I just put my MCS up for sale, as I'll be moving to the U.S. next month.
I'll be purchasing an identical MCS in the States upon arrival since importing my Mexican (Euro-spec) MINI into the U.S. is rather costly and complicated.
I've been researching the differences between U.S. and Mexican MINIs, and aside from the ones we all know (rear fogs, auto-up windows, etc..) there are some weird little differences that I simply can't comprehend...

For example: My Dark Silver MCS with Lapis Blue leather came with blue carpet floormats, the same color as the blue carpet underneath. I find that the blue floormats look great and really brighten up the interior, as well as giving it a more uniform appearance.
Now from what I've been told, (and I may be misinformed) Lapis Blue interior MINIs in the U.S. come with BLACK (or dark grey) floormats, which I'm not real crazy about.
WHY? Why can't you get factory blue floormats in U.S. MINIs? I guess I'll be picking up an extra pair of blue ones at my local Mexican BMW/MINI dealer before I move to the States, as black floormats in a Lapis Blue interior just don't do it for me.

Also, what's the deal with Blue space cloth not being an interior option on U.S. MCS's? the color scheme is identical to Lapis Blue leather but in cloth, it's much cheaper and looks just as good (design and color wise) as the the Lapis Blue leather.

I can understand the differences that have to do with safety regulations, but these other little differences are just annoying...

I just don't get it. :???:

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I think they've started selling the non-black floormats in the states, but MINI's (at least up here) don't come standard with floor mats.. If they came with the car it's usually because the dealer made you buy them...

but as to why the strange differences, your guess is as good as mine.. it's like, why can't we get the driver's side dashboard shelf? or why didn't the brits get a glove compartment? just weird i tell you...

Rocketboy_X

 

i really really really wish the blue space cloth was an option in the US! it would have saved me $1250... well actually only $625, but i agree that they look just as nice... darn..

 

>>but as to why the strange differences, your guess is as good as mine.. it's like, why can't we get the driver's side dashboard shelf? or why didn't the brits get a glove compartment? just weird i tell you...
>>
>>Rocketboy_X


YES! EXACTLY!! I love my driver's side shelf, much more practical and better looking in my opinion than the cheapo plastic panel that my new U.S. MCS will apparently come with.
Man, I'm gonna miss my shelf! :???: (not to mention my fog rear fogs, auto-up windows, etc..)
I wish I could bring my Mexican MINI into the U.S....

On the bright side, I'm selling a used 2003, updating to a brand new 2004 and actually MAKING some money off of the whole transaction!

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Calvin, you probably know this, but a number of US MINI owners have bought the parcel shelf and installed it themselves. It's apparently super easy to do. This thread is one of many that discuss how to do this.

As for the mats, why don't you just keep the set you have now and sell your car without them? I can't imagine that it'll hurt the resale and in a resale situation, they're probably worth a lot less (to the buyer) than what it may cost you to buy them/add them up here.

And for additional cloth options (besides black)...well, I think that BMW has us North Americans figured for the higher-priced-option-suckers that we probably are. It's not at all uncommon for European and Japanese manufacturers to offer ONLY higher-priced options to on their US-spec cars. I'm not sure if I'm saying that correctly, but the bottom line is that it's often possible to buy less-expensive-optioned cars outside the US. E.g., when was the last time you saw a modern BMW with a cloth interior? Very rare here, but very common in non-US markets. Go figure...

Where are you moving to?

 

>>(not to mention my fog rear fogs, auto-up windows, etc..)

Somewhere in the lit it talks about the non-auto up windows being a 'safety' feature. I always thought that was bogus.

As for the Lapis mats - I also have a Lapis interior and couldn't stand the silver gray or black mats. After buying the lapis interior, why would I want to cover the carpets up with something non-distinct? I wound up going to my local parts store and buying some good quality see through ones that I cut to fit.

Good luck with the move. If you should decide to offer Lapis floormats to US Mini owners prior to your move, I am a customer!

Raven

 

>>Somewhere in the lit it talks about the non-auto up windows being a 'safety' feature. I always thought that was bogus.
Heard the same thing from my MA when I picked mine up. I believe the truth lies in liability. Since we are a bit more lawsuit happy in the US than in other nations, I think it wasn't allowed for fear that it could potentially lead to a lawsuit if someone got their hand crushed. Or perhaps some crusader got the USA to set a regulation against it for fear of crushed hands.

 

Canadian spec MINIs, for example, get the silver gray Leatherette upholstery option, unavailable in the US (If we want Leatherette it has to be Panther Black).

In Europe (And I guess Mexico since the MINIs sold there are Euro-spec models) get the half leather/half cloth seats also not available in our market.

The list goes on and on...I-POD, wood dash trim, etc, etc.


Have you seen all the funky interior trim options available to Japanese market MINIs?

 

Hey, you can get an I-Pod with euro-spec MINIs????

 

Check out the other MINI sights sometime - quite interesting to look at - some are really cool :smile: :smile:


Chow!


Donna

 

>>Somewhere in the lit it talks about the non-auto up windows being a 'safety' feature. I always thought that was bogus.
>>
>>As for the Lapis mats - I also have a Lapis interior and couldn't stand the silver gray or black mats. After buying the lapis interior, why would I want to cover the carpets up with something non-distinct? I wound up going to my local parts store and buying some good quality see through ones that I cut to fit.

I heard that the auto-up feature is left out of US spec MINIs because there is nowhere to put a stopping mechanism. There are cars that have this feature in the US, but they apparently have some sort of sensor to stop the window going up when a hand, or other object, is in the way.

I have lapis interior, with an EB exterior. I am quite happy with the black rubber mats; the lapis blue carpet was just a bit too much blue on one car for me!


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Peanut EB/W MCS, 16" white wheels, HK, Sensing doodads up front, Lapis/Magnesium/Patina, DSC, Xenons, Fogs, Climate, Cruise

 

>>
>>>>Somewhere in the lit it talks about the non-auto up windows being a 'safety' feature. I always thought that was bogus.
>> Heard the same thing from my MA when I picked mine up. I believe the truth lies in liability. Since we are a bit more lawsuit happy in the US than in other nations, I think it wasn't allowed for fear that it could potentially lead to a lawsuit if someone got their hand crushed. Or perhaps some crusader got the USA to set a regulation against it for fear of crushed hands.

Having had a 1966 S with sliding windows, I guess I am always amazed that the new ones are power! And auto down is cool for tolls, etc.

But auto up? Jeez. IMHO just hold the button for another couple of seconds....
:smile:

 

Wood panelling in Japenese minis???! I think that would look neato.

 

Calvin,
Do you fancy running a black market (blue market?) on carpet mats - I have been searching for blue carpet mats to match my Lapis; now you tell me you can get them :smile:

 

Calvin -

Just buy some cheapo mats for your current MINI, and keep the blue ones.

 

>>Calvin,
>>Do you fancy running a black market (blue market?) on carpet mats - I have been searching for blue carpet mats to match my Lapis; now you tell me you can get them :smile:
>>

Going to my local dealer tomorrow to check on prices/availability of replacement lapis blue carpet mats. I'll let you know if I can get them for you.


>>Calvin -
>>Just buy some cheapo mats for your current MINI, and keep the blue ones.

That would've been a good idea except I sold my MINI within two hours of putting it on the market, and it seemed kinda sleazy to swap out the mats when the buyer was offering me the cash right then and there.
Besides, blue carpet mats come standard in all Lapis Blue MCS's in Mexico, so I would've been cheating the guy out of something he was supposed to get.
Too late anyway

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>>
>>>>Somewhere in the lit it talks about the non-auto up windows being a 'safety' feature. I always thought that was bogus.
>> Heard the same thing from my MA when I picked mine up. I believe the truth lies in liability. Since we are a bit more lawsuit happy in the US than in other nations, I think it wasn't allowed for fear that it could potentially lead to a lawsuit if someone got their hand crushed. Or perhaps some crusader got the USA to set a regulation against it for fear of crushed hands.

That's not true (well, the part about Americans being more litigeous is true) but I just drove/rented a half dozen BMWs in Southern Cal last month and they all had auto up windows. There seemed to be no sensor, though I understand other brands have them with such a sensor. So it's all marketing gibberish.

Also, as someone said, lower-price options are reluctantly offered on US models if at all. BMW has a wonderful cloth seat fabric (my friend and I prefer cloth, and I have it on my Mini) that the BMW dealers very reluctantly admit can be ordered, but not a single car we looked at at 3 different dealers had it. Most had never even seen it.

With MINIUSA's response to our concerns, and adding the rear fogs, it will be interesting to see if they (and other companies) start offering the Euro options here when possible (due to our regs). The Mini boards have certainly started something with the global comparison of models.

 

>>it's often possible to buy less-expensive-optioned cars outside the US. E.g., when was the last time you saw a modern BMW with a cloth interior? Very rare here, but very common in non-US markets. Go figure...
>>
>>Where are you moving to?

That's true...many BMW's in Mexico (especially 3-series) are available with cloth interiors. Also, manual transmission cars are preffered over automatics, regardless of make/model/price range.
To answer your question, I'll most likely be moving to L.A., though I also have a few offers to work in the Miami area.
Decisions, desicions....


>>With MINIUSA's response to our concerns, and adding the rear fogs, it will be interesting to see if they (and other companies) start offering the Euro options here when possible (due to our regs). The Mini boards have certainly started something with the global comparison of models.

Let's hope so!
Not offering something as simple and logical as floor mats IN THE SAME COLOR OF YOUR INTERIOR is nothing short of idiotic, especially when a San Diego MINI owner could (potentially) drive 20 minutes to the Tijuana MINI dealer (yes, it actually exists) and buy a set from them.
Unless Americans are colorblind, I see no point in depriving them of a color-coordinated MINI like the kind you can get just south of the border.

As far as the fabric seats, the combination blue fabric/panther black leather trimmed sport seats available in Mexico are a practical, inexpensive alternative to Lapis Blue leather. (which is also available in Mexico).
They look just as good and are more durable than the leather lapis blue seats, as the blue portion of the seat is made out of a nicely textured, durable fabric in the same lapis blue color.
I have a hard time believing that this wouldn't be an attractive alternative for more than a few Americans.

By the way, I stuck a bagel in my auto-up window just to test out the "pinch pressure", and the window stops rolling up after only minimal pressure, clearly not enough to inflict any serious bodily harm if you are careless enough to "test it out" with a body part. Dumb as it may seem, auto-up windows are actually really nice to have in a manual transmission car where both hands are usually busy keeping the car in gear and on the road.

As I said before, most of these differences seem really arbitrary, and that's what annoys me..

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I want Auto-Up windows! Why does America have to be stingy with car rules?

 

>>...I just drove/rented a half dozen BMWs in Southern Cal last month and they all had auto up windows. There seemed to be no sensor, though I understand other brands have them with such a sensor. So it's all marketing gibberish.

Sallie -your right, I just saw someone the other day who rolled up his Audi S4 windows with a remote and that thing slide faster going up than the Mini does going down....it must be a manufacterer or programming issue.
:evil: :evil:

 

>> By the way, I stuck a bagel in my auto-up window just to test out the "pinch pressure", and the window stops rolling up after only minimal pressure, clearly not enough to inflict any serious bodily harm if you are careless enough to "test it out" with a body part.

I wonder if a US car would treat a bagel as gently ...

 

Black mats look great with teh blue carpet around the edges. Fantastic IMO.

 

>>Black mats look great with teh blue carpet around the edges. Fantastic IMO.

I agree, they do look good but I personally like the blue ones even better. I just wish you could CHOOSE the color of your mats in the U.S. like you can in Mexico and pretty much everywhere else on the planet...

By the way, I've heard that U.S. MINIs don't come with the emergency kit (emergency reflective triangles and road markers) that my MINI came with in a compartment on the underside of the rear hatch shelf.
Is this true? It doesn't sound right....


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I don’t profess to be an expert, but I think a few of the differences between the Mexican spec and US spec MINI may be due in part to our sue happy society and jurors that don’t have a collective IQ of 50. The auto up windows would be a great case when little Jimmy gets his neck stuck in the window while mom rolls up the window with one touch and is busy putting on her make-up, drinking a Latte and talking on her cell phone while driving. As for the parcel shelf, I would bet that it did not pass US crash safety standards for knee protection. I’m at a loss as to the unavailability of something as simple as different colored mats.

 

>> By the way, I've heard that U.S. MINIs don't come with the emergency kit (emergency reflective triangles and road markers) that my MINI came with in a compartment on the underside of the rear hatch shelf.
>> Is this true? It doesn't sound right....


Yep. As far as I know they are required in UK, is that the same think as in Mexico? If it's included only because it's manditory, it would make sense why it wouldn't be included in countries where it was not manditory..

Rocketboy_X