I just bought this (And love it.). Needed something to tow the MINI if/when I get it back. :devil: I looked at the Clubman first, it was just too big.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2012/5/22/1337709078456/The-Shining-008.jpg Dave's back
Welcome back Dave, and fwiw - I actually like the new Clubman more than the new Cooper S - give it about 280hp at the wheels, a true mechanical LSD and nice tightened suspension and it would be a good daily all year round driver. Thus saving the R53 for fun and summer duty.
You need to get some MINI badges for it. Then take it by the MINI dealer so they can get a sneak peek at the next big MINI.
R60? I am guessing it's slower, probably won't corner as well as the Clubman. But since you already bought it - you are ahead of the game!:devil:
It has ground clearance, AWD plus it will work well on fire roads in the woods & pass roads in the mountains.
I am sure it suits his purposes very well. Although I think he still has that cool Jeep for the really rough stuff.
Yep for the first time since 2005 I don't have a real 4X4... The ZooK went to scrap to pay for the engine in the Rat, and the white Jeep got the boot for the Porker when the engine was about to go. I miss having a real trail rig, but don't miss paying for the fuel. One day I'll have another Jeep, but not for a while... All the Commifornia transplants are shutting down all the off road trails here anyhow. But yeah the stock R60 can do light fire road duty to get to easy campsites, but its hell on the clutch trying to keep moving slow enough to not break stuff.
Yep an automagic is better for rough pass road use me thinks. My 5 speed 4runner was tougher going than my automagic equipped one. Sad they are closing trails. I've done a bunch out there & to my mind they are roads. Heck silver miners put them in many moons ago as roads. Why not keep them open. :incazzato:
I actually wanted an auto when I bought the last Jeep, but after some research I found that the auto trannys don't hold up with big tires and heavy off-road use. So I went with the 6 speed manual. I have wheeled hard on both auto's and manuals, and there is no real better advantage to either. The type of crawling I do, I'm normally locked into first or second in 4-low... You made me go and dig up some pic's of the ZooK... I really miss this thing and shoulda kept it. The 8.5:1 low range in the transfer-case gave the little 1.3 the power to climb walls, or twist the driveshafts into candy-canes! (Done both) And the way I built the suspension, everybody said it wouldn't be flexible off road... Those people were idiots! 30" Of travel on an 83 inch wheelbase and standard track width... (Insert random EX-GF for size reference... Nope don't even remember her name! )
^A true gift is one where you put some of your own skin in the game^. I foresee some Gnat skin in this gift (imagine Nathan riding a skateboard going downhill on Hellbender: you almost don't want to watch, and yet, you can't stop). Congrats to Nathan for taking one for the good of the team.
Will the skateboard have redstuff brake pads.... And will they be in pieces at the bottom of Hellbender??? This could get messy...