I orginally ordered my 04 with the red tail lights/clear indicators. My MA at Classic accidentally ordered the all white tail lights. I too thought originally that all whites would be funky looking. Imgaine my surprise when I walked to the back of the car on delivery to see the all whites!

The more I stared at them, immediately better and better they began to look. First, they blend in with very well with my color PS/PS (Pure Silver) as even though they are called white, they're actually clear and chrome(y?). Second, somehow, the lens have a bluish prismatic hue during the day. IMO, I think this effect is awesome and have had many people ask me how MINI(BMW) does this as I have also seen these same lights available on BMW Z4s.

I will agree the lights are pinkish/orange when lit at night. I have read elsewhere some MINIs have been pulled over in Calif. due to the color not being a "true" red. I don't worry about it as I have the rear fogs and the brake light mod. BTW, the rear fogs light up very red!

All in all, it is your persnal prefference of which type of tail light you get. Individuality. Isn't this the Creed of MINI?

Thanks for listening to my MINI babble. Cheers!

 

A couple more things, I also have the white 3rd brake light which now "hides" under my Cooper spoiler as it blends in with the silver color. I later learned there is suppose to be a reflector kit installed in the rear bumber to make the car "legal". Classic forgot to install these and I'm glad as they do have an "add-on" look. Plus they would have had to cut into the bumper. Thanks for listening.

 

Thanks, IrishCooper, for this helpful link! I agree with Cooper4us that the 2005 USA tail lights may be too bland for the MINI and prefer the Euro version with its amber spot (I also saw them in Motoringfile). I will definitely look into them when I get my MINI, but I wonder about another tail light I have seen.

When in LA last weekend I followed a MINI (and I posted this in that SoCal MINI Sighting thread) with the license GO KAART. I thought its tail lights were magnificent, but I was in a rental car and could not get the driver's attention (it was very lowly rental so I don't blame the MINI driver). The tail lights featured a stack of 3 circular lights (red, amber, red) and one tiny circular light offset and overlapping (I think that too was red)--each circle chrome ringed. GO KAART is a JCW MCS in silver with a black top, aero kit and very glossy in case any SoCal NAM folks know it.

Does anyone know of this tail light option? I looked up the tail light threads in the NAM archives (I admit I gave up after 32 pages of posts) and have been unsuccessful. Thanks.

 

Fart cans! I hadn't thought of that.

Only place I have encountered the term "ricer" is on NAM. I believe it attempts to disdain a group of highly modified compact cars that are not MINIs (the assumption is that a highly modified MINI used on the street would not be given such a pejorative). Why would some cars be called ricers? What is the relationship between cars and rice? Sorry for getting Off Topic.

 

morknmini,
Yes, the Fart can is not in your bathroom. (maybe your garage, well maybe not YOUR garage, check your neighbors)

Ricer is a common term found all over the internet on car forums-
(The term applies to those who modify for looks over function)
http://www.riceboypage.com/what_is_riceboy/

How can you tell you're a ricer- (answer a few questions first)
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~acjenkin/ricer.html

While I have white MINI tail lights and a custom painted dash, I do not consider myself a "ricer". Got no Carbon fiber hood and my MCS spoiler doesn't extend a foot over my roof... yet.

Here's my ricer hero-

The wing came off the "Joint strike fighter competition loser".

 

Thanks, Minihune, again, for enlightenment.

This is delicious information about another subculture. I love the requirement that the modifications must only appear to enhance performance while not really doing so. That is brilliant. Without offending any of my tranny friends, who have a marvelous sense of humor as well as great taste in frocks and an enviable knowledge of cosmetics, it makes the ricer the transvestite of cars!

Now I don't suppose you have a lead on how I might find tail lights like the ones on GO KAART in LA?

 

has anyone retrofitted a set of 04 aftermarket tail lights to an 05 and put on an early back up light? i'm gonna try it out soon...

 

THDUKE with clear tail lights

 

It sounds like a aftermarket taillight for a 02-04. 3 circular lights the amber center is the turn indicator. And the tiny circular red thing was the reflector i think this is it.

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM.../InvDetail.cfm

 

IrishCooper, you did it again. Those are the tail lights. They looked a lot better in real life. Maybe it was because it was an especially good looking MINI. I will definitely get these even though my 2005. Thanks.

 

OMG!!! I was LAUGHING SO HARD! i fell on the floor!

speaking of ricers... i saw a real nice 325ci coupe parked... i thought.. hm.. not bad... hamman wheels, hamman body kit.. till i found a very nice but very unfunctional roof spoiler! + his existing touring wing!

also saw a real nice tsx drove by... with a touring wing, but no body kit! not lowered... just the wing!

 

I've got a ricer pic for you!

 

Does anybody have pics of the 05' Euro Spec Tailights??? If they have a clear or amber section for the blinker i would MUCH rather have that than Red.....

 

I got ya covered yet again. Here are some pics, i am in the process of getting some of the ones with the clear turn indicator.
I have some really nice ones but there too big i need to resize them first

 

Careful i dont know how well they will work on a 05 since the wiring is different. On those lights you want there is an extra red parking/stop light and no reverse light. You would have to convert to the 02-04 setup and put your reverse light in the bumper where you either have a black plastic plug or a rear fog light.

 

MUCH BETTER!

Now i think i'll definitely be picking up a set of those for my 05 when it comes in. I still like the 02-04 taillight with the white blinker but red brakes, but i think i'll stick to the 05 Euro Spec lights since re-wiring will probably not be needed.

Thank you very much for the pic, and post the one with the white/clear blinker whenever you find it!