My dealership had this little mirror mounted in some of the showroom Minis, it appears to fix the driver's side blind spot. Does anyone have one of these in your car, and do you find yourself actually using it?

Also, my dealer had them dashboard-mounted, but I saw them windshield-mounted on a website. No difference?

Thanks...

 

If you're talking about this, it's available at Walmart or Autozone for $.99

 

No, not quite the same thing, though similar idea I'm sure. The one I saw was sort of an oblong mirror on a stalk that stuck to the dashboard...

 

A longtime ago, my brother had an Austin America (oversized Mini-like car with pneumatic suspension). He had convex mirrors mounted over the front wheel wells. Once you got used to them, they were great. Since they were so far forward you didn't have to look far from the road to see them, and they gave a great view of what was on either side. Really made Los Angeles traffic weaving easy.

 

Or you could just save yourself some dough and adjust the side mirrors to eliminate the blind spot.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/mirrors/

 

I have a cabrio - which has the grand-daddy of blind spots. Yes, the cartalk aiming approach works well in most cars - and kinda works in the cabrio (does work with the top down) - but with the top up, it's still kinda dicey - you're OK for the lane immediately to the right or left - but if someone is coming over from TWO lanes over in just he wrong spot...they can sneak up on you.

I bought the autobahn mirror I think you're referring to (like this one) before I even took delivery on my MCSC. I installed it on the left side, and a multivex mirror on the right side. Short version, after about 2 weeks I ditched the autobahn mirror for another multivex and am VERY happy with the twin multivex mirrors. They rock and you can see everything in the 2-3 lanes on either side of you...

Though I don't know how the 2007 mirror shape/size compares to the earlier mirrors - and whether you'll have to wait for the multivex mirrors to "catch up"....

 

Yeah, that first link was pretty much what I was referring to. I wasn't sure if it was actually sold as a Mini accessory, since I saw it on cars at the dealership...

 

The autobahn mirror was definitely better than nothing on the driver's side - but it was just a little "weird" because things disappear off the left edge of your outside mirror, then appear on the Autobahn mirror which is to the right... if that makes any sense - so it kinda screwed with my perception of where cars really were...

 

What model Multivex mirror did you buy? I don't find anything for any MINI on their web page.

 

Here are the Multivex mirrors for MINI: http://www.multivexmirror.net/Result...&Submit=Search
They do not list the R56 yet but they will make mirrors for any car if you send them templates.

The Multivex has been invaluable for the passenger side of my cabrio (HUGE blind spot). On the drivers side, honestly I've never had a real problem with blind spots in any car, when the standard mirror is adjusted properly. I nevertheless installed MINI's Euro convex drivers side mirror (purchased from the UK) and I like the wider view and additional safety. A Multivex drivers side mirror will give an even wider view than the Euro mirror.

 

I like the driver's side multivex as well as the passenger side because, well, I NEVER have to turn my head to look. Which I know is extremely bad form, not what I was taught in driver's ed and not what I'll teach my kids. But the multivex gives you a wide enough field of view that, once you understand what you're looking at, and you have it properly adjusted, you can be confident that if it's not in the mirror, it ISN'T THERE...

 

Cartalk was right... lean your head left against the driver's side glass and adjust the right "side view" mirror outward until the side view of the car just disappears from view. Now lean your gray matter to the right between the seats and even with the shifter. Then adjust the right mirror until the right side of the car disappears from that mirror view. As cars approach from the rear you will see them in your "rear view" mirror. As they pass, (which isn't often for me) they appear in the side views. It might feel a little wierd for a while, but guess what? No blind spots! Use a "head check" glance to either side before you change lanes. I learned all of this at a major performance driving school...IT WORKS! and no dollars were harmed doing this exercise.

 

Thanks for the great information. I just ordered a set for my 2007 MCS Cabrio! But for your post I would not have known where to find them.
Thanks again1
Larry Miller

 

As a follow up, I did get an autobahn mirror for my bday, and I'm very happy with the blind spot coverage it provides. It just sticks on my windshield unobtrusively off to the side...

I did check out that website for the multivex mirror, but they don't appear to cover the '07 Minis yet, just for 02-06...

 

unless it's a vampire!

 

California recently made it illegal to attach anything to the windshield. So, I wonder where you would mount it to be legal in California?

 

It would attach just as easily to the dashboard (off to the side, right near that little air vent). In fact, that is how they were displayed in the cars at my local Mini dealership, right off to the side on the dash.

The instruction manual shows diagrams for either one, the windshield or the dash.

 

ROFL... are you guys referring to the mirrors used to monitor a baby in the back seat...you can get those at Toys R Us or off the Internet for a few bucks...they are convex and can be mounted to the windshield ot dash board via suction cup..The mirror is attached to a flexible stalk.

 

No, I don't think so. I saw a "baby in sight" mirror on babiesrus.com, but not even close product-wise...

 

I had something similar on my 1977 3/4 ton Chevy's big camper mirrors. It even rotated so I could adjust it when I swung the mirrors from the inside to the outside position. Likewise on the big FedEx truck I drove for a while. Neither vehicle allowed me to actually look to the side so they were VERY handy.