[~Marcus~]

My Toyota Celica VVTi is going back to the company in June and I'm ordering my Cooper next week, I've been ogling the gallery on this site and reading through posts for weeks now and have finally come up with my spec:

MINI COOPER 1.6 4-CYL 16V £11 Black II Solid Cloth/Leather seats KALEIDO-Blk/Red w/ silver interior

CHILI Pack
6 Disc CD Boot Changer
Air Conditioning Manual
Darkened Glass
Harman Kardon - Hi-Fi
Head Airbags-Front & Rear
Heated Mirrors/Washerjets
Multi-function on S/Wheel
Remote Control Alarm
Roof&Mirror Caps in White
White Bonnet Stripes
White Rear Lights, indicators and repeaters

What do you think? This is going to cost me £15k but when I got a quote for the minimum spec I was prepared to accept (Pepper + Aircon + Changer + Alarm) it was only £30 difference on the monthly payments!

I hired a base spec Cooper fo a weekend and I absolutely loved it, as fast as my Celica and much nippier! The base spec was absolutely desolate though and don't like the black interior as it doesn't look right with the funky dashboard so I'm going for the bright red / silver combo.

Anyway thanks for helping me choose my Mini Mini2 people!

[Tracie]

Hellooo.....Nice spec...personally I wouldn't bother with the heated washers and mirrors, I know a few on here have had problems with the jets freezing up in the icy weather.....maybe opt for the Vis pack instead (heated windscreen, sensor wipers and auto dimming rear view mirror)...have you thought of ASC+T ?, thats another good option to have...

[ALD0]

Nice Spec

What made you choose the Head air bags?

[Restyle]

What made you choose a Cooper ??
If you`re happy to be spending around the £15k region, I personnally cant see why anyone woudnt go for a MCS with Chilli pack unless insurance is holding you back.


Oh yes ... Welcome to MINI2

[JTT]

The MCS is £16205 with just the chili pack, and thats not including any of the other options you may want like a CD player etc. Plus better mpg for a MC. Thats why I chose a MC anyway

[colorblind]

6 Disc CD Boot Changer

why dont you buy an Apple Ipod with the Denison Ice Link. Its about the same Price as the Changer and you have 10000 Songs in your Car instead of only 6 CD´s.

Air Conditioning Manual

good choice - better than the Automatic

Darkened Glass

I wouldn´t take darkened Glass, personally i think it Ruins the nice Sideline the MINI have bacause the Glascolor changes in the middle.

Harman Kardon - Hi-Fi

Yeah

Head Airbags-Front & Rear

Yep, Security first

Heated Mirrors/Washerjets

Yep

Multi-function on S/Wheel

a must have...

Remote Control Alarm

I think you can spare that one nobody is scared of Car Alarm

What about the S-Spoke Wheels - i think a MINI is only a real MINI with S-Spoke Wheels. and i would also recommend the Spare Tyre. it costs nothing and you have an emergency Wheel when you replace the Runflats with normal Tyres for better Ride Quality.

Personally i think the Alloy Interior looks better than the Silver Interior - its not so Plastic.

And last but not least - take COSMIC BLACK. its much easier to clean !!!!


Hope you enjoy your Car....

Greetz Andreas /Berlin

[JTT]

I thought the space saver spare wheel was £40?

[~Marcus~]

Glad you like my spec!

I might give the heated washers a miss if they're no good - thanks for the tip - will check out the visibility pack. Does the heated windscreen have visible elements? I drove a Mondeo and my eyes kept focusing on the windscreen heater elements which was annoying!

I chose the head airbags as I'm cautious about crash safety as I have been in serious accidents - most memorable was my mother's Fiat 126 being squashed by a Range Rover! (we were all ok) - I was looking at an Alfa 147 but was put off by its NCAP test result. As the Mini is a small car - albeit a safe one - maximum airbags needed I think!

I'm choosing a Cooper as my insurance will be high - I have no NCD and have been driving for less than two years, in that time I've amassed two minor novice driver mishaps on the company insurance (one car park wall interace, the other I hit a sofa!) and soon after passing my test I completely misjudged the time it takes a light to go from amber to red and got 3 points courtesy of a flashing traffic signal camera! (watch out for those people!) I'm a safe driver now though, honest! Cheapest quote I got is £1100 courtesy What Car? Insurance which is basically Liverpool Victoria as recommended on this site. Also as I live in London with a speed camera every few yards, the Cooper has enough performance for me anyway.

Does anyone have an idea as to how much my dealer will charge for fitting my white lenses?

I have spoken to two Mini dealers and they both have a case of nocallbackitus - guess they're not hungry for sales...

[~Marcus~]

Quote:

why dont you buy an Apple Ipod with the Denison Ice Link. Its about the same Price as the Changer and you have 10000 Songs in your Car instead of only 6 CD´s.

I did think of an Ipod but was worried about the tiny controls on it, I understand from Denison ICE Link that this means you control the Ipod through your stereo, is that right?

Quote:

wouldn´t take darkened Glass, personally i think it Ruins the nice Sideline the MINI have bacause the Glascolor changes in the middle

Good point - didn't think of that. Hmmm. I decided against a sunroof for similar reasons - it spoils the separate roof look.

Harman Kardon - Hi-Fi - the standard hi fi in the MC I hired was lacking in presence which I need for my R&B addiction!

Quote:

What about the S-Spoke Wheels -

I prefer the look of the 5 star and won't 16 inch wheels give a better ride - I drive on London's awful patchwork streets.

Quote:

And last but not least - take COSMIC BLACK. its much easier to clean !!!! -

I have a gang of chaps down at the local car wash who do that for me for £5! I think the solid look is more stealthy if you know what I mean, and fits in with my monochrome exterior theme...

This speccing thing is fun!

[colorblind]

@JTT sorry wanted to write: nearly nothing compared to the cost of Runflats vs non Runflats

@maxxUK the Denison ICE LINK Controls the Ipod via the Multifunctional Steering Wheel...you can skip forward and backward through playlists you prepare on the Ipod.
The Denison switches the Ipod on and Off and provides Power so you can easily forget about the ipod. You have to use the slot off your CD Changer for the Denison so therefor my advice to think about it before you buy the CD Changer.

"I think the solid look is more stealthy if you know what I mean" i know what you mean

"Does the heated windscreen have visible elements?" Yes and it is anoying

[Tracie]

i have the heated windscreen and I don't find the elements annoying..they are hardly noticable imo...Saves having the blower on when the rain steams up the windows...and lets not forget the frosty weather!

[~Marcus~]

First spec change after viewing photos of darkened rear glass-

Darkened glass - out! Don't like front/rear mismatch
ASC+T - in! As it's a safety feature but more because having one blank in the row of switches would be annoying!

Still considering visibility pack...

[BooMin]

Maxx.
Traction Control is a MUST have. Why? Not because of a lack of grip or anything, but so that you get the whole set of silver switches at the bottom of the central console and not a gap and a blanking grommet which looks awful. It's £100 very well spent!
(Comes as standard on the 'S')

[NED]

Gotta be Solid Black Maxx............and big ol' white 17"ers!!!

[stephenfroude]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tracie

i have the heated windscreen and I don't find the elements annoying..

I'm with you on this, I hardly notice them at all. You also get the auto dipping rear view mirror and rain sensitive windscreen wipers... very cool.

I changed my order at the last minute, dropping the climate control and opting for the visibility pack instead (keeping manual air con). Money well spent I think.

[richhamer]

My heated jets have never frozen. I find it a useful feature as it clears the frosty screen, but, if its so cold the water in the tank freezes....yer stuck!

never noticed the mirrors heating up. It not work for all I know!!

I would definatly order multi function wheel though. I didn't and regret it.

[~Marcus~]

Well today I placed my order - £1000 winging its way out of my account as we speak!

The spec is as my first post, however I am having Darkened Glass as well as the ASC+T because I saw it in real life (thanks to whoever parked their light blue MCS in the Birmingham Bull Ring this week!) and the salesman said it would look 'wicked!'

Also the salesmen suggested Alloy Patina dash finish rather than silver. he showed it me in an 'S' and it is indeed much more interesting and less plasticky and only £30 extra so that box got ticked.

At first he said the clear rear light lenses got discontinued because the police complained to BMW that they kept pulling over MINI drivers with clear lights and no red reflectors, but apparently they have now been reinstated thank goodness.

Also a comparison with metallic and solid black showed the solid to be blacker so that saved me money.I also got free TLC. Total cost (deep breath) £15,765!!! It sounds a lot until you look what you can get for the same money: Peugeot 307 XSi, Audi A3 1.6, Astra SRi - I know what I would rather have!

I was offered 11 May delivery but I don't need it until Celica goes back in June. And yes, I will be posting pics. I am very excited now and have even gone off my Celica with its grey interior, huge length and zero rear visibility.

I am taking my cousin to order her MC too (She wants Chilli Red/White) and now my brother is thinking of selling his Z4 and getting a MCS so we will be a three MINI family!

[Olly.]

Congrats, looking forward to seeing it.

You've picked nearly the exact same car that I want mine to be next!

[minisoopercooper]

The Alloy patina is damn fine choice if I may say so!

Think I would still ditch the head airbags and get the visibility pack though! It's very good. Heated screen is excellent and while you notice it at first after a few days you dont at all. And lets not forget the auto wipers! No more screeching wipers cause the weather cant make up its mind - worth the money on its own IMHO. And to top it off the auto dimming rear view mirror - great! Love it. All in all the vis pack is a must!

And just to hammer the point home even more - with the heated front screen and auto ac it blances up the buttons on the heater controls so you have four!
Top left = front screen
bottom left = back screen
Top right = A/C on
bottom right = recirculate ac button

see pic!




hope this helps!

Paul