[LostBoyScout]

Sorry to be such a newbie and all, but... I am one

Here's the deal: I drive a well tuned Jetta, and I want to buy a Cooper S at the end of the year. I know it's not that simple, so my question is, how difficult would it be for me to score one? This is for Vancouver Canada. Would I need to make a DP now, or how long would I be able to wait? or am I already screwed?

I really know squat about what's going on, so also if I wait till the next batch how long will I be waiting..

Any and all info you guys have on the cooper S happenings would be great! I'm not in a hurry but I want to get in if I can!

 

[MGB Boy]

Hard to say really, they seem to be handling things differently in Canada. They've announced the dealers here in the U.S. (even if the paperwork is still being sorted), and some have been taking deposits for almost a year. MINI Canada haven't even announced the list of dealers yet, just what cities those dealers will be in, so I don't know who you would give you deposit to. Has a BMW dealer in Vancouver told you they know they'll be a MINI dealer? Hopefully another reader from Canada can be more helpful than me!

I was considering trying to buy a MINI in Montreal, as it is about an hour closer for me than any U.S. dealer (plus the exchange rate is nice), but all that talk of non-exportation agreements seems to have put the kibosh on that. Oh well, I've had my deposit in with a U.S. dealer for months now, I guess I'll just wait it out...

-Ricardo

 

[LostBoyScout]

Thanks for the info, I read today in our local paper the 2 dealers in Vancouver, I guess I should go talk to them. I'm not ready to put a deposit in quite yet, but if I need to I may be able to!

Congrats on your purchase btw, you got the exact colour combo I want too! (I may go red/white though, not sure)

 

[MGB Boy]

If you can spare the cash, it wouldn't be a bad idea to put down a deposit. Presuming your dealer isn't completely slimy, it would be 100% refundable up to the point where you actually order a car, and given the expected demand for these things, I'm sure the dealer wouldn't mind sliding you down the the list a bit if you found that your number actually came up sooner than you were ready for and you wanted to put it off a bit. I don't think ANYONE here is concerned about their number coming up too soon, though...

-Ricardo

 

[scollins]

The Canadian dealers are indicated on www.mini.ca. If you look at the 'in-line, on-line' sign-up form, the 14 dealers are listed there:

Halifax, Mont Royal, Laval, Waterloo, Markham, Ottawa East, Oakville, Woodbridge, Downtown (Toronto), Durham, Winnipeg, Yaletown, Victoria, Richmond, Crowfoot

Here's what I can tell you: Canada is getting 3000 cars total. Of those 3000 cars, 20% will be Cooper S's, that's 600. My dealer (a rural dealer) is only getting 77 cars, 14 will be Cooper S's. Vancouver should be a fair sized market, so you should get a few more cars, but Ontario will still eat up a big chunk of the 600. I would guess close to half of the cars.

Shawn

 

[noahe]

How to get a MINI in Canada

That is a good point, unfortunately the list of dealers dosen't have any specifics yet. There are 14 locations, but I would expect more actual dealers, because I know Toronto has at least three.

The Get "In Line Online" with MINI feature is only for the launch edition Cooper, not the Cooper S. That works on a system where you make a $100 donation, and you're in the lottery for a launch edition pre-spec'd Cooper.

Canada is getting 3000 cars, but last time I checked, the split was a guess. I also heard that the revolutionary MINI plant can make any car they want, in singles... They don't have to do a 'run' of one type or colour. So by that logic, there could be as many 'S' models as people order them that way.

I also hear that the dealers do not know how many cars they're getting. MINI Canada has yet to decide if they are going to ration out an equal number to the dealers, or distribute the cars by dealer volume. My BMW dealer is pushing for the volume system, since I'm in Toronto.

So that's a lot of unknowns. I put a deposit on one a little over a year ago, and I'm 21 on their list. If they get at least 21 cars, and there's an 'S' for me, I get one. No real promises, but I think I'm in pretty good shape to get one. Basically, I think an email I got from the MINI.ca site sums it up best:

"Want to avoid having to use one of these methods to get your MINI in Canada?

10) Put your name on the waiting list. Mark 2005 on your calendar.

9) Legally change your name to somebody already on the waiting list.

8) Get part-time valet job. Wait for MINI. Drive off.

7) Sell your soul to the devil. You can always beg for it backlater.

6) Get a job as a pre-delivery inspector. Savour short 5km test drives in customer's new MINI.

5) Apply for job at MINI. Work really, really hard.

4) Use squatters-rights philosophy. Hang around someone else's MINI until it becomes yours.

3) Enter the Witness Relocation Program and hope they give you a MINI.

2) Check out an on-line auction. Someone's sure to be selling their MINI for a million bucks.

1) Two words: Hunger strike. "

I'm not even sure if they're kidding about the 2005 thing. The 3000 cars is a per-year thing, we're not going to get a lot of these things, and the waiting lists are getting longer. MINI Canada has even resorted to making owners sign a non-exportation agreement, and reserves right of first purchase for the first 12 months for all owners. So if you're on the list you can't flip it for a profit, and you certainly cannot ship it to the US.

See your neighbourhood BMW dealer ASAP if you're serious. Be prepared for disappointment. If you do manage to score one, get an alarm system.

 

[MINIAC]

Re: How to get a MINI in Canada

Canada is getting 3000 cars, but last time I checked, the split was a guess. I also heard that the revolutionary MINI plant can make any car they want, in singles... They don't have to do a 'run' of one type or colour. So by that logic, there could be as many 'S' models as people order them that way.

The number of 'S' models coming from the plant is going to be limited by parts (superchargers, 6-speeds, etc) from outside suppliers. Most of those on wait lists are enthusiasts who want the 'S'. Unfortunately, there's not going to be enough of them to meet demand during the first year. Once production gets ramped up, each of the 70 US dealers will probably only get 6-8 'S' models out of the 25 Coopers per month. Don't expect more than a 25% figure for Canada.

 

[LostBoyScout]

Ouch.

Guess it's true that the best things in life don't come easy!

So sounds like the big waiting list is not going to be just a first year thing, eh?

 

[noahe]

I didn't consider the parts limitation. Good point. I heard that CDN dealers are going to get around 10 to 12 per month. With your 25% ratio that 2 or 3 a month. I'm quite certain not everyone on the list ordered an S, so at 21 on the list I should get one a few months in. Certainly I'll get one this year, even if it's late, late this year.

How exactly did "the first quarter of 2002" turn into a "August to September delivery" or possibly a couple of months later I suppose now.

 

[scollins]

If it's of any relevance, the information I have is from MINI Durham, which is the dealership physically attached to BMW Canada HQ. I'd like to assume that they might have access to some pretty prime information at that place.