MINI2 and MINI USA offered MINI2 members the chance to put forward 20 questions to Jack Pitney, general anager of MINI USA. As you will find below, a wide range
of queries came through, and every attempt was made to pass on a good range of questions to Jack. We hope you find something useful and interesting from this Q and A session.

Thanks to Jack Pitney and all at MINI USA for allowing allowing this to take place, it was greatly appreciated by the MINI2 membership.

1) CVT Performance. Some CVT owners have experienced poor performance and/or sudden jerking movements. They have been told that various software upgrades would fix these problems. Questions are: is there is final software fix yet? In some cars that had a software update owners report that the problem starts to come back after a period of time/mileage, is the fix is only temporary?

First of all, let me say thank you for your passion for MINI and your time in putting together so many interesting questions. I only wish I had time to answer more!

The software fix that is currently in place does cure the problem with the transmission and it is a permanent fix. However, we have found that in a very small number of instances, the fix hasn’t ‘taken’ in the car’s software. In that case, you should take the car back to the dealership to get it ‘reflashed’.

2) What are the plans for the MINI after the introduction of the BMW 1 series.

The introduction of the BMW 1 series won’t affect us. The 1 Series is a rear wheel drive BMW and will have typical BMW characteristics. You’ll find the 1 series to be
a very different proposition to a MINI. My focus is to continue the development of the MINI brand, leading off with the convertible next year.

3) What is your daily driver?

A MINI Cooper S – BRG with white roof and mirrors, bonnet stripes and 17” wheels. My drive to work takes me through some lovely twisties so I get to enjoy the car
every day.

4) Are there plans to offer a limited slip differential in the MCS? If not, why. And again if not, would MINI consider adding it to the JCW package?

We would love to offer a Limited Slip Differential on MINI .We understand the benefits of Limited slip and as soon as we have something concrete to say, you’ll be the
first to know.

5) I would like to hear Mr. Pitney’s comments about making a service manual available to those of us who work on our own cars.

We do! We have a website; www.minitechinfo.com where you can log on and purchase service manual and service bulletin information. That said, we always recommend service and repair be carried out by our authorized, franchised dealerships as the service manual is just part of the story. As well as putting our technicians through extensive product training, we also have our dealerships fitted out with the correct tools and equipment, software etc.

6) Any plans to allow warranty or other work at BMW dealers? Allowing BMW dealers that are at least 100 miles from the nearest MINI dealer to work on the cars would help remote owners without creating competition for the MINI franchise locations.

We understand the issue of people being so far from dealerships but the problem for us in some way relates to the question above. The MINI franchise is an independent business with unique dealerships and each MINI franchise has all of the training and equipment needed to service a MINI, which a BMW franchise won’t have.

7) My question is the run flat tires. The websites and reviews consistently complain about the ride quality and handling of the run flats. Note haw many s owners immediately put their run flats up for sale. I would much rather see a small compressor and a can of sealant,in lieu of runflats;
this is what I’ll do when I need tires. If your marketing department insists on runflats, listen to them, they haven’t been wrong about much. But if your tire cost bears any relationship to retail cost; BMW would save significant money with standard tires and a “fix a flat”kit.

We know that there are some people that prefer the sealant/compressor route and we do offer an accessory item at dealerships. However, on balance we prefer the runflat route because it ensures that in case of a deflation, the car is driveable for 80 miles at 50 mph without the need for driver intervention. We believe that the tire industry will increasingly use runflat technology.

Had heard rumors awhile back about a MINI “M” Class being released, like BMW has. Any truth to the rumors?

‘M’ as a brand is completely identified with BMW. We can’t imagine there being an M version of a MINI and anyway, we have our tuning specialists in John Cooper
Works

9) Can you share any secrets with us? For instance, are there plans to offer a type of automatic in the MCS? Are there color changes coming up? Is the Cabrio planned to come in all model forms (Cooper, S etc.)? We have confirmation now of the cabrio MINI, but will there be a clubman MINI in
the future?

Unfortunately, there are some areas of the MINI business that I just can’t share with you. I’m sure you understand that our competitors would love to have the inside
scoop on what we’re planning! We have a lot of plans and ideas - some make it into final production and others don’t. Rest assured, we share them with you as soon
as we can, just as we have done with the convertible.

10) Can the North America market have the heated front windscreen option in the future?

I’ll be happy to look into that for you.

11) What is MINI’s vision for the product line? There is the One, Cooper, S, and now Diesel, and a soon to be offered Convertible, What does the future hold?

All I can say on our future is that we are inspired by our past. By that I mean the classic Mini spawned many variants and we are busily working away!

12) How has the existence of MINI2 affected things at MINIUSA? Do you personally follow the discussions here? Do others at MINIUSA? Is there any specific example of a change in policy or a change in the car that has come about because of this web site? Please discuss what is either good or bad
about a worldwide network of MINI enthusiasts constantly discussing every aspect of these cars. Do you think BMW AG is paying attention? Will it effect the development of future of the MINI?

We love MINI2 and the other MINI chatrooms. They are great places to foster the MINI club environment and allow people to swap stories, set up meets etc. We do read MINI2 and the other boards as a way of getting feedback from our hardcore followers and I read MINI2 regularly. The are two downsides I would say to internet chatrooms – people can post anything, true or not and it is som3ethimes difficult to authenticate stories that have been posted I’ve seen ones where the story is entirely fabricated). And sometimes the speed of the Net means people can be chatting about an issue and speculating (for example our new shock absorbers – which you are going to love) before anyone is able to substantiate. But on the whole, the web is a great place to share good information and good information can only be a good thing.

13) When will the all new new joint venture BMW-Peugeot PSA MINI engines will be introduced in the US market?

The introduction date for the new engine is some years away yet as start of production for the engine is set for 2006. At the moment, we are entirely focused on this year
and next!

14) What is the inside story on the Aux Port? For those of us who have done a do-it-yourself job, it seems an awful long time to come out with something that even from MINI is just a connector and 1/8″ jack?

We have been working on a fix for this for some time as we know it’s something you would like. As I write, we have a dealer-installed optional aux port almost ready.

15) If low sulphur diesel fuel is ever offered in North America, will MINI consider importing the new 1.4L MINI One “D” model on sale overseas?

The MINI One Diesel is a great car – I’ve driven it and it’s a really punchy unit. The diesel market is much bigger in Europe where gas prices are so much higher the fuel is of superior grade. Also, diesel as a propulsion system has come on tremendously with the advent of common rail technology. BMW Group is a proponent of diesel and we
participate in events in the USA to educate the public on its benefits. As we do this, we will be watching the situation for the time when the market becomes suitable for a diesel MINI.

16) The MINI is notorious for the amount of soil and water it propels onto it’s own backside. Has MINIUSA fielded many requests for better rear window cleaning mechanisms? Have any solutions been offered?

I sympathize! My cars get dirty too and it is a feature of cars with an upright rear-end that a vortex is created that sucks dirt onto the car. While I don’t like the
car getting dirty, the only solution I have is to keep it clean. My personal experience is that the rear wiper works just fine.

17) I understand you come from a marketing/communications background. How did you come to head MINIUSA operations, and what do you find most rewarding about managing MINIUSA? Describe the culture of the MINIUSA workplace. Is the culture of the MINI ad campaigns reflected in the MINIUSA workplace? Is MINIUSA primarily a communications outlet for BMW North America?

You’re right – I was head of BMW NA’s Corporate Communications department. I was an early advocate to bring MINI to the U.S. and as the project was progressing
I was offered the chance to run it as a semi-autonomous business within BMW NA. I couldn’t turn that down!

We are a small team and we work in our own distinct environment within BMW NA. I would say there are definite traits of the Ad campaign in our office and we do have a great time even though we are very busy.

MINI USA is more than communications – we are responsible for defining the product for the U.S. market, setting pricing, bringing in the cars from England, working with dealers, defining the marketing campaign, and making a profit too! We do use the bigger BMW NA machine to help us with some of the work, but as you might guess, with so few of us, we are pretty busy

18) I owned a first year Saturn, and I see some similarities  in the owner experience with the MINI such as fellow-owners acknowledging each other on the road, owner rallies, the experience of owning a new unique model car with limited availability, and the process of spec’ing a car from the factory. Obviously, the Saturn rallies have subsided and owners generally no longer acknowledge one another. How will MINI keep the excitement
for the MINI alive?

I have been surprised and delighted to see the way in which the MINI culture has spread with our owners. I get flashed on my way to work and there is something about a MINI ‘pops’ on the road. You might pass twenty other models without seeing them but you can’t miss a MINI. We are finding already that people are coming back for their second and third MINI because the product substance is there. The car looks great, but over time owners get used to that, but when they drive another car they soon realize what they’re missing. We have just launched the John Cooper Works S that is selling well, and we have announced a Convertible model for later next year too. I think you’ll find that the MINI ‘buzz’ will keep on buzzing.

19) My only “major” disappointment with the MINI is the lack of LOW END TORQUE. Many other owners and quite a few members of the automotive press have also noted this deficiency. Does MINI plan to improve low end torque in future MINIs? If so; how does MINI plan on doing this?

You know, I love the way MINIs drive. You do have to work them to hit the sweet spot but I think they’re all the more rewarding for that. MINI was never about being
a muscle car it was about agility and handling. Our powertrain engineers worked very hard to reach a good performance level yet balance out emissions and economy and their efforts gave us the torque curve we know today. Overall, I think the MINI engines are just great – you don’t get to win 2003 North American Car of the Year without being a good car to drive!

20) Will new interior options and colours become available?

We are always looking to enhance and improve our cars and so yes, we will introduce new options and colors over time, but of course I can’t go in to detail.

20.5) I have the heated seats in my car, which I like very much on a cold winter day. But my husband refers to the two heat settings as ballburner and nutroaster.

So my question is, when you tested the seat heaters, were you wearing boxers or briefs

Ha! There are some things that I just can’t divulge…