Flying Over Silverstone Circuite in the UK During MINI United 2009

An outstanding view of the goings on at MINI United 2009, Silverstone Circuit, UK

Folks, MINI United is just around the corner and I'm making my plans to attend (sans car this year!). Go ahead and visit MINIUSA.com and MINI United.com for event and programming information. White Roof Radio also has an interview up with Gina Koutros of MINI USA that outlines the benefits for the American group heading over to Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Should be a blast!

It's MINI's 50th birthday. You aren't going to miss it, are you?

My Site and a Status Update

It's been a month since I've posted anything new on the site and I thought it fair to give an update. To be quite honest I haven't been able to give the time to post as often as I'd like here on Robert's Random Ramblings. I have been very active on Facebook where I have found the site to be brilliant in reconnecting me with old and new friends as well as allowing me to post articles and stories of interest very quickly. Granted, my Facebook page has a broad range of topics of interest to me; automobiles and motorcycles are high on the list. However, I am also commenting and posting articles on political, social, and cultural topics as well.

If you enjoy the blog, please do come over and visit me on Facebook. Just click on the Facebook link.

I won't be taking down Robert's Random Ramblings. No, I'll leave it up and occasionally stop by to respond to comments and hopefully post something of interest now and then.

Thanks for reading!

Abarth 500 SS

Well, Fiat keeps the interest in the 500 high by tinkering with the fabulous little car. It's a page from the MINI JCW book, but if this page is any indication I'd be interested in the whole book! Hopefully we'll see this car stateside!

Abarth 500 SS

PRESS RELEASE: ESSEESSE – SUPREMELY SPORTING

Owners who want to take their Abarth 500 even closer to the tuning firm's ‘racer for the road' ideal, can plump for the esseesse specification. The word esseesse means ‘SS' in Italian and lives up to its name by giving the car a supremely sporting twist.

The £2500 conversion has to be carried out within 12 months or 20,000km of the car's first registration and can only be undertaken by Abarth's skilled network of technicians. Their first job is to upgrade the engine's Electronic Control Unit so that the 1.4-litre turbo pumps out 160bhp at 5750rpm – more than double the power output of the regular Fiat model and very much in keeping with historic Abarth practice. To help with this power upgrade, a new air filter made by Italian specialist BMC is fitted.

To match the additional power, drilled and ventilated 284mm x 22mm brake discs are fitted at the front, together with new pads, while 240mm x 11mm drilled discs replace the already powerful standard items at the rear. Uprated Abarth springs are fitted front and rear too, and so that the esseesse looks even racier, the regular 16-inch wheels are replaced with 17-inch white or titanium colour alloy rims and 205/40 R17 tyres.

A tyre pressure monitoring system and unique key cover are the final touches in this transformation to the ultimate road-going Abarth 500.

Even though this upgrade relies heavily on modern technology, the esseesse kit stays loyal to the legend of Abarth by being delivered to customers in a high quality wooden crate. Once its contents have been emptied, the crate then becomes the property of the customer as a charming memento.

Maserati MC Corse Takes the Granturismo S to the Track

Maserati MC Corse Concept
Higher performance and less weight than the S = racer to be reckoned with

Maserati has produced an FIA racecar based on the Granturismo S. Not content to rest on its laurels as having one of the most beautiful and fast coupes on the market, Maserati is preparing to assault the track with the MC Corse. Various bits from the MC Sportline catalog in the form of carbon fiber body and interior updates will be available for Granturismo owners in the near future as well.

Interior carbon fiber bits for the Granturismo and Granturismo S

Granturismo with MC Sportline Exterior Enhancements

Wheels, carbon fiber mirrors, doorhandles plus more aerodynamic sideskirts and front splitter offered by the MC Sportline. Not shown is the more aggressive carbon fiber trunklid spoiler, basically a larger version of the integrated spoiler on the Granturismo S.

Worldwide Economic Downturn Affects MINI

MINI has withstood the current economic turmoil very well with sales still strong in 2008. However, now even MINI is finding it necessary to shed jobs, cut shifts, and idle the factory to cope with the decrease in global demand.



Let's hope that MINI doesn't take a huge hit that will affect its long-term stability.

MINI USA Confirms that Diesel is Under Consideration

USA Today posted an article that confirms that diesel powered MINI's are actively under consideration for distribution in the US market. However, the diesel motor would have to be a new powerplant that is not currently in the MINI D lineup.

For the full story visit:

USA Today: MINI Considers Diesel for the USA

Automotive Bliss: The Maserati Granturismo S

Fiat 500 a Step Closer to Reality in USA

Looks like we are a large step closer to seeing Fiat Puntos, 500s, and other interesting small Italian cars on US roads:

Original "Italian Job" Film Ending Solved?

Still haven't had a lot of time to get this site updated but I came across this little nugget on CNN and thought I'd share. If you're a fan of the original 1960's film "The Italian Job" (yes MINI Coopers figured prominently in that film) then the ending must have left you guessing. Well, guess no more...

Greetings from Asia!

I've been on the go for most of December and I hope to get some pictures of my Asian travels up on the site soon but in the meantime I thought I'd post a few pictures of me doing two things I enjoy:  automobiles and travel.

Beautiful Hong Kong skyline View at night

Hmm, a VERY familiar car in a different (and quite lovely) shade of blue in the window at Hong Kong Maserati...

Discussing the virtues of Maserati ownership at Hong Kong Maserati on Gloucester Street

Right-hand drive MINI Cooper S Clubman anyone?

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all in the USA and wherever you may find yourself today a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Maserati Granturismo S Comes Home

Well, the November surprise is here: the 2009 Maserati Granturismo S is home. Actually I've had the car since the first week of November but I haven't had a lot of time lately to post on the blog.

First off, and it probably doesn't need much mentioning, but the GT-S is an incredible car. Solid feel and quality throughout, the GT-S is hands down the best GT car I've ever driven. The sound of the exhaust in "Sport" mode is incredible for a "stock" car, let alone an "exotic". The Graziano paddleshift clutchless manual is supremely smooth and fast in MC-Shift mode. In the realm of high-end vehicles the looks, powerplant (4.7 liter Ferrari based but Maserati massaged V8), transmission, and comforts can't be beat. The car is a rarity to boot since only 300 are meant for production with 120 coming U.S. stateside.

I was the fortunate first delivery at Maserati Beverly Hills. I was able to spec the car last spring and pretty much had a huge "sandbox" of options to play with. Of course I was nervous to see how my car would turn out... wondering all along if my choices may not look as good in the flesh as I'd hoped, but the result I think is a great success. I am very happy with the yellow calipers and the yellow contrasting stitching I chose for the interior.

Anyway the first three weeks of life with the Maser beauty have been grand indeed.

Here are some photos:

4.7 badge and trunk/boot integrated spoiler are a subtle difference from standard Granturismo

Coming to grips with the car's controls

La bella macchina!

At Transhine Detailing after installation of "Auto Armor" paint protection

The Granturismo S should prove to be a viable "daily" driver. Not that I'll be driving it everyday but unlike the F355 Spider that I only drive occasionally this car is meant to be driven. Unlike the Ferrari's belt driven cams and intensive and expensive "engine out" maintenance, the Maser uses chains. Maintenance intervals while not inexpensive should be less than on most Ferraris and not quite as frequent. All the exotica without quite the expense... sounds good to me.

The GT-S is ready to roll...

Abarth 500 on Top Gear UK

Jeremy Clarkson and the Stig put the Abarth 500 to the test!




Video is the property of Top Gear/BBC Productions

Untersberg Mountain, Austria

Standing near the summit of the Untersberg Mountain in the Austrian Alps near Salzburg, Austria on 5 October 2008

Abarth 500 in Salzburg, Austria

I've been on the road (and loving the Autobahn!) in Germany again for the past 13 days and began the trip with a few days in Salzburg, Austria. The Salzburg Conference Center was located directly next to my hotel and adjacent to the famous Mirabell Gardens in the heart of the city. I was walking through the Gardens and noticed what I thought to be a Fiat 500 sitting out in front of the conference center. Approaching from the rear of the car and noticing the aero skirt and dual exhaust pipes I knew that this car was something more than a "standard" Fiat 500. Sure enough, the car was a full-on Abarth performance model. I'd love to zip around in one of these in Southern California, but alas, no new Fiats or those snazzy Abarths in the USA... yet. Stay tuned.

I snapped some pics with my camera phone showing the details that set the exterior of the car apart from a common 500. Enjoy!

It's Back!

Earlier this summer I decided to have my old college car restored (click HERE for the original post).

Yep, after nearly a month in the shop awaiting and refurbishing parts, rebuilding the fuel tank, replacing fuel pump and barely functioning water pump, timing belt, and full tuneup, the 1989 Isuzu Impulse Turbo is back. I needed to replace the driver and passenger side window tint film damaged when the window regulators were repaired. A Transhine complete car and engine detail finished the project and the Isuzu is once again a fully functional part of the family. I've got a couple of minor issues that I am working on now to pretty much bring the car up to a high state of tune and completeness:

1. I need to replace a missing passenger side door trim panel and have already located a suitable replacement piece.
2. I just installed a subtle chrome exhaust tip to clean up the fairly rusted and timeworn stock exhaust tip which is still visible in the picture below. The exhaust could also benefit from some minor spot welding.
3. I'm expecting receipt very soon of a stock Isuzu replacement retractable antenna. I had a Mazda antenna fitted several years ago to replace the broken stock unit but the new antenna never totally retracted since it wasn't designed for the car. You can see what I mean in the pictures below. Problem solved.
4. I need to re-upholster the leather shifter handle and boot which has deteriorated from years of wear and tear.

Other than those items I do believe I have one of the very few really clean and operational Impulses in the area.

Here are a few low resolution camera phone shots of the repaired and detailed 1989 Isuzu Impulse Turbo on its first evening back:

The Isuzu still looks great for her age! Italian design must have something to do with it... :-)

BusinessWeek Interview with Trudy Hardy, MINIUSA Marketing Manager

I came across an interesting interview with MINIUSA's Trudy Hardy . I had the pleasure of meeting Trudy in the Netherlands last year during MINI United and her interview with BusinessWeek Magazine is very relevant to MINI's continued growth in the U.S. market even though it is a few years old.

MINI Rooftop New York City

After making a stop in Indiana recently I decided to head out to New York City for a few days to check out MINI's Rooftop event in the city. Jennifer was in-town visiting a friend so we had the perfect opportunity to meet up for another MINI adventure. We had the opportunity to spend the evening with Jim McDowell, VP of MINIUSA and Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht, President of MINI. The evening of 7 September was a perfect New York late summer evening after tropical storm Hanna drenched the city the day before. The location was in midtown just south of the Port Authority and near the Hudson River. The location provided wonderful views of New Jersey, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and much more of the unrivaled NYC skyline. The event for the evening was the Fashion Week afterparty for Shipley & Halmos and Vena Cava and the event provided an interesting atmosphere to soak up the New York city vibe.





The essence of MINI Rooftop is to present new and artistic ways of using limited but unused space. This concept has become popular in Europe recently. Indeed, a rooftop artistic experiment resonates well in a city like New York.

Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht, President of MINI, Jennifer, me, and Jim McDowell, VP of MINIUSA

While I'm not sure of the marketing potential of this MINI event in the USA, I do give a thumbs-up to MINI for continuing to think outside the box in the quest for new and avant garde ways to keep the brand at the pointy end of the marketing spear.

Pedal Power MINI Clubman in Beijing

A Chinese MINI dealer in Beijing built this 1 manpower Clubman rickshaw that made its debut during the Beijing Olympic Games. The "highly" modified Clubman was based on the ubiquitous rickshaws that ferry passengers around the Chinese capitol and have been doing so for many years. Now, with the advent of the car in Chinese society, pressure is being put on the rickshaw. Here's to hoping that creative outlets like the Clubman will allow the rickshaw to continue as a part of the Chinese cultural landscape.