Category: Non MINI

Random AMVIV/Vegas Thoughts

  • It was 381 miles from our house to the Palace Station Hotel. We saw no other MINIs for the entire drive until we got to the hotel parking structure when, of course we saw plenty
  • Most interesting licence plate of the trip – BUGGERY on a (seemingly) disabled VW Beetle outside the hotel; maybe I should write the Nevada DMV and tell them what it really means
  • The Palace Station was a nice hotel but really lousy for people (ok, trashily-dressed chicks) watching. Maybe its better when not inundated with MINI geeks, though?
  • Did my fastest speed yet in Carrie whilst there – 105 in a 45 mph zone in the Death Valley park. Despite lots of warnings to keep to the speed limit in the park (min $300 fine) the group flew through it and 105 was only just keeping up. It was cool, but not cool.

Mythbusters – opening the car via a cell phone

A miscommunication at the weekend left the wife and I stranded at the mall with the key to the Camry locked in the boot. She was able to find someone to give her a ride to her house to pick up the spare key but I said I would stay behind as I thought we might be able to open the car remotely over the cell phone.

Now, if you think about this it doesn’t seem like it would work: holding the door opener to a cell phone and transmitting the signal over the air to the waiting vehicle. But I was sure I had seen a program a few years ago where they proved that this worked so I figured it was worth a go, would save Teri having to drive back with the spare key.

It doesn’t work. I have no idea why I think I saw a program that proved it did.

My Next Car….

… will be a diesel. So one of the following will have to happen:

  • I delay buying my next car until 2009, or some future date when diesel cars are available
  • I move to a diesel-friendly country like, hmmm, New Zealand

Neither seems out of the realm of possibility.

A Little Gadget Envy

Went to a co-worker’s house at lunchtime to play with his Wii, traveled there in his new Lexus. Not sure what model is was, other than it was a small one. But I was somewhat mesmerised by his nav system and definitely came away jealous – it showed the rear view when reversing, moving map on the go, and then while parking it showed a schematic of the car marked with how far each part was from an obstruction. Very cool. Made my MINI feel very old-fashioned.

And talking of cool gadgets, the Wii was a lot of fun, I hate to recommend it but I certainly do if you can get your hands on one. Even though its not high def it looked gorgeous on the 57″ 1080p LCD TV. Damn, now I have nav system and game console envy[*].

[*] Not that I don’t love my MINI or my PS3!

Burn Your Bras!

On my way out of work last night I was alongside a BMW that had one of those bra things on. I understand the thought behind it but I hate them. If the car was meant to look stupid it would have been designed that way (see PT Cruiser). And what about when you sell the car – look at what great condition the bonnet is in! Yes, its a totally different shade of red to the rest of the car but doesn’t it look great with no stone chips?? Ack, I hate it. Oh, and this car had covers for the back of the mirrors too, never seen that before.

Hmm… if a bonnet cover is a bra? What does one call the mirror protectors?

Getting Hotter!

On my way home from San Diego yesterday afternoon, the OBC showed 119 when I got to the desert floor. I was willing it to hit 120 but it didn’t happen this time. Its only July, I think I will see 120+ before the end of the summer. But 119 is a record for Carrie in her first year.