2008 MINI "mini" Roadtrip

MINI on the road in Northern California

Sutter's Mill restoration near site of the original mill where gold was discovered in California in 1848 setting off the California Gold Rush.

The summer of 2008 has been a summer of weddings for me. I've attended three weddings in six weeks. An old friend from high school (actually my sister's really good friend) recently got married in the Sierra Nevada foothills just west of Lake Tahoe. My sister and I were both invited to attend the wedding last week and it was close enough to think about driving up together for a long weekend. So, the question was: Whose car? Well, Jennifer had all those nice modifications recently installed on her 2004 British Racing Green Cooper S so I suggested taking her car on the jaunt to the Sacramento area.

Old Auburn Courthouse, Auburn, California

Turns out the car ran like a champ and made for extremely comfortable freeway cruising. I thought the sound of the exhaust might be tiring after a long stint but at freeway cruising speeds the sound into the cabin was minimal. The Larini system is great... throaty when you want to hear it but not too intrusive on an extended drive. The 15% Alta pulley also made the trip feel more effortless even when the air conditioning was in full operation as temps soared to the 100 degree fahrenheit zone on the run through California's Central Valley. With the stock pulley the extra load on the engine from the a/c unit was noticeable. This was not an issue with the Alta reduction pulley installed.

Statue in honor of the Miner 49er Gold Rush pioneers in Auburn, California

The only hitch: heavy winds blew a tumbleweed across the freeway and into the front driver's side of the bonnet. A very slight dent and clearcoat scratches but luckily nothing worse. Looks like the bonnet will see a paintless dent removal specialist sometime in the near future...

On California's shortest state highway (notice the sign) in one of California's shortest vehicles!

At Motowheels in Sacramento. Needed to make a stop at a great resource for Ducati Motorcycle goodies. Visit: http://www.motowheels.com/

The wedding was just wonderful, the outdoor setting very nice with mild temperatures and blue skies. Spent the following couple of days revisiting my old grad school stomping grounds and meeting with friends and colleagues before heading back to L.A. with the obligatory touristy stop at Pea Soup Anderson's in Santa Nella.

An alumnus returns to campus ten years later

Chatting with Dean Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, distinguished leader of McGeorge Law School, about the changes on campus in the decade since I graduated.

I hadn't been back to the Sacramento area in a decade and it was nice to be able to navigate the city much as I had remembered doing while living and studying there.

Pony Express Memorial, Old Town Sacramento

The funny places you can find Indonesian food... this time in Old Town Sacramento. The Old West meets Southeast Asia! Had some familiar snacks before hitting the road...

Great little roadtrip in a fun modified Cooper S!

White Roof Radio Interview at MINI Takes the States 2 L.A.!

Todd Pearson and db from White Roof Radio, the MINI podcast, interview me at Jillian's Restaurant on the Universal Studios L.A. Citywalk as part of MINIUSA's MINI Takes the States nationwide event. The closing weekend took place in Los Angeles and I had the opportunity to meet and greet familiar faces and meet new MINI friends. My time was very limited this weekend but it was nice to be in the company of MINI folks! At least the drive to this event was a lot shorter than the trip to MINI United 2007 in the Netherlands!

I couldn't attend the Saturday festivities and concert but a good time on Friday night at Jillian's and a fun run from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and up Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains and then back to the Rose Bowl on Sunday made for a fun MINI motoring weekend.

Please visit White Roof Radio for the playable/downloadable radio segment.


My interview begins at about 19'19" of the 25 minute segment just after the interview with David Eichenberg, a regular on the "Sex and the City" television series.


For more on MINI Takes the States 2 please visit this link: http://blog.minitakesthestates.com/


Jim McDowell, Vice-President of MINIUSA (left), Gina Koutros of MINIUSA (third from right) with the young couple that drove across the USA attending all the MTTS events along the way and me (on the right).

Getting ready for a tire shredding lap in the R56 turbocharged John Cooper Works at the very end of MTTS.

Italian Thrill: Driving the Rare Maserati GranTurismo S

I had the opportunity to drive one of only two 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S vehicles currently in the United States by invitation from Maserati Beverly Hills. Deliveries of these cars is slated to begin during the fall of 2008 and production will be strictly limited to a one year run with total US allocation of a rumored 250 to 300 cars. How is the car? One word: Outstanding! I've driven the "standard" GranTurismo and that was very nice; "a sense of occasion" being an apt description. The S is immediately yet subtlely distinguishable from its sibling car by its bespoke 20" wheels, an integrated bootlid spoiler, black headlight surrounds and black grille, and revised and more aerodynamic side skirts. The total effect is a more aggressive yet still very elegant look. The 2009 range has also added bluetooth and iPod/MP3 capability. Satellite radio will also be on offer soon. I love it...

On the test drive. Shame the camera could not pick up just how marvelous the engine sounds!

My drive in the S was much longer than my brief jaunt in the standard GranTurismo. Two things I noticed very quickly: the revised spring and damper setup was firm yet comfortable. No settings here like the GranTurismo and its electronically controlled "Skyhook" suspension. The more sporting and fixed S setup made the car feel smaller than it really is because the GranTurismo is a pretty large GT that genuinely holds four persons in comfort. Roadholding is superb. I've heard that the revised suspension can be a bit bumpy on less than smooth pavement but I didn't notice.

Getting to know the new Maserati GranTurismo S

Red engine heads... as opposed to the "standard's" Maserati blue

Behind the wheel of the S

The larger paddles behind the steering wheel were easy to find no matter what the position of the hands on the steering wheel. These paddles were linked to the "manual" MC-Shift clutch/gearbox which resides in the rear of the vehicle for better weight distribution. With shifts as quick as 100 milliseconds, the clutchless manual paddleshift gave smooth and very quick shifts. Good fun.

The biggest grin maker: the 4.7 liter, 440 HP 8 cylinder Ferrari designed motor (as opposed to the 4.2 liter standard). Lots of torque and power that really makes the S get up and go. Any complaints about the GranTurismo's power are vanquished with this engine. Not only the power is noticeable, push the "Sport" button on the dash and the sound of the car will make any car enthusiast's hair stand on-end! Absolutely marvelous sound that is simply lovely to hear. It puts many other cars at twice the price to shame...

Can you tell that I like this car yet??? :-)

I should have some interesting news about the GranTurismo S later in the year. Stay tuned.

Old College Car Pulled Out of Storage

Original Giugiaro designed Piazza/Impulse (1982)

Photo courtesy of Italdesign/Giugiaro

1989 Isuzu Impulse Turbo "Handling by Lotus", last of the Giugiaro Impulses.

Car looks great in spite of all the years and mileage... internals need a lot of work

I've had my old college car in storage for the better part of the last five years and the car had only been driven sporadically in the several years prior to storage. The 1989 Isuzu Impulse Turbo was the first car I owned from "new" and has been a faithful workhorse from college to graduate school and on to post-graduate study. With an Italian Giugiaro (http://www.italdesign.it/) designed body (designer of Maseratis, the BMW M1, Alfa Romeos, the original Volkswagen Scirocco, and countless other iconic cars), a forward thinking interior, and suspension tuning by Lotus, I still think the Impulse is a pretty car. About the only complaint now as then is that the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbo Isuzu motor is a bit underpowered.

With well over 100,000 miles on the clock the car served me well. I always kept the car in very good shape, but time and age started to take a toll on the car. As issues multiplied I decided to park the car until I found the time and resources to put her back on the road. Well, most of you know that I have been going to Steve's Auto Clinic in North Hills, California for my MINI performance modifications. Steve's work has been honest, good, and reasonable, so I opted to have Steve give the old Isuzu a thorough inspection. The Impulse no longer started so I had to put it on a tow truck and had it hauled up to North Hills.

The initial problem was a rusted fuel pump and excess rust in the gas tank which necessitated a rebuild. I had put preservative in the fuel, but time still didn't do the fuel system any favors. Lots of Impulse parts are now "unobtainium" so the gas tank could not be replaced.

We're still trying to figure out how to rebuild the power window regulators since those are also not available and both driver and passenger windows are broken. After taking care of those two items a couple of electrical glitches need to be repaired and then a full engine service will be undertaken. Barring any other unforseen problems one of the few remaining cared for examples of the "Handling by Lotus" Isuzu Impulse Turbos will be back on the roads in Southern California!

Larini "Club Sport" Exhaust and Alta 15% Pulley Installation on an 04 MINI Cooper S

I've been the one to have all the fun upgrading my JCW MCS with Cooper Motorsport bits over the last couple of years so it was time for my sister to join in the fun. I'd previously installed a BMP/ProMINI Cold Air Intake in her car but it was now time to head back to Steve's Auto Clinic in North Hills, California for a few more "safe" go fast bits. First up was the Larini "Club Sport" cat-back exhaust system. I've been impressed with the stainless steel supercar exhaust maker's products and love the sound of the system. A throaty performance sound with a wonderful burble on the engine overrun when letting off the accelerator, the Larini adds some horsepower and makes the MINI sound like a really mean performance machine. The Larini pedigree of Ferrari/Lamborghini/Porsche experience shines on the MINI. Larini doesn't list the systems for BMWs and MINIs on its website (only supercars on the site!) but make inquiries and you can get a system. I love it and so does my sister!

For more click this link: Larini Systems

Stainless Steel Larini "Club Sport" Exhaust System from the UK

Out with the old...

In with the new...

Nice stainless steel pipe that begins just after the factory catalytic converter

Aligning the Larini exhaust tips


Steve gives a final quality check

I hope to film a clip comparing the sound of the John Cooper Motorsport 225 HPD kit that is installed on my car with the Larini. So far I'm a bit envious of the Larini's wonderful sound...

The second item to install was an Alta 15% reduction pulley, a quick and safe way to get a major boost in horsepower from the stock Cooper S supercharger. This modification along with the Larini exhaust and the already installed ProMINI cold air intake really gave the British Green MCS a shot of serious horsepower. Steve commented that the car was very strong as a stock car and the modifications made a strong car a lot stronger and even more satisfying to drive.

Stock pulley ready for removal

Alta 15% reduction supercharger pulley

Stock pulley removed and shaft ready for Alta installation

Tightening the Alta pulley

Fitting the supercharger drive belt on the Alta pulley

For more click on this link: Alta MINI Performance

I haven't quoted any horsepower gains but I think it is a safe bet that the three "traditional" safe modifications should yield 20-25 horsepower easily but probably even more. Significant numbers I'd say...

Jim Clark, Racing Legend

I've had a soft spot for the "golden age" of Formula 1 racing that, oddly enough, was triggered by the Papyrus Software racing simulation game "Grand Prix Legends" that was released for the PC roughly ten years ago. I continue to be amazed by the bravery of the men who drove very fast, very fragile, and very dangerous racecars on racetracks that would never ever even come close to today's safety standards.

The man that made the greatest impression on me was the driver Jim Clark. A class act and one of so many who were taken much too early at a time when death on the racetrack was a regular occurence, he IS the benchmark racer for me. What he did with the Lotus 49 (one of the most beautiful F1 cars of the era) in the 1967-1968 F1 seasons and throughout his F1 career or at the Indianapolis 500 by winning with the first rear-engined Indycar or in Lotus Ford Cortina touring cars was absolutely awesome.

Now, forty years on from the tragic racing accident at Hockenheim, Germany in the spring of 1968, F1 and fans remember the great Scottish driver. He died before I was born but even I get a knot in my stomach when I watch archival racing footage.

He's still sorely missed.

Tribute to Jim Clark before the 2008 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Video tribute to the great Jim Clark

Motorcycling In the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite National Park

I had the opportunity to take a "mini" vacation last week and spent the time with good friends motorcycling through majestic California scenery. The plan was to camp for two days in the heart of Yosemite Valley and then spend another few nights at a campground in the northwest section of the National Park. The rest of the time was spent on motorcycles traveling through the park and especially Route 120 to Tuolumne Meadows and down the awesome Tioga Pass and out to the small town of Lee Vining on the shore of Mono Lake. Another longer motorcycle ride went through the same area but we then headed north to Bridgeport, California and on up and over the Sonora Pass, one of four crossing points across the Sierra Nevada between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. From there it was on remote and sometimes barely paved backroads to the town of Twain Harte and then back to the National Park.

Riding and traveling by motorcycle is a wonderful experience that is different in subtle and not so subtle ways to the experience of driving in a car. You always have a sense that you are somehow just that bit closer to the surroundings you are traveling through and your senses are heightened as a result. You feel the subtle temperature differences when going up and down elevation, can literally have a better sense of smell as you ride with an open face helmet or with your shield open, and just generally feel more connected to your immediate surroundings because you are more exposed than you would be in a 4 wheel vehicle. We were on the constant vigil for wildlife especially along the lightly traveled backroads but the riding was absolutely wonderful and the scenery did not disappoint. We did see some of the effects of the wildfires and we greeted the firemen who passed by and also saw some of the basecamps that were utilised by the crews fighting the fires.

All in all a great time with longtime friends: motorcycling by day, camping and telling tall tales at night... makes for good times!

With the Ducati Paul Smart 1000 Limited Edition at Olmstead Point, Yosemite National Park. Notice Half Dome in the background.

Setting up our campsite in Yosemite Valley

Unloading a Ducati 900 Supersport CR

Hanging out at Olmstead Point. Honda CBR 1000 in the foreground and Ducatis in the background.

One more picture of Olmstead Point

Gas pitstop at Bridgeport, California with snow on the Sierra Nevada in the background.

Rest stop somewhere northwest of Yosemite National Park

Using a GPS unit to figure out where we are!

Up around 9000 ft. MSL just below the Sonora Pass.

2008 Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance

I've wanted to attend the annual Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance the past several years since it is so close to home but it always falls on Father's Day and I usually have family commitments. Well, this year our family decided to celebrate on Saturday so Sunday was left free and I decided to have a look. The Rodeo Drive show is rather small by concours standards and took up roughly the two blocks between Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. However, the quality as you might expect from this show was very high. I had a nice time strolling amongst some really high quality automotive beauties and also had time to chat with the folks at Ferrari/Maserati Beverly Hills and with classic car specialists at Gooding and Co.

Ok, here are some pictures to give you a flavor of the event:

At the north entrance of the show

60's Vintage Cobra Daytona Coupe. Just lovely!

Ferrari and Pininfarina. Classic combination!

60's Ferrari 250 GTO. 'nuff said.

50's Mercedes Gullwing 300 SL... another timeless beauty

Classics sit right next to modern Audi R8

Hanging out with the good folks at Ferrari/Maserati Beverly Hills and talking about... cars 'natch! How could you not when flanked by a Ferrari 599 and a Maserati Granturismo?

Still talking cars...

...and more car talk with the Gooding and Co. representatives about the magnificent yellow 1914 Stutz Grand Prix racer.

What car show would be complete in Beverly Hills without at least one uber-expensive and uber-exclusive Bugatti Veyron????

The Rodeo Drive show was actually quite relaxed. Sure, there were a lot of "beautiful" people hanging out as well but the cars were definitely the stars. Maybe I should bring my Ducati MH900e to the motorcycle corral next year. Hmmm... we'll see!