I had been waiting to plop down my deposit to get on the waiting list for my new Mini. The wife said; "After the truck is sold!" Luckily last week I sold the truck. The next day anxiously called the mini dealer to see how long it would take to get my Mini. He said what are you looking for? I said; Electric blue, 17's, package one and two and the Lapis blue interior. He said come on down I've got one sitting right here! My heart jumped into my throat! The next day was a sweaty palm 90 mile ride to Fermin Mini in Tampa, FL. Sure enough I cut the deal and drove my new baby home. I couldn't believe my luck. I was ready for March at least.

After reading all these posts on the waiting game, ordering, etc. I've been wondering how common it is to just go down and buy one like I did? I feel like I won the lotto, or at least the luckiest guy in Florida! I surely expected, and was willing, to do the wait thing, but I've got to admit I'm so excited about driving this car I can't even put it into words. Does living in a less demanding area have anything to do with it? Maybe they sell out faster in the larger markets? Dunno...

Are there any other members out there that are in the got mine right away aka "The Feelin' Guilty Club"?

Marty
PS everyone waiting---hang in, it's the most "worth it" car on the road!!!

 

Don't feel bad. I've done exactly that twice.
Both times I got the exact car I wanted.
Both times at Ferman.

 

you're one lucky guy... congrats on your new ride

Motor on!

 

Okay I am quite certain that 2minis is friends with the Karma Police. That or his army of monkeys terrify them to such a degree that he has been granted instant Nirvana.

 

Yfoiler,

Congrats, you are very lucky! Being at the place on the right time helps.





_________________

<IMG SRC="https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...humb.jpg" >

 

I did the exact same thing and it was also at Ferman Mini. I was waiting to sell my other car, then put a deposit down on either a MCS or 350Z. After I drove the Mini, there was only one option. The weekend after I sold my car, I called Ferman to see what they had on the lot. They had the exact silver, black MCS I wanted with the prem and sport packages. I drove to the dealership immediately and was driving my mini that night. My wait was about as long as it took to complete financing paperwork.

Which salesperson did you buy yours from at Ferman?

 

Count me in on the "Feelin Guilty Club". I too was not willing to wait 10 months, nor was I willing to pay thousands over MSRP to get one. By calling a LOT of dealers, I was able to find the MINI of my dreams already floating on the boat and heading my way!

Just showed up at the dealer and I will be motoring in style in 5 more days!

Actually, put me in the "Not gonna let anybody give me a guilt trip because I could not wait a year to get my MINI" club.

And besides, even one more month of me posting here without actually owning a MINI was going to leave me seriously traumatized

_________________
~Yucca Patrol~
Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.

7 sub 21

 

The only guilty feeling I had after finding my Mini was having to put my family through the eight hour ordeal. I am an impulse buyer. I hate admitting it. I had so many cars over the past twenty years...My wife showed me a picture of the "Baby" BMW back in March. I saw my first at a Saturn Dealership later in June (Liquid Yellow) The wanted $26,000, and would not even let me test drive it!

Not being able to drive it made me all the more interested. In August, I had located the Website for Mini, and from there, BMW of Nashville. After contacting them via email, I was assured that they only sell MSRP and that they expected to have several Minis in stock by October. After having to replace my transmission in early Sept. (Nissan Sentra), I was ready to trade. On Sept. 20th, I sent an email inquiry to BMW of Nashville, asking for models available on the lot. There were several, all having been delivered the prior week.

To shorten this, the next morning I had the whole family packed into the Sentra. I found at least 7 to 8 Coopers for sale and around 5 MCS's. What I was told via email and what was fact, were very different. My favorite car was a pepper white cooper. I had several packages, including leather, and auto. The passenger window did not close properly, and it rattled as the car moved. It was still my choice until I hit financing. MSRP became "True Market Value". Every car there was being sold for thousands above sticker. No apologies about previous email info., take it or leave it. As an impule guy, I was tempted to take it, but held my ground. It cost me several hours...in the long run, the dealership allowed me a choice of two MINIS that could be sold at MSRP. Both were Indi Blue. I took the the Cooper with the sunroof.

Ironically, it wa the very first car my 10-year old ran to first on the lot. He had not seen Goldmember yet, but had heard that he drove an Indi Blue. Although I imagine I'll trade for another in a couple of years (Pepper White Ragtop), I'm very happy with my Mini, for SO many reasons.

Jim

_________________
Turning head syndrome began on 09-21-02. (Indi Blue)

 

I had to wait for my MCS for 10 months... I envy you... on the other hand i don't, cuz i have mine now and enjoying every coming second!!!

Wish you all the best with the car...

cheers

____________________________________
DS/DS, all the goodies in the book, 17" R90's, color coded the wheel arches and the spoilers, white indicators, rally lights, SEXY AS HELL!!

 

When I knew I wanted a MINI, I sat down in front of the computer and dialed up miniusa.com. After playing with the "build your own MCS" for some time, I kept coming back to darksilver/black. So I knew that is what I wanted. Next I moved to packages. Had to have premium so I got the sunroof, and had to have cold so I got the heated seats. Didn't care about sport, as I hate the "puffy daisy" 17" wheels and didn't want fogs. Also really liked the idea of sport cloth. Low and behold I found JUST that car on a boat making it's way across the big pond. Got it for MSRP at Roadshow in Memphis.

Count me in as an official member of the "Feelin' Guilty" club.

R

 

I just went in to drive one and put my name on the list. It was... destiny! Drove mine home that night. I don't regret it at all.

 

Unfair!

Waiting for my MINI was like getting all of my tattoos: a little pain but well worth it.

 

Maybe its the Electric Blue lucky streak. I walked into the dealer in Arizona and bought mine the same day. I too was thinking I was going to have to wait but it did'nt turn out that way. I also won a new T-Bird about four weeks later so I guess I'm just lucky.

FatBob

EB S

 

>>I just went in to drive one and put my name on the list. It was... destiny! Drove mine home that night. I don't regret it at all.



I did the exact same thing. Just went in to have a look round and maybe a test drive. Drove home the one I test drove!

 

I must admit I have been keeping my good fortune to myself. After my test drive I put down a deposit right then for a MCS/sports &/or premium with the hope that I could get one in a month or so. I needed to replace my old car fairly quickly so I could not wait 11 months for an ordered car and most likely could not have standed the wait. I called the dealership a week or so later with a financing question and they mentioned that someone had passed on a Mini that was exacty what I was looking for. Not instant gratifacation but I'll take it.

------------------------------------------------------------
MCS PS/B Sports & Aero

 

:smile: :smile: I am in a hell of possibly my own making because of waffling and refusing to pay high premiums. But, I also have enjoyed vicariously through you all!!! It has been fun to see the ups and downs

 

I went to Global Imports in Atlanta to just look, maybe take a test drive. I was walking around the showroom, thinking, "That's a nice one. That one looks good." Then I turned a corner and there was the silk green/white Cooper sitting there, and I new That Was It. Drove it home a week later. . . MSRP, too!

:smile:

 

My Saleman was Arron (sp?). He did a great presentation---very knowledgeable about the car.

Happy motoring,

Marty

 

If there is anyone in Southern California who wants to join this club, Long Beach Mini has a DS/Black roof MCS with almost every option for sale as of this morning. I was all set to drive down but could not justify the $1600 GPS system.
I picked out a PW/PW MC from their inventory and drove home that day.
Good club to be in...

 

Well, we had to work hard (kinda) but not wait long.

One week after first hearing about the MINI ["oh!...is that what that billboard is!"], we test drove one. Within an hour of that we were frothing at the mouth to have one. Two more days to call all the dealers in North. Cal. to find out their add-ons and waiting list length. And four, heartburn-filled days of calling the dealer to see if their online inventory was ABSOLUTELY up-todate. Then a 2 hour, white-knuckled drive during Friday night rush hour to get the one rolling off the trunk before somebody else got it.

So while we feel a bit guilty that we bypassed the 2-year wait for the release and 6 month order wait, I think we worked hard enough to really enjoy our baby's sunroof this summer.

 

>>My Saleman was Arron (sp?). He did a great presentation---very knowledgeable about the car.
>>
>>Happy motoring,
>>
>>Marty


Aaron is who I bought my car from too. Great guy.

 

I got lucky and saw my MCS sitting on the Rasmussen MINI showroom floor the week after I decided I wanted one. By then I'd called almost all of the dealers on earth and new I wanted a BRG MCS with a white roof and bonnet stripes and all three packages. Pretty sweet to find THE car and get it without the wait.

Slightly guilty...yes...not worried about it...YUP!

Motor on!!

 

EB/W MCS

Walked on the lot and bought the car that day. Exactly what I wanted.
Ferman Mini Tampa Bay FL.

Match made in heaven !!

Kesh

 

I also got mine right away and have been feeling guilty after reading all of the waiting stories. I walked into my dealer and he advised me that a deal just fell through for a loaded Silk Green MC. I had the car two days later!!

 

I have to admit that I fall into this catagory too. I have never owned a car newer than 10 years old, so I was very careful about making any fast decisions. This was very hard on me to do, considering I knew from the day I saw the MINI in Maxim Magazine (where you could trick it out with stickers), that this was the car I was going to buy. But I was also tossing around the idea of purchasing a '03 Honda Accord (sweet car too, but totally different than MINI). When I would go down to the MINI dealership, I just loved the atmosphere and the people there. So many people were coming in to talk to only one sales guy. There is only one MINI dealer in Michigan. What craziness is that all about?

Anyways...for about two months, I was waiting. I didn't know if this was the right way to go, and finally I called my dealer and asked him what cars he had in stock. After a long conversation I couldn't decide, and I told him thank you and I would call later. One week later, the MINI bug was still nawing inside, so I called him again and he said, I just had this lady in this morning who was going to accept delivery of a MC/IB/leather/UJ with sport seats, but not the sports package. When she came in and drove it before signing the papers, she parked the car next to a CR MCS. She asked the dealer if it was too late to switch colors. This woman had waited all of this time, just to wait some more??? That was all I needed to hear, but I was unsure of the UJ roof. I was not going to buy a MINI without the sports seats, the regular ones hurt my back and offered no support. I drove the 90 minutes to the dealer that night (through a horrendous snow storm), and when I walked into the showroom, there she was, complete with a red bow in the front window. The UJ looked awesome, and the IB was perfect. I can't believe I ever wanted Chili Red after seeing the IB. This lady's loss became my gain, and I am lovin my MINI. Three days later, I drove out of the dealership with my new MINI. Because I was unsure of the UJ, the dealer didn't charge me for it, and also through in some carpet mats for free. AND, I only paid MFSR. :smile: :smile: