Visual Boost - no longer an option

[zippy.mini]

I posted this in a thread but thought I would start a thread because it might be important to people looking at spec'ing a new car at the moment.

I just ordered a new MCS and spec'd Visual Boost as I didn't want Sat Nav or Mini Connected. My salesman thought it was fine, right until it came to putting the order through on the computer and it wouldn't let him. He asked his colleague and was told that you can no longer spec Visual Boost on it's own, you now have to order the full Media Pack! Which suggests that you now have to have the Mini Connected and Full Bluetooth too (I did spec the BT anyway). This has only come in during the last couple of weeks so not all salesmen are aware. And you can still do it on the configurator on the Mini website.

I heard from a colleague of mine who was spec'ing up a BMW that they've done something similar there too and again, not all salesmen are aware of it there either. He spec'd a lease car through his company, the lease company were fine with it, the BMW dealer was fine with it, but the factory refused the order!

[outpost]

I had the same problem a few weeks back when I was changing the spec on my order ( I think I posted in another thread about it). I'd originally ordered the Media Pack, but wanted to add the leather seats, so decided to drop the Sat Nav and just go for the Visual Boost, with Mini Connected and Hifi (which the configurator allowed me to do) When I got to the dealer, he informed me that they had received an email, which said the Media Pack now had to be ordered in Full. Anyway, the dealer was pretty good, and we worked out a deal, which gave me my leather seats for very little extra.

Update ... I just went back on to the Configurator, and it will still let you specify what is effectively the Media Pack without the Sat Nav (so beware if you are speccing one up).