I just bought my first MCS today (YAYE!!!)
and can’t wait to get it in April. Well my concern is that i have a very steep driveway. I’m wondering if i could get my MCS up without scratching the bumper/muffler. My friends have been able to drive up before without a problem (one drives a stock Lexus is300 and another stock Acura RSX). I’m hopping i wont have to leave my new baby on the street. Let me know if anyone has had incline problems (hopefully not). Maybe compare it to another car that has scratched. Maybe the short overhangs will eliminate this problem.

:smile: Thanks to ALL :smile:
Shin

PS: From what I’ve seen/read I LOVE this community!!!!

 

congrats on your new car :smile:

i think you'll be very happy with its approach and departure angles

 

I doubt that the steepness of your driveway will be an issue. The only problem would be if it went from horizontal to steep within a few inches; then you might end up with bumper scrape. Worst case scenario, you spend a few hundred on a cubic yard of asphalt to soften the corner a bit. And enter your driveway at less than 20 mph, of course.

Congrats on the new car! I'm not sure if hanging out here makes the wait more or less tolerable, but there's certainly lots of good info!
_________________
"Meine dispatcher says there is something wrong with deine cable"

 

NoName,
Your driveway will probably not be a problem but if you're in Cali and really curious you could: 1) go for another test drive and check out your driveway or; 2) get into the local MINI scene (...which you'll probably want to do anyway) and invite a local owner over to check it out. You won't want to scrape up anybody's car, but they could take it slow and you could spot their MINI on approach to observe where and if any problems may occur. You could even have someone try it with a lowered MINI, too, just in case you want to go that direction one day. Just a thought...

_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

I'm tempted to suggest that you maybe should move so that you can have a proper driveway with which to treat your new car.

But actually, as strange as it seems, you MAY have a dragging problem...probably more on the front than the rear. I have a stock MCS and have actually dragged the chin spoiler on certain STREETS (!!) if there's too sharp a transition between a steep hill and the bottom of the hill. The key is to go slow (probably less of a problem on your driveway than the street). Also, you didn't mention whether you will have the aero kit...which may increase the tendency to drag on the pavement at either end. The MINI is mighty low, even stock, so you never know...

 

I don't know what you call the piece of hard plastic
under the front of the car that scrapes first, but mine
is getting shaved a bit. I assume it is under there
so that I don't scrape anything that shows, and in
a year and a half of spirited driving, I don't think I
have. (At least not that you can tell.) When you go
over a curb too fast and you hear the sound from
under your MCS, it will be this "pavement scraper".

Godspeed.

 

Shin,
Glad to see that you made up your mind on color and bought a MCS. Did you end up buying it locally or out of state?

If you enter and exit your driveway at an angle, you shouldn't have any problem with scraping.
Charlie

 

WOW I go to sleep, I wake up and I already have all these responses.

I don’t have an aero kit (I guess this is good... for now) and ya I should move.

But more seriously I will try everything mentioned. I can’t really enter and leave at an angel maybe a very slight one ill just take it slow and have a friend watch carefully as I drive up.

And yes I did buy out of state. I gave my local dealer (crevier) one last chance before I bought from the Hampton and they turned away with a cold shoulder when I mentioned “out-of-state” and “MSRP”. It's making me think twice about getting a service there.

Well worst comes to worst ill see if the bottom of the driveway can be redone but like I said I don’t have much room to work with. Maybe ill post pics if I can get a dig. cam. and someone can share some more input.

Thanks
Shin
CANT WAIT....

 

If an rsx made it , you should be fine. The rsx is higher, but it's front overhang is way longer than a mini. That said, I have hit my underneath chin spoiler pretty hard a few times. But it's flexible plastic so it doesn't matter. You can't really see it anyway.

 

You could have it flatbedded up and down your driveway.

 

Congrats and welcome,

If you have a problem I can make you an approach ramp to break the angle (we use a plate to change the bottom of the angle. If you need something send me a PM with a phone number and I will call you. I can probably do it free for you if you need it.

Earl

 

Congrats and welcome,

If you have a problem I can make you an approach ramp to break the angle (we use a plate to change the bottom of the angle. If you need something send me a PM with a phone number and I will call you. I can probably do it free for you if you need it.

Earl

 

Scurve that sounds great. I think I will give you a call when I get my mini if there is a problem. For some reason I can not PM. I'll send you an email later tongiht with my number

Thanks
Shin

 

Hey noname,

I know you said that you can't really come in at an angle, but my driveway is also pretty steep, a lot of stock cars scrape when they go full frontal, but even with my car as low as I have it there's no problem with the angled approach,

Louay

 

I have a real steep driveway, with a fairly sharp angle to the road. My wife Outback sedan has scraped in the past. Anyway, I always enter at an angle to the driveway (1 side of the car is 1/2 way on before the other front wheel is on) and haven't had a problem.