I have a 2013 Mini Cooper S hatchback. It has the base stereo, no HK upgrade or Mini-connect.

By everything I've read everywhere (product description, forums, installation notes) the Alpine retrofit upgrade should work for my car.

http://www.shopminiusa.com/PRODUCT/5...--RETROFIT-KIT

But when I looked into ordering the dealer said "The computer says it won't work with your car". To which I said that didn't make any sense... if it won't work with my car... then who's will it work with? I ask why not... and he didn't know... just that the "computer said".

Has anyone run into this, or is this just a stupid glitch in their system?

 

If the Dr. tells you you've got 1 day to live what's the 1st thing you do? Second opinion? Dealers don't do and will discourage aftermarket. Find an audio shop or an independent BMW/MINI shop in your area and get the job done. MINIs are for you-a-fying.

 

Interesting.. It's a mini kit sold by mini, I didn't see anything in the ad that would exclude your mini. Before investing $600+, I would suggest calling mini USA and ask them what the problem is..

 

I have it in my 2013 S Hatch. Installed the Alpine upgrade myself.

I have the 6 speaker system.

There is an issue about ordering the A pillar panels, thats why he's telling you it won't work.

 

They say if you have sat prep, you can not install this, thats BS, there is no sat tuner under the passenger seat in a 2013. Thats where the amp and box will go.

They can't find beige A Pillars without tweeters. I used black A Pillars.

This is what I ordered:

The Alpine kit from ECS Tuning

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Site...fit/ES1599518/

Installation box:

http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1929984/?...FQVafgodgioAew

Black A Pillars with tweeter mounts:

51432756769
51432756770

Cover caps for the black A Pillars

51432753011
51432753012

The pillars and caps can be ordered from ECS too!!


It says Fits up to -08/30/2009, thats incorrect, because after that date the pods are for HK systems, these WILL work!!




If you order from ECS, don't do it online, call it in the shipping will be cheaper, as the online method is additive.



Its plug and play, and can be installed in an afternoon.

 

Hm... wonder if it would be possible to retrofit this into my GP. The GP's sound stage is atrocious.

 

As long as you have the base/boost radio.

2 speakers in each door, and 1 speaker in each of the rear panels.

 

Very helpful, thank you.

 

No rear speakers in the GP.

Custom it is, then.

 

TVPostSound,

It looks like they have the "white" pillar now too

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Site...rbon/ES110844/

Is the above part a match up for the Carbon colored ones you were linking?

 

Thats GRAY, not BEIGE. Wont color match a 2013 BEIGE interior.
I already made that mistake.

You can get beige but it has the HK emblem, and a tweeter included.

The pre 08/30/2009 comes in black or grey, and has no tweeter included, also no HK emblem.

Black looks really good, so good, I replaced my B and C pillars with black ones too!!
Carbon black will match your dash.

 

not well, no.

the GP has 4 speakers in the doors, no rear speakers (or wiring, or place to put them behind the panels without cutting the rear brace mounts out)

also, the GP headunit and wiring is unique - the "rear" wiring circuit from the headunit feeds the lower speakers in the door, the "front" wiring circuit feeds the upper speakers in the door.

and the output from the GP headunit is (there may be a changeover here late to early builds, pm me if you want to discuss that in more detail) -not- the same as any of the other cars - there are unique filters applied.


and yes - the stock GP stereo sounds better just turned off.


...david (who installed an IA soundstage and found out it's not actually a drop in fit, at least not in the later build GP)

 

What quantifies an early or late production car?

Mine was built in November 2012.

 

That's something I'm trying to figure out - the factory and dealer docu on the GPs tends to fall down here.

Since you're a GP owner, would you mind helping me?

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...vey-fader.html




(it's also possible that they're all the same, and the folks with the earlier built cars who installed IA and Alpine kits are suffering from the same problems I did but don't realize it, probably because the stock stereo just sounds SO bad)