16 October: MINI Due in Port of Los Angeles

The APL Turquoise with JCW MCS on board in New York City in September.
Photo copyright of Tom Turner


The APL Turquoise off the coast of Baja California yesterday.

JCW MCS should make landfall today after being away since last May. What a journey! I'm still about a week away from getting behind the wheel since U.S. Customs and Dept. of Homeland Security have to do their thing first. The car will then be shipped to a warehouse in Paramount, CA where I will pick the car up. Can't wait!

On the Way to the Panama Canal

As of 8 October JCW MCS is in the Carribean Sea and on the way to Panama. I'm sure the car is either in or through the canal as I type this update.

More MINI Tracking Info

I've been quite busy with moving into my new place so I need to keep things short. JCW MCS is down off the coast of Florida and the Bahamas. I'm sure the ship will enter the Gulf of Mexico soon and makes it way towards the Panama Canal.

F430 Scuderia

Ferrari unveiled the F430 Scuderia at the recent Frankfurt Auto Show. The successor to the 360 Challenge Stradale and the pinnacle of th V8 Ferrari where less (weight, mass, spartan ergonomics) is truly more, the F430 Scuderia sure sounds impressive in this video from Road & Track Magazine. Although I prefer the standard F430 from an aesthetic viewpoint I still like the F430 S... but those stripes need to be WHITE and the wheels need to be polished.

For a video of the car in action click here: Road & Track Behind the Wheel of the F430 Scuderia

Photo and video courtesy of Road & Track Magazine

Tracking the MINI

As of 1 October JCW MCS is somewhere off the coast of Massachusetts and headed down the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Ducati: Campioni del Mondo!

2007 has been a great year to be a Ducati owner/fan! A little over a week ago Ducati clinched the MotoGP World Championship at Motegi Raceway in Japan with Australian rider Casey Stoner. All Stoner had to do was finish ahead of the great Valentino Rossi and the title was his. Loris Capirossi, the other accomplished Ducati factory rider, managed to take home the win and Ducati had reached the pinnacle of motorcycling motorsport! Bravo!



I've been to the factory several times, the most recent being this past summer with the MINI. I found this video of the early morning title race event that took place at the gates to the factory. Definitely more crowded than when I was there! It must have been a great day to be in Bologna, especially with all those Ducs on the streets making that wonderful v-twin desmo sound. Have a peek at the day's events:



I feel like gettin' on the bike now...

Top photo and video courtesy of Ducati

Where's the MINI?

JCW MCS is indeed making the voyage home to California. The MINI left the port of Rotterdam on 21 September and is due back in L.A. on 16 October. The latest position of the car? It's located somewhere to the south of Ireland and making its way out into the Atlantic.



So why did it take so long for the MINI to get on a ship to go home? If you've followed the story of our adventure to Europe you realize that the cost of getting the car to Amsterdam was exponentially more than planned. Our shipping partner in Rotterdam informed me about the possibility of sharing container space with another car headed to L.A. but I would have to wait until late September for the car to leave Rotterdam. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to save a bit of money (anything helps with the horrid US Dollar/Euro exchange rate!) at the expense of getting the car home earlier.

Indeed, I do miss the MINI but now I'm only a few weeks away from driving the car again.

Maserati Granturismo Video Review on Fifth Gear

One of my favorite television shows out of the UK (the other being Top Gear), Fifth Gear presenter Tom Ford discusses the new Maser GT. The review does nothing to stem my automotive lust for this car... especially in blue!




Video courtesy of Fifth Gear.

JCW MCS Finally Has a Return Date

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy settling in at my new home and that endeavor has been taking up a lot of free time. I do have news about my MINI: it should be back in L.A. on October 16. Why such a long time since the end of my journey in Europe? I'll tell more and post the latest photos of the car still in-port in Rotterdam when I get a chance.

I'm just happy that I'll see the car less than a month from now!

MC2 (Squared) Magazine MINI United Coverage

The September/October 2007 issue of MC2 (Squared) Magazine should be hitting store shelves soon or is already available and this latest edition has extensive coverage of summer's major MINI happening in Holland. A good read and we even got our picture and some coverage in the magazine! More to come about our European adventure in upcoming issues so stay tuned. In the meantime head down to Borders or Barnes and Noble or your favorite magazine reseller and pick up a copy of MC2.

If you want to see more MC2 coverage of the events at MINI United on the internet then click on this link:

MC2 Does MINI United Zandvoort

Fiat 500 Comes to the US by 2010?

The Fiat 500

I just finished reading my copy of Winding Road Magazine. If you haven't seen this digital monthly and like cars then you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The October issue spends time with two cars that I really like: the Fiat 500 and the Maserati GranTurismo. Both get big thumbs up.

The Maserati is just plain beautiful. Period. An outstanding exterior and interior and a lovely Ferrari sourced motor under the bonnet have me trying to figure out how to get one in the garage. Build quality that meets or exceeds high German standards and gorgeous mechanicals pretty much qualifies the Maser as a potential future classic.

The 500 has me musing about the possibilities of driving the little Fiat stateside. On the opposite side of size and cost when compared with the Maser, the little Fiat still scores big points for style and flair. The design of the new 500 is closer to its original roots than even the new MINI is to its original DNA. The car is smaller than the MINI but oozes just as much charisma and panache as its English rival. The 500 slots itself between the Smart Car and the MINI in terms of size but with the growth of the "premium" small car segment in the U.S. Fiat may be able to capitalize and borrow a page from MINI's experience. I've already seen a few on the roads of Rome this summer and I really like the idea of the 500 as a city car. The possibility of the performance (Abarth) 500 coming to the United States by 2010 is tantalizing indeed.

I'll always love the MINI but the lure of Italia is hard to resist...

Maserati GranTurismo

To read more including news about Ferrari's future plans go to: Winding Road

Wall Street Journal "Premium" Small Car Article

The Wall Street Journal has printed an article about the "premium" small car, the segment that is dominated by the new MINI, and its future direction in the USA. An interesting article with one notable error. Mercedes is not, it is true, in the market with a small "premium" car under the Mercedes label. However, the Smart Car is coming in 2008 and this is a Mercedes product.

Anyway, the article is worth a read:

Wall Street Journal, Small Is Big in Luxury Cars

Here is a video about the "new" luxury compact segment:



Video courtesy of the Wall Street Journal

Automotive Industry Input

I was asked over the weekend to participate in an automotive marketing research session here in the Los Angeles area. Yesterday I spent about three hours discussing cars (not hard to get me going on this topic!). I need to leave the details confidential but let me say that I enjoy giving my .02 to hopefully steer engineers, designers, marketers, and industry officials in the right direction with future products and services.

Official MINI United 2007 Recap Video

For anyone with a love for the MINI here is an official video review of the events at Zandvoort. MINI United was definitely the place to be last June. My MINI even makes a brief appearance. Well, the license plate anyway...

Enjoy!



MINI United 2009... Are you ready?

Video courtesy of the MINI United Team

The MINI United 2007 Car Wash

I came across this video while looking at some of the MINI United clips on YouTube. I was supposed to receive a car wash for JCW MCS on Sunday as part of my gift package for bringing the car all the way from the U.S. and because the car was probably "really dirty" from the trip. See my post on 25 June 2007 titled "A Nice Birthday Surprise" for a video of the birthday surprise from the main stage at MINI United. Unfortunately Sunday it rained most of the day and I never did get that car wash...(sigh)

Anyway, here is the clip of a classic MINI with its smiling driver inside enjoying the wash. I remember watching this particular car and its happy occupant because I was parked near the stage.



Thanks to noctua on YouTube for the clip.

Number Plate Relocation Installation

It's been a bit quiet on the blog lately as I've been back in the "normal" routine and haven't been doing "fun" things with the vehicles. Not as much as I have in the past few months actually...

I did pick up a license plate relocation kit from Moss Motors and installed the item on Jennifer's car while she is out-of-town. I have a similar unit on my car as can be seen on the travel pictures from Europe. This is a really nice item; it is especially so if you do not already have the stock center mount license plate bracket already on the car. Jennifer's car never had the front plate mounted so there are no drill holes on the front bumper. The relocation kit provides a way of keeping the car legal since California requires a front and back number plate and it also allows the car to maintain the clean look without drilling into the bumper. The installation is a simple 10 minute job.

Here are some pictures:

Lower grill mounting point with tow hook plug removed

Kit prepared for installation

Mounting bracket installed

Number plate on the car looks good and will keep the authorities and the Department of Motor Vehicles happy
(notice the MINI United Zandvoort mirror caps)

Ferrari Challenge, California Speedway, Fontana California

F430 Challenge Car on track

Interview with a local newspaper reporter after returning from the lapping session on-track

The F355 Spider in good company

Today I had the opportunity to drive yet another racetrack... my third racecourse this summer. First was Zandvoort in the Netherlands, then the Nuerburgring in Germany, and today was the California Speedway east of Los Angeles. Jennifer also decided to join me for the day's events.

Ferrari had its annual Southern California round of the Ferrari Challenge, a race series for Ferrari F430 V8 cars. Supporting categories showcased the classic Ferrari racecars from earlier eras.

While at the track I had the chance to drive our F355 Spider for several laps with other Ferrari owners and enthusiasts. The event was a treat and the atmosphere was relaxed and casual.

Although my focus was on the Cavallino Rampante and all things Ferrari today, I couldn't help but notice that there were several MINIs in the parking lot as well!

Sights and Sounds and an in-car lap during the Ferrari Challenge at the California Speedway

State College, Pennsylvania

At Clem's BBQ in Central Pennsylvania

Well I just got home from Europe and a few days later I was back on a plane... this time to go on a business trip to visit V.I.C.s (Very Important Clients). Heck, I've got to pay off the European adventure!

I've spent the last few days in State College, PA (home of the Penn State Nittany Lions). I'm also off to Indiana for a few days before getting back to California. While in State College we stopped at a small restaurant named Clem's BBQ. The food is simple, the eating accommodations even simpler, but with food this tasty who cares? Definitely a must stop if you're in the central Pennsylvania area. Clem's is near State College on Route 220.

Back in California

On the lift at Steve's Auto Clinic

Installing MINI United Zandvoort Mirror Caps

Looks really good on Jennifer's car

Cleaning up the decal installation

Applying the MINI United 2007 rear window decal

Nuerburgring decal... Jennifer is a 'Ring veteran

Job done

We're home again and getting over our jet lag. I even got out on the motorcycle for a blast through our local hills the day after getting back. Within hours of getting home Jennifer brought her car into Steve's Auto Clinic to have the clutch replaced and to get new pads and rotors. She decided to go with EBC Green pads and slotted front rotors. The car feels really nice with the fresh new bits.

Today was time time to put MINI United mirror caps on Jennifer's car. Additionally we mounted the MINI United 2007 rear window sticker and put Jennifer's "badge of honor" Nuerburgring sticker on the car. It was nice putting these items on as a way to remember the remarkable trip that we have just completed. I can't wait to put my Nuerburgring sticker on JCW MCS when it comes home!

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

A view we won't be seeing soon: old and new windmills alongside the freeway

Looks like this will be my last post from Europe. We're checked into our hotel next to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and relaxing before tomorrow's flight home.

Earlier in the day we left the Hague to check into our hotel, drop off the luggage, and then head down to Rotterdam to drop off the car at the shipping company.

As I was packing the car I noticed a work van parking nearby in the parking lot of the complex where we were staying. I noticed that the driver had gotten out of the car and was looking in my direction with a shocked expression on his face. I looked back and it just so happens that my cousin Ken had arrived to work in a nearby townhouse. He didn't know that we were staying close by and he just happened to show up as I was loading the car! Now, Holland is a small country... but it definitely isn't THAT small! This was not planned at all so the odds of this happening were tiny. Well, we had a chance to chat and say our goodbyes again. Definitely a huge surprise for all of us!

Cousin Ken's Surprising Visit

After getting the car loaded we drove to Schiphol to drop off our luggage and check into the hotel. We first stopped by Hertz at the airport to say "hi" to our good friend Brian. He's originally from Pasadena, California but has spent many years living in the Netherlands. We thought we'd bring the L.A. car by before dropping it off. It's not a sight he sees everyday and he does see plenty of cars!

Dropping by Hertz at Schiphol Airport to bring a bit of California to our friend Brian who originally came from Pasadena, California but now works and lives in the Netherlands

After visiting with Brian it was off to the hotel. We dropped off our luggage before heading down to the port of Rotterdam.

A picture for "rb": a fully loaded MINI for a six week jaunt through Europe.
Actually, we didn't have quite as much on our road trip and I always had a good view out the back. If you remove the duffel bag on top and the rear shelf then that would more closely resemble how the car looked when fully loaded

We finally made it to the port and dropped off the car.

Checking the car in at the shipper's office and making sure there are no dents, dings or scratches!

After the car was dropped off we took the train back from Rotterdam to the Hague. We visited with our good family friends Maude, Ferry, and Bob. After the visit it was time for dinner and then it was back to the airport area and our hotel.

Jennifer with Maude, Bob, and Ferry

Next stop: Los Angeles

What an adventure! I'm glad I've had the chance to share this trip with all of our friends, both new and old, and with our family. A special thanks needs to go out to our parents Ben and Nel for supporting us in making this adventurous idea a reality. Without their support we could never have made this trip.

The sun sets on our European adventure

We'll see you back in California!