i am not here try to question any vendors in here, just some thoughts that i had in the past and i am still looking for an answer.

i am a carbon fiber fan, not addicted to it but just like it.
after some serious search, i found all CF product for MINIs are more than $200
while i was on the topic, i started to look other CF product for other car models, i found hugh selection of CF product for other imports for way less price and sometime even more than half price difference.

I do see that CF parts for some european imports are higher, since it is the euro imports thing like most of time, which do not make much sense like the real performance mods form europe. some VW product are not as expensive as MINIs. maybe there are more VW on the road than MINIs so they can make more product to cover the expenses on production and other cost.

i know some people will say that some of the CF product for MINI are better quality. i do know a little about CF and i do admit that those CF mods for MINI are better quality. some thoughts for me is why do i need a more than $200 CF parts which will not do much but the look? i would prefer some cosmetic CF product which look good but dont have to be that good of a quality.

Some friends keep telling me that CF will save weights on the car. and all that performance things. i think i am a better weight saving person on myself than actually spend hundreds $ on the car! I just want some CF products will give me a cool look on my car since it wont save much weight by having a intercooler cover and the scoop aor some interior mods. why do i pay for almost $800 for those mods to make it look good? and save the same weight of my jack stand in the boot!

Look really jealous on some of those 350Z CF products for almost half of the price of MINI products. or some R32 CF products as least about $100 cheaper than the MINIs'.

Someone told me the cost of new product development, i do know how much work need to be done to make a new products, and i do understand how much it will cost to do that, but simply from a consumer point of view, that is really not my intention! there are people out there to buy it, and there will be people to sell it one day, it just matter of time. i will buy a CF parts just for the look and i will pay reasonable price for it, and that reasonable price should be competitable with other car models. like most of us thinks when we see some of those CF parts for other cars, "i want this, but just in different shape!"

maybe i have not yet found the right source to buy these CF stuff, maybe there no where to buy those CF parts in the price i can afford

frustration is growing! wish one day the price will drop! just like my wish on the gas price!

 

I am in the Carbon industry and know that you will see a huge jump in price here soon. In one year carbon has jumped from $15 to about $27 a yard if you can find it (2x2 twill 3K yarn). The new Airbus and 777 airplanes are sucking it up. They use 12K yarn and all the carbon suppliers of the WORLD (Hexcell, BGF, etc.) are selling it to them and converting 3k into 12k . If we are not happy with the price it is only going to get worse. There are many other reasons for pricing ,I know like Mini owners will only buy the best. A carbon parts mfg my make two or three rejects before one good enough for a Mini owner . Where in other markets a second my be good enough. With that said the mfg has to make up the cost by charging more for a first. Good luck to all of us that like or make a living off of carbon.

 

I think there isn't enough demand for CF for a Mini compared to some other Japanese imports which leaves with small production numbers and higher price.

 

Many times, the craftsmanship of the honda CF hoods and other parts are far below the work put into the european market of car tuning. It is possible to buy quality CF hoods for hondas...but from my experience those seem to hover in the high price range as well.

And as already mentioned...the demand issue is a HUGE part of it. How many MINI's on this board are running CF hoods....i can only think of 2 at the moment. Now go to a honda forum, chances are there will be a large number of owners running CF hoods etc.

 

hMMm i thought this was m7's picture but oh well... uhm they have a carbon fiber hood for 650. they make pretty good hoods. ive seen them on peoples cars already.

http://www.extremedimensions.com/5965.html

check them out...

-nam huynh

 

Yeah...that's def. M7's pic of the CF bonnet. Since I highly doubt they would be selling it for that much less than the M7 guys I wouldn't rush into buying it