Official MINI latest news by DPMINI Aaron

[ONED]

"From Week 27, 2008 Production MINI Hatch models specified with 7AR Factory Aerodynamic Bodykit, will be supplied with the wheel arches in body colour."

.....so does that mean if you want to retain black archs - then you should retro fit the bumpers??
ie....you have now choice on arch colour with the Aerokit

[rogan200]

Quote: Originally Posted by ONED (original)

I need more info on : A93 Horizon Blue metallic!!!

light or dark? ......bring back indie!

My dealer says he has info it will be darker. He also says the factory JCW is likely to be available in all colours next year once there will be be sufficient lead time on cars for the factory to order in bodykits in needed colours (whereas now they have to have them in stock and its not possible to have all colours with and without PDC sensors too.)

Quote: Originally Posted by ONED (original)

"From Week 27, 2008 Production MINI Hatch models specified with 7AR Factory Aerodynamic Bodykit, will be supplied with the wheel arches in body colour."

.....so does that mean if you want to retain black archs - then you should retro fit the bumpers??
ie....you have now choice on arch colour with the Aerokit

This relates to the optional factory fit bodykit on the non JCW cars. (which looked wrong with black arches). The JCW Aerokit fitted as standard to the JCW car, and available as a dealer fit accessory for all others, will still have the black plastic arches.

[1 AJC]

Darker than....?

[rogan200]

Quote: Originally Posted by 1 AJC (original)

Darker than....?

Sorry.. darker than lightening blue that it is replacing

[ViscountCharles]

The JCW bodykit always looked like it was designed for the standard black arches, and looks fine when the arches are left plain; whereas the factory aero kit always looked like it was designed for body-coloured arches, and looks stupid with the standard black ones. So that at least was a smart move.

Meanwhile, I look forward to causing a misery for someone over the "stealth price increase" of the Clubman with the roof rack situation, and the JCW "unique feature" of the 160mph speedo.

[DPMINI Aaron]

As Requested By Miniac Heres The New Works Wheels Pix

[DPMINI Aaron]

Mini Have The R112's On Hold And Cannot Be Ordered Without A Valid Works Or Challenge Car Chassis Number. £175 Per Wheel If They Were Available.

The R113's Are £1564.99 Inc Vat For A Set With P Zero's Rubber In Either Gloss Black Or Burnished. Or £249.23 Inc Vat Per Wheel Without Tyre.

Mini Will Insist On Their Steering Limiters Being Fitted When Any 18" Are Fitted And Also Insist On A Full Kds Wheel Allignment So Beware The Extra £200 Charge.

[MINIAC]

I assume the R114 wheels will come with the 185/50-17 winter tires:

[ontheroadagain]

Quote: Originally Posted by DPMINI Aaron (original)

The attached photo shows how the new car will look when ordered with Roof rails ( running the length of the roof ) onto which roof bars can be clamped when they become available.

I will give more info as I get it.

After another go round with ASK MINI here in the states and speaking with a different Customer Rep who listened to my questions and then called me back within about 40 minutes... Here is the word on the roof rails that are an option on the 2009 Clubman: MINI will be issuing cross bars that one can purchase and the weight for the use with these rails and cross bars will be "up to 165 lbs". She said they will be like the ones that BMW has on their X whatever models (my terms are the "whatever"...I can't remember which ones she said). I believe this info should be helpful to those who are considering this with their 2009 orders. *She did say that this information should be going out to their dealerships very soon."

[Streeters]

I cant believe my 2 fave colours in trhe pallette are going the blue is the only colour i've seen so far on a clubman that i like . Gutted

[Myro]

Well, finally it works. Thanks to Zeddy's post, I made a pit-stop to my local bike shop. They had the Thule fit kit (# 2145) for the Mini Cooper (I already hav the bars and the Aero 400 foot). I told him that it should fit. And he told me that I can bring it back for refund (very nice shop rackultra.ca).

I can understand why people had difficulty installing it. The bolts are really on the last thread when you try to slip the end under the gutter. Unscrew half a turn too much and it falls out of the hole. But once you get the hang of it, 5 minutes and it's installed. Perfect fit. Only 60$ if you already have the kit. And you can space the bars to fit your equipment (the gutter ruan all the way to the back on the car.

I can go on vacations with my new toy.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[schatzy62]

Quote: Originally Posted by Myro (original)

Well, finally it works. Thanks to Zeddy's post, I made a pit-stop to my local bike shop. They had the Thule fit kit (# 2145) for the Mini Cooper (I already hav the bars and the Aero 400 foot). I told him that it should fit. And he told me that I can bring it back for refund (very nice shop rackultra.ca).

I can understand why people had difficulty installing it. The bolts are really on the last thread when you try to slip the end under the gutter. Unscrew half a turn too much and it falls out of the hole. But once you get the hang of it, 5 minutes and it's installed. Perfect fit. Only 60$ if you already have the kit. And you can space the bars to fit your equipment (the gutter ruan all the way to the back on the car.

I can go on vacations with my new toy.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had tried this an it was very unstable. In fact i found that with just very little effort, less than 38.5lbs lbs (test routine listed below) of of pull the on the crossbar the bracket would come loose because the rain gutter is a rather flexible rubber/plastic that bends very easily. This is NOT a secure mounting. It was also very very very easy to get the racks to slide along the roof edge thus again making them not secure enough to hold any weight.

Testing was done with a large fish scale that had a range of 15 to 50 lbs.

I put the rack parts on and tightened the foot and kit until there was just a slightest (less than 1/64 inch) flex in the rain gutter on all four feet.

I then took the fish scale and hooked it around the end of the crossbar and pulled horizontal toward the front, then the back and then vertical straight up. I did not test by pulling vertical down.

Every time the i did a pull test on any of the cross bars the bar released and pulled off the rain gutter before getting to 50 lbs of pull. the weakest pull was on the front bar on either side pulling toward the front. These released at 38.5 lbs and 39 lbs of pull.

Now some people may say who cars what the pull preasure is to get it to release toward the front. Well just remember that what ever weight you have up there will put forward force on the bars during slowing or stopping action of the car.

Now lets take the weight of a bicycle at 40 lbs. What is the force that the bicycle is putting on the rack when it is on top of the car and trying to be stopped. It can vary from just around 40 lbs at a slow down (0 to .1 g's) to to well over that, depending on the rate of slowdown.

I could get into all the mathematics behind it, but it could easily be as much as 2 g's or twice the weight of the bicycle. That means that hte bicycle is exerting 80 lbs or more of force against the rack in a forward motion. Even with both front and back crossbars mounted at both ends to the car this could still spell disaster for just one bicycle. Now put tow or three put there and the forces are multiplied.

I do not see this as a good solution.

I just pray that you do not loose any thing that you put on your rack.

Also one other thing that i need to mention is on the placement of the foot on the side of the "Dune"

In putting the foot on he side of the dune like you have also spells for disaster. When the objects on the rack press down on the foot they can make the foot slide down the side of the Dune and in turn loosen up the bracket (clip) that fits over the bottom of the rain gutter.

Again in this situation g-forces must be taken into account. The downward g-force on that foot for a 40 lbs bike can exceed 4-5 g's (bike now weighs 160 to 200 lbs) of force as you hit a pot hole or other immovable object. Putting that much down force on that foot WILL make it move some and even as little as 1/64 of an inch will cause the bracket (clip) to be to loose to hold the rack in place.

I would suggest that you grab the bar and lift yourself off the ground and see how much that foot moves and how much the bracket (clip) loosens up. I think you will be surprised.

[ONED]

[Tracie]

Any more slight changes or tweaks DPMINIAraron in the next few weeks or is that it?

[ontheroadagain]

Any more hints, photos, color shots, etc., of the soon to be known as color of Horizon Blue?