I wanted to thank everyone here for the great welcome and let you know I decided.:smile:

Order was placed yesterday although I’ve delayed the delivery date until spring. Cannot stand the thought of salt on a new car.

MCS
JB/W
White bonnet strips, checkered roof & mirrors, white 16’s
DSC
LSD
Xenon Headlamps
Cold weather package
MFSW
Chrome Line interior
Int. surface Anthracite
Leatherette seats
Thanks to all who gave me advice.

And now the wait begins

 

Woohoo, sounds fabulous!

Ahhh yes, the wait. You'll just have to come visit NAM to get your fix!

 

Old man, look at my Mini.
It's a lot like yours is.

(Not really, but... you know.)

 

Mark, Great specs!!! The wait will be fine until production begins..then you WILL go nuts! Tee hee! We'll see ya through it!

Cheers!

Clover

 

Sounds like a great combo! You'll love it I'm sure. Now just gotta make it through the waiting period. It'll pass faster than you think......

 

Very nice spec, Mark! I'm envious of the LSD. Have you thought about getting the anthracite headliner? Makes a big difference, IMO.

Mark

 

I thought about the anthracite headliner but after driving a car without I did not put it on my order. Here’s what I noticed.

The anthracite is very cool looking, makes the car much sharper. However, there is (in my opinion ) a reason most cars have the lighter color. It’s the A-pillar. If it’s lighter it reduces the contrast between it and the outside world, your eyes do not notice it as you are driving. The dark A-pillar has considerably more contrast that makes your eyes momentarily focus on it. So strictly for a better driving experience I choose the lighter color. Also, I found the darker roof a little Closter phobic.

All this being said, it is a black car, and boy; the anthracite would look sharp. Hmmm.

Also, MarkS the photos of you car are awesome, especially that yellow dash. I almost went with the LY myself.

 

Who is Closter?

 

It's hard to explain, it just a fear of New Jersey.

http://www.centuryofcloster.com/

 

Thanks, Mark! Glad you like the pictures. :smile: You have a point about the A-pillar. It's funny, when I started thinking about whether I wanted the anthracite headliner for the MINI, I started noticing the light gray A-pillar in our Saab every time I drove it. I managed to convince myself that the lighter color was more noticeable, but I think it's more like I was spending a lot of time thinking about it for the first time in my life and so I keep looking at it. It would seem like the dark color is more noticeable since it blends in less, at least in the day.

It's nice that we have so much choice with the MINI!

Oh, and I think the chrome line interior is a nice choice, too. It's the only thing I didn't get that I wish I had.

Mark

 

Congrats OldMan...welcome...I'm an instant gratification type guy...so I bought pre-owned and took it right of the lot:smile: I'm sure you'll love it, and the fact that you personalized it and had it built the exact way you wanted it, will make it that much better...it really is YOUR car.

 

TheOldMan,
Aloha and welcome to NAM. Great to hear about your new order.
Excellent choices. Great color scheme and checkered roof with white wheels will be cool. Keep those wheels clean with a brake pad upgrade- EBC green or Mintex red should be fine esp the front pads- ASAP or you will be cleaning your wheels twice a day (hey, that's more than I brush my teeth )[just kidding-JoeDentist don't kill me ]

Anthracite interior and Leatherette seats are great- very durable and look really nice. When they ask if your seats are leather- say "yes". The durable, no extra cost, easy to clean "leather".

DSC is a great safety feature, good for bad weather and daily driving. Excellent to have if others drive your MCS (I know, the thought of that is repulsive to some).

LSD should be killer. You'll be one of the first with it so give us a report on how you like it. Accelerate hard out of corners and see if it works. It's probably your best performance option.

Xenon lights- very bright and very nice for night driving. I like the blue light.
MFSW- excellent controls, I wish I had gotten it but I bought a MINI in stock since I didn't have patience like you.

Finally, 16" wheels and tires. Excellent. Costs less, tastes great... er I mean less filling... wait, less weight and smoother. Yes, that's it. The 16" wheels work just fine and don't drag along like the 17"s do. For street driving you'll like the ride quality and the 16" wheels are strong but don't chance hitting a pothole- it might ruin your day and wreck both your tire and rim.

Have a great new year and spend your waiting moments reading about 100,000 threads on NAM. That ought to pass the time... barely.

 

Yep, I have that fear too...

Congrats on the new car! You'll love it...