Hi all,

After 2 years with my R56, I'm ready to get the new one. Went to the dealer for a test drive today and forgot to ask one important question.

I can't seem to find any information regarding 'Connected Drive' (the front facing camera mounted behind the rain sensor) and how to order it on the car. When I'm configuring the car at miniusa.com, besides the photo of the camera visible in the picture used for the 'rain sensor' option, it's nowhere to be found.

I remember a video I saw when the car launched of a guy demoing the navigation system and triggering what seemed to be 'pedestrian collision prevention' and 'rear ending collision prevention'. 2 features linked to that mounted camera. There was also this BMW-like button with a green circle on the dash next to the emergency lights.

This green circle thingy appears when you configure the car with the Navigation XL. I am getting the Nav XL either way.

Did any of you have it in the car or have the info on it?

Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

The button you are referring to is only available in the EU version of the car right now along with most of the safety features such as the pedestrian stuff.

In the US version we do have the park assist package which will allows the car to parallel park itself and give you sensors and reverse camera all around the car to help prevent you from hitting things when parking (such as a curb). Mini USA will be implementing some (but likely not all) of the safety features in the 2015 version. I do have the front facing camera on my 2014 F56 MCS but as of right now I am not sure if it is actually doing anything.

 

US F56s are also missing the adaptive distance based cruised control and road sign reading/speed limit displaying via HUD, both of which also use front facing camera... It is pretty disappointing, I guess we can keep our fingers crossed and hope they activate them via software patch later, as MotorMayhem mentioned, the camera does seem to be be present!

 

im pretty sure that what you guys see is not the camera but the rain and headlight sensors.. if you look at other pictures there would be two camera like things on the windhsield.. sorry to disappoint..

 

Yeah unless it looks like this, we likely do not have it.

 

There's been a lot of talk about the disappointment in Mini NA's promotional materials with the cool features like adaptive cruise control and the pedestrian safety features. However, I will tell you that it's a good sign that some of the F56s have the camera hardware already installed. As opposed to BMW's slow roll-out of these features (which didn't include the hardware in the cars), Minis that have the hardware have the "chance" that this could be a straight-forward software-only upgrade to enable some of these features. Stay tuned.

 

I think we are trying to establish if we do INDEED have the hardware, and not confusing it with a different sensor like auto light/rain sensor. Can someone post a pic of what they believe is the camera on their car? I just don't see Mini enabling this later. It makes more sense that its a feature they bring to market in a 2015 model or something like that. The one area I could see them implementing though is the ability to read the speed limits if indeed they have the camera on our cars as posters are suggesting.

 

I seem to vaguely recall a UK person who either test drove one or got one with that camera feature operating said he had to get the HUD too.

 

shoptb, what evidence do you have that some US cars do indeed have the front camera and associated hardware?

I ordered my F56 MCS fully loaded, and do not have the front camera, etc.

 

And that speed limit detection is prominently (and misleadingly) displayed in their US advertising on TV (commercial with the VO and the bulldog), showing a US speed limit sign and the car has California plates.

 

Link to photo of the camera:

http://www.caranddriver.com/photos-m...a-photo-546372

If it doesn't look like that, it ain't there.

 

And photo of my car -- no camera.

 

Yeah what's interesting about that is the speed limit sign they show is clearly based on a model of a US sign (rectangular) and the car does not have the extra button for the active safety next to the hazard lights and of course its left hand drive. Either they planned to include the speed limit detection on the us models and may have baked the capability into the cars. Or its just a graphic they threw in there in in post processing and gave us the EU disclaimer at the end of the end. Pretty lame on the part of Mini either way.

 

Do you have the following options - HUD, Backup Camera?

 

For me it is frustrating because I wanted the feature and when I was preparing to order the car I believed the feature was there.

I did figure out it wasn't there prior to finalizing the order, and it wasn't enough to stop me.

But my wife's car does have that feature and we are very fond of it.

Oh, well...

 

Yep. Don't have park assist though.

 

I have HUD, backup cam, and Park Assist. But no front camera... :(

Like you all, I feel MINI's ads and US website were deceptive regarding these features, as I ordered the car fully loaded and expected to receive the features.

I would love it if MINI could and would "unlock" these features for those who ordered fully loaded cars, with a discounted (or free!) rearview mirror housing, dash button cluster, and steering wheel upgrade...

Well, I can wish!