It was an absolutely perfect day today here in Los Angeles. Not a cloud in the sky, low 70s (F), with a nice balmy breeze. Windows down and feeling very much alive. I was driving home late in the day today and as I came upon the entrance to my parking area I suddenly sped up. Or perhaps Trixie, my Cooper S, sped up. Either way, neither of us apparently wanted to stop driving. Next thing I knew I was on the 10 West, and then on PCH, heading towards Malibu. It was time for her first serious canyon run (and mine too). I decided to drive Mulholland; more than one person has told me this is great for a spirited drive, but I don't know how it compares to others in the area.
After a nice jaunt along the coast I arrived at Mulholland around 6pm and started heading up the canyon. The sun hung low and everything was taking on golden hues. I switched off the DSC, which may sound strange while heading into a labyrinth of curves, but sometimes the DSC scares me. It reacts in ways I don't expect, so I figured I'd take my chances and see what she could do without any extra help. Soon I had my radio off and was listening to the sweet melody of the supercharger whine as I whipped around the corners as fast as I ran through the gears. I was a bit cautious and nervous though, as I had never driven this route before and had no idea what monstrous curves awaited me around the bend. And there were definitely a few that caught me off-guard, especially with bits of gravel from rockslides making navigation a bit more dicey. Fortunately the road was almost deserted, save for an old pickup truck and a lone motorcyclist. Many of the curves had no railing whatsoever, and there was a certain thrill in having to rely solely on my driving ability to keep from spilling off the edge. Even with the A/C on the whole time, Trixie never felt short of breath. The Cooper S was made for roads like this. Who needs Magic Mountain?
I headed back down the canyon, which had the safety of not being against sheer cliffs, but required me to watch my speed a lot more. Still, the view coming down, from what little I could spare to focus my eyes on, was breathtaking. The settling rays of the sun seemed to permeate everything with a tangible glow. As the sun was setting I arrived at the bottom and turned back onto PCH at a leisurely pace, letting Trixie have a well-deserved breather. I looked down and saw the odometer hit 4000 miles. I smiled. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate.
....
There's two things I noticed on performance. One, I was only able to break her grip on the road a couple times. Although I probably wasn't pushing her as hard as regular canyon drivers here do, I was very impressed at how agile and dependable she was, especially considering the terrible runflats she came equipped with (which oddly seem less reliable in normal city driving). It really underscored for me what great handling the MINI has. Second, a couple times when I was descending the canyon I had to break really hard coming to a tight curve, as in, putting the brake pedal to the floor, it felt like she had nothing left to give and I noticed a kind of grinding vibration through the brake pedal. Perhaps I was just asking more than the stock brakes could give, but it was a bit unnerving. Hopefully it's not a mechanical issue. Going up the canyon I tried to save the brakes by downshifting a lot and letting the gears slow me down. I'm still having trouble getting the hang of heel-and-toe, though.
Very nice run! Seems like you had a blast of a time. The brakes are known to be so-so. Theywon't fail you, but they don't feel reassuring at the limit. Heel to toe is really great once you get tit down. Try doing it approaching redlights.
be aware that on weekends there is a great deal of enforcement on the canyon roads..
it does not help that a S4 went off roading last weekend or that a Mondial found itself tetering off one of the curves..
be safe and keep your eyes open..
see you in the canyons!
a
11/03 BRG/Wht MCS
EBC Rotors/ EBC Green Pads, Schroth 4 point harness, Nitto NT-450 215/40/17 17" Zenetti Vega, H Sport Total Vehicle Suspension, MINI Fini Sport Link/Bike Rack, SSM, One Ball Exhaust
What tire pressures are you running and what tires?
I'm running the stock 16 on the run-flats on my MCS -
wondering whats the optimal pressures for canyon carving.
La Tuna is not in malibu...... That is off the 2. La Tuna heheheh
You meant tuna canyon.
Anyhow...
Summertime = COPS in CANYONS
Even up in Angeles Crest.
Go up through there on the 18th of July and watch Cops n Coopers. The LASD and CHP will be patroling through the Canyons... especially the BIG ones... the ones the novices run... Like Angeles, Malibu, Decker, Tuna... etc. The Cops will be watching for individuals and small to large groups. And they are particularly interested in COOPERS.
So I would avoid canyons on the weekends.
And a little bird told me of the Run up angeles on the 18th... and a Bigger Bird told me that they are ready with their ticket books and tow trucks.
Quick question: How did you get to these Canyons from PCH in Malibu? I live in Newport Beach, so it's only 50 miles to Malibu but i'm not too familiar with the area. I could take the 405 North to the 10 West and end up on PCH and take that north which I believe will take me into Malibu. What then?
Welcome to the world of canyon driving, friend. From the way you describe your experience, this certainly won't be your last canyon run. My first was up Las Flores and down Piuma. I'll never forget it, as producing lateral g's has since become an important part of who I am. If I don't drive a canyon for awhile, I get antsy and frustrated. Stress relief is only a few heel & toe downshifts away, though--my supercharger singing gleefully.
That vibration you felt through the pedals is your ABS system. If you were just barely starting to feel that vibration, trust me, you had plenty of brake left to spare. Also, because the MINI features electronic brakeforce distribution, you'll notice ABS braking will kick in earlier if there is any cornering involved during the brake application. Don't be alarmed, it's just your MINI distributing braking force independently to each of your wheels, keeping your car as stable as possible under braking.
My suggestion would be to take PCH North (405N-->10W 'til it ends is fine), then turn right onto Las Flores. Once you reach the end, turn right onto Piuma (you can keep going on this road for some good fun, or...), then right onto Schueren. This will take you to the overlook; the intersection of Scheuren, Stunt, and Saddle Peak. From there, any of those roads will take you through some fun stuff.
Or you could just meet us at Village Coffee Roaster on Sunday at 10AM, where we'd be more than happy to show you some roads, first-hand. To get there, take the 405N to the 101N(W), exit Mulholland Dr, turn left onto Mulholland Dr, once you cross the overpass, start looking left and you'll see VCR with some sweet European cars parked out front.
It's kind of a matter of personal preference, but I've found that 40psi front, 37psi rear helps to negate the understeer you'll find with the factory 35psi front, 35psi rear setting. I run 205/45-17 Dunlop SP Sport 9000 (non-runflat) on 17" OZ Superleggeras (15.5 lbs).
It seems a bit counterintuitive that you'd add more air to help it grip more, but it has to do with tire slip angle. Slip angle is also the reason why a 17" wheel & tire package will make your car handle better than say, a 15" wheel & tire package, given the same rolling diameter.
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run through the canyon 
