So my local dealer called me to let me know they have 3 new F56s in stock. They were identical to the three another member posted up in another thread in Irvine, CA.

Thunder Grey S, Black S, red/black base model.

I spent about 2 hours with all three cars, pushing every button, flipping every switch, going through the NAV/radio, etc. They even turned off the lights in the shop so I could properly play with the mood lighting and the headlights.

First impressions:

1. The car IS noticeably bigger, especially with my R53 parked next to them

2. The LED headlights are stunning. They are bright, instant on, and beautiful. The halogens on the base model were totally lame in comparison

3. The wired package with the crazy infotainment system is just "meh" to me. As hard as BMW tries, they can't seem to get the GUI to be 100% intuitive. I will be opting for the normal dash with the HK sound

4. HK sound is just decent. Its not nearly as rich or hard hitting as I was hoping but it's very good in a car at this price range

5. Clutch is crazy light in the base model. Both "S" hatches were automatics so I can't speak for those

6. The auto start stop (A.S.S.) system is easily defeatable. Mini put the cancel switch with a lit LED on it right next to the engine start button (it's the toggle directly to the left of the ignition switch)

7. The storage package is really cool. I think I will be getting this.

8. The cloth/leather combo seats are AMAZING I absolutely loved them. The bolstering is very aggressive (they were hugging me tightly and I have a 31" waist) and the cloth is very grippy. I will be ordering mine with these over the cross punch leather.

9. Panoramic sunroof still has the weird mesh screens and no true sun shade

10. Thunder Grey is not as good looking as I had hoped it would be. In my opinion... it's fairly bland. There is almost no metallic flake and it's just kind of "there". It didn't pop to me at all

11. I like the new taillights. People seem to hate them because they are huge compared to the old ones but I think they fit the proportions of the car well.

Ok, I think that's it. I took some cell phone pictures to show my wife but they aren't very good. I think everyone knows what the new Mini looks like by now.

 

Why is there no sliding shade?

What can you do aftermarket?

Did the car you rode in have the sports suspension?

 

I will be driving to my dealer at noon to see my MCS which was delivered on Monday. I will take a look at the sunroof and report my own impressions. I'm mainly wanting to see if the mesh screen is sufficient for blocking out most light. I had a mesh screen on my last car and it was decent. I'll also ask why there is no sliding shade. I'm betting it is because of a height restriction with average height folks touching the sliding shade.

 

MINIs don't have sliding shades because there'd be nowhere for it to go when you open it. It would cover the back panel. The mesh things just roll up in a spring loaded thing. There are aftermarket things that suction-cup onto the glass but you'd have to really hate sun to bother with that.

 

Did you happen to see one with the Black Pearl seats? I'm curious as to how they feel and whether they're as comfortable as the other options.

 

I don't think he drove them, said he sat in them in showroom with lights turned off for interior effects.
I'm not sure they are actually allowing YOU/US to test drive yet!
Looks like everyone is saying April 15th.

 

Thanks for the update. I bet you went to the same SoCal dealership some other poster did, he took pix of a black, red and Thunder Grey car there yesterday I think. To me the sunroof is more about increasing the interior lighting. I like mine I just rarely ever open it. I may pass on it for my F56 (yet to order).

 

I actually did pass on it for my F56. I had the sunroof on my R56, loved it on cloudy days and when in the mountains, but hated it most of the time simply because it was too bright (I'm already light sensitive). I ended up putting vinyl over it to block out most of the sun.

Plus the additional weight in a bad spot on the car... I love my corners more than I love a sunroof apparently

 

I personally really like them...the cloth material is more of a rough material, kind of like a tweed. This doesn't impact comfort though, its just kind of a different material to see on vehicle seats, which makes it cool.



MINI's have never had a sliding cover for reasons stated above. FWIW though, the mesh on the F56 is a tighter weave, thus blocks more light out than the R56 & R53 screens ever did.

Another cool thing that no one has really talked about yet is the Parking Assist. Played with it the last couple of days and it works FLAWLESSLY. I don't really have a problem parallel parking on my own, but this system makes it so easy, it takes 0 effort. Tells you which spots you can fit into as you drive by, then simply put it in reverse and it does the rest for you (you control the brake though). It tells you when to stop, when to pull forward, and if it needs to straighten itself out it will continue telling u to go forward/reverse until it is straight and evenly spaced in its spot. Really cool....make sure you guys play with it if and when you test drive an F56 that has it.

 

Makes sense. I hope they'll have one with them in stock when I go to test drive them. It's hard to blind buy something like that.

 

How much longer does it take for the PA to pull into a parking spot vs. doing it manually. I know nothing about the feature but always envisioned as taking a lot longer. Just curious.

 

Well one of the spots I got it into yesterday...it got in quicker and more perfectly than I could ever had dreamed of doing .

You control the speed as you are the one in control of the brake. It gets you REAL close to the other cars, but it tells you when to stop. Really a cool system. I've always heard the self park system Lexus came out with on the LS was cumbersome and not very efficient. This system seems to do it more efficiently than I ever could and spaces you perfectly from the curb and the other vehicles.

 

I like those seats. Is the other material leather or fake leather or what?

 

Yes, #8 in my original post refers to these seats. I love them. They do look/feel a bit like tweed. Here's a camera phone picture:



They are much lighter than they look in the configurator online.

Yes, didn't test drive. We were in the shop bay, not the showroom. The head technician was able to drive me around in it. I will be back for the opening to actually drive it myself.

Nope, this was at a dealership in Arizona. Seems like they are trying to standardize the builds they are releasing for the launch.

Here's a picture of the new sunroof shade:



The weave does look much tighter than the previous versions.

I believe it's faux leather.

 

Damn those look good. It's so tempting since they're only $750, but that's still a lot of money.

 

What is the name of those seats on the configurator?
I only see black vinyl and pearl cloth $750, that looks black in the pic.

 

It's the black pearl cloth. The configurator makes them look darker than they are. There are more accurate pictures all over the place.

 

 

I drove a base automatic yesterday. In my 2008 base automatic sport mode doesn't allow going into 6th gear. I wasn't paying attention yesterday but was wondering if this is true for the 2014.

 

Yes it seems to be

 

Damn those are nice looking seats, wish they had a tan color to go with a yellow or brown car.

 

I was wondering if you got LED Taillights when you bought the LED headlight package? Did you notice what was on the one you saw with the LED Headlights?

Paul_F

 

I think they all have LED taillights, regardless of package or trim level.

At least that's what the salesman told me

 

THANK YOU!! I have been wondering about the shades for a while. I have to have my sun, but I want my shade when I want my shade. Weirdly enough, I had about decided that when I finally get a Mini I was going to have to get a convertible just to keep the sun *out* when I want it out. This looks like its going to make a world of difference! My nearest dealer is two hours away, so I don't have the luxury of popping over to take a peek.

 

Nice