What's everyones thoughts on the 08's? I just read it on motoringfile.com, and I just had mixed thoughts on it. The whole article there is for specifics. Just some of the things were regenerative braking, engine start/stopping when put into neutral, shift indicator, and cruise control displayed digitally and the addition of a USB port. The idea's behind them are great, I suppose, namely refering to the braking and engine start/stop in regards to higher gas prices and all. However, long term, is what has me worried. Is it just me? I wanna hear your thoughts, seeing as how I'm going to be ordering my r56 either in the next few months or in October (depends when the Corps will let me reenlist in June). I know there are alot more technically proficient people out there, and this BMW wouldnt just put it out there if it wasnt proven already. Anyways, enough ramblings, let's hear your thoughts!

 

Most of those features sound interesting. Since most of them can be disabled when desired, I don't have a problem with them. Having a computer decide what is best is often OK, but a human needs to be able to override in situations the programmers didn't imagine.

 

There was a thread on this but it seems to have disappeared?

Much of the stuff is for better mpg

The only thing that I find very annoying is the battery thing. MINI is three years behind on this technology as its already in Toyotas to get better gas mileage. It is VERY annoying. The battery only charges (presuming the principles of the technology are the same) upon deceleration. You can probably figure out what happens, especially in cold weather. The battery might never fully charge and you CAN feel that, at least in my Toyota. Granted it talks about "minimum battery levels" and new battery technology.

Hmm, that means ... no more buying an aftermarket battery but forcing you to buy a MINI battery and what does that cost today? $150 or so (at least when I was "forced" to buy one because MINIUSA would NOT replace it under their maintenaince agreement ... something I am still mad about). That cannot be good for the consumer.

Anytime a company forces you to buy their specific products for a routine wear item, IMO, that cannot be a good thing. I wish they would just leave well enough alone rather than come up with gimmicks for the sake of a little better mileage

I find it very annoying and wish there was a way to dump it.

The rest ... its all about fuel economy

 

It just means that 3rd party suppliers need to match the technology. I doubt that BMW developed their own battery technology.

The EU is much more serious about climate change than the USA, and mpg has always been an important issue in Europe.

 

I must say I do like that it can be disabled.

 

No they have not. AMG has been around for a bit for quicker charging. However it is not mainstream. Optima might sell one. Regardless, its, IMO, minimal mpg gains and maybe for the EU. And if it like what Toyota is doing (not sure) I hate it.

Sometime KISS is much better than overly complicating life.

 

I think the changes sound pretty cool. The best is the USB b/c you'll be able to charge the ipod and use a series of other things, i.e. MP3 player, w/out getting more stuff than what already comes w/. The fuel economy is also pretty nice, but the automatic shut off while in idle must be annoying. Good thing is you can turn it off. All in all, improvements are good as long as they keep the same price on the car I'd definitely get an 08 if you can wait a few months.

OT - chows4us - I thought the factory battery fell under warranty/service agreement? Would you mind sharing why MINIUSA said they wouldn't cover it. Thanks

 

A couple of the changes sound mildly interesting... but I don't feel like I'm missing out in any way by having an '07.

 

I was a bit concerned reading the article about all the complexity, and the possibilities of glitches ... but MINI seems to have got the '07 quite error free (I've seen few problems posted) - much better than the '02s and early '03s; so maybe this '08 stuff will be OK too

 

I wonder how substantial a gain these changes might bring about. My concern is that they create "buzz" for MINI but aren't really all that earthshaking, nor are they the future. The Prince engine was a big step forward theoretically, but in the end the mpg improvements aren't massively huge. Don't get me wrong...any improvement is probably a good one, but there no doubt a good bit of marketing twirled up in the whole thing, too.

 

Sure ... you would think so huh?

MINI provides for that "free" first oil change at about 10K mile under the maintenaince thing (of course we know its not free but costs are built into the pricing of the car). At the end of one year of ownership, we had less than 10K miles. It doesn't make any difference, they are required to provide the oil change once per year (and free change of brake fluid every two years while under the contract).

This was about in April time frame. The winter was not very cold but I know very well when a battery is going. Living much of my life around Boston, OEM batteries rarely lasted more than 3 winters. So they change the oil and I tell them battery feels like its going bad. SA comes back and the conversation goes something like this:

SA: Yup, you have a bad cell
Me: OK, fine, put in a new battery

SA: OK, but it costs about $150
Me: Nah, its under warranty

SA: Nope. You have NOT driven the car 10K miles or mile in one year and MINIUSA will not provide a replacement
Me: BS ... MANY people don't drive a car 10K miles or more. That's insane. CALL MINIUSA and let me talk to them

SA: Nope. We have been through this many times in the past and they have said they refuse
Me: mad: Fine, put a new one in

Yeah, I looked around, no real matching replacement, most require some modification to make it fit right. Probably could have got one at the local MINI independent shop slightly cheaper. I also figured fine, they will pay for the next one (I had "free" extended maintenaince for another year beyond normal so I figured it would go bad anyway).

This issue particularly irritates me. I've been driving cars a long time and NEVER heard of such BS. Unfortunately, there are just too many electronic widgets constantly running and the car didn't even have an alarm.

Unfortunately, I'm not better off now in a new car (not a MINI). Too many fancy electronic widgets running even with the car parked and reports of dead batterys if sitting for a week or two So I learned my lesson. Like last winter I had it sit all of February (no way its going out in the ICE that lasted most of the month) and just had a battery maintainer sitting on it.

Your right but Toyota does the same thing, like 0W-20 oil in their 4 bangers. All for a few tenths MPG. And once the TRUE mpg numbers are posted instead of the inflated EPA numbers, ppl are going to get a rude awakening thinking that they should get the old inflated EPA numbers

 

So MINI USA claim that you didn't drive the car enough, and that caused the dead battery?!
What about if you had had a charger on it?


Still?

 

Yes. The dealer says the cars are meant to be driven a minimum of 10K miles/year (first gen cars). We had maybe 6K on it. He also mentioned other people had the same issue ... dead battery and they had been there, done that. MINIUSA denies the claims. Not much I could do to argue about it no matter how mad I was.

Dunno about the charger. It never occured to me that a car going through one real winter (OK, technically two winters) needed that much battery attention so I can't answer that. I would suspect that you might have to "prove" it.

No I see your sig says Gloucester Lobster ... YUM!

I grew up on the South Shore. My wife right outside of Boston. Got married and now near DC. I can live without the cold winters and snow

 

Wasn't there a thread about this yesterday? I swear I posted in it, but a search finds nothing.

Am I losing it??

 

chows4us - Thanks for the quick story. That is the biggest BS I've ever heard. Quite disappointing...so much for the free maintenance crap.

 

nothing is free. you paid for the maintenance and fighting a car company is useless

The other irritating this is that its not like you can go to sears and just stick in a Diehard. They just laugh and ask if a MINI is made by GM?

 

Yeah, I know. Pretty sad...

 

r53 or r56 or `08, they are all MINI! I just want mine as soon as possible.

 

Is there a power upgrade for the 08 models?

 

Wow! I remember posting my opinion in that thread but can't find it right now!

 

Bringing this back a bit.....

Do we have an ETA as to which month we will be able to order 2008 models? Are we looking at July/August as the first time we can order or more like December/January?

If it is July or August, I'll probably wait (even though we don't know if these changes are coming to the US). If later, I'll probably just order the 2007. The only thing I'm really interested in is the USB jack, but even then, I generally prefer Sirius to my iPod....

I would hate to wait till July/August only to find MINI jacked up the price $1000 for all this junk....

 

I know I'm wierd, but I like the idea of regenerative braking (although this is a far cry from real regenerative braking-using the charging to slow the car, saving the electrons for accelerating). Heck-if I was close to model changeover for ordering, I'd seriously consider waiting for it. It's an efficiency thing that the engineer side of me likes...

The start/stop thing seems like it would kill long term reliability, but maybe motors and oil are really that good.

Way back when, we had an alternator die in a Rabbit driving from CO to NC. We made from halfway all the way to the end by being lucky, leaving it running, driving in the day (only started it after stopping for the night once), lights off, AC off. The running of the motor takes VERY little juice.

 

I just want my brakes to brake. Another function attached will only complicate things. After a few hot laps at the track, the battery might blow up.

 

...but aren't some of the functions (like the Auto Start/Stop/Idle and the better CO2 parameters and the cruise digital display and some other "stuff") just computer programming done right?

I.e. there is no mention in the press release about "hardware" changes - except the battery gizmo - no intake/exhaust changes, no whatever gremlins go in the making of the engine are obviously changed.

So... the question is... how much of this "improvements" are software upgradeable and... howmany of thos ecan be applied onthe 07 series?

Just my two cents. Or pences, whatever.

MMM