Just found this on another web site.

Genuine MINI rear view camera works with NAV system

Too bad you have to have the nav system.

I wonder if there is a way to tap in and use the camera for recording video when running the Tail of the Dragon. Yes it is the rear view but I am certain that someone here on NAM could re-engineer it to work on the front end!

 

Sweeeeeet.

 

Cool idea, but no WAY worth $1200+ 5+ hours labor install!!! My god - look out the darn window!

 

Pioneer sells a rear camera for their stereos. Don't see why you cant mount it wherever you want.

 

Actually the OEM rear camera with switchbox is about $700. I have purchased one and just added a comment to the article on MotoringFile. A rear camera hooked up to the factory Nav can also be done using aftermarket kits for about $500.

Certainly a rear camera is not a necessity. If you don't have one, you cope with it as with any normal car. However, it is not difficult to see the usefulness of a rear camera. I'm not talking just about MINI, but for any car. It gives you a vantage point from the rear bumper, which is a far better view than from the drivers seat. Imagine being parked between two SUVs and backing out of the stall in a busy parking lot, or parallel parking into tight spaces.

I bought a rear camera because I have a convertible and because I do a lot of tight parallel parking in San Francisco. With regards to the convertible, see this image from the configurator. The rear window is actually large, but there's nothing to see!

 

Yeah, its hard to see out the rear of a convertible.

However for the MINI hardtops, it does seem extremely useless. I guess you have to be very bad at judging distance or unable to turn your neck somewhat or just have too much money if you have to get one of these cameras

 

For a hardtop, I would compare it to to getting xenon headlights. Halogens already work very well but you can spend $550 on xenons to get something even better. You may get a good view of the rear by turning around, but the view is even better with the addition of a rear camera. It shows you things that are impossible to see from the drivers seat.