I am talking about Stage 1 JCW engine tuning kit, JCW suspension kit and JCW aero kit. Why in the hell can't they install this stuff at the factory? I am just curious. They are wasting valuable resources by having these kits installed at the port or at the dealership. For example, if you want to get the JCW suspension kit, you have to remove and probably throw away your stock suspension components if you can't sell them. If you want to install the engine tuning kit, you need to remove and throw away your stock airbox and exhaust muffler if you can't sell them. If you want to install the JCW aero kit, you need to remove and throw away your stock bumpers if you can't sell them. And BMW talks about being an environmentally conscious company, yeah right!!!! If they could install these kits at the factory, all of this unnecessary waste would be eliminated.

 

Yeah, and when I asked if I could get the parts they were taking off to install my aero kit I was told that it wasn't possible.

 

Yeah, I don't know what they do with those stock bumpers they take off of the cars at the port in the US. They probably just throw them away!

 

Considering the number of JCW's relative to the total number of mini's, the cost of adapting the production line to build essentially an entirely different car would be a thousand times more expensive both fiscally and environmentally than having the dealer throw away your old bumper and doing all the work in their shop. Lean manufacturing: you're in way over your head on this one, trust me.

 

They can already install the so-called sport suspension kit and the factory aero kit, which are not standard features on the car, in the factory. So, I don't see why it would make them bankrupt to install the JCW suspension and the JCW aero kit in the factory.

 

Didn't say it would make them bankrupt, I said it would cost them more. I also said that the JCW's with suspension and aero are an extremely small percentage of total mini's built, even compared to the factory aero kit and sport suspension.

I also said trust me, so trust me. BMW is one of the most (if not the most) financially secure car companies for a reason.

 

If you can't trust someone who says "trust me," then who can you trust?

 

He is not full of it! BMW/MINI is about the Auto Manufacturer that is financially stable at this point! Gotta be good reason for that right?

With the Aero kit, as well as any thing put on at the port. The dealer never sees the factory parts. We have no idea what happens to the original parts. If the aero kit is installed at the dealer, I dont see any reason why they couldn't give you the original parts. But then again each dealership has their own set of rules.

 

OK, thanks for the explanation. I now have a better idea about what's going on.

 

In the UK the factory JCW has the JCW aerokit fitted at the factory as it comes standard on UK cars although its limited to 3 solid and 5 metallic colours at present. So in future when they release full range of colours on our JCW's don't see why couldn't be fitted to other models at factory.

 

Bumper cover damage is the most frequent incident in the ship process, so I imagine they take those extra bc's, repaint, and replace.

 

That true! The engine stuff, however is done at the factory and so is any factory suspension upgrades. That's why it's a factory JCW and not a kit anymore. There is a big difference in buying and S and adding JCW engine tuning kits to it and buing a JCW with a factory built engine. I read in one threads and Motoring File, that the engine is actually beefed up a bit, just adding a kit won't bring you to the same level. You can choose additional upgrades which will be done at the VDC or dealer depending on their arrangement. I don't understand why MINIUSA, doesn't want the JCW Aero kit installed at the factory, but I bet it involves increased profits!

 

they sell them as new OEM parts to body shops

 

BMW/MINI is most definitely not a Non-Profit