When you insured your GP did your insurance company have it in the system or did they just put it in as an MCS? Does it cost more to insure and will the insurance cover the higher value of the GP if totalled?

Also, as the only stock 2 seat Mini can you travel with two people in commuter lanes that require 3 or more? Around here if you modify a 4 seater car to only have two seats they can (and will as I've heard) still ticket you for not having enough occupants to qualify to use the commuter lanes and I wondered if the GP people would run into trouble proving it was a 2 seater from the factory (probably a slim chance of anyone actually being pulled over to be able to report how it was handled though).

Just a couple of things I was curious about

 

I really have no idea, but I think that it dosn't matter how many seats are in your car, but if you dont have the required amount of people riding in it, you are not permitted in the commuter lanes.

 

Can a motorcylce use the commuter lanes? If so then I don't see why you couldn't.

 

An average motorcycle is designed to carry one, with a second person as a potential afterthought, and thus qualifies with one person. Any stock two seater with zero back seats (like a miata) qualifies with two in 3 person zones for the same reason.

As I said a car with back seats removed does not qualify and people have been ticketed driving with only two in such vehicles, so I was wondering how the GP people have fared (pun intended ).

Of course, commuter occupany minimums and rules vary by location so ymmv - as I stated I am talking about the 3 person min areas, like the East Bay in the SF Bay Area.

 

It probably depends on the state. I know in VA a two seat vehicle can use HOV3 lanes legally. However, it's usually easy to pick out a two seat vehicle just by looking at them even if you're not familiar with the car... The exception being the GP. If you aren't familiar with MINI and the GP in particular you're liable to mistake it as just another S. (GP owner's take a deep breath ) While we know that a GP is not a run of the mill S, most of the public doesn't... That means that there is definately a risk of getting stopped by a well meaning officer if you're in an HOV3 lane.

The only way around the ticket then is to either carry something (brouchure, flyer etc..) in the car that explains what the GP is and that it was built at the factory without the rear seats, or to head to court with the same documentation and fight the ticket in court.

The thing is, I don't think that the GP can be considered a car with the rear seats removed... Since the car wasn't built with the rear seats and was delivered from the manufacturer without the rear seats it should be considered a two seater.

 

Exacty, and I'm just curious if anyone has been pulled over and had some 'splaining to do I was thinking that carrying a brochure would be a good idea - would be kinda funny whipping that out to show the PO

 

The average street motorcylce is designed to carry 2 people. Only the super bikes are basically a single person design. If the car comes from the factory with only 2 seats it should not be a problem, it's not like you took out the seats.

 

Are you even reading the question eval posted? Just to clarify, since a few people on the board don't seem to get it, the question is if the GP cars have had any issues using the HOV lanes.

Since the car was ORIGINALLY designed with 4 seats, what prevents a cop, who isn't savvy with specific model details, giving you a ticket and a court date because he thinks you installed some rear seat delete shelf in place of your OEM seats?

Hell, I don't know where the motorcycle comment comes from, it's a totally irrelevant addition to the thread. They're designed to carry no more than 2 people in most cases (and yes, I've had my fair share of monoseat superbikes) and in most states motorcycles are allowed to commute in HOV lanes. Totally irrelevant to the question asked.

 

So, for this to be an issue, you have to:

Be driving in one of the 415 GP's brought to the states,
in an HOV-3 lane during the HOV hours,
with a passenger,
and be noticed by a cop.

I don't see this coming up very often.

Scott

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner!

 

HUH ?

Did you even read my first post? Try again and this time try to tame that sharp wit of yours.

 

Not often, unless you're a GP owner in a state where HOV rules are strongly enforced... In parts of Northern VA you'll probably see enforcement on the various HOV lanes 3 out of 5 days a week... When I lived in Miami, I'd see it about 40% of the time... When I lived outside of Seattle I saw it twice in 2 and a half years...

While this doesn't effect most MINI owners... well much of what effects GP owners is of no consequence to most MINI owners... that doesn't mean that folks with GPs can't wonder about it...

Besides, this is the GP Talk forum...


Or to put it another way, how many MINI owners have twincharged systems in their cars? Not many, yet such a discussion can generate pages upon pages of discussion...

 

You are in the Bay Area like me and the commuter lane says 2 people, but the brigdes well at least some of them say "commuter lane for vehicles with 3 ocupants OR 2 ocupants in a 2 seater"

Or that is when I got stopped on the Benicia Bridge with 2 people
Back seat folded down and roll bar in place.
The HP said SORRY and sent me on my way.

 

LOL, you meant your motorcycle comment?

"Can a motorcylce use the commuter lanes? If so then I don't see why you couldn't."

The correlation makes no farkin' sense genius, why do you think I pointed it out!?! :D

 

Hey Michael how you and Pat doin out in CA/

I haven't been around NAM for a while , but I wonder about the likes of those sharp tongued people who are not GP owners , yet always think their two cents and sharp catty or critical comments make them a worthwhile contributer to such a thread that was intended for GP owners to express ideas and exchange information.

I don't get it and I may be absent again soon as I see on many of the threads in this forum are plagued by these post mongers who really don't bring anything positive or constructive to a discussion.

Someone needs to Tell 'em to "GET a LIFE" ( being kind here)......................OK I'll do it......

 

Ok moron, how about this......a motorcycle is limited to 2 people, so if a car is limited to 2 people it should be ok. Make sense?

Take a pill dude

 

Okay, before this gets anymore escalated (and I don't want the thread locked, no-one has even answered my insurance question yet ) - Scott, I already expressed that I was aware that strictly two seater cars were exempt from the 3 person rule but was curious if any GP owners had run into problems since it is not a traditional 2 seater. Also in my first post my question was "I wondered if the GP people would run into trouble proving it was a 2 seater from the factory" and stated I knew it was a slim chance, but was curious nonetheless. So you see the motorcycle comment was off topic/irrelevant to the questions and that is what Loki was responding to.

Okay, so enough of the bickering. So, does your insurance have the GP in the system as a special model or is it covered as an MCS? If not covered as a GP I'd check with the company to see what your value would be if totalled or whatnot. I'd hate for you guys to get a rude surprise if expecting something else.

 

never mind

 

Eval
Do you own or have a line on a GP? Or is this just a Curious notion that you have? Are you in the insurance industry?, do you wear briefs or boxers?.......and how much balance do you carry in your checking account........just my curiosity here, you see I have nothing better to do than sit and wonder about such things

It's nice that you are concerned for your fellow MINI Owners, but most of us are savvy about such things, and I still have Mom and my wife around to look out after me.

If you own a GP or any heavily modded car it is probably no difference and if one is fiscally respnsible will ensure with their agent that they have full coverage to suit their needs.

Sorry, I just don't see the point of this whole thread... other than it gives people like LOKI an opportunity to sound off ( again being nice).but what do I know......time to go back into hibernation I guess
:impatient

 

Damn, wow, I don't see why my questions merit a response with such attitude. I'm sure it would be facinating to restrict all posts to "leather or leatherette", "look at my wheels" and "how do I replace my bulbs" etc

Yeah, I have better things to do, I'm sure every last person on a car forum could be doing something "better", I just was curious, what is wrong with that? I know people who buy cars soley to be able to use the commute lane with two people so that notion was there, and lots of people, especially with limited run vehicles, are underinsured and I've seen them lament about it later after an accident, so I thought it might be helpful (and was, forgive me, curious if the GP was in the system).

If you don't see the point of the thread don't click on it or just back out, don't you have better things to do then post pissy messages that contribute nothing to the subject?:impatient

Man, before you know it I'll be lamenting about the good old days on NAM

 

You guys (all of you getting upset) need to remember that Respect is one of the NAM guidelines. Please shelve the insults. Calling people "moron" and using sarcastic references to "genius" is not constructive.

 

Sorry Eval, didn't mean to offend anyone, just in my opinion this was about the same as "Look at my wheels & etc"................ so I hope a few found some meaning in my reasoning?.............and I too look to the former days when NAM was a good exchange of information and sourcing , but now is rampant with flamers and trolls who wish to ponder their navels on line......again sorry to all I'm heading back out to the woods.....grumpy old bastard that I am.............you all try to be nice to each other....peace, man

 

I wish i could head down to the woods and say hi. I think u may be onto something here zilla with the flaming and all. If I were you I'd run out to that garage of yours and fire up that cobra so loud you can't even hear yourself think, that way there'd be no chance of hearing these fools.

erik

 

You're right - my comments were flippant, especially considering my audience.

As to the question, the only thing I can think of will be that some people will be pulled over and some won't. Of those that get pulled over, some will be able to avoid the ticket by making the officer understand that the GP is a two-seater from the factory, while some others will get tickets anyway.

Of those that get tickets, I'm sure that they will all be able to get the tickets dismissed once they're before a judge with documentation about the GP and its stock seating configuration.

(All this is assuming that two people in a two-seater satisfies the requirements for using the HOV-3 lane. Here in Norfolk, it's almost all HOV-2, so that's all I have experience with).

Scott

 

That's fine, but you do see the contradiction in basically flaming/trolling my thread and questions because you don't think it is worthwhile? I asked a couple of questions I was curious about, maybe nothing you deem important but that's not the point, I mean you don't go into every thread not up to your standard and put it down. I am not a troll, wasn't instigating anything, posting redundancies, or even pondering my navel -if it wasn't interesting to you then what is the issue, just don't post. You see my point of view, right? And "I hope a few found some meaning in my reasoning" too; now the thread is totally off track.