Hi everyone,
I am thinking about ordering a custom MCS soon. I have done quiet a bit of reading on here and pretty much decided on the packages and options I want. Here is what I decided to get so far:

Cold Weather Package
Sport Package with 17" Web-spokes
Sport Suspension
Rear Fog Lamp
Limited Slip Differential
6-Speed Getrag Manual
Automatic AC
Center Arm Rest
Leather Sport Wheel w/Multifunction
JCW aero kit (to be added sometime after I get the car)

I am still not sure about the color combinations. I will probably go with laser blue body with white roof and possibly sport stripes or pure silver body with either black or pure silver roof. This car will be my daily driver and I plan to do fun-filled spirited driving whenever I get a chance. Would you recommend anything else I should get? I think I got pretty much everything necessary (other than JCW options) for sport driving.

Also, does the 2007 MCS model have any annoying bugs I should know about? The first-year production of a new model is usually not without bugs but it seems like everyone on here is very happy with their MCS.

Thanks for comments and suggestions.

 

Skip the arm rest. The factory one is a POS.

I'd skip the JCW body kit and put it towards the JCW ENGINE kit. Make it a driver, not a looker.

I'm assuming you don't want the sunroof? If I'm not mistaken the auto AC and Multi-Function Stearing Wheel combined prices are approaching the cost of the Premium pack which adds the sunroof and a couple other things that slip my mind.

Otherwise, looks great. Well, no... I don't mean that. It looks great, PERIOD!

 

Nice set of options. I have had my 07 since June 13, no problems in over 2k miles. My MCS is my daily driver, if you want a little comfort, I would drop the sport suspension but keep the sport package with the webbies, they look very good.

If you need a more sporty suspension you can probably do better with a set of lowering springs which will drop the R56 about an inch, try the H&R or another quality set of springs.

My two cents worth.

 

Thanks for the comments. I will think more about some of the options. I was not sure about the sunroof. I have a sunroof on my current car (which a BMW 325I) and it is not something I use very often so I thought I might skip it on the MCS. The sunroof shades on the BMWs are notorious for their poor quality. Is that true for the MCS sunroof shades as well?

 

i'd go for the sunroof. but, that's just me.

 

just in case you didn't know, both sunroofs tilt up now.

 

I like my sunroof. Hit the switch past the initial stop and let go, both sunroofs pop up and auto stop. Press and hold, then rear roof lowers and the front roof slides back.

The only thing that I have noticed is the front shade creeps open after I have slid it closed. Normal road bumps during the commute nudges it open a little with each bump. It stops creeping about halfway home and holds at three inches.

I expect that it will creep less as time goes on. If it gets worse, I'll take it in for service.

 

I don't know how the sunroof shades are on bimmers, but the MINI one is more or a mesh. It only shades the sun, not blocking it entirely. That being said, I love my sunroof, and have no probems with too much sunlight or heat. I didn't plan on one before my test drive, but after (the car I test droev had the sunroof) my mind was set on it.

 

Definitely skip the arm rest. I got it as part of a package and want to rip it out. There is an after-market arm rest that people seem to like better, if an arm rest is important to you. IMO, they just get in the way of shifting. The factory arm rest is annoying because it has little storage, doesn't fold up far enough to be out of the way, and the lid keeps sliding open.

If you want wheels just for looks, fine, go with the web spokes. However, since you are getting the sports suspension, I would guess handling is important to you. If so, forget the factory wheels. They are rather heavy at 22.5 lbs. each. Get a set of after-market wheels in the 15-16 lb. range. They will give better handling, acceleration, and a smoother ride.

When I ordered, the Web Spoke wheels cost extra, even with the Sports Package. The Crown Spokes come with it, and the Web Spokes were something extra. I thought it was $500, but the Configurator adds them at $1811. I bought a set of 16 lb. 17" wheels on sale for about $750 with shipping. So, I have the Crown Spokes and a set of light-weight wheels. If you live where there is a winter, two sets of wheels can be useful for summer and winter tires.

Also, consider 16" wheels as they seem to be favored by the racers. Handing is about the same. The lighter 16" wheel offsets the shorter sidewall of the 17". A 16" wheel will give you a softer ride without a loss in handling. I wish I had gone for 16" after-market wheels. However, some people prefer the look of the 17" wheels.

Personally, I'm not impressed with the look of the available aero kits for the MCS. They aren't enough of a change to warrant the cost, and they are not an improvement in styling. The JCW isn't bad, but not better design than the stock MCS. IMO, the factory aero is worse design that stock.

Some features you don't list, that I like very much are:
Heated seats -- even though I'm in California.
NAV -- looks cool, works well, integrates many other features in the MINI.
Parking Distance Control -- I find rear visibility to be poor in the MCS. The PDC helps quite a bit. With the NAV, it displays a cool graphic of where the danger zones are.
Convenience Access -- just keep the fob in your pocket. Unlock the car with the black button on the door handle. Get in and start by pushing the Start/Stop button. Never insert a key or fob. Very cool.

 

Your specs look great - and I agree - personally I don't think the armrest is all it's cracked up to be. We have it in ours and I find it more annoying that helpful And I'd think twice about getting the sunroof. It's pretty nice to have...

Donna

 

Thanks so much! I think I am getting rid of the armrest for sure. I will also have to think about the sunroof and lighter and/or 16" wheels. I am actually getting heated seats too since I have the cold weather package. Unfortunately, my limited budget does not allow me to get all the other cool things, so I decided to focus more on performance-related options.

 

Web spokes only add $500 to the sport package. Not $18??.

I bought the web spokes in the package... then got a set of 4 S-lites this past week for $150 to use as winder wheels & tires.

I like the sunroof in the MINI... but it does add weight up high (if your concerned about that type of thing). To me, the windshield is so far foreward that with my tinted windows, I would feel like I was in a little cave without that little extra bit of ambient light from above. The down side... my noggin' is geeting more sun than I'm used to. Had to buy a MINI hat to specificlly leave in the car!

 

So you guys are positive about 16" wheels giving better performance than 17" wheels? According to the MINI configurator, I could get rid of the sport package but I can then add DSC and Xeon headlamps while keeping 16" wheels. The only difference between doing this and choosing the sport package would be the wheels and bonnet stripes. I would be saving $850 in the meantime since the sport package with 17" web-spoke wheels costs $1900. I just did a Google search and it seems like the 16" S-Winder factory wheel weighs 16.6 lbs while the 16" Bridge-Spoke factory wheel weighs 20.9 lbs. Will I be better off performance-wise if I go with the light 16" S-Winder wheels?

 

Get the sunroof--fall is coming! Just tint the glass to get through the summer (if you live where it's hot as Hades, like here!).

 

Yeah, that's been bantered about. Seems the guys and gals in the know often go for 16's for autocross work. Less unsprung weight out of the smaller wheel and tire package.

On the downside... 16's (IMO, mind you) look awful small on the R56. As they increased the beltline and width of the fender spats (black plastic), 17-inch wheels are the smallest size that look "normal" on the car. Again, just my opinion. So take it for what it's worth... and then get 17's!

 

I prefer the idea of aftermarket 17's and factory 16's for winter work. That's the decision I went with and once I get the car I'll make the decision on whether to use the OEM tires or sell them and replace with 17's for the remainder of the summer/fall and set the 16's up for winter.

 

That's what I remembered, but the Configurator added $1811 when I added them to the Sports Package.

Was that $150 each, or for four? Did you buy them used? Did you mean "winder" as in wind it up? Or "vinter" as in cold season?

The sensation is that of driving a tank where you look out a small slit.

 

On the sunroof issue, how tall are you? If you are over 6'2" you may find you lose a bit of precious headroom especially if you ever plan to track or autocross and need to put on a helmet.

 

That's what the racers and autoxers are saying. When you really press them on it, it may be a wash. The 17" have the shorter sidewall, but the 16" can be much lighter. Still they seem to prefer the 16". They may handle better, or it may be a fad among racers. Hard to tell. The characteristics will be a little different. So, it may feel like the 16" handle better (i.e. are more responsive) because they are lighter.

So, the 17" wheels don't improve handling, but look better to some, and have a harsher ride. Basically, it is a choice between comfort and style.

You might want to double check the prices with your dealer. The Configurator may have some glitches. As for bonnet stripes, Aesthetic Creations, and Cooper Flags have a variety of stripes available if you are not in love with the factory stripes.

With 16" wheels you can get down to 12-13 lbs. I have 17" wheels that weigh somewhere around 15-16 lbs. See the Tire Rack for other options. Some of the other NAM vendors sell after-market wheels as well.

 

I am 5'8" so I don't think the headroom will be an issue. I have read reports of rattling and water leaking sunroofs in the earlier models. I wonder if these problems have been fixed for good in the current model.

 

I've not had any problems with leaks or rattles. Wind noise was a problem in some of the earlier builds, but even that has not been a problem in mine, and I have a week 3 build date. It is fixable.

The only problem I have seen is an occasional refusal to open--nothing that happens often enough to troubleshoot. Seems to be a hangup of some sort, and takes care of itself in the first mile or two of movement (= jostling).

I'm very much pro-sunroof--wouldn't have a car without it.

 

Having mine now for a month and a 1/2, I would think about the comfort access unless it comes with one of your packages. Anyway, always fumbling for keys is sometimes a pain. Didn't think I would regret it by not getting it but did. Budget considerations. I would also get sirius which is my #1 recommendation. Yes you can get a plug and play style unit at best buy for under 100 bucks but the unit IMO will clutter the interior and I'm not sure it will play through your MFSW which is very important. I don't think the 10 speaker upgrade is worth it and the base sound for me seems fine to actually quite good and times. Besides, if your really into sound some people feel that the upgraded sound system is bad so why throw away good money into that system. What ever way you go, what you have so far sounds great and you should be very happy with the specs.

 

Thanks again for the responses. I think at the end of the day, I will care about how the wheels will look on the car. I have decided to get the 17" wheels that come with the sport package and then switch to lighter 17" aftermarket wheels later. I am willing to compromise some ride comfort with 17" wheels. I figure if it bothers me too much at some point, I can always switch back to 16" wheels.

I was curious about the quality of the Hi-Fi Sound System. Amazonracer already said it is not too good. Any other opinions on Hi-Fi? Has anyone gotten the complete audio package that costs $1400? Is it worth it? Sirius alone costs $950 so it is probably a better idea to get the whole audio package.

I was not sure about the Comfort Access System either. I never had that in the previous cars I drove so it probably won't kill me if I don't get it. Would you definitely recommend it?

 

The Sirius/HD stereo package wasn't available when my car was built in March. However, I would have opted for it if it had been available. I bought the upgraded hi-fi setup and I think it's fine for almost all people.

I would. It was new for me, too. But I love the idea now of leaving the keys in my pocket and unlocking and locking it at the door. One of those things you can live without, but once you get used to it, it would be hard to live without.

 

Look for 16 lb. or less 17" wheels. Hang out in the Wheels & Tires forum here on NAM. Some of it is a little over the top, but you can learn stuff.

There have been mixed responses. For some, it is just fine. For the loud crowd, it distorts at high volumes. Better speakers might fix that.

The impression I get is that it is easier to upgrade the HIFI than the standard radio. I have the HIFI. I plan to replace the speakers with Infinity Kappas. The rears come first. I'll get to the others eventually.

My previous car used nothing but keys. If you unlock the driver side, it does not unlock the passenger side. Very basic system. No fob.

I really like the Comfort Access System. I put the fob in the coin pocket of my levis and leave it there. I can lock/unlock doors, and start the car without taking it out of my pocket. It is a lot nicer than fumbling with keys.