Does someone have a pic of the HB next to the black, MINI's? Thanks!

 

I've got what you can get with black right here.
Anyone got a Hyper blue one to compare mine against,
James
P.S. article on my car at www.mwerks.com just scroll down the first page and the link to the article is on the right

 

Is that actually the facotry paint? Why does it look so Glossy? Well, that has got to be the nicest black Mini I have ever seen!

Doug

 

You have to see them in person. Many folks on NAM have super photos of their cars and I have tried to evaluate colors by comparing. It does not work for the MINI. All this is IMHO:

I believe it is because the MINI's exterior is small and full of details. Compare a photo of a MINI to that of most other cars. Count the contrasting parts and total them in separate columns. The MINI will probably have 2x as many.

One reason is because stylists have been striving for the integrated look for years (partly due to cost, but also due to modernist dictum). In the 50s and 60s USA and Japanese (and some Euro) cars bristled with details--emulating jets, missiles and each other. Then they glommed onto that integrated look--as though the bodies were poured from one batch and left to harden. It makes the car appear solid and purposeful.

Only the handful of retro designs feature cosmetic details (such as the BMW Z3 and Z8). The MINI probably had to appear retro because a Bavarian company was building a "British" car. Note that the "new" MG of several years ago dispensed with traditional references because it did not need them. And the new MINI will appear less-retro as the marque grows more confident and is able to build more margin into each car (similar to the "simplification" of the Porsche Carrera after its air-cooled tradition).

A MINI up close is a fun thing to behold--all those details. But the MINI far away is different. Some of the details go away and the boxy shape and black bits are emphasized. The small size of the car compresses those details and makes it appear a bit busy in relation to other cars (the context in which we see things affects our perception). Some of the more visible details conflict with its shape. From certain angles some colors work better than others. I believe it has to do with how the color scheme interacts with those black bits (and even the tail lights--although the composition of the front is bold enough to hold its own). So from far away you might prefer to see the MINI as a more integrated design.

Perhaps that is why MINI buyers keep changing their minds about color. Makes it more fun. We may be enjoying the "fun" time for MINI enthusiasts. Happy driving in your new car.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. And how true are your last statements!

Color is the ONE LAST thing my wife and I are pouring over and debating back and forth... Hyper Blue or Dark Silver? Dark Silver or Hyper Blue? We will be debating this up until we go back to MINI of Sterling to place the order, and take those paint samples outside, and hopefully see both paints on some cars in the lot. Then we'll decide, and never look back. The good thing is that either one of us is totally satisfied with Hyper Blue and Dark Silver. So either way we'll be super happy.

...Super happy? I can't believe I put it like that. MINIs make me giddy.

 

Excellent post by morknmini!

Being a stay at home pipe smoker who goes to the garage to smoke, I spend quite a bit of time - ten minutes every hour or two - looking closely at my two toys - - an ‘04 Chili Red/White MCS and an ‘02 Jet Black Z3. Much of that time is spent thinking about what would make them look better - what is reasonable to change? - what do I wish that I had done differently?

The Z3 is easy. The chrome stickys on the rear are already gone. The roundels would be too expensive to remove. It would be too expensive to change out the brown leather for black leather.

The MINI is a whole different story. As morknmini said, it’s an entirely different car when viewed up close as opposed to a distant view. It also has personality, and that personality seems to be different for different viewers. For me the MINI is an in your face car that should shout look at me, I’m cool!, and bright colors such as Chili Red or Liquid Yellow with a white roof and chrome accents seem to emphasize this personality. Others see the MINI as a tough guy car, and dark colors with dark contrasts seem to fit the personality. Still others see the MINI as a cute car and pastels seem to bring this out.

My CR/W MCS reflects my own personality disorders. The white tail lights emphasize the contrast and bring out the rear quarter view. The white 17 inch Kosei wheels also bring out the in your face constrast. But, the black grill bars and bonnet scoop are more fitting with the tough guy look.

To determine what colors (and exterior modifications) and right for you, you need to look at a lot of cars - preferably in person. Here in SoCal there are a lot of dealers with a lot of cars in stock, so doing a direct eyeball check is pretty easy, but is other areas it’s almost impossible to find even two or three cars to look at. The next best method is to look at a lot of high quality photos such as appear regularly in GoMINI magazine. The pics on NAM (or other internet sources) are the third choice, but often the pics are small and taken from a distance so it’s very difficult to tell what the car would look like as you’re opening the door.

I would really like to see James47’s MCS in person - where most of the detail is hidden. I can’t help but think that it might look even better subduing the remaining detail - film on the various lights, painting the door handles, and installing a black MC fuel tank door.