Hello,

I'm new to the forum. I was interested in the new hardtop and just started reading posts on this site in the past few months to see what was being said about it.

This is my first post and I'm happy to say that I am a new owner of a Thunder Gray MCS.

Here is a bit of info about my buying experience for those who are interested...

I went to my closest MINI dealer (>1hr drive) about a month ago. At the time the dealer had just received one MC and one MCS. I test drove the MCS and loved it. My previous car was a 2006 V6 mustang, so the driving experience was very different. The difference between maneuvering a MINI vs a mustang is immediately apparent. We got back to the showroom and I placed an order for a new MCS that was very similarly spec'd to the showroom car. The one I built had a few less features, but all-in-all it was very close. I couldn't just buy the showroom car because it was on the list for needing the oil filter housing replaced. A week went by and the dealer called and said that he could get the oil filter housing replaced this week and have the showroom car ready by 4/21/14 if I wanted to accept that instead of the one I ordered. Since the showroom car had <40 miles on it and only one other person had test driven it prior to me, I decided to go with that option. The dealer added bonnet stripes for free and gave me a $500 discount off the sticker price.

Well, he got the oil filter housing in early (On Monday) and had it replaced, had the bonnet stripes installed, and gave me a call earlier this week to say that I could pick it up on Thursday. When I picked it up, it had 47 miles on it and it looked great!

I drove it >100 miles yesterday with the wife. The dealer said it's the first one on the road in Louisiana.

It's Thunder Gray, black roof and mirror caps, black bonnet stripes, 17" tentacle spoke tires. It has everything on it except heated seats, rear fog lights, alarm system, and smokers pack. (It also doesn't have any of the new accessories that were added to the mini site last week.) But still, it's pretty much loaded to the max.

The driving experience is great! I don't know if it's just because it's so night and day compared to the mustang, but I love driving this car! I drove it around some winding "hill-y" roads in Baton Rouge, then the wife drove it around an outlet mall parking lot while we made a few stops to shop. I then drove it home on the interstate. You can hear and feel the differences in the driving modes. I kept it on mid mode for most of the interstate drive, but I pushed it pretty hard on sport mode around the hill areas in Baton Rouge.

The entertainment is great. The only complaint I have (that I'm sure I will eventually figure out) is that MINI connected wont recognize my iPhone 4S. I'll have to do a bit of online reading to see what's up with that, but it's not really an issue because I can pair my phone via bluetooth and it works great. Navigation is awesome and easy to use. I'm surprised at how well the touch pad works and how easy it is to maneuver through the menu. The armrest didn't really hinder my ability to use the controls, but I can see where some people might find it slightly misplaced as you do have to bend your wrist at a somewhat awkward angle to use the controls. The armrest does fold back though; so that's an option for those who don't like it there when using the controls.

I also took a little trip over to my parent's house. My sister was there with her 2 kids, so I took them for a ride. They fit easily in the backseat and had a blast whipping around their neighborhood in the new ride.

All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase. If anyone has any questions for me please let me know. I have the owner's manual and I can look something up for you if you want. I also don't mind taking some pics for you, as time permits. If you want a pic of something specific, let me know.

 

Black stripes on gray -- very sophisticated.

An automatic?

 

Congrats, like the color combo.

 

You're right; and beautiful! I saw one like that at my dealer and thought the same thing. It's funny how the same vehicle can take on different appearances/moods with just a color change. Congrats and enjoy

 

Awesome ride!

 

haha, yes, I wanted it to keep it classy. It's my grown-up car. I wanted something sophisticated, but still sporty. I think it works.

And yes, it's automatic with the paddle shifters.

 

Lots of pics please!

 

Looks like mine that is coming except I got the black wheels. It kills me I can't make up my mind if I want stripes or not. It's coming with them but one day I want them and one day I don't. It's amazing how that color looks different in every picture I see. Nice freaking car congrats!! ...mine is waiting on a boat.

 

I have a question from the manual, what functions are displayed in the speedometer and which are listed as part of the on-board computer?

In the 2013 manual it seems a bit confusing, there's a section near the start called "On-Board computer" but that is about the main display area.

The sections I'm interested in are:

Controls, Controls Overview, Displays in Tachometer.
[This would say speedometer in 2014?]
In 2013 it has:
> Trip odometer
> Time
> External temperature

I guess in 2014 it will also include a digital speedometer readout?

Controls, Controls Overview, Computer, Displays in Tachometer.
In 2013 it has:
> Cruising range
> Average fuel consumption
> Current fuel consumption
> Average speed

 

I love these arrived threads! Exciting times for those in waiting as we bathe ourselves in monitor glow
Nice write up and classy ride there. As the dynamic chassis control comes standard on Cooper S can you tell me how you select between stiffer and more comfortable suspension settings? For example, can you choose the mid setting on the driver profile select but have a stiff suspension set independently ?

 

Dynamic Damper Control is a $500 option on the Justa & the S. !0% stiffer than normal, normal and 10% softer than normal.

 

Hi Diana,

Are you in the U.S.? If so, I think Dynamic Damper Control is optional, not standard on both the S and non-S variants. When in the configurator on miniusa.com building my S last weekend, the dynamic damper control was a $500 option as was the sport suspension.

To answer your question, I believe the dynamic damper control settings adjust when you switch between sport mode, mid, and green. But I don't have my car yet, so I am mostly speculating.

 

Oh yes - I checked back and it is an option for both S and non S even here (Canada). Thanks for the feedback. Boy is 10% correct!?..... seems like a very minor adjustment. But since my salesperson got it confused with the driver profile select I have added it to my build so will find out whether it was a good idea or not in time

 

Thanks for the responses!

I'm sorry, I do not have the dynamic damper control. I forgot about that option when I was doing my write up. I didn't want it because I've read about the stiffening being + or - 30%. I personally wouldn't find this useful unless I had plans to race it. Since this is my every day drive, I don't ever plan on racing it and I can't see it being a useful option for me. IMO, it's plenty stiff enough. I can't imagine how it feels at +30%.

Hammerhands,

I can take a look at the manual tomorrow and either scan a copy of the pages or just answer your questions. From what I recall by playing around with it, the speedometer has a small screen that can display any of those functions by pressing in the button on the left blinker handle. I believe they can be displayed on the computer screen as well by going through the menus and selecting them to be displayed. You can also choose to have a split screen so you can have some of those functions showing and another app (such as nav) up at the same time. I'll double check when I get a chance tomorrow.

 

Here are some more pics that I took today:

 

Ignore the spot on the seat. It's just some water that dripped from a spray bottle when I was wiping down the steering wheel. It's dry now...

 

Great review and cool looking ride. Get back out on those Baton Rouge mountain roads :-)

 

Looks dang nice....

 

Great looking MCS. Congratulations. My dealer has a Thunder Gray MINI, too. Very nice paint color.

Your initial driving impressions sounded like mine. I picked up my BRG MCS on Thursday and love it so much. I didn't order Dynamic Damper Control, either, nor the Sport Suspension. I was hoping I would be very satisfied with the stock suspension without these add-ons. And I totally am. I would not want this car to ride any stiffer than it already does. Handling is very precise with fast steering response. IMO anyone who forgoes DDC and SS will be satisfied.

I don't recall exactly what info displays on the speedometer, but one thing that is kind of nice is that even with the manual transmission (which I have), the gear that you are in displays on the speedo digitally. So if you're on the freeway in, say, 5th gear, you can see at a glance you're in that gear. Helpful if you need to then shift into 6th. It's little things like this that MINI (BMW) thought about when they designed this great new car.

Have fun with your MINI. I already can't wait to take mine out in a couple of hours. Have to run a 5K (running race) at 8AM.

 

The gear display is cool didn't know about that and always wished my R56 had that. I learn something everyday.

 

JoshNola, you mentioned not having DDC. So, what functions does the Sport/Comfort gear gaiter control adjust?

 

Chiming in to say that the seats look very nice! Despite the allure of leather I'm not a fan of the creases that develop over time or it's sweat/sticky/ice cold Jekkyl and Hyde personality. Looks stylish and cosy Josh!
Loving the car and please plan a road trip to Vancouver so I can get a better look

Hard to find info on the Dynamic Chassis Option:
"Carving through Puerto Rico's turns, we experienced Mini's new Dynamic Damper Control, which is offered on both models. It provides two different settings for the dampers' compression and rebound, enabling drivers to choose between a sporty or more comfort-oriented mode.

While the sportier level was remarkably stiff on uneven surfaces, both levels absorbed the bumps with a finesse and predictability you'd normally find in a BMW 3 or 5 Series. And, given the car's extended wheelbase, Mini did a fantastic job to preserve the characteristic kart-like precision."

Read more: http://www.europeancarweb.com/firstl...#ixzz2zLfs5CE6

 

It is my understanding that the DDC allows for more control of the MINI's suspension than the standard performance control. I.E. the DDC will stiffen the suspension by 30% or loosen it by 30% depending on the mode selected; whereas the performance control will adjust those functions by 10%.

I'll admit, though, that I am not 100% sure about this. I've read a few different explanations about it in some online articles; but, after I test drove it, I realized that the DDC didn't appeal to me because the standard option was great by itself; and, I never intended to race my mini.

Someone else can chime in if they understand it more than me.

 

Hammerhands,

I think this is what you were looking for. If not, let me know.

 

You better put some 93 Octane Top Tier fuel in this baby!!