Can anyone make me smart on what is available at US dealers?

Colors?

Price?

Install time?

Quality/Problems/Deals/Any Other Tips?

My US Spec MCS will be delivered (and prepped) by an Italian dealer, and I can get one of the below interiors installed. These are from the Italian accessory catalog...1500Euro for the sport seats. (aprox $1900) /see below/

Any info or opinion would make me wiser, and help me make a better decision.

Thanks,
-Pete

 

Very interesting. I am unfamiliar with what MINI offers in Europe, but that looks to be a catalog sheet from an aftermarket outfit (not Gucci though).

When I was concerned about the limited choice of the leather colors offered by MINI I asked my trusted upholsterer (not my snooty dealer) what it might cost to have custom leather for a MINI's seats.

He had done a Prius for $900 labor. We estimated (together, because I did not have a MINI to show him) that labor for a MINI might be less, but not much. We looked at grades of leather and that was what made the biggest difference. I wanted analine dyed, natural look finish, and good quality. It came to a choice between a Norwegian or German leather. We guessed (from the quantity used in the Prius) that it was going to cost $4200 for the leather. He told me the leather used in nearly all cars is not of such high quality and the samples we were looking at are sold only as intact hides. He especially poo pooed Connolly Brothers for poor quality. He said we could get serviceable leather for half the price, but I would not be happy with it. But now I am pleased to have settled for standard MINI vinyl in the gray and black pattern.

The black & sand pattern in your catalog sheet looks good. I would have opted for that color scheme for my MINI if the doors did not have to be entirely sand color. I hope someone who has priced custom upholstery at a MINI dealer will post here.

Ciao.

 

I think anything over $2000 for a one or two color leather interior is beyond reasonable... (Sure, some custom jobs will be priced way beyond that..)

What's offered at Mini dealers in the states right now?

 

Dreyer and Reinbold MINI has this (INDIANAPOLIS), they can pretty much get you any color you want, don't know about the price but it was a little more expensive compared to the stock leatther. Cool though, i don't have it, but there most popular is the pepper white/black version that matches those with a pepper white exterior very well.

 

You might want to check this company out.

http://katzkin.com/SITE/HTML/index.html

Cheers.

 

Thanks Abbey,

I got a quote back from them for $599. (for a two-tone kit)

-Pete

 

http://www.leatherseats.com/

Don't know if they're still around, but I bought some excellent leather seats from those guys for my WRX a few years back. I believe they sell Katskins. They were really a nice group of people. Give em a call to see if they have newer MINI patterns.

 

Tate MINI of Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland, USA
410-349-2131

2 years ago, Tate MINI offered custom leather, front and rear
for $1200 installed. That was the same price as the leather option from
the factory. The seats that I saw were made from cloth seats.
They were yellow and black leather in the same pattern as the factory
seats. You could choose from many colors.

 

Way cool, post pictures of the final.

Cheers.