Mini Cooper in Route Across the Pond

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joey D
  • 272 comments
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M5Power
I don't get it. :confused: Everyone here goes on about how insurance is prohibitive for certain vehicles. For me, gas costs way more per year than insurance.
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Well, there are a lot of factors for how "cheap" your insurance may be;

- The neighborhood its insured in
- What issues people have had with the car (replacement parts, accident prone, etc)
- Student discounts, multiple-line discounts
- Parents on the car instead of you
- Deductible rates
- Other rates (personal protection, etc)

Depends on what you've got, what kind of history you've got, and where you're at. Its really as simple as that.

Full coverage on the Jetta is $120 a month, which isn't horrible (IMO) under my own name, but I could easily get it for cheaper if I changed vehicles or changed a few of my rates.
 
M5Power
I don't get it. :confused: Everyone here goes on about how insurance is prohibitive for certain vehicles. For me, gas costs way more per year than insurance.
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I agree. If I had full coverage it would cost me ~$1800 a year, and I'm spending at least $2500-$3000 on fuel.
 
So yesterday I got up early and went and test drove a few more cars but when all was said and done I ended up back at the Mini dealership to place my order for a 2007 Mini Cooper. The final price after my trade in was a little over $19,000 which isn't all that bad considering it's going to be a brand new car.

I opted for the sparkling silver metallic colour which is a darker silver with black bonnet stripes, black roof and wing mirrors. As for the options I went with the 6 spd automatic with flappy paddles, hi-fi sound system, Xenon headlamps w/ washers, the cold weather package (heated seats, heated mirrors, heated windscreen washer fluid, power folding mirrors), fog lamps both front and rear, and the bumper mounted ralley lights. I also opted for the 6 spoke rims over the 5 spoke because I thought they looked better.

The order is going to be send to Cowley, England tomorrow morning and the car will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get here depending on how the importing goes. I'm hoping I will have it by Thanksgiving since I will be heading out of town and I would like to drive my new car.

I'm really excited to get it because it's faster and sportier then my truck and handles like its on rails...not to mention it has two additional gears that my truck does not have and about 1/3 the engine meaning awesome fuel mileage. I'm sick of paying $50+ every 4 days to put fuel in my truck.

So now the only question is where does one go about buying a British license plate for the front of the car?
 
Casio
I agree. If I had full coverage it would cost me ~$1800 a year, and I'm spending at least $2500-$3000 on fuel.
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simple maths to me. In the end it all adds up 👍
 
Joey D
I opted for the sparkling silver metallic colour which is a darker silver with black bonnet stripes, black roof and wing mirrors. As for the options I went with the 6 spd automatic with flappy paddles, hi-fi sound system, Xenon headlamps w/ washers, the cold weather package (heated seats, heated mirrors, heated windscreen washer fluid, power folding mirrors), fog lamps both front and rear, and the bumper mounted ralley lights. I also opted for the 6 spoke rims over the 5 spoke because I thought they looked better.
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Very nice! I'm sure this will be one very sweet ride. Enjoy!

My only complaint would be that it is a new one and not the previous car which IMO looks far better. But how can I complain....

The order is going to be send to Cowley, England tomorrow morning and the car will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get here depending on how the importing goes. I'm hoping I will have it by Thanksgiving since I will be heading out of town and I would like to drive my new car.

I'm really excited to get it because it's faster and sportier then my truck and handles like its on rails...not to mention it has two additional gears that my truck does not have and about 1/3 the engine meaning awesome fuel mileage. I'm sick of paying $50+ every 4 days to put fuel in my truck.
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6 weeks puts you the weekend before Thanksgiving. You should have it by then, and be able to enjoy your trip in your new car. What should the weather be like by then? I feel a little sorry that you might now be able to experience the car in the nice and dry like I'm sure you would enjoy.:indiff:
 
Thanks!

I'm undecided on which model I like better the old R50 or the newer R56. I think both look pretty good but I might tend to lean more towards the older R50 in the looks department as well.

It's Michigan, the weather could be 50 and sunny or 10 and snowing. Either way this winter will be a good chance to learn to control the car and what not. Also it will allow me to see if I need to buy some winter tires for it. But I'm heading to Pennsylvania so the weather could go either way on the way there as well.
 
The dealer told me it might be closer to 4 weeks then the 6 weeks. A guy was in there picking up his Cooper and said he waited just over 4 weeks for his so I'm hoping that I might get it the first part of November so I might have some decent weather to play around with it.

Do you have the Cooper or the Cooper S? What kind of options do you have? Any pictures?
 
Joey D
So yesterday I got up early and went and test drove a few more cars but when all was said and done I ended up back at the Mini dealership to place my order for a 2007 Mini Cooper. The final price after my trade in was a little over $19,000 which isn't all that bad considering it's going to be a brand new car.
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Very nice! Spunky Mini versus old-school (but venerable) Volkswagen? I'm in!

Quite frankly I'm surprised they actually let you order one, most dealers hate it when people do it. Still, I'm pissed that I have been unable to drive one... Damn BMW/MINI completely avoiding the Grand Rapids market...

So now the only question is where does one go about buying a British license plate for the front of the car?
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You can order them on the internet, otherwise I know my VW dealer sells them...
 
Joey D
So yesterday I got up early and went and test drove a few more cars but when all was said and done I ended up back at the Mini dealership to place my order for a 2007 Mini Cooper. The final price after my trade in was a little over $19,000 which isn't all that bad considering it's going to be a brand new car.

I opted for the sparkling silver metallic colour which is a darker silver with black bonnet stripes, black roof and wing mirrors. As for the options I went with the 6 spd automatic with flappy paddles, hi-fi sound system, Xenon headlamps w/ washers, the cold weather package (heated seats, heated mirrors, heated windscreen washer fluid, power folding mirrors), fog lamps both front and rear, and the bumper mounted ralley lights. I also opted for the 6 spoke rims over the 5 spoke because I thought they looked better.

The order is going to be send to Cowley, England tomorrow morning and the car will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get here depending on how the importing goes. I'm hoping I will have it by Thanksgiving since I will be heading out of town and I would like to drive my new car.

I'm really excited to get it because it's faster and sportier then my truck and handles like its on rails...not to mention it has two additional gears that my truck does not have and about 1/3 the engine meaning awesome fuel mileage. I'm sick of paying $50+ every 4 days to put fuel in my truck.

So now the only question is where does one go about buying a British license plate for the front of the car?
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Congrats Joey 👍 - great choice on colour and options (except transmission choice, but that's a different matter ;) )

You said you've opted for the 6 spoke alloys - didn't you like the minilite style 8 spokes like the ones in your avatar?
 
YSSMAN
Quite frankly I'm surprised they actually let you order one, most dealers hate it when people do it. Still, I'm pissed that I have been unable to drive one... Damn BMW/MINI completely avoiding the Grand Rapids market...
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You have to order one, I think they had 3 on the lot and they use those for test drives and loner cars (although the salesmen told me I'll probably get a 3 series for a loners car). The Mini dealers don't do haggling so they make it so you can order one.

I'll be over in the Grand Rapids area (where I typically am, right near you) probably in December, if you are around I'll let you take mine for the spin around the block since you probably won't get a chance to drive one over on that side of the state.

YSSMAN
You can order them on the internet, otherwise I know my VW dealer sells them...
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All I can find are German ones, I guess I'll have to try eBay.

The Cracker
You said you've opted for the 6 spoke alloys - didn't you like the minilite style 8 spokes like the ones in your avatar?
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The Cooper only gets a choice of 15" 5 spoke or 6 spoke alloys standard, you can upgrade to a 16" alloy which only come on the sport package and look like the rims in my avatar. I didn't really want the sport package though, the car I test drove had it and the suspension felt to stiff to live with every day. I like something sporty but after driving around with the suspension in the truck for a few years I want something a bit smoother on the road.

I plan on buying some 17's for it anyways, probably in the summer with some sweet tires on it, I would love some BBS's but I think those are going to be to pricey. I don't know, I haven't even decided if I want to mod the thing yet or not, I might do a few things here and there but the mods ruined my last vehicle so I don't know if I really want to go there or not.
 
I like the options list, especially the stripes and the rally lights. I would say this should be one fun car to drive.

Hopefully we will have some decent weather around here in late November so you will get the chance to enjoy the car when you get it. However, I do not know Michigan weather so I guess you know that better than me.

As for mods, I'm sure you can make that car crazy fast. And if done right, your mods probably wouldn't ruin the car, depending on what you would call ruined.
 
philly cheese
I like the options list, especially the stripes and the rally lights. I would say this should be one fun car to drive.

Hopefully we will have some decent weather around here in late November so you will get the chance to enjoy the car when you get it. However, I do not know Michigan weather so I guess you know that better than me.

As for mods, I'm sure you can make that car crazy fast. And if done right, your mods probably wouldn't ruin the car, depending on what you would call ruined.
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November and December is weird in Michigan, I remember Thanksgivings when there has been 12 inches of snow on the ground and I remember Christmas's where it was over 50 degrees so it varies quite a bit.

As for modding I mean with the Blazer I lowered it and it gave me nothing buy problems. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, defiantly some rims and tires and possibly better brakes but other then that I don't really know. I'll need to pay the car off first.

And I'll be getting pictures up as soon as I get the car...hell I'm even going to take some at the dealership when I go to pick it up.
 
Joey D
November and December is weird in Michigan, I remember Thanksgivings when there has been 12 inches of snow on the ground and I remember Christmas's where it was over 50 degrees so it varies quite a bit.
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Cool. I had always though it was straight snow and 10 degrees from the middle of November to the middle of April:dunce:. I guess that's pretty good.

As for modding I mean with the Blazer I lowered it and it gave me nothing buy problems. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, defiantly some rims and tires and possibly better brakes but other then that I don't really know. I'll need to pay the car off first.
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Good call waiting to pay the thing off before thinking about putting any serious money into it. The right rims and tires would make that thing look pretty wicked.

And I'll be getting pictures up as soon as I get the car...hell I'm even going to take some at the dealership when I go to pick it up.
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Can't wait. This car sounds awesome.
 
I got my production number today and should be in production towards the end of next week. The dealer told me the ETA is the first week of November, but they told me to keep checking the website to keep up to date. God am I excited for a new car.

My salesmen only knew of places to get German plates for the car, anyone know where I can get a UK one? I'm thinking of putting OX 56 QPR on it and hopefully that's similar to how British tags are. OX for Oxford, 56 for the model year, and QPR because well it says Cooper.
 
Well, I found a website that will do it...

This should take you to the configurator...

It says it starts at $29.95, which doesn't seem like too bad of a price.

Come to think of it, I should order one. I used to have a Deutschland plate on the front of my Jetta before it was knocked off at a car wash, and I never saw it again. Hmm, a GB/EU TOPGEAR plate for the front? Yes please!
 
Joey D
My salesmen only knew of places to get German plates for the car, anyone know where I can get a UK one? I'm thinking of putting OX 56 QPR on it and hopefully that's similar to how British tags are. OX for Oxford, 56 for the model year, and QPR because well it says Cooper.
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That's right for the British layout.

QPR? Makes you look like a Queen's Park Rangers fan. Granted, not many people will pick up on that in the US, but it'll look odd in the pictures to us Brits ;)

Why not CPR? Or MIN?
 
Well M1N1 is what I'm thinking now, more people might get it around here...although people in Michigan at least on this side of the state are a bit light in the head.
 
:lol:

Remember though, if you want to stay true to the British plate look, you can't have more than 7 characters. You can have less, but not more.
 
Hmmm then maybe I will get the CPR then.

In other new I got my VIN number today and the car is in production...hooray!
 
The Cooper is built and is on a boat heading across the pond. Hopefully the boat won't sink or anything along the way and the Cooper gets to America all safe and sound. My guesstimate is 2 more weeks before it gets here but who knows?
 
👍

We expect a full review, pictures, and validated proof of purchase. :)

Congrats again on the new ride!
 
Validated proof of purchase = Bowl of mashed potatoes on engine cover with a sign saying "Love John Bergin to bits, From JoeyD" next to it?
 
Sure, not a problem...except my family doesn't really eat smashed potatoes so I might have to come up with something different.
 
Mashed potatoes or its a photoshop.
emot-colbert.gif
 

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