Here is my 2007 R56 Fun ride next to my R53!!!

A blue "S." Ahh... OK let's tell my story of last Sunday afternoon. I was late getting over to Flow MINI. I have a busy schedule so I managed to get over there (over an hour away) by 4:00. I knew the event was over at five so I had to work fast. I signed up for a ride and in no time I was sitting in this blue beauty. Honestly I thought I would not really like this car. I was wrong. I love my 2006 and always will love the retro-styling but this generation is the future of the brand. I really like the new styling and technology. I am such a BMW convert these days.

Here is my comments for what they are worth. This car is new. I am skiddish about first year-model cars of any type. I will say this. This car is better than the early first generation MINIs. It is truly an evolution of the past and the best of the current technology. I really believe I will own one of these as my car ages.

OK I am dying to tell you my story so here goes, enough of that stuff you can read in the car magazines...First Joe Culp was our lead car, check him out here...http://www.flowmini.com/Our-People.aspx Joe is a wild man!! A true MINI guy! He had this first generation MINI with a small number "1" on the back glass. I lined up behind him in my blue 2007 "S"...there were 2 other MINIs behind me. As I adjusted the mirrors and tried to figure out how the new seats worked I waited for the traffic light to change so I could feel the car out. Finally I got the seat tilted forward to a comfortable position...yes this car is a little different. The light is green! Woohoo! I press the gas pedal and I feel the new engine for the first time. YES! The turbo is kicking some serious ass! Man... what can I say. The boost is awesome. the torque is obviously very strong. A we merge on to I40 I am on the back of the lead car. I am not going to let Joe get away from me. Suddenly I feel really young and my face is getting that wide smile going. OMG what a car! Can I say that again? Can I hear an AMEN? Woohoo!! We hit the first exit ramp and I try to drift the car in the extreme curve. None of that for this auto. I am way up the speedo and not even sweating the handling. I am all over Joe and by now I am laughing my ass off. This was the best thing I have done to drive over here and try this car out.

We hit the off ramp end and come to a stop sign. I finally see the two MINIs behind me catch up. We eaze though the low sped zones until we see a "Euro-round-a-bout" My new crazy friend Joe holds his hand up and does a circle with it. I smile. I know exactly what he wants to do. We have the right of way. There are several "ons" from connecting roads but we are going to put on a show for the "un-initiated" We made at least four circles at about as fast a speed as you could do through that circle and we were putting on a real show for the people sitting there watching. Everyone just stared! It was so funny! Like a movie or something. Everyone was smiling and I think I was crying it was so much fun. OK people, this was a "MINI moment." As we exited the round about we sped towards the S curve ahead and I knew my test drive was winding down. Damn this car is great. I pulled in next to my car to take a picture or two. What a car. What a car. Life is good baybee.