"The waitin' is the hardest part" On 9/17 at 6:35pm I was in the owners lounge and saw that my Royal Grey and Silver S was Scheduled for Production...YEAH! But what does that really mean; are they building it this week? If so what production week would that be and how long before it makes it to the west coast and into San Diego?

 

I've been going through the same process and I'm almost there! I should have my car by the weekend (I hope!).

The Owner's Lounge lags actual events by about 6 days, from my experience.

Contact your MINI Sales Advisor and ask him for your order number and production week. Then, keep checking on the web site (and with your SA) until you get your VIN. With that, you can then go here:

http://schedule.2wglobal.com/AppTracking/cargoTrack.do

and click on "Auto Cargo". If this shipping line is carrying your vehicle, it will come back with which ship it's been assigned to and, by clicking on the "Voyage" # you'll get it's itinerary.

Here's what my results were for my Auto Cargo Page
Status Port Time (dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm)
DISCHARGED NEW YORK, NY 18/09/2005 20:25
LOADED ON VESSEL SOUTHAMPTON 05/09/2005 09:30
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL SOUTHAMPTON 01/09/2005 09:30
BOOKED SOUTHAMPTON 01/09/2005 08:24

And the results of my "Voyage" page:
PortCountryArrivalDeparture
ZEEBRUGGE BELGIUM 31/08/2005 01/09/2005
BREMERHAVEN GERMANY 02/09/20050 3/09/2005
SOUTHAMPTON UNITED KINGDOM 04/09/2005 05/09/2005
BALTIMORE, MD U.S.A.14/09/2005 16/09/2005
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 18/09/2005 18/09/2005
BRUNSWICK, GA U.S.A. 20/09/2005 21/09/2005

Now it's at the distribution center in NY/NJ and it has to make its way down to Virginia.

Once the dealer gets it, they can give it to you in as little as a couple of hours (we did this with my wife's MINI) or a couple of days if you have dealer options being installed (I have an aerokit going on mine). Also, if you have the dealer doing 3rd party services (paint, tint, paint protection film, etc) then add more time.

This certainly isn't definitive, and there are other shipping line to check, but I'm sure others can jump in and add to this list.

Also, you can call 1-866 (?888/800?)-ASK-MINI and get updates that way - a bit more timely than the website but still a lag.

Congratulations and good luck - the waiting will make you nuts!

john

 

I thought this was going to be another MINI service complaint: "Don't do me like that".

 

I don't know about your Mini, but mine apparently left the Oxford Docks (which I understand are not anywhere near the water) and came to New Mexico, apparently, via colonial India. Not by direct route, in any event.

 

It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin'...

- TP

 

If that was the case he'd be saying...

Breakdown, go ahead give it to me
Breakdown, honey take me through the night
Breakdown, I'm standing here, can you see?
Breakdown, it's all right
It's all right
It's all right

 

I need to know
Because I don’t know how long
I can hold on
And if your makin’ me wait
If you’re leadin’ me on

So AskMini tells me that my expected "completion" date is Sept. 25th and then I ask: "When might see my new Mini." He tells me up to 2 and a half months. I keep the scream inside...not easy of course. Then I ask why it takes so long. He tells me up to a few weeks until a full ship might leave with it aboard and then at least two weeks to sail to California. Then a week or so before transport to San Diego. I do the quick math and come up with---and hope that it translates into a month and a half. With any luck I'll have a new ride by the second week of November and I can stop dreaming about what it will be like to traverse these roads I encounter in my Saab Turbo Convertible...while I wish I was in my Mini!