[pandora2000]

MINI have agreed to take my original Cooper back due to a mix of the well publicised problems.

I re-ordered yesterday, here's the spec -

Indie Blue/ White Roof
Chilli + full leather + 17" Wheels
Minidisc + 6 CD Changer
Climate Control
Sunroof
Multi-func. steering wheel
Alarm
ASC+T
Heated washers & Headlamp wash
Heated seats
Spotlights

Delivery early March. Here's hoping it's fault free.

P2K

 

[Dave Wright]

And some of the motoring press thought BMW wouldn't make any money on the Mini selling it at £11,600. I think BMW have done their homework very well.

 

[pandora2000]

Can't see them making much from me R&W2.

2 Cars for the price of 1, and a good few thousand miles done in the first one doesn't seem to be all that profitable.

I guess you are referring to the high spec.

For me buying a MINI was a choice between the following -

1. Buy a MINI and fully load it.

2. Buy a 2.2 Z3 or TT and struggle to afford the options.

I guess you see what I decided.

 

[Dave Wright]

One of the Mini's biggest successes must be the wide range of customers it has attracted. One of the salesman I spoke to mentioned this. I was in the market for a £12K hot hatch/small coupe, the "obvious" target customer, but there are many like yourself who could potentially have bought something much more exotic.

I would have thought the Cooper S was a better option up against a TT, but there is the long waiting list.

 

[Kinster]

Pandora,

Is the spec below the same as what you originally ordered?

MINI have agreed to take my original Cooper back due to a mix of the well publicised problems.

I re-ordered yesterday, here's the spec -

Indie Blue/ White Roof
Chilli + full leather + 17" Wheels
Minidisc + 6 CD Changer
Climate Control
Sunroof
Multi-func. steering wheel
Alarm
ASC+T
Heated washers & Headlamp wash
Heated seats
Spotlights

Delivery early March. Here's hoping it's fault free.

P2K

 

[pandora2000]

Almost,

My original was BRG (I'm now a member of the green cars are unlucky club) + stripes.

It didn't have the following -

17" wheels
Multi-funtion wheel
auto aircon (it had manual)
headlight washers

But it did have blacked out windows which I'm not going for in mkII.

The options I added weren't available when I got the first one.

 

[Basil]

I would have thought the Cooper S was a better option up against a TT, but there is the long waiting list.

The front wheel drive TT in Australia is $69,000AU, the Cooper S is $39,990AU. BIG $ difference.

In the UK the TT Quattro is the same price as my Forester GT (Forester Turbo S in the UK) is in Austrlia.

The HSV Holden Commodore's are marketed against M5 BMW's in the UK, on performance AND price. It's all about perceived customers is it not. If in Australia someone said you can have a Holden HSV or a BMW M5 for the same price, HSV would go broke in a week!!.

Getting back to the point. If BMW have to replace a vehicle, they lose money. If someone could explain how it could possibly be the other way around, i'm listening.

To hear that a company is to "replace" a vehicle, is mind numbing.

If my S get's to that stage, BMW offering to replace it will be the least of their financial concerns.

cheers

 

[Basil]

Pandora2000

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the problems your car had, can you list them here, and then explain why you would want another MINI?

Would BMW have given you your money back for instance ?

cheers

 

[pandora2000]

Pull to the left.
Faulty fuel gauge.
Incurable rattles in both doors, the dash, and the back seats.
Front seats were really squeaky, and the plastic panels on the back clicked really loudly when they were sat in.

The car also had quite a few other minor problems which had been sorted to some degree on one of it's three lengthy trips to the service dept.

The replacement occurred because after three goes at repair I refused to allow them another. Since we started talking replacement my dealer has been absolutely brilliant.

Money back was never mentioned. I'm prepared to try another MINI because it's a great car, and I feel that a lot of the problems must have been down to early build problems.

 

[Basil]

Thanks for that.

Better luck with your new one.....

cheers

 

[Dave Wright]

Originally posted by Basil

Getting back to the point. If BMW have to replace a vehicle, they lose money. If someone could explain how it could possibly be the other way around, i'm listening.

My reference to BMW making money on the Mini was not to Pandora's replacement car, but (as he suspected) the high spec.

When the Cooper was launched at a list price of £11,600, this caused a stir in the UK motoring press as on face-value it is very competitive. There was speculation that they wouldn't make any money or perhaps the development costs had been written off in the sale of Rover. My point is I don't know anyone who has bought a Cooper for £11,600. I struggled to keep the price of mine to £13K and Pandora's must be approaching £16K. More-over, judging by the cars I've seen at dealers and the specs posted on this forum, high-spec Minis are very common, if not the norm.

I think BMW have been very clever in their pricing (if not their development testing).

 

[smartbomb]

The Audi TT reminds me of Lee Shapre during his time with Manchester United....looks the same if it's coming towards you or going away from you...

 

[pandora2000]

But can it do the Lee Sharpe shuffle?

 

[smartbomb]

The TT can do the Klinsmann dive....
The MINI can do Nobbys dance....
!!

 

[Jnr_Seahorse]

Pandora,

Have you seen any genuine photos of the Blue & White Cooper with Bonnet stripes? I'm still looking!

JS

 

[pandora2000]

Not yet Jnr.

I decided against them in the end as I think that whilst my BRG looks great with them on, the blue may not be as good a fit (although I'm told that they do look ok on blue).

I'll get it without the stripes and then can always add them later.

I did however see a red cooper with factory fitted stripes in the week and they did look very slightly better applied than the manual application.

 

[pandora2000]

And here's a pic of how MarkII will look...

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/pandora2000/Cooper MarkII - on order copy.jpg

 

[Basil]

The Audi TT reminds me of Lee Shapre during his time with Manchester United....looks the same if it's coming towards you or going away from you...

Sorry smartbomb, but to my eyes the TT (NOT the roadster) is a masterpiece of design inside and out. If my S does not come up to scratch a Quattro TT it will be. Twice the price admittedly in oz, but an automotive work of art..........

 

[Basil]

And here's a pic of how MarkII will look...

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/pandora2000/Cooper MarkII - on order copy.jpg

Thats a good bit of photoshop work. Didn't the BRG original have stripes as well ?.

Looks good all the same. Nice one

 

[smartbomb]

Basil,
The Audi is a great piece of design, but IMHO looks too similar when viewed from either end. It's now becoming a fairly common sight which has diluted any originaliy it had....Sorry to disagree, I just personally think it has been inspired by a jelly mould and a 5 year old's doodle !
For great design inside and out I'd rather have a Smart !