I have 50 miles to go to reach the break-in period. I have a fear of getting speeding ticket and it's holding me back big time. I wanna try my toy after break-in period...unfortunately there's no race track nearby :-)

Do you have have this fear? And how much is the ticket for going over 100 mph? And "they" handcuff u or just giving tickets?
thanks

 

I've never seen my speedo go over 100mph, honest. And yeah... The Law is there the put The Fear in the general polulation so we (or as we like to think They Who Can't Drive As Well As We) don't drive stupid and kill each other. I'm just as afraid of Them as of The Law at that speed.

Depends who catches you and what kind of mood they're in and if you have ***** how big they are.

 

I bought a Cooper because my personal formula for optimal fun is defined by superb handling and does not rely on excessive speed...therefore speeding never really enters much into the equation. I say this knowing full well that other folks perceive this very differently, and that's fine. All I'm saying that if you can make a few adjustments it is possible to enjoy the precision of motoring in a MINI while still observing posted speeds. Having a fast car comes with that drawback...there are few places where you can safely let 'er rip!! Be safe!!!

 

Well...I'm not into speeding either. Just want to know what this baby can do and how it's handling with higher speed...u know vibration, shaking..etc.
BTW...GoKartride...how do enjoy the optimal fun and superb handling if you don't push you "toy" a bit without getting caught. I'm asking you seriously because I've driving this toy not like an old lady but taking it easy within the break-in period. I would like your and others experience so I can copy cat.
ps. my fear is getting caught while enjoying the superb handling....u know...accelerate, quick shifting, quick sharp turning...etc...
thanks

 

It not the fear of a ticket that holds me back it's not wanting to pay the fine that keeps me at the speed limit.

 

I think if you make turns and go around curves a bit faster than you did in your old car, you'd get a good, not to mention legal, sense of handling, as well as fun. Even a trip to the store can become a fun ride.

When you want to speed full-out, just pick your spots and times. I hit the century mark at midnight on a deserted highway in Jersey with the closest known Trooper speed-trap 10 miles away. But once hit, I decelerated to a more sedate 80 in a 65 zone.

But if you are going way over the speed limit and get caught, the fines can be steep. I know someone who got nabbed doing 76 mph in a 55 zone; the ticket was more than $150 and there was an added fine of $200+ which New York State enacted into law to dissuade speeders and "unsafe" drivers.

It's bad drivers who cause most accidents, not speeders. But the laws are the laws. Besides, if you're doing 100 and someone does something stupid in front of you, you might not have time to react and avoid.

CROC 411

 

I don’t go crazy on public roads anymore. It’s not the fear of tickets as much as it is the fear of doing harm to others. I did some incredibly stupid things when I was 18. No I didn’t drink and drive and I have never been behind the wheel of a car if I had more than 2 drinks. I am very lucky I never hurt anyone or myself. I still cringe at the moronic things I did and how I could have killed myself or others on a number of occasions. I honestly get cold chills remembering some incidents.

There are many who say, “I will never hurt anyone else” or “I only do it on abandoned roads”, etc and then they wind up like this.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=124526#2
Link includes videos, photos, and forums posts from the M5 forum. It’s a sad and disturbing story but one that is common. Read all the kids posts on he M5 forum. This kid went through all the excuses one goes through in this situation, like “I do drive safe and I will not endanger the lives of others." Well now 5 people are dead.

While I’m sure some will argue the point, you can never predict what will go wrong. You never know who might be coming down the road. You can never predict when there is sand or gravel on the road. What if a tire is shredded? A blowout at 90 on a public road can have catastrophic consequences for you and others. It even costs taxpayers if you take out a road sign or guardrail not to mention the police time that is wasted. Join a local AutoX club and stay safe.

 

OK...I'm a grown man :-) and I know right from wrong. I would never do anything stupid...I don't even want to hurt a fly...just want some fun from experienced cooper owners...and thanks for those fun driving tips.

 

I agree with what Red Dragon said. I tend to pick my routes, know where the twisty bits are, and then negotiate them precisely and maybe without slowing down as much as I might in another car that would require that I slowed substantially. Finding the curves and executing them properly is fun for me...in fact, for me speed tends to dumb the whole thing down too much and actually effaces the pure enjoyment of handling (and shifting).

I will say that I observed/experienced this first on my old Spitfire, but more recently on my '03 Cooper with that 1st gen steering, very early damper setup, and 7-hole wheels. The crisp steering on the first gen car was noteworthy and the light OEM wheels made the car feel zippy even if it was not driven extremely fast. I've adjusted to love the 2nd gen drive, but I admit the first gen car was special in it's own way.

I also enjoy using MINI handling to create better, more predictable driving conditions for my fellow motorists, getting a kick out of well-executed lane changes, merging without fannying-about, and yielding where control of the car and more engaged driving give me the advantage. I also stop for pedestrians, squirrels and bunny rabbits.

Perhaps I am creating my own fun here, but I always remember that this is a Mini and Minis don't have to be particularly fast to be fun...or capable. I'll take that psychological advantage.

 

Thanks for the tips GoKartride...and I do stop for animal friends crossing the roads..like turtle, turkeys, squirrels...etc.

 

I rarely post on this group anymore for a variety of reasons. I just want to say that I'm impressed with the thoughtful and SENSIBLE posts, every one of them, prior to this post I'm making. Hopefully I can keep the string in this direction without ruffling any feathers...
Tickets are no joke these days. They are expensive. Moreso, they drive your insurance rates way UP and that sticks with you.
You can have a bit of fun with your Mini here and there without endangering others. Driving a fast handling quick little car like the Mini with even somewhat reckless abandon could RUIN your life and DESTROY the lives of innocent people. As James Dean said, "Drive safely...the life you save might be mine." (ever see that old PSA he did for TV, wearing his cowboy hat?). Two terms ring loudly in my head right now..."Voluntary Manslaughter" and "Involuntary Manslaughter".
You say there's no track near you? Well, even if you have to go a pretty good distance, the cost will pale in comparison to the havoc you can put on anyone nearby if you choose to act like an irresponsible fool, not only the JAIL TIME, lawsuits and hospital bills you will incur.
Sure, you can "pick your shots"...but you darn well better pick them very very carefully. A bad choice will be absolutely life altering beyond your own little world.
In closing, type in TRANSFUSION NERVOUS NORVUS LYRICS on google and read the words of that primitive 50's hit record. Yeah, it's funny, because it's true. "So remember to sloooow down today....."

 

as a responsible citizen, i behave as i should. if the world was full of people like me, there would be no need for any laws.

 

Like others have mentioned, I tend to have my fun on the twisties, where it can done without speeding. Personally, I get no thrill from going fast in a straight line ...its boring ...and not what MINIs are about.

I have my fun with a few curves on my commute. I enjoy watching all the brake lights come on as people navigate them. Instead, I just zip right through without slowing down a bit. I also enjoy pulling out and passing on the highway. In 4th and 5th gear at 4K RPM its an amazingly powerful little car.

All in all, I tend to drive a bit on the slow side of normally accepted speeds because it makes my drive last longer ...and I like that.

So, yes, I do fear tickets and have figured out how to have fun without the risk of getting one. But, there is always that officer that needs to meet his monthly quota and is going to bust your butt just to make it ...as once happened to me. It was the 31st of the month and I got a ticket for going 29 in a 25 zone.

Actually, I might very well have been able to talk my way out of it ...but talked myself into it instead by saying "29 in a 25 zone ...you better call for back up".

Not my best choice of words.

Dean.

 

Yes, actually one can choose to supercede the requirements of the law for the sake, not just of safety, but also of sanity. My car may be perfectly able to jump those two extra spots ahead while getting on the freeway, and it may be perfectly legal to do this, but how many people am I going to freak out (and how much coffee will be spilt) by executing this manuever and how much are those people going to despise MINIs from here on out...a prejudice they may take out on one of our confreres (trust me, I know cases where this has happened)!!

Having said this (and lest you think I'm too highly motivated), I did get a ticket in my MINI once when I sped up to get around a slow-moving rock hauler that was in the right lane...and I needed to turn right. It was either stay behind him and suffer the consequences....get around him very slowly with that right-hand turn coming up (and there were other cars behind me)....or zip past momentarily and then gradually back in front of him (without freaking him out by a sudden merge right into his path for my turn). I don't know about you, but my instincts told me not to mess around in that truck's blind spot in a small car. Unfortunately the officer did not grasp (nor did I take the time to explain) the whole of the situation. Anyway, the MINI performed with complete precision and all was well. I got a ticket (60 in a 45) but I still think I did the right thing. I'm just glad no bunny rabbits jumped into my path!!!

 

I agree. Kareening through traffic is far more fun than hitting high speeds on open roads.

(yes I know that was inexcusably out of context)

Seriously though, we live in a big country and all areas are different. You have to decide for yourself. Here in Michigan, the streets are reasonably populated, and the walled-in sewer line we call I-696 is fairly well patrolled. Not the best choice to test your speed.

If we decide to "take it up north", we have to worry about a deer jumping into our front window.

For the people in "the outback", say in Texas, Nevada, etc, with some very wide open areas and the only thing you might hit is a tumbleweed, the risk to others goes down substantially. It may then be deemed acceptable in your own definition of Risk to try it out.

But I agree, the best place would be a track. Even if it means going once a month or something.

D

 

i will tell you this from my sportbike days. double up the posted limit is a felony.

 

Oooo...that's good stuff right there!!!

 

Can I borrow you after I get through my break-in period then?

 

lol...no can do bro. All for me...will have some responsible fun :-)

 

Track Days are usually cheaper than speeding tickets.

 

there a time and place for everything....

 

I do like the Carolinas. Unfortunately I get terribly carsick if I'm not driving.

 

Wow! 18 years old and a M5! How do we sign up for that sugar daddy and keep our souls? Ah, the teen years... "I am invincible!!!!" I remember them well, especially having to pay for my own car insurance. When they are old enough, my children will participate in the Street Survival clinics at the very least.

QFT.

 

I just got a ticket last month. I was doing 42 in a 25. I thought the zone was 35...as it was near the onramp to a freeway. In any case, for doing 17 mph over my fine was $270 and then additional fees for traffic school. All in all my ticket was almost $350!!!! -and I didn't even get to have fun! Note: I was in my 911 Porsche Turbo ...no mercy from the officer!

I don't speed (often). What I really love is accelerating at full throttle onto the onramp (always away from cities and in remote areas). So, I never really go over the limit, yet I get there in like 4 sec's. It's a real blast.

For me it's all about acceleration and corning. Any car can go 100, and even those that can go over 170 ...what's the point? it's just asking for trouble.

 

gokartride - I hope you don't mind, but I had a bit of fun with your name (and consistent stream of reminders for careful driving) on another thread -- "don't let gokartride hear you!", but it was meant well. And then i read your postings here. YOU, sir, are one consistent MINI-ist, and you're right.

Unfortunately for me, I was "broken in" with my first (and current) MINI on the German autobahn. Considering the laws there, I WAS able to get that speedo up there (and just for the record, the digital readout on the '07 models actually go higher than the spedometer can......ahem....) - but I made sure I was in the right zones, for the right speeds, and I didn't want to test it anywhere THAT fast on a twisty. What's sad is that I was NOT the fastest out there that day. I think a grocery-getter Mercedes was the one flashing me to get out of the way that day... But my "normal" speed cruising around was at least 90MPH... SO... I will admit that I tend to speed even now that I"m back in the US, especially if I'm not watching myself (just watching those around me). But damage to the MINI -- never mind death & destruction -- aren't my bag.

I've heard the fines for VA are upwards of $3,000 if you have VA plates!!! (Although I've also heard they're doing all they can to reverse this.)