[chicagochick]

howdy all,

this is my very first post. i'm going to be putting in an order for a cooper S tomorrow here in chicago, and i am bursting at the seams with excitement. i've been lusting after this car for months. my car is black with white mirror/roof, with sport and cold weather package, all-season tires, leatherette interior, xenons and fogs.

there are two silly aesthetic things i can't decide after ALL the research i have done: whether or not to get bonnet stripes, and whether or not to get driving lamps. they are both so great but i could also see myself regretting the decision at a later time.

what are your coopers like!? any advice?

thanks,
chicagochick
ps are there many women on this forum?

[Humourl3ss]

Welcome to mini2.com

1. Get the stripes. You can always have them taken off or replaced with viper stripes at a later date.
2. Lamps definitely give the car that butch rally look. However, the standard MINI ones aren't inexpensive. I like 'em, but I wouldn't spend money on them.
3. Yes, there are plenty of women here. They keep us men in line.

-CW

[LuckyRVA]

Yes, with the black, go with the strips!! I have them and love them. If you can justify spending the money on the driving lamps, go for them. I coulnd't at the time, and often wished I had just splerged(sp?) for them, especially when driving through non-lit areas(not around the city) and authetically they look great IMHO!

Quote:

Originally posted by chicagochick

ps are there many women on this forum?

Check out the "Off Topic and Banter" forum for most of the ladies.



Jason

[dinlo]

Welcome to MINI2

[chicagochick]

thanks guys,

you folks seem really nice. i do believe mini owners are some good people!

i still can't decide about the stripes. looks like i'll have to make an impulsive decision tomorrow! my mum says they make the car look like a skunk.

but i do think i will get the driving lamps. they're too cool, man.

~sruti

[fishie <///><]

if you decide on the driving lamps, you'd have to get the stripes to go with the spots! the stripes will be fitted at the dealer when your baby arrives anyway, so you have plenty of time to think about it.

by the way, this girlie welcomes you with open arms

[Paul]

Welcome to the site! Check out this discussion to find the MINI drivers of the fairer sex...

Girls in MINI's?

[chicagochick]

it's almost time and i haven't decided...

...you guys rock. glad to see some grrrls around! (hi fishie!) go mini gals!

[MiniMan7]

Welcome to Mini2.

[KarmanS]

Welcome, chicagochick! Glad to have you here. Cheers.

[stormcrow]

Greetings CC, congas on your MINI.

We went for the same colour scheme as yourself B/W, which happens to be the same as our last MINI as well.

Dealer stripes will be on this one too as we feel it ties the car together perfectly.

A skunk? sheesh

[mikeoconnor1]

Were you getting the white wheels with it also? The skunk story gives you car a good name, how about "Pepe"?

[olerud400]

You could just get the doors sprayed white, add a light bar, and go on the search for Jake and Elwood They might actually stop for a girl from chicago!

Adam

[chicagochick]

i'm getting silver wheels.

decided against the harman kardon speakers. my mum and dad are debating whether i ought to be driving manual!

any suggestions for how to convince them that a 22-year-old girl in the busy downtown area should have stick?

thanks yall.

[olerud400]

Or the more fun? Safer? The more involved you are in the driving experience the more attention you'll pay to your driving aka the safer you'll be? how's that for an angle?

[balance008]

Hey chicagochick!
I'm new too. I'm in chi-town and (don't tell anyone this) I'm a girl too! I bought my MCS on an impulse and I'm loving it! I traded in my Nissan Xterra for this car and already I'm finding more parking spots than ever in the city!
I agree with olerud400. I'm becoming a much better, and safer driver because of the manual transmission. Anyone who knows me knew I was reckless on the road with my Xterra.
And don't forget about all the gas money you'll be saving!

[Linda M]

Welcome chicagochick

[stormcrow]

A MINI is about pure fun. You really want to taint that experience and get an automatic expecially when it has such a superb gearbox?

You will have absolutely no problems zipping round town once you get the hang of it.

There simply is no better way to get 'involved' with a car than drive manual.

I've driven two automatics in my time and they were the dullest driving experiences I have ever had. The only exciting part was pulling away, went for the clutch and almost ended up through the windscreen.

[Pebbles]

Welcome to MINI2! -- I'm a lady MINI lover!! I don't have a MINI yet, My lease is up in Dec so I get to order my MCS in July!! I only see a MINI every other week or so here in Austin Texas. The MINIs I see Zoom past me so fast on the street I can't tell if they are a Cooper or MCS.

I personally love the bonnet stripes. I don't care much about the driving lights, only because it's just something else for some idiot to rip off in the middle of the night.

MINIs are all about YOU! Customize the car to fit yourself perfectly. Out of 100,000 MINIs made only 5% have an exact duplicate twin somewhere in the world! So get exactly what you want and MOTOR ON!

[Pebbles]

Oh, and about getting the 6 speed! It's the only way the MCS comes! Is this a way for your parents to have you in a MINI without a Supercharger?

If you want a Cooper, I'd still get the 5 speed!! I would tell your Mom and Dad about it being better miles per gallon, it's the standard transmission so not going to cost more like the auto tranny, you could exaggerate that there could be trouble with the new type CVT tranny being only the 2nd year in production and being so young you have to have reliable transportation (use this if you get desperate)...

or you could do it the old fashioned way, tell your parents that they "may be correct" about the auto transmission, never really agreeing and never really telling them all the details of your order and then tell the salesman you want the 5 speed !!!

Then when the car comes in... well, it came with a 5 speed and you love it. They'll say We thought you were getting the auto and you can then say, because you are an adult and this is your car, oh at the last minute I went with the 5 speed to save money on the gas... what can they say? You're a woman who made a decision about what she wants! You saved $1200 and is spending less for gas.

However, if this car is being bought by them for you to use, you pretty much have to get the car they want you to have for their own reasons, unless you can convince them the 5 speed is easy for you to use and you'd like it.

Good luck with it!!