See http://www.totalmini.com/forum/47-20...-retrofit.html

I'm re-attaching the PDF here for convenience: Mission Control Retrofit.pdf

What's very interesting is how easy it is -- there's a cable behind the glove compartment that has all the data needed.... they knew they would be releasing this [a video on Mission Control says this feature was planned as early as 2002]

Now, if someone tells me where they are selling it...

 

+1

 

FYI, a parts manager was kind enough to look into it for me...

“It looks like it will be coming to the US. Looking at the online install instructions I see two kits but I am not sure if the US models will need additional items. The price for kit 65-90-2-159-967 is $273.62 and 65-41-2-154-719 is $210.58. When MINI USA comes out with an official bulletin I will let you know.”

WOW, I was hoping $99 and even that is a lot for a tiny piece of software/logic!

 

Cool. I want one!

 

Considering the low volumes of that part and that it is BMW, that is a pretty good price. I don't think I would install one, but it is nice to have the choice!

 

I have mixed feelings.....on the one hand it's entertaining, especially if you have other folks in the car and especially if they're first timers, but everyday? I think I'd be using the "off" button.....

 

I can't believe anyone would actually want to spend money on this annoyance. When I first read about it, I thought it would be funny - for about one trip in the car. Then after seeing this, I'm convinced it's far worse than that. Annoying is not a strong enough word!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VcL-...layer_embedded

 

lol, Adding the Mr T's voice would rock!

 

I can sort of see the thoughts about it being annoying. My Camden is on order...the Mission Control is not a reason that I ordered it...and have thought that I would likely turn it off quickly as well.

That being said...it occurs to me that since they've designed it with the dialog on an SD card...my bet is that there will be a whole series of available replacement cards before long...many that are far less obtrusive.

In that respect I'm glad that I have it because it "could" be a really useful (and more serious) feature for providing system updates for the things that really matter when they matter...

 

The one I played with at the dealer a few weeks ago was realy only annoying as it douel not give you any info or comments about "Vital" information such as oil pressure/temp, boost pressure, or anything elese related to the operation of hte vehicle other than pressing of buttons on the dash.

So with that it is nothing but annoying.

 

Has anyone actually done the retrofit? The instructions from MINI just say to swap the secret compartment box and you're done (0.1 hr installation) and no tools and no coding (can that be right?). I think you have to recode the MINI if you put cupholder in.

I think it would be a blast to monkey with the sound files, since they're non-encrypted MP3s. Imagine having comments from Jerry Seinfeld and Kramer, Bart Simpson, John Steed & Emma Peel, Jenna Jamison, Mr. T.

I think the stock dialogues got panned pretty badly as cloyingly cheery, politically-correct annoyances. So I don't think anyone will ADMIT to retrofitting "Mission Control". But c'mon, someone out there has to have done it. Was there ANY recoding required?

 

Unless you have the MCA audio adjustment setting in your head unit (music note) a recode/retrofit will be necessary. I soooooo want to retrofit this in my car, but 1/08 build date of my car (needs to be after 9/2009) does not have the plug for it. Although I have been tempted to try to wire it up myself, but that is just too much work for the possibility that it wouldn't work at all.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "MCA audio adjustment". I do have a music note for setting audio settings on my head unit. My build date is June 2008. Should I just pull out the secret compartment to see if I have the connector?

 

Unfortunately, you will not have the connector/harness. Need at least September of 2009 build date.

 

So if you press the music note button and scroll over to the next page with the wheel it (MCA) would appear next to the speed-volume adjustment.

 

Even without the retrofit installed, I would see Mission Control? How odd. People in '09 would have been vexed about references to a future product. Well, you just saved me a couple hundred bucks and some aggravation, I suppose. Funny/Annoying how the retrofit instructions just mention R56 and not certain build years or VINs. Oh well, it could have been fun...

 

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...24&hg=65&fg=95

So the build date needs to be 9/09 or later. And the vehicle requirements are shown on the actual part and not the install instructions. And they have a second sound option called Starship Content. Sounds fun!

 

I had a Justa loaner from my dealer and it had this feature. You could turn it off if you wanted. The service guy told me how to turn it off. It was kinda cool for about 5 minutes and then off it went. I would not pay any price for the gimmick.

 

Just picked my clubbie up on Friday, has mini connect w nav, but can't even find mission control on the screen. Anyone know how to make it work?

 

Mission control is mostly a novelty. I am not sure that I'd spend money on this as a retrofit.

The useful things it tells you:
-how many gallons of fuel you have
-when the car is warmed up officially
-it actually yells at me if I rev too high before the engine is warm. I felt pretty bad one time.
-when to stop hooning and behave: it will scream out various excited phrases when I take quick turns.

Annoying things it does:
-one of the guys LOVES to say "LEEEEEET'S MINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It's cheesy.
-the lady is really bossy and condescending... When I park, she actually tells me to "release the handbrake" or "if you love the handbrake, you must let it go" and she actually laughs at her own joke. She also tells the other guys what to do.
-i'm not a big fan of it interrupting my music-- PLUS it's pretty embarrassing if you're listening to music loudly with windows open and it has to say something to you... people look at you thinking that you are shouting at them.

What I wonder is if the non-Mission Control-equipped MINIs actually have all of the necessary components to deliver on the entire experience... In other words, my car gives me some kind of acceleration report (how many seconds it takes you to get to 40, I believe) and will also yell or scream or "woo hoo!" when I take a quick turn... I wonder if all MINIs have accelerometers or gyroscopes that activate these exclamations for Mission Control.

It's fun to play around with but I do mostly keep it off.

Not my car:

 

On the cars with MINI Connected (2011+), Mission Control is part of the iPhone/iPod app. Like some others here, I've played with it and once the new wore off, I turned it off and have never looked back. It's a nifty gadget that may amuse your passengers, especially if they're little kids ("Ooh, listen - the car's talking to you!"), but beyond that the only bit I found useful was that it would tell me when the engine was warmed up. I'd rather have a real temperature gauge (and oil pressure too).

I know a guy who had Mission Control retrofitted to his 2010 R56 JCW. He had it done the same time as a bunch of other work, and so I don't know how much labor was required just for Mission Control. But then he's the Parts Manager at my MINI dealer, so presumably gets some sort of in-house discount anyway. I can't imagine paying very much for this, but that's just me. My suggestion is that if you really think you might want this, spend a day in a car that already has it (yes, I know - easier said than done); that'll probably be all the Mission Control you really need.

 

Hmmm...Failure to Launch

I think in years to come the technology will be much better in terms of voice recognition interfaces. Just look at Apple's implementation of Siri. Down the road, I could see Mission Control being a must-have feature if they made it highly configurable (various vocal skins/characters, had the ability to cut out cheesy comments like "Let's Mini!", and it gave real information from the car's computer, like coolant and oil temp, fuel remaining, or any codes stored but not triggering a CEL).

Integrate it with weather and traffic and it could give you a great pre-trip report:

"Good morning, it's 34 degrees and there is a fog advisory for your area.
The mini is currently warming up and has not yet reached operating temperature. Oil pressure is normal. Remaining fuel is 8.5 gallons.
Range is 260 miles. On board sensors have detected mild pre-detonation of fuel. Please check the octane rating before refueling.
All other systems are normal. Enjoy your drive."

A post-trip report could give you all kinds of fun stuff:
0-60 times
Fuel consumption
Max speed
Max revs
Etc.

 

Excellent idea and it's information that is truly useful. For this I would pay extra but not for the current configuration.

 

Thanks! Do you know if its one of the features that requires the snap in adapter? (guessing it must be since it, along with dynamic music, dont show up on my list of choices on the screen even though they show up on the app when the device is not plugged into the car.)
I'd like to have it just for the gee-whiz factor and for when my nephews are in the car. I cant imagine using it on a daily basis.

 

Well, I have a service appointment coming up and will get a loaner. Hopefully, for fun, it will have Mission Control. I still think it would be a kick in the pants to swap out the sound files. Instead of the unsufferably lame cheer "Llllllllllllet's MIN!", I would replace with something off-color, like Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad say, "C'mon, stomp on that bioch, yo."