Ahh, Paris...

Today we had a nice drive from Eindhoven to Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium and on into France via the Route Nationale (N2) through historic First World War battlefields and beautiful rolling Northern French countryside. Many of the French drivers gave the California MINI curious looks and there were a few broad smiles and thumbs-up. I waved to a pretty French girl in a MINI cabriolet as she flashed her high beams at me. Not only did we get to see and drive through many of the small villages that dot the landscape but by taking N2 we avoided the autoroute tolls!

Driving in Paris at rush hour while low on fuel was hectic but I soon adjusted to driving in Parisian combat mode. It's too bad we didn't get into the city until dark or we would have shot some pictures. We even managed to stop a whole group of Parisian fireman in their tracks when they noticed a car with California plates driving along the Avenue de la Republique... too much fun! However, I was pretty worn out by the time I finally got to the hotel and I'm looking forward to a good night's rest.

We're staying in the 11e Arrondissement (http://wikitravel.org/en/Paris/11th_arrondissement) near the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise), the Place de la Republique, the Bastille Opera and the Place de la Bastille (http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Monuments-Paris/Bastille.shtml). Unfortunately our parking garage spot was taken so I had to search around for another parking garage. Luckily our TomTom 910 GPS was up to the task. I didn't want to risk leaving JCW MCS on the streets of Paris knowing how the Parisians generally treat vehicles!
Jennifer knows Paris well so I'm sure we'll have no trouble getting around.

Car Wash Dutch Style

Before leaving for France we decided to give the rather dirty MINI a car wash. The last several days have seen pretty foul weather for this time of year in Holland. We visited ANAC Car Wash (http://www.anaccarwash.com/) in Eindhoven and made sure that the car would be gleaming on the way to Paris.

More to come...

MINI Is Running Fine

I picked up the car today from van Laarhoven MINI and the car is running very well. I spent a bit of time getting the shine back into the car after several days of rain by using my rapidly dwindling supply of Griot's Garage "Speed Shine" Quick Detailer. The rest of the day was spent with family in the Woensel and Tongelre areas of Eindhoven. Tomorrow it is off to Arnhem to visit with more family and then it's back to Eindhoven to pack for the following day's journey to Paris.

JCW MCS In For Service In the Netherlands

I brought the car in for service at van Laarhoven MINI just prior to closing. This way the car will be ready for service first thing in the morning. With a faulty 02 sensor mounted so close to the manifold, even running the car for a little while would require a significant cool-down period. Hopefully the car will be ready to roll by mid-day tomorrow.

My North American warranty will not cover this repair but I was already fairly certain that MINI USA warranties would not be accepted in Europe. At least the fix won't be too expensive but I will check with MINI USA to see if reimbursement is possible.

A Little Rest Before the European Grand Tour

We're in Eindhoven, the Netherlands for several days to visit family and friends. While here I plan to have my MINI looked over at the local BMW/MINI dealer van Laarhoven (http://www.vanlaarhovenmini.nl/) to make sure that the car is ready to cover ground between here and as far south as Naples, Italy.

Visiting with family members and taking pictures with the car

MINI attracts an audience on a Dutch street (Video somehow came out with "mirror" effect)

I noticed during the last few days that the "Service Engine Soon" light has been flickering on and off. van Laarhoven took a look at the car and it turns out that a lambda o2 sensor has failed and will need replacement. Luckily a fairly quick fix but I'll have to wait until Thursday to have the work done. Piece of mind for the coming journey!

Closing Dinner In Amsterdam

Sunday, 24 June brought events to a close at MINI United. However, the MINI USA group had one last dinner together (aside from drinks at the Moevenpick Hotel bar afterward...) to close out a a wonderful event.

Jamie Oliver's (The Naked Chef) "Fifteen" www.fifteen.nl/ Restaurant was the dinner venue. It was a time to say goodbye to new friends, reflect on the weekend's events, and realize just how fast the three days had gone by. We were further treated to anecdotes about the 1967 Rally Monte Carlo from the MINI driver and overall event winner, Rauno Aaltonen.

Great event. Great people. What more could anyone ask for?

Rauno Aaltonen (left) with Jennifer and her brother Robert at the closing dinner at Jamie Oliver's "Fifteen".




One last hurrah at the Moevenpick Amsterdam Hotel bar with the great MINI owners, Motoringfile.com and Whiteroofradio.com folks, and MINI USA representatives.

L.A. MINI on Dutch TV

Looks like we got our 15 seconds on SBS 6 television in the Netherlands. The program "Hart van Nederland" did a piece on the events going on at MINI United and a segment containing ourselves and JCW MCS made the airwaves. We've also been interviewed by ANP (Dutch Wire News Service like AP/Reuters) and if I can get my hands on a copy of the interview I'll post it here.





Video courtesy of http://www.mixedminiclub.nland SBS 6 "Hart van Nederland"

A Nice Birthday Present

After being called to the stage to tell the incredible story about my car's journey to Zandvoort, MINI and the attendees at MINI United gave me a wonderful surprise on Saturday night...


Nikol Kollars (http://www.nikolkollars.com/) and the gathered MINI fans sing for Robert

Video courtesy of MC2 Magazine


MC2 Magazine Hard At Work

We had the pleasure of spending time with the UK representatives of MC2 (MC Squared) Magazine (www.mc2magazine.com) , Rob and Neil. Great "chaps" to hang out with and possibly the most humorous fellows at MINI United. Despite having a HUGE amount of work to do in covering the event and enduring sleep deprivation they managed to have a very good time.

"I Wanna' Go Fast..."

Photos courtesy of Niko Koot "nikoot" on Flickr.com

On the Zandvoort Circuit on 23 June 2007 during the MINI United Festival. The Los Angeles MINI on the historic racetrack!




Here is a video of my first crack at the Circuit Zandvoort on Friday, 22 June 2007. This lap was faster than the lap shown above but the white pace car ahead of me was still keeping things pretty tame. You can hear me letting off the power quite a bit just to keep the mandatory spacing behind the pace car. Still, the John Cooper Motorsport 225 HPD kit sounds right at home.

MINI United Personal Highlights

As a MINI enthusiast I couldn't be more pleased to be surrounded by some of the people that make the MINI what it is today. From left to right: Rauno Aaltonen, winner of the 1967 Rally Monte Carlo, Gert Hildebrand, Head of Design for MINI, me, Dr. Kay Segler, MINI worldwide managing director, and my sister Jennifer (also a MINI Cooper S driver).

I'll have much more to post about MINI United, but I thought I'd post a picture of a very special moment. If you've scrolled down through my blog you've noticed that I not only have a full JCW conversion, I also have the 225 HP Cooper Motorsport High Performance Derivative engine upgrade that was formerly available from John Cooper Motorsport. In the picture above I'm at my car with Michael Cooper, the son of John Cooper and principal of Cooper Motorsport (now a part of the BMW family).

It was a huge honor to have Mike Cooper take a picture with my car. He even noted the Ducati sticker on the rear and stated that he used to ride Ducatis! As the Mastercard advertisement states: Priceless!

I'm chatting about my car with Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA (above). An exceptional individual and very nice guy as well. He and the MINI USA executives have an enthusiasm for the MINI brand as deep as the owners' own enthusiasm. I think we're in good hands back in the good 'ol US of A!

Jennifer and I also had the chance to meet Gert Hildebrand, chief designer for MINI and the main force behind the R56 MINI. Truely a nice gentleman with a constant smile on his face. Not just a car designer but a great enthusiast as well.

Sights and Sounds of MINI United 2007

The videos below were taken in the car corral/trackside/MINI Challenge garage area.

Sunday MINI Challenge Race and the Race Garage





Inside the MINI Urban Style Tour Double-Decker Bus on the upper level enjoying the tunes as MINI United 2007 winds down.


Does anyone know the name of the artist and the song title of the music playing on the Urban Style Tour bus?

On the Streets of Amsterdam

Here are a few pictures of JCW MCS on the waterfront in Amsterdam near the Centraal Station Railway Station and in front of the Muziekgebouw aan het Ij (Ij River Music Hall)







Driving along the streets of Amsterdam sure is a big change from Wilshire Boulevard...

MINI on an Amsterdam Street in front of the "Nieuw Amerika" (New America) Parking Garage.

Good Eats and Cool Vibes

On our opening night in Amsterdam we took a canal cruise through the center of the city. We then had dinner at a restaurant named "11." A really "hip" hangout and the kind of place that you might expect to find in Amsterdam or Berlin. Truly a feast for all the senses... the music, the colors, the food, and the people. Check out the restaurant's website for more info:

11 Restaurant Amsterdam

More Pictures From Delivery Day at Amsterdam Schiphol

Unpacking from the air delivery pallet.

MINI On the Go In Amsterdam!

Jennifer and I picked up the MINI today. There was no way to get the car released in-time to get to Oxford but it felt really great be back in my own vehicle. I was able to drive the car off the pallet. Unfortunately the battery was too low to start the car, but a quick bump start got the engine going. The car was very low on fuel... so low that the service engine light was on... but after running the car for a bit we filled up at a local Shell station.

It was surreal to be in my car which is more at home on the roads of L.A. actually navigating around the streets of Amsterdam. We drove the A4 freeway and A10 to the Moevenpick Hotel in the center of the city. After unloading and checking in I met some of the MINI corporate staff and then went back down to the garage to clean the car after the rain ended. Jennifer took a credit card and cleaned the shipper's markings off the front windshield and we both wiped the grime off the car. The car then shined like the day I picked her up from Transhine Detailing in Whittier, California and I then came upstairs to write this quick report.

Lots more to come!

On the Ground In Amsterdam

Made it to the Netherlands on-time and ahead of the car. Turns out that there was no way to get the car released yesterday so I called off the plan to get to Oxford and stayed overnight in a hotel next to Schiphol. I just got off the phone with the shipping company and they have confirmed that the car has arrived with all the necessary paperwork. We are trying to get the car out quickly and hopefully direct from Schiphol instead of waiting to have the car delivered to the shipper's Rotterdam office. I'll have to pay some customs duties and I hope I'm not in for another $/€ shock....

In the meantime I anxiously await further instructions with the knowledge that I'm actually physically really close to the car. It hasn't been that way for quite awhile!

T-1 and Counting to European Adventure

Just got off the phone with the shipper in Rotterdam. The MINI is actually not in Holland yet (gasp!). After nearly having a heart attack about this latest news it turns out that the car will be in Holland the same day that I arrive. There is still a chance that we can get the car the same day. I'm hopeful because I'm planning on being in Calais, France that evening in order to catch the Eurotunnel to the UK early the next morning to visit the Oxford MINI plant. If I don't get to the factory on 21 June I won't make it at all since the factory won't be allowing visitors until the autumn due to the beginning of MINI Clubman production.

Will I make it in-time to Oxford?

The suspense continues...

Motorcycle Art

La bella macchina Ducati

An impromptu get-together of Ducatis in front of the house on a gorgeous Southern California Father's Day, 18 June 2007.

MINI Scheduled to Arrive in Amsterdam Today

The MINI should be well on its way to Amsterdam by plane. With a scheduled arrival of 13 June, the approximately 7 hour flight should be just a little bit faster than the shipping by sea option. :)

The car should be clear of customs on 16 June and then will be stored in a warehouse at the port of Rotterdam and await my arrival.

It will be strange seeing my car so far from home... but I'm looking forward to driving the MINI after not having it around since mid-May.