Big show. Big tear down. At about 11pm, I took these shots of the LA Auto Show. Mostly of the MINI Booth. It was impressive how everyone worked together to strike such a huge show. Like gnomes and elves, working in unison to pull everything down and trailer all the cars. We did the same, although our booth was much smaller than the OEMs.The MINI E was cozily eased into a huge truck with the BMW Hydrogen car.
Big thanks and gratitude to the thousands of enthusiasts that visited us this year. My voice is nearly gone, feet red hot and legs like dragging 200lb bags of concrete, but the chance to meet all of you and have fun was worth it. Especially all the hundreds of kids. Like little baby Raptor packs. I must have handed out 5,000 hot wheels, 10,000 posters and thousands of cards.
Big thanks to all our sponsors as well. Biggest and best show of the year with nearly 2 million in attendance. That’s a lot of traffic to appreciate.Have a great holiday, everyone!
Coolness has begun. Lots of eye candy, but around 6pm, the place emptied out like rats from a sinking ship to see the Presidential race. More detail tomorrow, but it looks to be a solid show. Check out my friend here, Lisa Angeline.
Top to Bottom…
World’s Fastest ROLLS?, The weird SCYTHE, Smart Madness, GIRLS!, My Meguiars Magnum, Hangin’ with Mr. George Barris, Challenger Coolness, Charger Coolness, MINI Clubman Ladder, ECTO 1 and the Nissan GTR.
The MINI CLUBMAN. The other MINI. MINI to the 1oth power. MINI with room for more stuff.
Well, before we get into this week’s Dissection, our GIVEAWAY goes like this…
See this lil’ 64th scale TOMY Cooper? Super hard to find and I found this in Switzerland. It’s yours. IF, you can give the Clubman at the top an appropriate NAME. Post your suggestion and the winner will be revealed this Monday. PLUS, they’ll get an extra Fireballed surprise! But, you have to post your comment only at the home blog HERE. This Dissection gets posted in 30 different places!!!
Ok, the CLUBMAN…. Since I’m into to MINIs, you’d think this was a given. So, I should like the CLUBMAN. Well then, you’d be wrong…
I don’t like the CLUBMAN… I adore the CLUBMAN. It’s all the things that MINI is, plus a wee tad more. Actually, a lot more. There were many ways to do this car, but the designers chose to take the road of uniqueness. 5 doors, placed in a unique formation. Two front, one extra on the passenger side, and two suicide style in the rear. When I went to see the boys at MINIUSA at the LA Auto Show, Prez Jim McDowell did a great job at expressing how fun the rear doors were to open. “I could do this all day,” he said.
But all the reasons that MINIS are fun to drive, beautiful to look at, ways to modify and personalize, there’s one one reason to have this car. Because it’s different. And while other cars are suffereing during the gas hike, the MINIS are flourishing.
The tagline for this car should be, “GET ONE, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.” ‘Cause things do… This is not a commercial, but this is my honest opinion of a successful design enhanced to broaden it’s appeal. Much like a movie, this could have gone wrong in a thousand different ways.
But, as cool as it is, it’s not perfect. It has flaws and many of you who have bought this car agree that there are slightly subtle things that come to mind. But, even with those flaws, they are personal choices. Example: The center cluster is big enough for the people 2 cars behind you to see how fast you’re going. But, none of these issues are quality relate. The car is just solid, like a MINI should be. And with 7 sextillion options to go along with it, it will take you 12 years to put your car together (slight exaggeration).
If you’re weird, different, unique, inspired, funny looking or just plain nuts, then this is the car for you. And if you want to see a whole host of them in one place, then come to the Rose Bowl on August 1-3. MINI TAKES THE STATES will be in LA. And so will EVERY MINI west of Texas. Come by and say “hi.”
Design Enhanced. That’s the new CLUBMAN. Check out the R60 SUV coming, too! AN SUV!!!??? Well yea, duh. You gotta have something to pull your MINI outta the mud at the race track….
I’d call the MINI Design Language “Fun Surfacing.” As in, the elements that make up the components of the car are round, bulbous and funny looking. All adding up to one hellava good time. Just be careful how you park it….
As I stood at the foot of my Police MINI being shot by UK mag MODERNMINI this past week at CinemaVehicles, I began to notice things I hadn’t noticed before. Small details on the car that bugged me. Kev, the photographer snapped away as I began to wonder… What is Perfection?
As with most things, perfection is interpretive. Each of us would describe it differently. But, I guess the important thing to realize is that nothing is ever REALLY perfect. And it’s important to be okay with that. Does perfection mean that you’ve done everything right? Balanced exactly the way you want it? It may be, but in time, things change …and so do we.
I welcome being wrong and making mistakes, even though they may be painful. And some are REALLY painful, but mistakes are how we grow. And growth is good. We learn by taking our experiences and honing them down to what is best extracted.
Don’t get me wrong. My MINI is rock solid bitchin.’ And it will make an awesome article because ModernMINI knows how to do it up right. So, the question becomes, what do I do next that’s better? Where to I go from here? Well, no one knows just yet (And if I did, I wouldn’t tell;-) but one thing’s for sure, whatever it is… it will be perfect. At least… for a little while.
Many would consider me lucky. But luck to me, is a term used to describe something outside of yourself. I believe that things happen the way they do because of our choices and our ability to think right.
Choices are a cause set in motion, which in turn, brings an effect. Look to where things are not working in your life and examine the way that you are thinking about them.
I try, every day, to replace my negative thoughts with positive ones. The more I practice this, the better I get. And the quality of my choices get better, which, brings me better things! So luck? If you know how to work this principle, then your outcome is all that matters. And that, is up to the way you think… and I’m grateful that I can share that with you.
And now, I think I’ll make myself a cool protein drink for the day. Off the Cinema Vehicles for a photo shoot with the STC Car. Stay tuned for a great article coming from ModernMINI Magazine!!
This, from my buddy Larry Champlain in New Jersey. Passion……in motoring. Cool.
“Prior to my 2007, I had a 2004 Mini as well. I had always admired the
style, the reliability and SPEED. When I had purchased my 2007 Mini Cooper,
my best friend had purchased one as well. At that point it was a fun
competitive game for the both of us as to who would do what to their car
first. We were both in touch with the most current updates and
modifications. We both researched performance and style modifications.
Pretty soon, we were changing seats, upgrading motor parts, JCW, decals, and
much more. My goal at that point was to get the “Best Mini” I had
joined.PhillyMini.org. In the summer of 2007, my Mini was voted the “Best
Mini” at one of the rallies I had attended. I felt a huge accomplishment in
making it the best performing and looking vehicle in the Mini World. My car
sounds great, looks great and drives great. I receive quite a few
compliments and stares as I drive by. I am proud to be a Mini owner and
show it!”
So. You have a speedy car and you want the crowds to see it. What do you do? We’ll, how’s about Freemont Street in VEGAS!
Yup. Thanks to the crew of the hit ESPN2 show “METRIC REVOLUTION,” we were smack dab in the middle of close to 20,000 people over Friday and Saturday. Now, the photos were taken early, (if they were taken later, you wouldn’t be able to see the car!) It was a zoo!
The crew was awesome, but unfortunately I can’t remember everyone’s name due to my flaming brain as it tried to keep hands from scratching the car. But Producer Danielle, Coordinator Michelle and Creative Director Bo were on hand to make things go smooth. And that they did. And the host and hostess were a blast with great questions!
The first Season of MR was excellent, so this is the opener to Season 2. And this time, it’s bikes AND cars. I can’t reveal details of what the plan is, but it’s way cool.
Big thanks to the MR Crew for doing such a Pro job!
… you absolutely have to like driving. If you don’t, then life here can and often is miserable. And so began my atypical day…
Morning meeting with a new partner involving a new web project. Met at the City Bakery, where Conan O’Brien and Ron Howard were having coffee. Not with each other at first, but after some quizzical looks, they hit it off and began chatting. My partner and I did so as well.
Then off to Hollywood to meet on a new TV Show. I’ll leave it a secret for now, as I’m not going to jinx anything, but let’s just say it has to do with CARS. LOTS of CARS!
Back out to Malibu because, like a moron, I forgot something important for my next stop, CINEMAVEHICLES. But before I hit North Hollywood, I met my brother Ethan for coffee to discuss his new show. A very cool ANIME SERIES. He’s Executive Producer and is in the middle of casting. Young girls. He’s got a rough job.
Next stop, Cinemavehicles. The new home of some cool Fireballed vehicles. The STREET TUNER CHALLENGE MINI is now among some of the most elite movie cars in history. Nestled between the ECTO 1 and ELEANOR. Soon to be tuned more,… and more.
Then, back to Malibu to discover a massive accident has shut down PCH. Grrr. So, off to Coffee Bean I went to chill and make calls. Man,… it’s only Tuesday.
Tomorrow, off to SONY to deliver an Eagle and Panther. A what, you ask? Yes, I design a lot of things, including wearable animals for movies…
Yea, we all have ‘em, eh? Like, no matter how hard you try, it just keeps getting more and more challenging.
My Mom was diagnosed with Cancer last week. Terminal, they said Monday. Then, by Friday after getting more detail, they said that it was treatable and she wouldn’t die. That was a hellava rollercoaster for everyone.
So began a chain that ended Friday of very unusual events concerning everything from my son moving away to San Francisco with a great job to unusual Tax stuff. But somewhere in all that muck, I discovered a satisfying treat…
At the CITY BAKERY in Brentwood I found those unbelievable Hot Chocolate on the planet. Worth a trip from New York, this one. 26th Street and San Vicente. It went down like a warm blanket of chocolatey goodness. Ah, the simple things.
What else….
Oh, two shows confirmed coming up. The HUNTINGTON BEACH CONCOURS d’ ELEGANCE and THE RCX SHOW. Check the sites for info. I’ll be there, havin’ fun. Come say hi… (I may have some treats)
Reading Charles Haanel’s MASTER KEY SYSTEM. The book rumored to have launched Bill Gates. I can see why. Get it from Kallisti Publishing. It will be the most profound read you’ve ever done.
Oh, and a wee excitement in Malibu. Labor Day accident. No one seriously hurt, but a motorcyclist down for the count. He couldn’t win against an Infinity, but a MINI showed up to help as usual.
Oh, shot four new episodes of AUTO DISSECTION. Check ‘em out here. They should be airing next week. 3 Episodes up now, but the four new ones will include the Dodge Challenger and the Audi R8.
Yea, it was a busy week, but like all things everything turns out well.
Why would anyone want to live in a place like this…
Southern California, if you’ve never been here, is really a tough place to hang. I mean, blue sky and 75 degrees in February. Ok, as if that doesn’t raise the mad jealous factor to 10, nothing will. But here’s the point…
Choice. …as in we all have them daily. It may seem that when the world is against us, we don’t. But we do.
It may seem impossible when we look at a mountain of debt and the how’s seem unsurmountable, we don’t. But we do.
A wise man once said, “Just take the first step, you don’t have to climb the whole staircase.” That man was Martin Luther King.
Live where you WANT to live, not where you HAVE to live. And you’ll find a way…
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