Just got the call from my MA so I'm going down to order my first (as I see that many members here have more than one!) MCS! My wife just got an '04 convertible turbo beetle (red with cream interior, black top - very classy!) so it's my turn to get my toy! MA says delivery probably in March (I'm in Los Angeles).

Will probably be CR/W (hmm, two red cars) and 17" white wheels, sports pkg, leatherete, HK and maybe JCW! Maybe bonnet stripes. I think the PW/Black is kinda neat (I see less of these on the road) but my wife hates it. She also says that the black/white looks like an old keystone cops police car! IB/W, DS/W... decisions, decisions!! Luckily I hear that you can change your mind on the color up to some point. But it sure is fun and exciting times for me!

 

Congrats to both of you!
I was going back and forth between the beetle cabrio and the mcs. I was looking at the baby blue beetle, but decided on the mcs after seeing the poor storage space in the beetle and seeing as it's still on the outdated golf IV platform. I also had a 1999 new beetle and a 2000 1.8t new beetle. Not sure i really wanted to go back to all the superficial little problems. But I must say, that convertible is the first convertible i've seen that i can say it looks better than the hardtop version when the top is up. :smile:

 

Way, congrats on your new order and welcome to the club!

May I suggest a couple of things regarding your MCS order:

1) Skip the Sports Pkg. The 17" runflat tires are heavy and run pretty rough. They wear out quicker than most other tires and if you are planning on doing some autocrossing or track days, you'll be better off saving the money and going with the 16" tires with V-spokes. they look great, weigh less and provide the best balance between handling and ride comfort.

The DSC you can live without. Some owners swear by it, others claim it is way too intrusive and turn it off most of the time. I personally decided that $500 for the DSC could be spent better elsewhere and went with the std ASC+T (All Season Traction Control).


Bonnet stripes are mostly personal taste. At times I like them and others I prefer the clean look of the car without them. I did not get them in my '04 MCS but can always get them put on in the future.


Xenon lights are a consideration mostly if you are going to be doing lots of night time driving in poorly lit or rural areas. otherwise the standard halogens work great.


As far as the color is concerned I have 2 MINIs. One is a 2002 Cooper CVT in Pepper White with Black top. My new '04 MCS is Chili Red with White top. I really like both colors (They were featured in the Italian Job along with Indy Blue).

IMO Pepper White/Black is better suited to the regular Cooper as it gives the car a more understated, sophisticated look. Chili/Red/White goes much better with the Cooper S. Red is a fast color. it attracts attention and makes the car look really racy. CR/W is also a traditional MINI color from the Mini's days in the '60's as a rally racer in Montecarlo.


Good luck with your final choice.

 

Welcome Way!!! The only thing better than the excitement of ordering your MINI is actually getting your MINI !

Now... here's a little secret... just between you and me... OK, EVERYONE ELSE- STOP READING!... the color you really want... is DS. Sexy, classy, sorta stealth, understated and the perfect choice with such a snazzy design... and... it's the fastest color! Shhhhh! It's our little secret, right?

God speed.

 

I've got a CR/W w/ JCW ordered: bonnet stripes, leatherette, cold weather package, white 17" alloys w/ performance run flats, HK, MFSW, ACC, sunroof, skipping the Xenons (I'm having driving lights put on instead). Probably JCW seats as well- they look killer, and should be available by early next year. I'm getting the DSC- as I live in a wet environment much of the year, and I can always turn it off. I thought my next MINI would be IB/W for sure (I currently drive a PS/B MC), and then I started finding my eyes always drawn to the classic red and white models. I have plenty of time to change my order (8 months out right now!!), and I continually check to make sure that red is the choice. It still is, but it's so tough to get to a point of certainty!! Good luck on your process.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions! My MA said that I should receive the MCS sometime in Feb. so there isn't much time to make changes to the configuration. I have until next week to finalize what I want. I THINK my final specs are:

MCS
DS/W
No Bonnet stripes
16" V-spoke (white or alloy?)
Front Fogs
Black Panther Leatherete
Anthracite
OBC
HK

That's it! Keeping the price/weight down for the possiblity of JCW or Dinan!
MA also said that the price MIGHT go up due to the increase starting Jan. but he also said that orders before 2004 may retain the old price.

Anyone have pics of DS/W with white wheels? Haven't seen any - hope they look good.
Verdict still out for DSC... any other opinions?

MINIhune - I'll be in Honolulu visiting family from Thanksgiving to 12/6. I'll be checking out the Mini dealer on Kapiolani!

 

>>Thanks for all the suggestions! My MA said that I should receive the MCS sometime in Feb. so there isn't much time to make changes to the configuration. I have until next week to finalize what I want. I THINK my final specs are:
>>
>>MCS
>>DS/W
>>No Bonnet stripes
>>16" V-spoke (white or alloy?)
>>Front Fogs
>>Black Panther Leatherete
>>Anthracite
>>OBC
>>HK
>>
>>That's it! Keeping the price/weight down for the possiblity of JCW or Dinan!
>>MA also said that the price MIGHT go up due to the increase starting Jan. but he also said that orders before 2004 may retain the old price.
>>
>>Anyone have pics of DS/W with white wheels? Haven't seen any - hope they look good.
>>Verdict still out for DSC... any other opinions?
>>
>>MINIhune - I'll be in Honolulu visiting family from Thanksgiving to 12/6. I'll be checking out the Mini dealer on Kapiolani!
>>
>><<

Welcome, Way!

The DS/W looks absolutely smashing with the white v-spokes. I have an all-Jet Black MCS, with everything except I chose the silver alloy 16" v-spokes, didn't want the Nav, and didn't want the Park Distance Control.

I like having the DSC, although I do turn it off now and then. For example: if I am pulling out of a parking lot into swift traffic, I like having it OFF, so I can skedaddle.

As for bonnet stripes, magnetic/removable ones are available, too. Yucca Patrol got them in black & white checkerboard for his BRG/W MCS and they really look sharp.

Be sure to skim through all the forums and learn how to use the Search function to research anything you need to learn. Or, PM a Moderator if you have questions.

Enjoy...

Clo/Wanda

 

Congrats! Good to have you!

 

Way,

Aloha and greetings,

>>That's it! Keeping the price/weight down for the possiblity of JCW or Dinan!
>>MA also said that the price MIGHT go up due to the increase starting Jan. but he also said that orders before 2004 may retain the old price.

It's official the price is up by $450 in January.

>>Anyone have pics of DS/W with white wheels? Haven't seen any - hope they look good.
>>Verdict still out for DSC... any other opinions?

DS/W with white wheels should be fine.

DSC is fine but can be omitted as well. Not a performance feature more for safety.

>>MINIhune - I'll be in Honolulu visiting family from Thanksgiving to 12/6. I'll be checking out the Mini dealer on Kapiolani!

Send me a PM if you have time. I'm meeting with another NAM member after 12/1 as well. Pretty busy. Must be cold on the mainland.

 

Avoid magnetic bonnet stripes! They have a nasty tendency to smear your clearcoat finish if left there even just for a few hours. Nice concept that still requires major work.

White wheels offer a nice contrast in white roofed MINIs but beware that these wheels (Due to the customary dusty BMW brake pads) will look dirty in no time. At least the silver wheels will look OK with all that brake dust, but white oh my!

Like your spec a lot...the less, the better!