Hi all, first post here looking for some direction on a possible new MINI purchase. Just a quick recap on me, I'm currently a board member in our local BMWCCA chapter, and have owned 26 BMWs in the last 10 years. Four Z3's (Z3MC S52, Z3MR S52, Z3MR S54, Z3C M54), a Z4MC, an E36 M3, two E39's, four E38 sport shorties, an E63 M6, two E92 M3s, E91 wagon, two E53 X5's, four E31 8 series, an E46 330Ci, an E82 135i, and my current BMWs, a 2015 X1 (wife) and a 2017 X4 M40i. Over half of those cars were dark green metallic and 11 of them were manual transmission cars. I loved finding a semi-rare collectible BMW and restoring it, then taking it to our club car shows, and being a custodian for the car for a few years. At one time, I had 8 cars at once, so there's been some crazy times, which my wife lovingly tolerated! I also had a 2019 F850GS motorcycle too, yes in green, but that's been sold off along with all my other collector cars. Anymore, I'm much attached to the 2 car plan, one for her, one for me.... no more car covers, moving cars around, huge insurance bills etc...

It's nice to be down to one 'do it all' car, and the X4 M40i fits that bill well. It's fast, good looking (I think), and highly spec'd so it has all the latest electronic gadgetry I like. But It's also fairly large and heavy, and of course no rowing gears... It's a fantastic SUV, but I think it may be slowly sucking the life out of me... I've only had it since March of 2020, right at the heightening of COVID. Needless to say it's been 6 months, and I've barely put 2000 miles on it. I paid full CPO dealer price for it as it had just come off lease and it was my exact spec, but it's in excellent shape and highly optioned so I'm hoping the MINI dealer will give a decent trade value for it, if I decide to order a car. So far from my email interactions they did say they'd like it in their fleet and would like to appraise it tomorrow.





The one BMW I still regret selling (which I knew I would) is my Oxford Green 2000 Z3 M Coupe. I fully restored this one owner car over a 3 year period, and once I committed to leaving the BMW restoration/collecting hobby, I had to put it on the block with the rest. Here's are some shots, including one from Dorkfest 2016 at Laguna Seca Raceway:





So with all that being said, I don't yet know if 'all roads lead to MINI', but it seems I may be on one. I'd really (for once), like to order a car new, to my spec, that is dark green, tan/brown interior, manual trans, 2 door, hardtop. I can't seem to do that without spending double the cost of the MINI, I can't seem to do that with BMW. A new M440i is $70k+, but no manual option, and no RWD or San Remo Green until later this year (not to mention the ridiculous grill). An M2 is $60K+ and no green, no tan interior (no, I won't wrap). No manual or green Toyota Supras. Not interested in the Toyota 86 Hakone edition. Not interested in MX-5, Fiats, nor VW's. Nissan 400z? Who knows. I'd prefer to stay German anyway, since all of my specialty tools are BMW, and remain in the BMWCCA sphere so to speak.

Although my first car was a new 1990 Honda CRXsi that I drove for 15 years, I've since mostly had RWD cars. So going back to FWD is the biggest hurdle in getting a MINI, but I've matured enough to where those kinds of things matter less and less. Life is just too short to drive boring cars, and which wheels spin and which are along for the ride shouldn't matter. As I am planning to visit the dealer for the first time tomorrow, I do have a whole host of questions for you guys and girls (the real experts), that aren't easily answerable from a MINI sales rep. So here it goes... and BTW, I'm shooting for a 2021 JCW Hardtop in Rebel Green (roof and mirror caps too) with Malt Brown interior, 6 speed manual, not sure what trim, but probably Iconic to get the stuff I want.

1. Dealer claims the online builder has been updated last week, but it still seems to be stuck in 2020 mode, any info here? I know the UK and Canada builders are more up to date in that regard.
2. I'm still trying to work out the exterior chrome trim on my spec, I think I'd prefer piano black on the outside, but yet you can't get the main belt-line chrome trim in black? Why the mish-mash of chrome and black?
3. On the inside chrome trim, you can chose piano black as well, but it seems there will still be some chrome elements, making the decision more difficult; again mish-mash.
4. I'm terrified by the limited aftermarket wheel choices for the JCW....I really hate the modern high-offset trend, but there's not much getting around it on this car. I like wheels with concavity and/or rim lip. Both are likely out of the question here. The large Brembos complicate things further as you know. Did you all notice the $3K option signature basket weave wheels for the JCW look nice and concave in the builder but in real shots they seem convex if anything? I'm getting no cost wheels on my build, as I will try and get some kind of bronze aftermarket wheel...but choices are few and far between. In short, I do not like the MINI wheel offerings and I also don't care about trying to stuff 225s or 18's on the car. I'll take a 7" wide wheel with a skinny tire if it looked acceptable to me and fit the JCW F56.
5. Not a deal breaker, but no Android auto? Think MINI will ever offer it? Or is there some Apple agreement in place?
6. Our roads here in AZ are pretty bad but I have optional smooth roads on my daily routes... The adaptive dampers are two position correct? Hard and Harder? Or? Is it a pain to replace adaptive with aftermarket later, or is just a matter of coding them out?
7. Is that dealer installed, remote controlled vacuum controlled exhaust flap muffler still available from dealers on the latest F56 cars? Just curious, as I'm at the age where quiet is usually better, but damn the videos I've seen with it engaged sound quite nice, when you want to play.
8. What's the consensus on moon-roof/panorama roof on the 2 dr hardtop for reliability/leak integrity? I thought I saw that there was a sunroof delete option? (no savings however).
9. Has anyone (or aftermarket) done a rear seat delete mod similar to the GP model? I never plan to carry more than 2 people in this car, so it'd be nice to have a dedicated cargo platform instead of permanently folded seats.
10. I was planning on roof rails for sure, but also possibly the MINI rack and silver box at the time of purchase...are there better roof storage options than the likely high cost OEM add-ons?
11. I'm also at odds with the black fender trim pieces. How do you avoid sun bleaching, getting wax and sealers on them, why can't you get body matched fenders from MINI, and are there aftermarket wider fenders out there to open up some different wheel and tire options (like they 'kind of' did on the 2020 GP)?
12. Just for fun, does anyone else in the MINI community find it odd that the MINI color British Racing Green Metallic IV seems way too outrageous of a green to be BRG? To me Rebel Green is actually the classic BRG; a dark, non-metallic deep green. I happen to like metallic greens much better than solid colors as they change in different lighting with more depth... but the current MINI BRG is just too bright for my liking (and it's not available on the JCW anyway).
13. One last comment on MINI, I think the 2021 Countryman has the best body lines and best looking front end of all the current offerings, and the new sage green looks quite rich too. I'm going to look at those as well, when we decide to replace my wife's X1. I'm very impressed with what they've done on that platform.

Thanks for making it this far! I hope some of you can help me out!

 

Howdy.

Shoulda hung on to that Z3 M car - damn that's tasty! My 2018 JCW "Gollum" is a Rebel Green two door hardtop. I kinda like it. Hope you enjoy yours also if you can find what you want.

Here's my fairly useless two bits:

1. Dealer claims the online builder has been updated last week, but it still seems to be stuck in 2020 mode, any info here? I know the UK and Canada builders are more up to date in that regard.
   1. (no clue)
2. I'm still trying to work out the exterior chrome trim on my spec, I think I'd prefer piano black on the outside, but yet you can't get the main belt-line chrome trim in black? Why the mish-mash of chrome and black?
   1. (agree, still no clue)
3. On the inside chrome trim, you can chose piano black as well, but it seems there will still be some chrome elements, making the decision more difficult; again mish-mash.
   1. (yep)
4. I'm terrified by the limited aftermarket wheel choices for the JCW....I really hate the modern high-offset trend, but there's not much getting around it on this car. I like wheels with concavity and/or rim lip. Both are likely out of the question here. The large Brembos complicate things further as you know. Did you all notice the $3K option signature basket weave wheels for the JCW look nice and concave in the builder but in real shots they seem convex if anything? I'm getting no cost wheels on my build, as I will try and get some kind of bronze aftermarket wheel...but choices are few and far between. In short, I do not like the MINI wheel offerings and I also don't care about trying to stuff 225s or 18's on the car. I'll take a 7" wide wheel with a skinny tire if it looked acceptable to me and fit the JCW F56.
   1. There's a good wheel thread search here, and I managed to get 8" rims (and 225) to work also. The JCW with the OEM e-Diff and the 7" rims is severely traction limited.
5. Not a deal breaker, but no Android auto? Think MINI will ever offer it? Or is there some Apple agreement in place?
   1. (no comment)
6. Our roads here in AZ are pretty bad but I have optional smooth roads on my daily routes... The adaptive dampers are two position correct? Hard and Harder? Or? Is it a pain to replace adaptive with aftermarket later, or is just a matter of coding them out?
   1. (do not know)
7. Is that dealer installed, remote controlled vacuum controlled exhaust flap muffler still available from dealers on the latest F56 cars? Just curious, as I'm at the age where quiet is usually better, but damn the videos I've seen with it engaged sound quite nice, when you want to play.
   1. (couldn't say)
8. What's the consensus on moon-roof/panorama roof on the 2 dr hardtop for reliability/leak integrity? I thought I saw that there was a sunroof delete option? (no savings however).
   1. (I don't look up when driving)
9. Has anyone (or aftermarket) done a rear seat delete mod similar to the GP model? I never plan to carry more than 2 people in this car, so it'd be nice to have a dedicated cargo platform instead of permanently folded seats.
   1. (mine are folded. a few times a year they are kinda handy)
10. I was planning on roof rails for sure, but also possibly the MINI rack and silver box at the time of purchase...are there better roof storage options than the likely high cost OEM add-ons?
    1. (ignorant)
11. I'm also at odds with the black fender trim pieces. How do you avoid sun bleaching, getting wax and sealers on them, why can't you get body matched fenders from MINI, and are there aftermarket wider fenders out there to open up some different wheel and tire options (like they 'kind of' did on the 2020 GP)?
    1. (see earlier mention of rim width)
12. Just for fun, does anyone else in the MINI community find it odd that the MINI color British Racing Green Metallic IV seems way too outrageous of a green to be BRG? To me Rebel Green is actually the classic BRG; a dark, non-metallic deep green. I happen to like metallic greens much better than solid colors as they change in different lighting with more depth... but the current MINI BRG is just too bright for my liking (and it's not available on the JCW anyway).
    1. Me too, but the Rebel Green goes from black to dark green, flips nicely, and it somewhat a traditional shade...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Thanks for the reply Charlie, and for your comments on some of my questions.

I went to the dealer today, and it was a pleasant, but somewhat deflating experience. As I might have guessed, the dealer was only willing to give me low "good" condition Kelley Blue Book on my X4, which is a deal breaker, as the car is clearly within that 3% "excellent" range, with low miles, needs zero reconditioning, and still CPO until 2022. They were about $3,600 lower than my absolute bare bottom trade-in allowance. Also, it didn't seem as if they had any intention whatsoever to deal on build price, freebies, or really anything at all to sweeten the deal. It was quite the odd experience, and not what I was expecting. I thought for sure we'd end up playing the old "let me talk to my manager" game, or at least get asked the question "what would it take for you to commit to a purchase today?" But nope, nothing...just "thanks for coming in!" The sole JCW Hardtop they had on the floor was marked sold, but the lot was full of various 2021's and some 2020's. I guess business is good enough even in this unprecedented economic turn-down to let highly spec'd JCW buyers out the door without so much as a second thought. I'm not looking to capitalize on a tough economic situation though, and at the end of my visit I even clarified that I'm OK paying their quoted sticker price, as long as they would honor my bottom line trade-in value. But no dice. Was all of this lack of enthusiasm on their part due to me ordering a car vs. buying off the lot?

Yes the configurator is still a mess too, and the sales guy finally saw it first hand, when I had him select a JCW Iconic in green, then select green mirror caps... you can see the price drop from $40K down to $33K with a pop up saying the trim dropped, but yet it still says Iconic on the trim in the title, and you can continue to build as an Iconic, starting at $33K...nice try, but he wasn't going for it. Also, the graphics still show the analog gauges even though you've selected a Nav. package.

So after I optioned up the JCW Hardtop, the only package I left off was the $1000 driver's assistance package (which kinda pisses me off, as I just wanted the damn front parking sensors, and I don't care at all about the rear sensors included on the other package). With my options the car came out to $41,775. I don't want the sunroof and I don't want the 18" JCW Cup wheels, and I'm asking for the same Rebel Green paint on the roof as well as the mirror caps (easy peasy paint job right?). So the real painful thing is that you no longer get a rebate on the sunroof delete, no rebate for asking for monochromatic paint job, no rebate for 6 speed manual transmission, no rebate (nor possibility) to downgrade the Cup wheels to the cheap silver or black 17's, and no rebate for not checking the DDC suspension box. So basically top dollar price for a 'stripper' JCW Iconic LOL.

BTW I've decided against the DDC suspension, just to facilitate easier mods in the future (that was a tough call though).

The sales adviser wasn't sure what the deal was on black emblems vs. chrome, but they had examples of both on the showroom cars, but it seems the choice of emblems isn't tied to your exterior trim finish option...not worried though, it sounded like it was doable.

So that's where I'm at with this MINI, and I've already listed my X4 on the BMWCCA classifieds to see if I can get it sold privately, as that seems to be the only way I'm going to have a shot at ordering the JCW the way I want it.

Some more questions have popped up in the meantime:

14. Rumors are that Android Auto may come next year? What are the chances we'll be able to upgrade Apple Car Play systems to Android Auto?
15. I saw the leaked 2022 MINI photo today, nothing revolutionary in the looks department it seems... but I also heard rumors of no 3 door hatch hardtops for 2022? Is the 2021 model our last chance to get a true MINI hardtop hatch?

Thanks for any comments, and here are some photos from today's visit:

 

Chamberlin 1, what you described is typical Mini dealer attitude being not interested to discuss and negotiate to make a deal.

Three months ago, I started to show interest for a GP 3. They were very slow to come back and the offer on my trade-in was below what was acceptable. Furthermore, my car had a full history of being service at the dealer.

When I saw their lack of interest, I crossed the street to the BMW dealer and bought a new M240i and I got what I was asking for my Mini.

 

Thank you for your reply Richard- I guess I feel some comfort knowing you endured a similar MINI experience.

Like you, I too considered an M240i 6 speed, but by the time you add in the needed packages for heated tan leather seats, LED headlights, wireless charging, and the up-charge for every color except Alpine White, the total was $53,120... and still no green paint from the factory. And to be honest, I don't think it's quite 'special' enough to warrant the change from my X4 M40i. Yes, the M240i is probably 80% the performance of an M2, rear wheel drive, manual transmission, decent looking....but not really polarizing (like the MINI JCW). The M240i is not completely off the table yet, and if BMW would open up their damn color palate from two greys, two blues, two blacks, two whites and a single special color (usually a red or an orange), I would probably already be at the dealership ordering one up. Regardless, I think the M240i is a great choice, but (like most BMWs) is priced $10K too high.

I was also looking at the Mazda MX-5 RF, but aside from the same limited color problem as BMW, the MX-5 I think goes too far in the other direction, with basically zero utilitarian capabilities. At least the MINI can haul a decent amount of cargo given its size. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the single-ended purposefulness of the Miata, but at $35,700 for a MX-5 GT RF, it's just not going to work as my only car, whereas the MINI (or M240i) would easily do so. And then there's its nasty stock Mazda wheels and huge wheel gap.... back up to $40K+ in a heartbeat.

As a side note, the MINI dealer has yet to follow-up with me, via email or phone, but I will see what happens during the course of the week. I suspect there's a chance I'll never hear from them again. I'm thinking about contacting the two dealers in the Phoenix area, as they are considerably larger, but at this point I have no reason to believe their trade-in offer policies will be any different, nor their unwillingness to deal on the final price of the car.

 

Quick update, I've contacted one of the big dealerships in the Phoenix area, and we have appointment to see them this coming Saturday. Super nice team so far, and they've already called me back twice to let me know that I can get the Rebel Green roof and mirrors, and another time to tell me I will receive a $650 credit for a sunroof delete (I was under the impression they didn't do that anymore). My MA also offered to let me drive one of their GPs in the hopes I'd move up from a JCW! But I really have my heart set on a custom 6 speed build... But wow, quite a different experience from my local dealer so far, and I haven't even met them in person yet!

 

Welcome to the MINI community. I, like you, am a long-time BMW enthusiast; however, I find that the current offerings, while still fast, are a bit too heavy and don't really have the soul that they used to have. So, in 2017 I switched to a MINI JCW and couldn't be happier.

Below are my thoughts:

1. Dealer claims the online builder has been updated last week, but it still seems to be stuck in 2020 mode, any info here? I know the UK and Canada builders are more up to date in that regard. It's a mess and I don't know when they will get it fixed, but it's a good starting place.
2. I'm still trying to work out the exterior chrome trim on my spec, I think I'd prefer piano black on the outside, but yet you can't get the main belt-line chrome trim in black? Why the mish-mash of chrome and black? I have no issue with the chrome, but that is a personal preference. A lot of folks have blacked out the beltline, so it's not a big deal. Personally, if I was to black out the trim, I'd go for a black car ... just my preference.
3. On the inside chrome trim, you can chose piano black as well, but it seems there will still be some chrome elements, making the decision more difficult; again mish-mash. There is some chrome, but it actually complements the interior pretty well.
4. I'm terrified by the limited aftermarket wheel choices for the JCW....I really hate the modern high-offset trend, but there's not much getting around it on this car. I like wheels with concavity and/or rim lip. Both are likely out of the question here. The large Brembos complicate things further as you know. Did you all notice the $3K option signature basket weave wheels for the JCW look nice and concave in the builder but in real shots they seem convex if anything? I'm getting no cost wheels on my build, as I will try and get some kind of bronze aftermarket wheel...but choices are few and far between. In short, I do not like the MINI wheel offerings and I also don't care about trying to stuff 225s or 18's on the car. I'll take a 7" wide wheel with a skinny tire if it looked acceptable to me and fit the JCW F56. NM Engineering has some very nice aftermarket wheels that also save a lot of weight. I prefer the 17's since they are much lighter than the 18's and the car is sensitive to wheel/tire weight.
5. Not a deal breaker, but no Android auto? Think MINI will ever offer it? Or is there some Apple agreement in place? No idea on this. I think BimmerTech has a solution for this.
6. Our roads here in AZ are pretty bad but I have optional smooth roads on my daily routes... The adaptive dampers are two position correct? Hard and Harder? Or? Is it a pain to replace adaptive with aftermarket later, or is just a matter of coding them out? I have DDC, but I would don't recommend it. In sport mode, it is rock hard so I configured the car not to include chassis in sport mode.
7. Is that dealer installed, remote controlled vacuum controlled exhaust flap muffler still available from dealers on the latest F56 cars? Just curious, as I'm at the age where quiet is usually better, but damn the videos I've seen with it engaged sound quite nice, when you want to play. I've got the Remus system, which is lighter and is not nearly as finicky.
8. What's the consensus on moon-roof/panorama roof on the 2 dr hardtop for reliability/leak integrity? I thought I saw that there was a sunroof delete option? (no savings however). I opted out since I live in FL and it really raises the interior temperature.
9. Has anyone (or aftermarket) done a rear seat delete mod similar to the GP model? I never plan to carry more than 2 people in this car, so it'd be nice to have a dedicated cargo platform instead of permanently folded seats. No ... I do use them occasionally for kids.
10. I was planning on roof rails for sure, but also possibly the MINI rack and silver box at the time of purchase...are there better roof storage options than the likely high cost OEM add-ons? No opinion.
11. I'm also at odds with the black fender trim pieces. How do you avoid sun bleaching, getting wax and sealers on them, why can't you get body matched fenders from MINI, and are there aftermarket wider fenders out there to open up some different wheel and tire options (like they 'kind of' did on the 2020 GP)? I've not had any issues ... I'm just careful when detailing. Mine have stayed black.
12. Just for fun, does anyone else in the MINI community find it odd that the MINI color British Racing Green Metallic IV seems way too outrageous of a green to be BRG? To me Rebel Green is actually the classic BRG; a dark, non-metallic deep green. I happen to like metallic greens much better than solid colors as they change in different lighting with more depth... but the current MINI BRG is just too bright for my liking (and it's not available on the JCW anyway). Rebel green is classic BRG. I love it as it changes color from green to black depending on light.
13. One last comment on MINI, I think the 2021 Countryman has the best body lines and best looking front end of all the current offerings, and the new sage green looks quite rich too. I'm going to look at those as well, when we decide to replace my wife's X1. I'm very impressed with what they've done on that platform.

Hope this helps. Tires also make a huge difference in the car. I has Continental ExtremeContact Sport 215/45-17 and loved them. I replaced them with Continental DWS06 All-season tires and have been very disappointed.

Good luck ... I have been very happy with the JCW and not looked back. I had a 1999 M Coupe and the JCW is the most fun car I've had since that car.

 

I went the other direction. Traded the wife's '13 coupe for a 228i xdrive vert, auto. A 6 manual MINI for a BMW sport auto. It is a small project car and it is a nice alternative. Compaired to my F56 S manual (heavily modified, lowered, CW tuned/exhaust, wrapped, aero, seat delete, etc.) the Bimmer is a boat. but a nice boat. Drove it down to the Plaza yesterday, had to seek larger parking place. Weekly shopping trip in the MINI, with the rear seat down, has much more cargo capacity than the Bimmer and easier to load/unload. Both have similar features/controls and engine (4 cylinder turbo). Many more owner mods available for the MINI, resonably price, aftermarket and factory. MINI is quicker and more fun to drive. Each vehicle serves a purpose. It is nice to have a choice if one enjoys driving.

I also did the BMW Motoring School a few years ago. The MINIs were like F1 cars while the M BMWs were like stockcars. Both extremely fast, just different.

I noticed the AZ plates. Sunroof, yes. I also live in the SW. Although I do not use it often, there are days that it is perfect, with windows down, Mozart on, exhaust flap open (mine is always open), nice, twisting back road, nothing better.

 

Thanks so much guys, I truly appreciate the commentary as we get closer to my next dealership visit this coming Saturday! And it's great to hear from a fellow former Z3 M Coupe owner, and other BMW enthusiasts for your opinions....we're coming from the same place/standpoint.

So it seems there is a 50/50 split on whether or not to include the sunroof option... Some say that if you live in a hot climate to ditch the glass roof due to excess heat in the cabin, but others say if you live in a hot climate you have to have it to alleviate heat in the cabin! LOL Just so you know, I'm really trying to replicate my M Coupe slicktop, and to make a fairly unique JCW, so I have decided to go with the sunroof delete. That aside, I think I'm in the camp that the glass top will really soak up the heat here in southern Arizona. I do appreciate having a view to the sky and fresh air sometimes (especially night drives), but it's going to be just windows down for me.

Still figuring out wheels, but I do appreciate the feedback on the NM's, the 17's and the weight considerations. I have found some that intrigue me from the JCW wheel thread, so I think there's hope now

I will I think either of these would work for me, if I were to brave 18's:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4551815
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4388733

As you've commented @rtowell, I'm planning to leave off the DDC, and I think the KWV1/JCW coil overs from ECS tuning will get me the slight drop I'm after, while enhancing the ride from the stock non-DDC JCW suspension.

Thanks for your comments on the 'real' BRG LOL - I'm not sure yet, but I'm considering having the black trim pieces on the outside of the car refinished in Rebel Green for a more monochromatic look (child of the 80's I guess). I'm not too fond of today's seemingly obligatory requirement for piano black or chrome accent pieces all over the car trying to define the car's shape. I'll probably black out the belt line, but I'm wondering what all the other black trim pieces would look like body colored, including the front plate bar, headlight rings, maybe even the red JCW front stripe element. There may be some opportunities for interior Rebel Green paint as well, a la the current MX-5 door accents, and some dashboard elements on certain BMWs... But I'm getting well ahead of myself! Car first, then mod!

@SFMCS Thanks for your comments too, and I'd love to see how you managed your rear seat delete, if you have a thread link!

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...at-delete.html Here's the link.

PS-Roof
1.The roof glass gets tinted with the windows-most dealers have a sub that they use.
2..The screen blocks the sun really well.
3. When it is 95+ degrees, (I'm at 6,500 ft-big UV) I open the roof at the vent position (1) allowing heat to escape. Being electrically driven, stays and locks there. Parking or driving.
4. F-56 has great a/c.

 

I bought my 2007 MCS and 2014 JCW Coupe at North Scottsdale, and my 2020 JCW Clubman at Mini of Tempe (only dealer who had one in stock back in April). Remember my car, and the JCW Countryman, and the GP3 are basically a BMW M135i (FWD, not sold in the US) with a different body. The other 2020 JCW Minis are totally different chassis, engine, brakes and tranny. But if you want a manual they're your only choices. The dynamic dampers has 3 settings (sport, mid, eco). You can put a thicker sway bar on it.

 

Thanks for the link man! Looks great, and should a breeze to make with a table saw, router and some matching carpet. Nice job!

Understood on your sunroof comments, and good to know about the good A/C in the F56... You never know what refrigerant gas the EPA is banning next, forcing more and more inefficiencies in air condition systems. If they'd just use Propane and be done with it, we'd be all set.

 

Appreciate the comments on your Phoenix area purchases... Is it safe to say that Scottsdale is the 'premier' dealer in AZ and Tempe is the largest by sales volume? Everyone seemed pleasant enough at the Tucson dealership, but I wouldn't call them premier nor volume. I like to deal with enthusiasts, and that they were not.

Definitely looking into the rear sway bar options (and some also suggest a thicker front sway too).... In addition to the JCW coilevers and sway bars, camber plates would be the only other bolt on suspension mod I'd consider (just for added front-end adjustability). I've set up quite a few suspensions on previous cars in the past, but this will be my first FWD venture in a LONG time! Not too worried about it though, mostly just looking for a little drop and the ability to soak up poor roads, with the option to adjust for driving events, or long highway trips.

 

The North Scottsdale dealership was the first/only Mini store in AZ for a long time it originally was on the upper floor of the BMW shop on that property (when I bought the 2007 MCS). I used the Tempe shop in April because they had the only brand new Mini model in the area.

 

For wheels, it seems like you're willing to spend a bit of money to get what you want. There are some reputable custom wheel manufacturers that aren't outrageously priced considering what you're getting.

https://www.jongbloedracingwheels.com/wheels

https://braidusa.com/

 

Oh yea, thanks much for those links! They look pricey (not ready for $1200/wheel!), but yes, I think it will be worth a decent monetary effort to get the right wheels on this JCW... Just not enamored by any of the stock offerings!

This one from Jongbloed is promising:



It's too bad, I have an $8000 custom set of candy bronze HRE C90 Competitions for a BMW E30 M3 that would look great, but obviously wrong fitment, offset, bolt pattern, bore, etc...

 

Just a head's up for those following along, my second attempt at ordering a 2021 JCW was a success! What a great experience it was, and I even got to test drive a GP3 to boot! Non-refundable (gulp) deposit has been made, and before we even signed anything, the car already was assigned a build slot in the queue, which was a big surprise. Shooting for a mid-November 2020 delivery.

Photobucket is messing with my account renewal so I can't upload any of my photos yet, but I will as soon as I am able.

My spec as ordered is the JCW Hardtop in Rebel Green with matching roof and mirror caps. Iconic trim, 6 speed manual. Sunroof delete, and no DDC. Malt brown interior, with extra chrome bits on the inside, but all possible blacked out trim on the outside ($145 for a black gas cap cover, $305 for the black door handles, $80 for black MINI badges!!! wow). Also got the storage kit, as well as all weather floor mats and trunk mat. I went with the 18" two-tone wheels with the summer performance tires, although I assume they're still run-flats. Fully loaded on the electronic goodies, including the driver's assistance package....sucks I had to pay +$1000 just to get front parking sensors, which are the only ones I really need in my daily usage. I will say though, having used my adaptive cruise control on my X4 for this weekend's 300 mile trip, I won't mind also having it on the MINI...hopefully it's as good as the dual camera/radar system on my F26. I'm not a teenager anymore, but I couldn't resist checking off the illuminated piano black dash piece...just curious to see how it plays with the other lighting elements in the cabin. Added the roof rails for a future MINI box add-on. Such as fun car to spec out!

One odd restriction I had was that Oxford won't allow the official JCW steering wheel on my car due to the Malt Brown interior. I was forced to go with the standard MINI Yours sport steering wheel with the white stitching and Union flag badge.

As far as cosmetic modifications, I'm contemplating having some of the black trim pieces painted Rebel Green, namely the front crash bar... We don't need front plates in AZ, so I think it would look cool to add a bit more body color into the mix, as opposed to all the piano black trim around the car. I'm even considering it for some interior pieces too, a la the MX-5 painted door sills. Also would like to get some selective yellow front fogs for the car as well, haven't started researching options on those yet.

Aside from the wheels, I will explore the NM rear bar, Powerflex lower engine mount, and the NM tune. Nothing crazy. Eventually I might look into aftermarket suspension just to get the car an inch lower all around. I just didn't want to deal with the DDC system if I go aftermarket, so I'm pretty confident that was the right choice to eliminate it from the build sheet.

Once I'm able to link photos again, I will talk more about the excellent experience I had, and a quick blurb on the GP3 test drive. The dealer had 4 GP3s to choose from, so that was a treat just to see that many in one spot!

Bottom line, "I'm in!"
Cheers all-

 

A few people have gotten the front bumper piece painted body color and I think it looks soooo much better. One of the Mini dealers used to offer them on their site, but I forget which one. I think they were in Texas.

Also consider a short shifter. I find shifting so much more enjoyable with a shorter throw. And a cheap mod you may consider is a taller stop behind the clutch pedal so you don't have to depress it as far. There's a lot of unnecessary dead space before the clutch engages that can be eliminated.

 

The BMW M135i is xDrive (AWD), it also comes over the US in the form of the M235i xDrive gran coupe and x2 M35i. The Clubman is based on the M135i and Countryman most closely resembles the x2 M35i. The GP is the only of those options that is FWD. BMW then came back and actually designed an FWD BMW based on what they learned with the GP, I am very much hoping it becomes the new JCW.

 

That'll be a great Mini hope you get it soon. I assume you went to North Scottsdale. I'm surprised that they had 4 GP3s on the lot there. I wonder if any other Mini dealer has 4 of them. Are there any options on those cars or are they all the same?

 

I'm glad mine is the xDrive. I was actually surprised that the GP3 is not. I read that that makes it handle differently on the track but I'm more into straight line acceleration so it helps with traction.

 

I am actually very much not surprised by the number of GP3s at the dealership. In the US, a number of the larger MINI dealerships definitely secretly ordered them (pretending to be purchasing the car) to try to sell them at a premium. In fact, almost all of the GP3s left at dealers are at the same 3 dealer networks. There are currently 33 new cars for sale now, with approximately 33 more still in transit. I know ~10 of these are going to eager customers.

As a GP3 owner, I am very glad that it wasn't 4wd, its an additional 80kg that I do not need on the track or mountain twisties. I am glad you enjoy your all4 though, the JCW Clubman is a great car!

Edit: You had asked if the GP3 are all the same. In the US...Yes, there was only one option package globally, called the touring pack which included AC, automatic climate control, navigation, and dropped the semi-slicks for summer tires. Within the US, MINIUSA chose to equip all cars with the touring pack without asking customers, I reserved/preordered my GP3 in November of 2019 and have followed since then and have confirmed with others who did the same. According to information released from the factory, only 44 of 3000 were built without the touring pack, and almost all of them went to race teams or development. A few Germans managed to get it as well, it seems. The UK may have had the option, but few chose it.

 

I forgot that the All4 weighs that much. So it retails for exactly the same $$ as my car with the Signature package (no NAV). And they don't discount it at all like they did mine. I'd actually like to see one, maybe next time I get down to Scottsdale I'll stop in the dealership there.

 

This was posted today in MF. Sounds like the BMW 128i may become the next JCW with 256hp and FWD next year sometime. No MT though. Just the 3 door hatch it sounds like. FWIW.

 

Thanks @TheBigNewt ! I really hope it arrives by mid November, that would be perfect.

I'm not sure on the GP3 options; I was only told all USA bound cars have the A/C option. Per @DunkM howerver, there seems to be a bit more to it than that!

Yes indeed, ended up going to MINI North Scottsdale and I really couldn't be happier with the transaction. They told me they had 12 GP3's allocated and up until a couple of days ago they had 5 on the lot. Apparently they had a few buyers back out due to lost jobs since time of ordering (COVID economy related). Not sure how much of that story is true, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.