We go fairly long tonight getting caught up. But first, if you are going to AMVIV, be sure to download the event guide that Michael, Patricia and I did last week.
Who hates the JCW drilled rotors? Todd seems to think that everyone hates them.
So, I finally drove an R56 and we took quite a bit of time discussing the car, since we have all driven one. Yea, this car is all good in my opionion as long as the arches aren’t painted. I also give my reason why I think everyone thinks the interior looks cheap. Of course, we discussed it at length. By the end of it, Todd is still a hater while Gabe and myself still think it’s a pretty great car.
Plus the last 2 weeks of news, pretty much, from Motoringfile.
Don’t forget all 3 of us will be at AMVIV this year, starting Friday at the NAMCC out in Pahrump where Todd and I will be pulling PA duties. And if you haven’t registered yet, you need to do that by March 17th at amviv.com. Get on it!
Woofcast #139:
It’s good to hear Gabe again. Robert standing in is good but Whiteroofradio without Gabe is like the Three Stooges without Curly. 😉
So, Robert is the Shemp of WWR.
I thought Michael was the Shemp. 😉
Wait a minute… is SB comparing us to the Three Stooges? I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted. 😉
It’s never an insult to be compared to the Three Stooges. 🙂 They rock!
Todd, congratulations on stating your dislikes of the new R56. I wish you had been interrupted less by DB and Gabe that by the way, sorry guys, but both of you sound like R56 “apologists”.
Don’t be afraid Todd! You are not alone in thinking that the R56 is an excercise in cost cutting to the highest degree. MINI “fixed” something that wasn’t “broke” to begin with!
>DB and Gabe that by the way, sorry guys, but both of you sound like R56 “apologistsâ€.
Apologist? I’m confused. How can calling the R56 a great car be apologetic?
OK, I agree DB. “Apologist” is too strong of a word. I would say that you guys seem to find no fault on the new car in terms of the execution of certain design details. The car has been cheapened and ‘softened” to appeal to a greater audience. The previous car was too harsh and raw for the average American, hence, the R56 “BINI” which is a Baby Bimmer wrapped on a MINI body. Might as well call it the BMW 116i 😉
The point I am trying to make is that MINI fixed something that wasn’t broke. Further, I would have been a happier camper if they had dropped the new engine in the R53 body, do some tweaks and be done with it. Hey, but that’s me.
Love the show guys. I don’t intend to launch a flame war. Just to point out that some of us in this community are less than impressed with the new car.
You hear only what you want to hear. Listen again.
Right – it would have been you and about 50 other people. The entire rest of the automotive world would have tarred and feathered BMW/MINI – especially considering the flack they’re getting in the UK and Euro press for not changing the car enough with the R56.
OK everyone, there is room in this world for both the R53 and R56. I personally like my R53 better than the R56, so I plan on keeping it for years to come. But I understand that other people will like the R56. It may not be quite as hard edged as the R53, but in the end, it is still a MINI. I welcome any new R56 owner into the MINI community.
Gabe, I’m impressed with your sound quality improvements – whatever you’ve done (new mike?) keep doing it 🙂
Great show – worth waiting for this one; I particularly like when you guys go heading off into who-knows-where land discussion wise 😉