This is another reason why I am happy with BMW Insurance. They know a LOT about the MINI. Apparantly a HUGE portion of their customer base now is MINI drivers, so they are really trying to pocket the market.
yeah but they were over 50% more expensive on our quote! the thing to do is call every freephone number in the Yellow Pages (or any other fine classified advertisment type directory thing!)
Yikes! They were the second cheapest I could find (and I looked hard and long) but the cheapest (admiral) didn't offer cover that was anything like as good as BMWs!
Having just spent the best part of 2 days shopping around for Insurance for my Cooper S, I have managed to save £380... I found Chris Knott to be the best option, I could have saved even more but I needed to have a tracker fitted.
Just for the record:
My renewal with RAC was £1349
Mini's own insurance £1305
Chris Knott £980
Greenlight £850 (with tracker)
Direct Line, Norwich Union etc were all over £1500!
Definitely pays to shop around, even though it is very tedious.
Once again all, thanks
I didn't have time to call anyone today but I will add all the new recommendations to the list and phone around Friday.
I agree with the Chili Pack, the few I have phoned have all had it doen with the MCS as a serperate car type, i.e. " Is that the Mini Cooper S Chilli Pack sir, or just the Mini Cooper S"?
Not only does this site have a specific selection of "MINI Cooper S", but it also has all the links and more importantly, the phone numbers, for most of the very best UK Insurance companies.
I recommend that you try calling most of the insurance companies, as for some, they offer cheaper and more trustworthy quotes than on the web.
(Esure for instance cannot quote on the web, unless you have a Registration Number for your car. For my new MINI Cooper S, that didn't have a Registration Number allocated to it, I had to phone them - although that may now have changed).
Oh, and mine was:
PRICE: £802
FROM: esure
MILEAGE: 25,000 miles per annum
NCD: atleast 5 years
POINTS: 6-points
AGE: I am 32
EXCESS: £100
KEPT: Driveway
MODIFIED: Yes. Bonnet stripes
(Insurance companies can default on paying out if you don't tell them of even the smallest modification. esure told me on numerous occasions that modifications like stripes might make the car more 'alluring' to thieves. You've [all] been warned - check your policies - PLEASE!).
Finally, always ensure that you inform the insurance company both verbally and in writing of EVERY OPTION that you add to your MINI (like leather seats, CD/radio, Air-con, Chili pack, etc) because without mentioning it up front and insisting that their value is also insured, if your car is stolen or written-off, you are very likely to only be refunded the List-Book value EXCLUSIVE OF OPTIONS! You've [all] been warned - again -
I followed someone else's advice here & called Esure in the UK. Got a quote with my wife as 1st named driver (no convictions, full NCB etc,) self as 2nd named driver. Esure came up with £418 for the year - best quote by miles, and that included protection of NCB and legal cover and spreading payments over 12 months. In other words I could have got it for less! Dam fine quote I thought & I'll be going ahead with them in 27 days time.
Chilli pack certainly does effect the insurance. It moved mine by £112 upwards. Norwich union list the Chilli as: Replacment seat, sports suspension and non manufacture alloys. Despite my best efforts to explain that the sport suspension was standard and the alloys were MINI, they were having non of it.
Try upping your voluntry excess, or adding your wife as a named driver. The wife with her squeeky clean record saved me about £100 and upping the excess to £500 saved me a further £60.
The best was Norwich union at £540 for my circumstances, and they are doing a £20 cash back deal on top of that.
Funny isn't it, I was already insured with Norwich Union on my old car, but when I phoned to change my insurance for my new S in January, the person I spoke didn't seem to even know that such a thing as a Chili pack existed. Anyway the quote they gave me was about the same as Mini Cover would give me and Mini would reprotect my NCD (I lost the protecting due to a couple of mishaps).
Second that! I must of phoned 15-20 insurance people, all asked exactly the same questions, all gave different quotes and held different views on the Chilli pack. I did try the BMW/MINI insurance, about £120 more but at least understood the Chilli thing. Cant wait untill next year and I have to do it all again
I collect my car on Friday, the MINI adventure will begin.
Right, I have phoned a couple of recommended companies.
All quotes are with the Chilli pack, 32 yrs young, good postcode, garaged, full NCB, protected NCB, Business Class 1 use, no points or convictions.
Autotorque... Very helpful and friendly. The best qoute I got was approx. £650 BUT they didn't accept any mods so the next best was £731 with NU. Mods will add approx 10%-15%.
Mini Insurance... They quoted me £618. They do accept mods so for the Hartge conversion with approx. 30% increase in BHP I was quoted £908 and increase the excess to £450. I think that if you want to change wheels and suspension and brakes there may be an additonal premium
Direct Line... £619, but won't accept mods that produce greater than 20% more power
Esure... the best quote at £524 with £250 xs, but won't accept any mods. Real shame!
I am yet to call BMW Insurance (anyone got a number?) and Elephant.
As you can see a mixed bunch and actually only 2 that will accept the Hartge conversion and that weighs in at a hefty £900+. Thats as much as my current 310Bhp Impreza P1
Is there anyone here with the Hartge conversion willing to give details of their insurance costs and companies?
Hi, have you tried getting a quote from Mini themselves through the official website?, I got quoted £630ish which is only £80 more than my current MG ZR 105 group 8. my quote was based on 29, 12 years NCB, no points, no claims, really dodgy postcode, but garaged. seemed quite reasonable to me.
- Go to http://www.mini.co.uk.
- Click on the heading "> MINI COVER QUOTE & BUY" in the lower right of the homepage.
- Scoll down their information to reveal the phone number: 0870 024 6464
All the best (and if you need anymore insurance help I might be able to help you),
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Bit happier 
so the next best was £731 with NU. Mods will add approx 10%-15%.
and increase the excess to £450. I think that if you want to change wheels and suspension and brakes there may be an additonal premium 
