LOH's mini (2013 JCW-GP) adventure
Discussion
This video might be of interest assuming you've not seen it before!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPnAtNbrygk
I see what you mean when you said it moved around a lot on track!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPnAtNbrygk
I see what you mean when you said it moved around a lot on track!
been a bit slow with the updates as been snowed under with work, so, fixing mini's....
essentially we (steve) got the mini working again via an ingenious use of a cut down allen key to hold the float in place & a good ol' bodge. which was great as finishing the trip off in a hire car just wouldn't have been the same.
me & laura entertained ourselves whilst all this graft was going on by going shopping in spa (avoid if you're on a budget-it cost me a very expensive designer handbag) before setting off again in fantastic weather.
the journey to the ring from spa is a pretty short on unless you're driving to a restricted 50mph again but the weather was good so everything was ok. when we used to stay at the blau ecke hotel in adenauer we always used to notice a garage that specialised in old bmc stuff & always had a large selection of mini's, stags & the like hanging around outside. we managed to find out who owned it & luckily the guy (klaus) spoke english & had a few solex carbs in stock to try.
we bimbled along in the slow lane & managed to get there ok to find a treasure trove of old mini spares. after trying a few that didn't seem to get the car running any better klaus got one of his own personal ones that had come off his car. it was set up to run best at high revs on track but it would work & in fact did so extremely well-with the added bonus that instead of running best at 50mph it was running sweet at 85mph
we decamped at the local guesthouse we were basing ourselves at & went to the track to get the various things signed on for the car then entertained ourselves with the usual vist to the pistonklause steakhouse for a lovely steak on a stone
tuesday was bright & sunny & the boys out on the gp circuit trackday were having plenty of fun but the weather reports for wednesday were for more snow
after a few socialable beers we headed for an early night to see what the weather would bring....
err not ideal then.
to be fair although the snow was falling it wasn't laying but the problem was that at the beginning of the foxhole from aremburg where they'd piled up the snow at the side of the track it had melted in the sun & then frozen overnight. resulting in one huge ice patch exactly where you dont want it. bugger.
it was absolutely freezing though, the wind had got up & the wind chill was something else. it's not often i sing the praises of the heated recaro's in the mini but i was that morning.
we eventually got out onto track at around 11am for a few steady sighting laps & i've driven the track in many different adverse conditions but not snow & ice! the car seemed to be handling it all in its stride but there were a few moments when grip let go without any warning & i couldn't decide if it was cold tyres or something on the track.
after getting in a rythm we decided to go for it & after only two corners on the gp circuit the car just went. opposite lock was naturally applied
& although i didn't spin it was one big slide.
cold tyres.
it was actually useful that we were on the vln circuit as we could use this part to get some heat into the wheels & brakes before hitting the north loop-i've always cringed at those people who do a F1 style warm up lap on track days but i seriously had to with the khumo tyres-something that wasn't needed on the megane with its toyo 888's.
once the heat ws in them there was nothing else to do but try & keep it there & go for it. as at spa the car was just superb. more than enough power for the track & adjustable enough to still be fun. again the 6 speeds in the box made light of the gradients at the ring & again helped the car stretch out a lead over the r26.r
in fact we had a wonderful lap with a 911gt3RS (R500 PAS where are you?!), he was taking things a bit cautious & although he could pull away on all the straights we caught right back up at almost every bend culminating in passing him on the second last corner.
this is exactly what having super-hot-hatches is about! chasing down the big boys & using every bit of performance you can on track.
i'm not daft enough to think that with a bit more commitment he couldn't have left us behind but that one lap following him was worth the trip alone.
we had another near spin again later in the afternoon with the cold tyres again but all in all the mini was perfect, well for the driver. i made the other half sick & most people complained about the lack of buckets but to be honest it didn't bother me so much.
the car was err, fuel efficient enough on track! the megane still seems to use a bit more but i can't see that there'll be much in it.
overall i had a fantastic day out there. both myself & steve can hardly believe the fun we're getting out of the cars on track considering some of the cars we've owned in the past. anyone who suggests there isn't much of a challenge in driving a fwd hot hatch on track really needs to get themselves into something like these two-they're just epic, epic fun.
quite often at the ring i find myself quite glad when the end of the day comes & you know that you've made it through safe & sound but i can honestly say we were totally disappointed when the chequered flag came down on our session-just when we were filming a couple of laps too!
that was the end of the track days for the trip but we still had a journey over to brugge to look forward to & a night on the beer that we'd traveled so far to come experience again......
essentially we (steve) got the mini working again via an ingenious use of a cut down allen key to hold the float in place & a good ol' bodge. which was great as finishing the trip off in a hire car just wouldn't have been the same.
me & laura entertained ourselves whilst all this graft was going on by going shopping in spa (avoid if you're on a budget-it cost me a very expensive designer handbag) before setting off again in fantastic weather.
the journey to the ring from spa is a pretty short on unless you're driving to a restricted 50mph again but the weather was good so everything was ok. when we used to stay at the blau ecke hotel in adenauer we always used to notice a garage that specialised in old bmc stuff & always had a large selection of mini's, stags & the like hanging around outside. we managed to find out who owned it & luckily the guy (klaus) spoke english & had a few solex carbs in stock to try.
we bimbled along in the slow lane & managed to get there ok to find a treasure trove of old mini spares. after trying a few that didn't seem to get the car running any better klaus got one of his own personal ones that had come off his car. it was set up to run best at high revs on track but it would work & in fact did so extremely well-with the added bonus that instead of running best at 50mph it was running sweet at 85mph
we decamped at the local guesthouse we were basing ourselves at & went to the track to get the various things signed on for the car then entertained ourselves with the usual vist to the pistonklause steakhouse for a lovely steak on a stone
tuesday was bright & sunny & the boys out on the gp circuit trackday were having plenty of fun but the weather reports for wednesday were for more snow
after a few socialable beers we headed for an early night to see what the weather would bring....
err not ideal then.
to be fair although the snow was falling it wasn't laying but the problem was that at the beginning of the foxhole from aremburg where they'd piled up the snow at the side of the track it had melted in the sun & then frozen overnight. resulting in one huge ice patch exactly where you dont want it. bugger.
it was absolutely freezing though, the wind had got up & the wind chill was something else. it's not often i sing the praises of the heated recaro's in the mini but i was that morning.
we eventually got out onto track at around 11am for a few steady sighting laps & i've driven the track in many different adverse conditions but not snow & ice! the car seemed to be handling it all in its stride but there were a few moments when grip let go without any warning & i couldn't decide if it was cold tyres or something on the track.
after getting in a rythm we decided to go for it & after only two corners on the gp circuit the car just went. opposite lock was naturally applied
& although i didn't spin it was one big slide.cold tyres.
it was actually useful that we were on the vln circuit as we could use this part to get some heat into the wheels & brakes before hitting the north loop-i've always cringed at those people who do a F1 style warm up lap on track days but i seriously had to with the khumo tyres-something that wasn't needed on the megane with its toyo 888's.
once the heat ws in them there was nothing else to do but try & keep it there & go for it. as at spa the car was just superb. more than enough power for the track & adjustable enough to still be fun. again the 6 speeds in the box made light of the gradients at the ring & again helped the car stretch out a lead over the r26.r
in fact we had a wonderful lap with a 911gt3RS (R500 PAS where are you?!), he was taking things a bit cautious & although he could pull away on all the straights we caught right back up at almost every bend culminating in passing him on the second last corner.
this is exactly what having super-hot-hatches is about! chasing down the big boys & using every bit of performance you can on track.
i'm not daft enough to think that with a bit more commitment he couldn't have left us behind but that one lap following him was worth the trip alone.
we had another near spin again later in the afternoon with the cold tyres again but all in all the mini was perfect, well for the driver. i made the other half sick & most people complained about the lack of buckets but to be honest it didn't bother me so much.
the car was err, fuel efficient enough on track! the megane still seems to use a bit more but i can't see that there'll be much in it.
overall i had a fantastic day out there. both myself & steve can hardly believe the fun we're getting out of the cars on track considering some of the cars we've owned in the past. anyone who suggests there isn't much of a challenge in driving a fwd hot hatch on track really needs to get themselves into something like these two-they're just epic, epic fun.
quite often at the ring i find myself quite glad when the end of the day comes & you know that you've made it through safe & sound but i can honestly say we were totally disappointed when the chequered flag came down on our session-just when we were filming a couple of laps too!
that was the end of the track days for the trip but we still had a journey over to brugge to look forward to & a night on the beer that we'd traveled so far to come experience again......
typically, the weather improves the day you leave!
nurburg to brugge is a bit more of a slog than the other journeys we'd done so far but with the little mini running better than ever on it's new carb we didn't mind so much.
the big mini swallows these schleps with ease but to be honest tyre noise does become an issue. it seems to boom around the cabin what with the lack of rear seats but having done these trips in all kinds of impracticle cars it doesn't bother me too much & the other half can simply switch on her heated seat & have a doze.
the end of the trip was a flying visit to brugge to pick up some of our favourite beer for our wedding later on in the year. ross & hs mrs hadn't been there & tagged along for one last night out before we headed home.
if you've never been before it's a stunning town, not one building in the center can be younger than a couple of hundred years & it's like stepping back in time. it's called the venice of the north & it really is a pretty little place with canals & boat trips to go on plus a massive selection or rare belgian beers
we stayed in a hotel with on site parking (a rare thing here)
straight out so the girls could have a look round the nice shops & us boys could sample some of begiums finest. there's a pub with a beer wall that muct be 8 foot high & fifty foot long & is made up of god knows how many individual brews. each beer has its own individual glass as well so you can get quite carried away sampling which ones you want to take home with you.
after getting ready for a night out we went for a traditional belgian meal of mussles & frites & flemmish stew-great stuff.
afterwards we took the others to our undiscovered gem-the garre bar
just off the main square is brugges smallest street (or alley in flemmish "de garre"), a street so narrow you have to make way for others coming in the opposite direction.
down this dingy alley is the alley bar. like everything else in town it has an historic medievil feel to it but most importantly they serve a secret behind the bar.
they'll give you a massive menu from which to chose your tipple but look around & you'll see a few people drinking from some rather home made glasses with the bars name on them-these people will probably be having more fun than anyone else
the first time we asked for the local's brew we enjoyed it immensely, though were a little surprised at its potencey! asking one of the barmen just how strong it was we were replied that it all depended on who was doing the brewing that week, though we could be assured that it would be between 12-15%!
this is a beer to be supped like a fine wine!
they bring you out plates of cheese to nibble on while you drink & assure you they won't serve more than 3 large glasses per individual, though believe me this is enough! they also sell it by the magnum & you can't buy it anywhere else & don't do mail order or internet sales.
we explained why we were in brugge & the barmans face dropped, it being pretty obvious they were out of stock!
we explained we wanted a case to take back but due to a problem with the guy who makes the bottles they were completely out, however sensing our disapointment the barmen asked for 5 mins & disapeared down to the cellar. the guy turned up with a dusty old bottle & regardless of the other staff who were apparently arguing over what should be done he presented us the only bottle they had. this he explained, was their final bottle of a very special brew. the bar started brewing "de garre" in 1984 & for their 25th anniversary they made their "25 jaar garre" as a celebration.
they kept one bottle as it will sit in a cellar for up to 5 years & it was the bosses intention to drink it on the 30th anniversay! as we wanted to celebrate our wedding with the beer the barman said it was only right that we have it instead
the other staff seemed to think he'd lost the plot but never the less we had our booty, had our photo taken with the barman behind the bar & thouroughly enjoyed a fantastic night toasting to their generosity (ross who was driving the old mini claims not to remember getting back to the hotel & falling UP the stairs).the next morning fuzzy heads were quelled with slap up belgian breakfasts & the sights were seen, presents for those at home were bought & the long journey back home began.
due to work we had to make it home that day so we left brugge at around half one in the afternoon & made it back to sunny cumbria for around half eleven that night.
__________________________________________________________
writing this now a couple of weeks later i have to say the car coped amazingly well for what it is. yes the road noise from the tyres is a pain but at least they don't howl like 888's & the grip is simply astonishing on track which is the whole point of them after all (once heated up obviously!). the fuel bill was nothing compared to some cars i've had in the past & the car generates a huge amount of good will where ever we went, though not quite as much as the little mini it ahs to be said.
stand out memories are too many to list, but hanging onto & then passing the GT3rs was great fun, as was outrunning the magane on the straights but most of all it was just so much fun blasting across europe with friends & experiencing the high life for an all too brief week.
what with work we don't get to do this quite as much as we used to. then there's the fact that with rising fuel costs its getting so much more expensive which means yet another reason not to do it. i hate to say it but how much longer have we got before euro-hoons are a thing of the past for your average driver. the days of us blatting along for hours at 100+mph are long gone, the penalties are now just too high to warrant the risk.
but if you've never done this sort of thing before i implore you to give it a go. there are some stunning places out there & i'll hold my hands up & fully admit that my other half has absolutely no interest in cars what so ever. after our first trip away though she enjoyed it just as much as i do-as long as there are some nice shops & spa's to visit along the way. in fact our next trip will more than likely be our honeymoon, & that will be a roadtrip of even bigger proportions!
we'll be taking in a couple of grand prix circuits on that one too but not on track days unfortunately as i don't think anyone does days on a certain street circuit in some principality on the cote d'azure
just a few more pictures that anyone sad like me will appreciate 
after the eurohoon i wanted to just check over the brakes to see what the pad wear was like & clean everything up-surprisingly they didn't even look like they were worn yet. i know the car isn't very old but i was wondering just how much the torque vectoring would kill the front pads but everything looks sweet.
que gratuatious suspension & brake pics....
after the eurohoon i wanted to just check over the brakes to see what the pad wear was like & clean everything up-surprisingly they didn't even look like they were worn yet. i know the car isn't very old but i was wondering just how much the torque vectoring would kill the front pads but everything looks sweet.
que gratuatious suspension & brake pics....
long time no update.
nothing of great importance has happened recently, the little mini hasn't missed a beat & it's proving ridiculously cheap to run. i can't quite believe how little petrol the thing uses, not something i was expecting to be raving about but it doesn't half make a nice change
what with the weather getting better i've been finding excuses to get the thing out & about a little more frequently-new bag of dog food? might as well take the long route to the suppliers in the countryside
i've become used to switching sport on & traction off every time i get into the car now (activating GP mode) & it's a hoot. the pops & bangs on the over-run are so much part of the character, spot a roundabout ahead, drop a couple of gears to activate the exhaust theatrics & chuck the thing into the bend in an effort to get some tyre squeal!
the grip off those khumo's is supreme (even if the wear rate is horrendous) & the feel you get through the steering is fantastic. i'd read about people needing to ditch run-flats on the standard JCW's & although i don't have anything to directly compare with (the coil over suspension & geo is completely different on the GP) i certainly can't complain.
i keep getting the odd wobble on whether i should be keeping the car. common sense says i might as well for another year as i'll probably lose no more between now & then anyway but i still do yearn for something a little more supercar rather than superb car. as mentioned before we're taking a drive down through the alps to monaco for our honeymoon this summer & the shallow b
d in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!
mind you, averaging 40mpg on the trip is appeasing the tight bd in me so horses for course
i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
nothing of great importance has happened recently, the little mini hasn't missed a beat & it's proving ridiculously cheap to run. i can't quite believe how little petrol the thing uses, not something i was expecting to be raving about but it doesn't half make a nice change
what with the weather getting better i've been finding excuses to get the thing out & about a little more frequently-new bag of dog food? might as well take the long route to the suppliers in the countryside
i've become used to switching sport on & traction off every time i get into the car now (activating GP mode) & it's a hoot. the pops & bangs on the over-run are so much part of the character, spot a roundabout ahead, drop a couple of gears to activate the exhaust theatrics & chuck the thing into the bend in an effort to get some tyre squeal!
the grip off those khumo's is supreme (even if the wear rate is horrendous) & the feel you get through the steering is fantastic. i'd read about people needing to ditch run-flats on the standard JCW's & although i don't have anything to directly compare with (the coil over suspension & geo is completely different on the GP) i certainly can't complain.
i keep getting the odd wobble on whether i should be keeping the car. common sense says i might as well for another year as i'll probably lose no more between now & then anyway but i still do yearn for something a little more supercar rather than superb car. as mentioned before we're taking a drive down through the alps to monaco for our honeymoon this summer & the shallow b
d in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!mind you, averaging 40mpg on the trip is appeasing the tight b
d in me so horses for course i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
LaurasOtherHalf said:
i keep getting the odd wobble on whether i should be keeping the car. common sense says i might as well for another year as i'll probably lose no more between now & then anyway but i still do yearn for something a little more supercar rather than superb car. as mentioned before we're taking a drive down through the alps to monaco for our honeymoon this summer & the shallow bd in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!
i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
I've always thought that JCW Mini was the ultimate fun for the £ so it's a hard act to follow. But incurable PHers will always be looking for their next fix so....d in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
Continental GT - now from 25k
Porsche 997
Boxster S
Cayman
Or, my choice:
Cheap Clio 200 and a years subscription to a supercar club.
Thing I like about my JCW is its about one of the few cars suitable to exploit the majority of UK roads, on the limit, in a reasonably safe manner. Along with ample punch and space for your motorway journeys and the perfect size for nipping in and out of traffic and parking in central London.
The improved aero package and engine makes this GP an absolute weapon.
The improved aero package and engine makes this GP an absolute weapon.
Mini should pay you commission as I just bought one of these based on this thread.
Had an m135i which was superb in every way but not a fully committed drivers car which is what I was looking for, got a good offer for it and had been wondering what to buy, didn't gel with the gt86, couldn't find an r26r which hadn't lived on the track for the last 4 years caterhams etc are too compromised for my dutys.
Then came across this thread, rang up a dealer about 30 miles away which had one and they said they would bring it to me as a car like this needed to be driven fast on roads I know well to be appreciated. Sales man landed down an hour later and threw me the keys. 30 mins later it was sold in my head, just had to play it cool. Agreed on a price thismorning and pick it up at 5.30 today. Can't wait.
Had an m135i which was superb in every way but not a fully committed drivers car which is what I was looking for, got a good offer for it and had been wondering what to buy, didn't gel with the gt86, couldn't find an r26r which hadn't lived on the track for the last 4 years caterhams etc are too compromised for my dutys.
Then came across this thread, rang up a dealer about 30 miles away which had one and they said they would bring it to me as a car like this needed to be driven fast on roads I know well to be appreciated. Sales man landed down an hour later and threw me the keys. 30 mins later it was sold in my head, just had to play it cool. Agreed on a price thismorning and pick it up at 5.30 today. Can't wait.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
long time no update.
nothing of great importance has happened recently, the little mini hasn't missed a beat & it's proving ridiculously cheap to run. i can't quite believe how little petrol the thing uses, not something i was expecting to be raving about but it doesn't half make a nice change
what with the weather getting better i've been finding excuses to get the thing out & about a little more frequently-new bag of dog food? might as well take the long route to the suppliers in the countryside
i've become used to switching sport on & traction off every time i get into the car now (activating GP mode) & it's a hoot. the pops & bangs on the over-run are so much part of the character, spot a roundabout ahead, drop a couple of gears to activate the exhaust theatrics & chuck the thing into the bend in an effort to get some tyre squeal!
the grip off those khumo's is supreme (even if the wear rate is horrendous) & the feel you get through the steering is fantastic. i'd read about people needing to ditch run-flats on the standard JCW's & although i don't have anything to directly compare with (the coil over suspension & geo is completely different on the GP) i certainly can't complain.
i keep getting the odd wobble on whether i should be keeping the car. common sense says i might as well for another year as i'll probably lose no more between now & then anyway but i still do yearn for something a little more supercar rather than superb car. as mentioned before we're taking a drive down through the alps to monaco for our honeymoon this summer & the shallow bd in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!
mind you, averaging 40mpg on the trip is appeasing the tight bd in me so horses for course
i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
I've been to Monaco with my Maser. You'll probably get more looks in a Mini :-)nothing of great importance has happened recently, the little mini hasn't missed a beat & it's proving ridiculously cheap to run. i can't quite believe how little petrol the thing uses, not something i was expecting to be raving about but it doesn't half make a nice change
what with the weather getting better i've been finding excuses to get the thing out & about a little more frequently-new bag of dog food? might as well take the long route to the suppliers in the countryside
i've become used to switching sport on & traction off every time i get into the car now (activating GP mode) & it's a hoot. the pops & bangs on the over-run are so much part of the character, spot a roundabout ahead, drop a couple of gears to activate the exhaust theatrics & chuck the thing into the bend in an effort to get some tyre squeal!
the grip off those khumo's is supreme (even if the wear rate is horrendous) & the feel you get through the steering is fantastic. i'd read about people needing to ditch run-flats on the standard JCW's & although i don't have anything to directly compare with (the coil over suspension & geo is completely different on the GP) i certainly can't complain.
i keep getting the odd wobble on whether i should be keeping the car. common sense says i might as well for another year as i'll probably lose no more between now & then anyway but i still do yearn for something a little more supercar rather than superb car. as mentioned before we're taking a drive down through the alps to monaco for our honeymoon this summer & the shallow b
d in me would love to do the journey in a 911, aston or something!mind you, averaging 40mpg on the trip is appeasing the tight b
d in me so horses for course i've got to be careful with thinking like that though as that was the reason i sold my R26.R & then regretted it ever since as all the exotica didn't compare on the fun front.
anyway, we'll see, but if you have an opinion on what i should do then feel free to post up
irish boy said:
Mini should pay you commission as I just bought one of these based on this thread.
Had an m135i which was superb in every way but not a fully committed drivers car which is what I was looking for, got a good offer for it and had been wondering what to buy, didn't gel with the gt86, couldn't find an r26r which hadn't lived on the track for the last 4 years caterhams etc are too compromised for my dutys.
Then came across this thread, rang up a dealer about 30 miles away which had one and they said they would bring it to me as a car like this needed to be driven fast on roads I know well to be appreciated. Sales man landed down an hour later and threw me the keys. 30 mins later it was sold in my head, just had to play it cool. Agreed on a price thismorning and pick it up at 5.30 today. Can't wait.
Same here. Tried the 135 AWD, auto and hated it. The steering is awfull, it's a bit soft and power is way too linear. Doesn't sound anywhere near as good as I thought (I used to have a 130iM). Had an m135i which was superb in every way but not a fully committed drivers car which is what I was looking for, got a good offer for it and had been wondering what to buy, didn't gel with the gt86, couldn't find an r26r which hadn't lived on the track for the last 4 years caterhams etc are too compromised for my dutys.
Then came across this thread, rang up a dealer about 30 miles away which had one and they said they would bring it to me as a car like this needed to be driven fast on roads I know well to be appreciated. Sales man landed down an hour later and threw me the keys. 30 mins later it was sold in my head, just had to play it cool. Agreed on a price thismorning and pick it up at 5.30 today. Can't wait.
Didn't gel with the GT86 at all. Steering is very artificial (why does everybody rave about it?) There is NO power and it just feels loose over some challenging roads. Huge anti-climax. Way too expensive too.
No R26R on sale for a decent price, Renault dealeships did not give me decent trade in value for my Golf R.
Time for a little update I think.......
Well, it's been a while but I do have a reason for that! 2013 is proving to be a bit of a hectic year for us, hectic but incredibly enjoyable! Work has been extremely busy & along with the day to day stuff we're going through expansion plans that take up as much spare time as I can throw at it plus we had a little party to organise.....
Those that know me on PH will understand a little about the convoluted path that resulted in me buying the little GP, search out my car history & it looks a little strange but the top & bottom of it was around 18 months ago me & the other half got engaged. There was no expulsion of toys on her behalf but after years of pleasing myself & enjoying some absolutely fantastic cars I decided to be sensible & get myself a modern do it all car that didn't involve something being tucked up in the garage due to it being a temperamental classic or an out & out track toy.
The mini is absolutely fantastic at this, as you've read from the posts before its great on track & keeps up with the best of them but more importantly I can use it every day for work if needed. The other half loves the fact it's comfy with heated seats & has loads of room in the back for when we want to go away, all in all it ticks all the boxes
So, the small matter of getting hitched.....
Now, I'm a pretty lucky guy (which was the theme of the best mans speeches!) & I don't mind admitting it. I love my job, where we live & the fact I've been able to have so many nice cars but most of all I love my (now) wife. The whole reason I popped the question was realising whilst we were at the other end of the country inspecting another old Porsche I was pretty lucky to have someone who despite having absolutely zero interest in cars puts up with holidays to the nurburgring, camping trips to carfest & generally giving up lots of spare time & money to all things motoring.
The wedding would be no different! Pretty early on she made the decision that if she was to get all the things she wanted for the wedding I should be "encouraged" to sort out a honeymoon that would combine all the things we love, namely a eurohoon to end them all with some of the best locations across Europe linked by some of the best roads
We also decided pretty early on that the cars would feature throughout the big day. We've been to weddings where the bride & groom get a glass of bubbly & get driven off in an old Bentley or something but I wasn't having that-I do the driving round here & my first journey as man & wife wasn't going to be driven by some chauffeur!
So the big day arrived at the beginning of the month & we had everything sorted. Me & the best man (my dad) drove the GP down to the church along with all the other lads in their respective toys. Steve (the guy with the R26.R) is in the car hire business so sorted out some S class limos for the brides party but we had the mini GP, a boxster S, 911 turbo, the original mini as seen above & the Megane R26.R in our party
The ceremony went off without a hitch (she turned & and said yes) & after the photos & confetti we got into the car to drive to the venue, me & dad got a little carried away & conducted a rally style 3-2-1 start on the spur of the moment away from the crowds with the mini performing its popping & back firing party tricks all the way down the street from the church. Hooligan
No ones here to read about some daft northerner getting married mind you so ill just post a few pictures of the cars on the big day & leave it at that, we had an amazing time but the best was yet to come. We stayed at the venue the whole weekend & come Monday we had a ferry to catch to Northern Europe & another epic road trip ahead of us.
Updates to follow
Well, it's been a while but I do have a reason for that! 2013 is proving to be a bit of a hectic year for us, hectic but incredibly enjoyable! Work has been extremely busy & along with the day to day stuff we're going through expansion plans that take up as much spare time as I can throw at it plus we had a little party to organise.....
Those that know me on PH will understand a little about the convoluted path that resulted in me buying the little GP, search out my car history & it looks a little strange but the top & bottom of it was around 18 months ago me & the other half got engaged. There was no expulsion of toys on her behalf but after years of pleasing myself & enjoying some absolutely fantastic cars I decided to be sensible & get myself a modern do it all car that didn't involve something being tucked up in the garage due to it being a temperamental classic or an out & out track toy.
The mini is absolutely fantastic at this, as you've read from the posts before its great on track & keeps up with the best of them but more importantly I can use it every day for work if needed. The other half loves the fact it's comfy with heated seats & has loads of room in the back for when we want to go away, all in all it ticks all the boxes
So, the small matter of getting hitched.....
Now, I'm a pretty lucky guy (which was the theme of the best mans speeches!) & I don't mind admitting it. I love my job, where we live & the fact I've been able to have so many nice cars
but most of all I love my (now) wife. The whole reason I popped the question was realising whilst we were at the other end of the country inspecting another old Porsche I was pretty lucky to have someone who despite having absolutely zero interest in cars puts up with holidays to the nurburgring, camping trips to carfest & generally giving up lots of spare time & money to all things motoring.The wedding would be no different! Pretty early on she made the decision that if she was to get all the things she wanted for the wedding I should be "encouraged" to sort out a honeymoon that would combine all the things we love, namely a eurohoon to end them all with some of the best locations across Europe linked by some of the best roads
We also decided pretty early on that the cars would feature throughout the big day. We've been to weddings where the bride & groom get a glass of bubbly & get driven off in an old Bentley or something but I wasn't having that-I do the driving round here & my first journey as man & wife wasn't going to be driven by some chauffeur!
So the big day arrived at the beginning of the month & we had everything sorted. Me & the best man (my dad) drove the GP down to the church along with all the other lads in their respective toys. Steve (the guy with the R26.R) is in the car hire business so sorted out some S class limos for the brides party but we had the mini GP, a boxster S, 911 turbo, the original mini as seen above & the Megane R26.R in our party
The ceremony went off without a hitch (she turned & and said yes) & after the photos & confetti we got into the car to drive to the venue, me & dad got a little carried away & conducted a rally style 3-2-1 start on the spur of the moment away from the crowds with the mini performing its popping & back firing party tricks all the way down the street from the church. Hooligan
No ones here to read about some daft northerner getting married mind you so ill just post a few pictures of the cars on the big day & leave it at that, we had an amazing time but the best was yet to come. We stayed at the venue the whole weekend & come Monday we had a ferry to catch to Northern Europe & another epic road trip ahead of us.
Updates to follow
Cheers for all the kind comments!
So, the honeymoon
We'd originally planned on heading over to the Italian lakes in the car as its an area we've yet to really explore it & it looked like just our type of place but one Sunday morning an email arrived from secret escapes.com with something that looked right up our street. On offer was a stay at Richard Branson's lodge in verbier & it looked fantastic, we watched this video that pretty much sealed it for us;
http://youtu.be/nhK0NsFj4nQ
So a new plan was formed that revolved around us spending the centre of the tour in Switzerland & the furthest points being Brugge & Monaco!
Hull ain't the most auspicious start to your honeymoon but the overnighter to zebrugge means a relaxed start to the journey for us northerners & although the boat isn't the most modern in the fleet if you book a club cabin (double bed, free mini bar & English channels on the tv!) & eat in the very reasonably priced "posh" restaurant I think it's a properly nice way to get into Europe.
It also means after a nice evening meal & a bottle of fizz you can go to bed, wake up the next morning & be right into your tour
Our only faff was discovering the co-pilot app that I'd only just updated needed to rather stupidly update my security code every time I switched it on requiring data abroad. It's a shame as the sat nav app has been really good but this was a total pain in the arse as for some reason I couldn't make my phone connect to a 3G service over there no matter what settings I adjusted. We solved it by putting the other halves SIM card in to get it started (even though we' both on the same network) but after getting in touch with the co pilot help centre they could only suggest deleting the app & reloading it without the traffic updates-not much help when you're already abroad!
Anyway, we got it started & were on our way, the long slog to Strasbourg. To be fair as you leave the ferry at 8:30am the 5-6 hours to Strasbourg didn't feel like too long, especially as after my efforts to teach Laura how to navigate by map in case the sat nav let us we figured we were going right past Luxembourg at just before midday. Lunch by the side of the road or at some swanky town centre place? Follow signs for centrum!
It's a pretty small place & has a reputation as a bit boring of a night due to being a commuter city but we really liked it. We followed the signs for a car park which to us to some vast underground city centre one & once we walked out we (she) was pleasantly greeted by a load of shops by the like of prada, gucci, hermes etc etc. cue one happy newly wed!
After a bit of shopping we headed into the tourist trap main square & had a lovely meal taking it all in, much better than some baguette at a motorway service station.
After a bit more checking out of the designer stores we headed back to the car & carried on our way.
Unfortunately we could see the storm clouds brewing & sure enough it started to pour down. Now, I had considered replacing the tyres before we went away but I really didn't fancy banging on a new set of track tyres just to scrub them off on motorways so I made the decision to just roll with it & if my (very worn) tyres needed replacing I'd just do it where ever we were. This of course was with the proviso that any rain we encountered would mean reduced speeds as these khumos won't like standing water it full tread depth never mind at what we had.
The thing is, reducing the speed down to around 60mph on the motorway has two effects, your fuel economy is fantastic & I also actually find it so much more relaxing to drive (as does she!)-I must be getting old!
Any how, we got to Strasbourg probably only 30 mins later than we would have feeling fine & without any aquaplaining!
Obviously as with all other euro trips I'd booked the hotel with parking in mind & although nothing too fancy I've found that if you're doing a city break the local Novotel rarely lets you down. Strasbourgs was really nice for what it cost & was in a fantastic location for the historic side of town (& the shopping) & had a huge secure car park in the basement.
(The handbag isn't mine)
Way too much of this;
Results in photos like this;
Laura was really pleased she'd finally got those sunglasses so why I decided to try them on I don't know? In my defence that is a very fetching Matra 24hrs Le Mans t shirt I'm wearing so I only looked like half a tt.
Oh & if you ever do get to Strasbourg make sure you try out the Alsatian speciality, a "crepe flambé". Like a mega thin crust pizza with creme freche instead of tomato purée they're bloody gorgeous!
I won't bore you with all the details but its a fantastic town & we loved the few days we spent there, but after a couple of nights we were ready to head off & see some good driving roads
Essentially we had to make our way to a town called weggis on lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Not too far of a journey at a couple of hours but just east of Strasbourg is the Black Forest & after searching the road network on google maps there appeared to ba a lot of squiggly lines!
So why bother taking the motorway when there's plenty of good back roads to travel? Updates to follow.....
So, the honeymoon
We'd originally planned on heading over to the Italian lakes in the car as its an area we've yet to really explore it & it looked like just our type of place but one Sunday morning an email arrived from secret escapes.com with something that looked right up our street. On offer was a stay at Richard Branson's lodge in verbier & it looked fantastic, we watched this video that pretty much sealed it for us;
http://youtu.be/nhK0NsFj4nQ
So a new plan was formed that revolved around us spending the centre of the tour in Switzerland & the furthest points being Brugge & Monaco!
Hull ain't the most auspicious start to your honeymoon but the overnighter to zebrugge means a relaxed start to the journey for us northerners & although the boat isn't the most modern in the fleet if you book a club cabin (double bed, free mini bar & English channels on the tv!) & eat in the very reasonably priced "posh" restaurant I think it's a properly nice way to get into Europe.
It also means after a nice evening meal & a bottle of fizz you can go to bed, wake up the next morning & be right into your tour
Our only faff was discovering the co-pilot app that I'd only just updated needed to rather stupidly update my security code every time I switched it on requiring data abroad. It's a shame as the sat nav app has been really good but this was a total pain in the arse as for some reason I couldn't make my phone connect to a 3G service over there no matter what settings I adjusted. We solved it by putting the other halves SIM card in to get it started (even though we' both on the same network) but after getting in touch with the co pilot help centre they could only suggest deleting the app & reloading it without the traffic updates-not much help when you're already abroad!
Anyway, we got it started & were on our way, the long slog to Strasbourg. To be fair as you leave the ferry at 8:30am the 5-6 hours to Strasbourg didn't feel like too long, especially as after my efforts to teach Laura how to navigate by map in case the sat nav let us we figured we were going right past Luxembourg at just before midday. Lunch by the side of the road or at some swanky town centre place? Follow signs for centrum!
It's a pretty small place & has a reputation as a bit boring of a night due to being a commuter city but we really liked it. We followed the signs for a car park which to us to some vast underground city centre one & once we walked out we (she) was pleasantly greeted by a load of shops by the like of prada, gucci, hermes etc etc. cue one happy newly wed!
After a bit of shopping we headed into the tourist trap main square & had a lovely meal taking it all in, much better than some baguette at a motorway service station.
After a bit more checking out of the designer stores we headed back to the car & carried on our way.
Unfortunately we could see the storm clouds brewing & sure enough it started to pour down. Now, I had considered replacing the tyres before we went away but I really didn't fancy banging on a new set of track tyres just to scrub them off on motorways so I made the decision to just roll with it & if my (very worn) tyres needed replacing I'd just do it where ever we were. This of course was with the proviso that any rain we encountered would mean reduced speeds as these khumos won't like standing water it full tread depth never mind at what we had.
The thing is, reducing the speed down to around 60mph on the motorway has two effects, your fuel economy is fantastic & I also actually find it so much more relaxing to drive (as does she!)-I must be getting old!
Any how, we got to Strasbourg probably only 30 mins later than we would have feeling fine & without any aquaplaining!
Obviously as with all other euro trips I'd booked the hotel with parking in mind & although nothing too fancy I've found that if you're doing a city break the local Novotel rarely lets you down. Strasbourgs was really nice for what it cost & was in a fantastic location for the historic side of town (& the shopping) & had a huge secure car park in the basement.
(The handbag isn't mine)
Way too much of this;
Results in photos like this;
Laura was really pleased she'd finally got those sunglasses so why I decided to try them on I don't know? In my defence that is a very fetching Matra 24hrs Le Mans t shirt I'm wearing so I only looked like half a t
t.Oh & if you ever do get to Strasbourg make sure you try out the Alsatian speciality, a "crepe flambé". Like a mega thin crust pizza with creme freche instead of tomato purée they're bloody gorgeous!
I won't bore you with all the details but its a fantastic town & we loved the few days we spent there, but after a couple of nights we were ready to head off & see some good driving roads
Essentially we had to make our way to a town called weggis on lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Not too far of a journey at a couple of hours but just east of Strasbourg is the Black Forest & after searching the road network on google maps there appeared to ba a lot of squiggly lines!
So why bother taking the motorway when there's plenty of good back roads to travel? Updates to follow.....
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