification has been so popular.

However, without the engine under tray from the GP2  also being fitted then this modification in truth is purely aesthetic and gives no aerodynamic benefit at all. However, match it to the engine undertray and you have the same aerodynamic set up under the car as the GP 2 and this does make a difference.

Above is what SiverBeast looked like before the engine under tray was added and below is how it looks with it installed.

DSCF9094

Yep no difference can be seen at all unless you crawl under the engine bay. This is why there has been a much lower take up on having the under tray fitted, compared to take up of the rear diffuser as a modification.

In terms of aerodynamic handling I doubt I drive the car hard enough to notice much difference. That is the honest answer but having spotted other signifcant differences, I don’t doubt that is does work in making improvements in the handling.

Two things we have noticed. First, the noise. This car not quiet and a lot of the noise comes from road noise under the car. The car is a lot noisier than an R56. You had to either talk or listen to the radio but not both. Now, with the undertray fitted, you can have the radio on and still be able to talk. Now we can hear the engine more which is a much better noise than the road noise that dominated before. Also we can pick up the windscreen windnoise which again was drowned out by the road noise from below. For these benefits alone we feel the under tray has been a worthwhile benefit.

Secondly, we have a better fuel consumption. We are now getting an extra 2 to 3 miles per gallon on what we got before. I kid you not here.

So there you have it the GP2 under tray. It works!


by Leave a comment

ThunderBeast Gets His Decals

  
A massive thank you to Pete Morgan from the GP UK Owners forum for going the extra mile to make the decals for our Gen 1 GP.

  
Before you ask BP stands for our names in the MINI community, Beastmaster and Peanut. 500 is because all our cars have 500 in their number plate. 5 is because we have 5 cars in the “500 Club” although one we have given to The Elf – Peanut’s daughter.

  
  
Finally we have MINI cooper laurels because all our MINIs wear these on their A – Panel.

Next stop is the “500”number plate!


by Leave a comment

Car Events 2015 – The Goodwood Revival

37 Photographs To Make You Want To Go To The Goodwood Revival

Since Douglas Adam’s revealed the answer to be “42” in his book The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, scholar’s by and large have accepted this as the definitive answer.  After all it took a computer (Deep Thought) the size of a planet 7.5 million years of calculation to arrive at this answer. So long did it take that the question posed was actually forgotten. Some believe that the question was what is 6 x 9 (base 13) but in the absence of hard evidence to support this beyond doubt, we have adopted ” Life, The Universe and Everything” as the question.

A time warp malfunction resulted in a breakaway group of scholar’s contemplating the same question back in the early 1960s, before Earth even new that the question had been running for nigh on 7.5 million years. This group had two unique qualities that each member possessed. Firstly, they were all super intelligent human beings and secondly, each one owned a Mini. They had amazing success and in an incredible year of sterling endeavour from the middle of 1963, to the middle of 1964 they arrived at the answer “37”. As if endorsement was needed, Paddy Hopkirk won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini – number 37!

In 1978, Douglas Adam’s revealed the answer to be “42” in a series of Radio Four Comedy programmes – The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. The world and its scholars ran with this theory.

However, the Mini community remains loyal to the original gang of super intelligent boffins and have made the number “37” iconic in their community. The Mini community is now a global network of enthusiasts holding regular meets where without fail the number “37” can always be seen as the knowledge is passed from generation to generation.

In homage to the superintelligents of the Mini community and the hard work they do in the name of 37, I give you 37 photographs to show you why you need to go the the Goodwood Revival.


by Leave a comment

MINI GP – Two Weeks On

  
We have had the GP for a few weeks now and I wanted to put down a few thoughts on the car. Part of my first assessment, I have reproduced below.

“The Coupe is a lot more economical. In truth I feel it is a smidge faster but in handling I think I prefer the GP. It is the mechanical limited slip differential that gets you round a corner so beautifully that just edges the handling in the GP’s favour. The Coupe is a grown up hooligan. The GP is an adolescent hooligan. The Coupe has all the toys for grand touring particularly sat nav. The GP though also has the heated seats and in the case of this one a very nice sounding Kenwood stereo matched to big boot floor mounted speakers. It sounds great, better than the Harmon Kardon on the Coupe but is fiddly to use and lacks the DAB of the Coupe which is so vital for the football.
The GP has a supercharger, the Coupe has a Turbo. One is grown up, one isn’t. One is a veritable musical instrument, one isn’t. Both are immense fun but the Supercharger is in truth the more addictive drug. You can poodle about in the Coupe. The GP whispers in your ear telling you to go faster.”

Nothing has changed on that initial assessment. But there are a few things I can add. I have described the Coupe as a GP – esque GT and I think that is right. It has the fun factor, but is a bit more comfortable. It isn’t forever urging you to drive like a demon. You can if you want but you don’t have to. With the GP it is always urging you to go faster. Great fun but taxing if you are not in that kind of a mood.
Two weeks on and we are getting the hang of using the Kenwood HiFi. The sound is superb but the radio reception is awful. We suspect the stubby aerial is the problem but trying to remove it is proving hard. We got the aerial off but it left the screw in adapter in the base plate. This just turns and turns but does not come out and in the process we have put a small crack in the plastic antenna base, Water might get in so I think we now have the bigger job of replacing the base plate.
The next thing to break is the driver’s seat. I suspect that only one driver has driven it for the last few years so this has had little use. Now with two drivers we are constantly adjusting the seat height and it has decided to jam. Our plan is to get an old seat remove the mechanism and replace. By removing the mechanism on the old seat first we will have mastered the process before we touch the GP seat. For now, though I am sat a smidge too high and Peanut is a smidge too low.
No other breakages and tinkering is left. We will put the BP500-5 number on him but small so as not to fight with the original GP 0545 roof number. I think we will locate these either side of the rear spoiler. We will also add his name – ThunderBeast – as a decal probably on the bottom of each door and we will give him a 500 number plate. 

Peanut meanwhile has made a few observations of her own. First, we used to have a generation 1 MINI Checkmate works and fast driving meant adopting the brace position as a passenger where the 45 degree hand grab in the door panel was of great use. In the GP she very quickly remembered this position! Meanwhile we will carry on enjoying him. Secondly, she enjoyed rediscovering the noise of the Supercharger and how a flap opens at 4000 revs to let more noise into the cabin. Glorious!


by Leave a comment

Car Events 2015 – MITP August 2015

20446503030_f956395a06_o

This weekend saw us catch up with some of our old MINI friends at Santa Pod Raceway, particularly Aston and Debbie and RVW and Storm. We have been to this event a few times and always enjoyed it, even last year’s when it rained for much of the time. This year we were on the MINIAC’s Only stand (and a big thank you to Dawn for her hard work in organising all the events the Miniacs do), while in the past we have gone with the MINI Clubman group.

The event is called Mini In The Park and some consider it “The UK’s Top Mini Show” for owners of Classic Minis and New MINIS, plus Mini Clubs and a Mini show for car fans of all ages.

Mini In The Park (‘mitp’ for short) is the only British Mini show that features Mini Concours, Mini Run-What-Ya-Brung (RWYB) racing, Mini Club car displays, a Win-A-Mini competition, Mini Trade Stands and Autojumble, plus lots of great action and entertainment, and a great Mini festival atmosphere.

Santa Pod Raceway near Wellingborough in Northamptonshire is the home of European FiA drag racing, and host to a variety of leading national events as well as Mini In The Park. The day is also beefed up by a healthy array of trade stands many of whom cater for the new MINIs that are our personal passion.

The weekend began at 2pm on Saturday when Aston and Debs turned up at our house en-route to Santa Pod. After a quick pizza we all headed off to our hotel the Holiday Inn Express in Northampton. We elected to go cross country and enjoyed a fun drive with our Coupe JCW convoying with Aston’s very sexy looking GP2.  After checking in and unpacking in the perfectly fine but very corporate looking hotel, we regrouped downstairs in reception and had a leisurely drink before going across the car park to The Harvester for dinner. My eyes were bigger than my belly and while I enjoyed my meal I had too much. After dinner we were back at the hotel and joined the rest of the Miniacs who were enjoying a boisterous evening in the bar. Our old ears were finally defeated by the din and we retired to bed ready for an early start in the morning.

Last year Mini in the Park at Santapod was a washout with the rain but this year the weather looked promising. The keen Miniacs had already gone ahead of us but we needed breakfast before we could do anything! In truth it has to be said that it was the most underwhelming hotel breakfast I have ever had. Sausage, scrambled egg and beans instead of a full English isn’t good enough, especially when I doubt if either the sausages or the eggs are real!

Batteries charged we headed off and coincidentally arrived at the same time as our old friends RVW and Storm. We all got parked on the Miniac’s stand and the day began.

DSCF9032

Unfortunately we soon got split up from Aston and Debs and that was the last we saw of them, which was a shame as this guy has really been helping to re-kindle our MINI love. We scoured all the trade stands and bought some Autoglym leather cleaner and nourisher and then admired all the MINI stands. A few MINIs caught our eye. Another Miniac has a lovely Coupe Works in a unique mid blue colour which looks stunning and both me and Mrs P liked it a lot.

DSCF9041

On another stand there was a stunning Paceman Works which we liked too. It had been lowered and put on some very sexy polished alloys and the effect really worked for us. Then of course there was the GP stand! I say this on every blog in which we see a GP and that is the GP is the car we should have had and never got and Mrs P has now said she will buy one! So watch this space.

There was a MINI dealer stand and Peanut fell in love with the JCW interior, all bright and shiny. Fortunately, when an F56 Works lined up side by side with a GP2 on the drag strip, she noticed that the GP2 looked planted and purposeful while the F56 works front looked very high from the ground. The F56 Works is brilliant to drive ( see my drive of it here) and Peanut has now endorsed the interior. Fortunately the exterior has not wooed us. In truth nothing wrong with it, but not an instant love affair. Respect the car then but do not feel the burning need to have one in our life. The GP first generation though is a different story!

DSCF9013

In the afternoon we enjoyed some of the drag racing including old favourites such as The Terminator a jet powered classic Mini and a jet powered go kart. Then we saw a deafening and quick car which flew down the drag. Very impressive.

DSCF9018

Then we watched the Run What Ya Brung, when cars brought along on the day were blasted down the track by their owners. £25 a run and I must admit I rather fancied it, though maybe not in an F56 as their clutches are not the strongest!

DSCF9031 (1)

DSCF9023

All in all a great weekend though for all the fun at Santa Pod, the cars and the ideas they gave us, the best bit was catching up with old pals from the MINI scene and especially Aston and Debbie, and RVW and Storm.


by Leave a comment

Our MINI Coupe JCW – A GP-esque GT?

IMG_0401

We first saw the MINI Coupé when it was released as a concept car back in 2009 and it was an instant hit with us. The car became a reality in 2011 and in truth the production version was pretty close to the original concept and we first saw this in Liverpool when it was launched in October 2011. However, the car we saw was a Cooper S in red and to be frank we were less than smitten. The car looked gauche and gawky, it lacked balance and in truth we went off the car big time.

For a while a Countryman looked likely and then they announced the JCW Countryman and we felt sure that this would be the next MINI for us. However, when we saw a JCW Countryman in the flesh the love wasn’t there. It ticked loads of boxes but it never tugged the heartstrings. It was a car we ought to have, not a car we wanted. Meanwhile, MINI revealed an aftermarket JCW spoiler for their Coupé. This was a larger fixed spoiler that replaced the active pop up standard spoiler and for us it gave the car balance. Gawky became cute, gauche became chic and all the heartstrings in Beastie Folly were pulled! We really liked this car.

This love hate thing had gone on now from late 2009 till late 2012 so our JCW Coupé purchase has not been an impulse buy by any means. Another big attraction for us was that we were able to create our perfect spec. for the Coupé. The silver white and red exterior carries on beautifully inside with the satellite grey seats, the red dash and door rings and the satellite grey door rests and dash trim – it was just what we wanted. Lots of techy goodies were added too – Karmon Hardon HiFi, Satellite Navigation, telephone and iPhone  integration and so on.

It was instant love with this car. We went on to personalise it with our own number plate, SilverBeast name tags on the side indicators, red A-panels and from the start we had the fixed rear spoiler added. The GP2 rear diffuser was quickly added, as again this added an inch to the car’s length and gave it better visual balance. The Brake cooling intakes were changed to red, Daytime Running Lights were added and additional gauges fitted inside  – all to reinforce the sporty intent. The car was becoming very focussed and we realised  that we needed to consider exactly what this car was and what we wanted this car to be. Two and a half years into JCW Coupé ownership and with the love as great as ever we have determined where we want to take this car. First our thoughts turned to what we didn’t want and we quickly concluded that we do not want the fastest MINI money can buy, with mods to increase HP, top speed and 0-60 mph speeds, achieving this would compromise on-road functions. Necessarily this would be a superb track car but an uncomfortable on-road cruiser. Secondly we gave consideration to what exactly we did want. We concluded that our intent (building upon MINI’s own design mission) is to create a driver focussed car with form additions to facilitate its function – superb performance and handling. The fixed rear spoiler, the rear diffuser, The Daylight Running Lights and the auxiliary gauges, are form additions specifically to aid these functions. Red A-panels and front brake coolers are vanity projects in this context. Putting this another way, our JCW Coupé should be an alternative GP if you like, moderated to fully achieve GT (Grand Tourer) requisites by the initial specification of  all home comforts, such as air conditioning, built in satellite navigation, Karmon Hardon HIFI combined with the initial form that gave us secure concealed luggage storage and total interior comfort. A car perfect to cross Europe in – hard and fast.

To achieve this a few more additions are needed. Next it is time to add the GP2 under-tray to streamline under the engine bay. This is the fibre composite MINI GP2 Engine Under-tray kit. This aerodynamic underfloor panelling gives much increased downforce with reduced air turbulence under the vehicle giving better stability at higher speeds. Really the rear diffuser is ornamental without this at the front completing the under-streaming – combined the two give a huge increase in vehicle aerodynamics, downforce and stability. Under-bonnet cooling is also aided with channelled air through pre moulded air vents. Once fitted, this also provides some underbody protection. Metallic heat shielding around the downpipe area also gives protection from high temperatures. There is a potential resultant fuel saving too, but I won’t hold my breath. After this it will be the new full white front spots that you get on the new F56 MINIs. It already has the turny bendy xenon lights but these will hint at a rally intent, or more realistically a pan European touring capability where crossing mountain passes through the night can be done in daylight! We think  these last few additions will see SilverBeast  truly become a GP-esque GT, demonstrating a form that totally screams the car’s functional intent!

Job done then, but that does not mean he does not need a MINI GP 1 as his playmate!

SilverBeast

DSCF6529

IMG_0664


by Leave a comment

Looking Back At Our JCW Checkmate


I have an itch, a real yearning and it is to own a Generation 1 MINI GP. For some reason we missed on getting this car first time round and instead plumped for a MINI Checkmate S Works.

To be fair CheckBeast as we named him was a very special car. A Checkmate limited edition given the Works treatment to enjoy 210 HP on tap. The car also benefitted from the JCW suspension and a mechanical limited slip differential. A works spoiler on the rear and 4 spots on the front gave it the appropriate looks and in truth it was a damned fun car to drive. Eventually we exchanged it for ClubBeast a very sexy looking pepper white and black Cooper S Clubman, which we went on to have a lot of fun with. However clutch issues sullied the experience a bit and when the Elf lay claim to our faithful red Cooper CooperBeast the way was paved for us to return to Works ownership with our MINI Coupe JCW. This has turned out to be a stunningly satisfying car to drive and the ClubBeast if I’m honest became a poor relation. Fast but not as fast, nimble, but not as nimble and while it could carry more stuff it wasn’t as handy as the hatch on the Coupe for supermarket shopping and so on. The writing was on the wall and we changed it for a Paceman SD. Now this is a delight for us and compliments the JCW Coupe perfectly. It doesn’t try to be as fast and furious its 2 litre diesel block delivering power in a very different way, but in the real world it is a comfortable, competent and fun car to be in and the semi command driving position is a joy and again completely different to the Coupe. Yep we have a perfect pair of MINIs.

A generation 1 GP for Sundays though would be nice, it has a supercharger and when new was 2/10ths of a second quicker than the Coupe, hitting 0-62 in 6.2seconds. It has a real fun factor and what do you want in a sporty car apart from fun? Yep in a perfect world our pair of MINIs needs to be a trio!

So here I am sharing some pictures of a beloved MINI Checkmate Works that got me hooked on superchargers. Hope you like them and forgive me my sadness as I lament the lack of a Generation 1 GP in my life…


Continue reading →