Hey Guys,

These waiting lists that the dealers are creating are part of the marketing effort to create a frenzy. This usually occurs during the the soft opening(release). When that Mini factory starts spitting out Mini's they won't know what to do with them. It was just reported that the Mini factory has hired 4000 more employees. You don't hire 4000 employees unless you are planning a tremendous ramp up in production. The waiting list will be gone soon and so will the markup. This time next year you will buy one Mini and get one free.

Then you can add the Mini to the following list.
Miata
Z3
Beetle
PT Cruiser

What do all of these cars have in common?
1.) Big splash when they arrive in the showrooms.
2.) Big waiting list.
3.) Big Markups.
4.) A year after the release you can lease them for 199.00/month.

Now everyone thinks that this is a bad thing. Yeah, you won't be the only one on your block with a Mini. So what, does this make the car any less fun to drive, or less of a cool car.

I don't think so.

 

>>These waiting lists that the dealers are creating are part of the marketing effort to create a frenzy. This usually occurs during the the soft opening(release). When that Mini factory starts spitting out Mini's they won't know what to do with them. It was just reported that the Mini factory has hired 4000 more employees. You don't hire 4000 employees unless you are planning a tremendous ramp up in production.

May be true, but you also can only make SO many cars at one plant. Untill the open up a new one, you're still going to hit a wall pretty quickly..

>>What do all of these cars have in common?
>>2.) Big waiting list.

Depends on where you are. 3 or so months for a car to be built, and then shipped overseas on a boat, sent to a dist. center, re-inspected, and then sent to a dealer? That's not that long to me.

>>3.) Big Markups.

Again, depends on where you are. How about $0 over MSRP? Pretty small markup if you ask me...

>>
>>Now everyone thinks that this is a bad thing. Yeah, you won't be the only one on your block with a Mini. So what, does this make the car any less fun to drive, or less of a cool car.
>>
>>I don't think so.

Nor do I, but I think you're a little off when you're comparing the production capacity of Mazda, to an offshoot of BMW.

Rocketboy_X

 

As far as the factory goes, I've read that they hired several thousand more employees, and added a third shift. They originally planned on 100,000 MINIs internationally although the plant has the capabilities for 200,000. The same article also mentioned that they plan on bumping production up to 150,000 this first year. We'll see. But I must disagree, 3 months (or more) to build and then ship overseas (another 2-4 weeks) is a VERY LONG time to wait for a car. When I buy a car, I want it by the end of the day or the next day the latest. I could also and have purchased on a Saturday and picked up on Monday. When I put money down, I want something immediately in return.

There is NO comparison of the MINI to anything else out there. The PT cruisers and VW GTIs are just another car from another car company. I never understood the PT cruiser thing - I've always thought it was ugly. All it has going for it is it's different. But it's still a Chrysler and I'd never buy one. The GTI may be a cool car performance wise but again - it looks like the old Rabbits which were horrible cars. And ugly. I've never liked small cars - not b/c they are small - but because none of them are even remotely good-looking. The MINI stands out b/c it has heritage, it has BMW quality and options that are only found in 35k+ cars (which is why I'm loading it up!), but performance (speed and handling) and a fun factor that's out of this world. PLUS good looks to boot! There is NO car with half of that for ANY price. Sure, it's cool if MINIs are far and few between, but I couldn't care too much if every third person had one. It would still be fast, agile, good-looking, good mileage and loads of fun to me! Who cares if it's a popular car? I think it would be great if everyone drove MINIs and gave up their SUVs or at least only drove their SUVs when they really had to. With the world the way it is and the overpopulation of our roads, we need A LOT MORE people to drive smaller cars.

Just my two cents...

 

I don't agree at all...

Originally they planned on building 100k a year, with 20k going to the USA. The "big ramp up" you are referring to is taking place right now. It is the upping of world production from 100k to 125k... thus having 25k coming to the USA next year instead of 20k.

I think if you want to spec out your own car (MINI S) in the next year to 2 years, you are going to have to wait still. There is NO way you will see these next year on lease for $199 anywhere! ...maybe, just maybe a regular MINI Cooper... but NO way will you see the MINI Cooper S like that. I would even go as far to say you will not be able to get a MINI Cooper S for less than MSRP until Jan 2004.

 

:evil:

 

My largest complaint with your post is the list of cars into which you have thrown the Mini. NONE of the vehicles you listed are comparable. Firstly, the PT Cruiser is on the Neon chassis, and basically uses Honda's generic V-tech engine as its powertrain. The Miata is barely more than a Japanese econobox drive train in a sporty body. The Beetle is built by a company that attemps (and generally succeeds) to bring basic German design principles to the masses for an affordable price (the key work being basic)- which in theory is a good practice. However, the Beetle relies soley on an individual look and famous heirtage (to a not-so-great car to begin with) to survive in today's market. If you don't believe me, just read reviews of the Turbo S Beetle, the New York Times actually stated "you might consider one if you can't get your hands on a Mini Cooper S," verbatim. The Z3 is the only possible contender, and it might be noted that the car performed well enough in markets to warrant the production of not 1, not 2, but 3 different larger engine-models, not to mention the later M Roadster, which can still be hard to get ahold of. If BMW still manages to sell enough of these cars to produce 4 different versions of it, I wouldn't say it fits your steriotype, would you? Even so, the Mini S out sloloms the Z3, the slolom being one of very few tests which gauges overall performance, both acceleration and handling. The mini is also throwback to the concept that made the modern hatch possible, which I don't think the Z3 can claim in any respect. Mind you, I have not made these comments to slam the Cruiser, Miata, Beetle, or Z3. My point is just that the ONLY thing these cars have in common with the Mini is their high profile American launches, and therefore the comparison is invalid. The Mini combines an outstanding ancestry, an outstanding automobile, and outstanding publicity to create the frenzy which is the basis of this argument. For the above reasons, it will not follow the pattern you have laid out for it, and any Mini enthusiast in this forum has the right to resent the implication.

 

In my above ranting, I accidently said that the PT Cruiser uses a honda engine- I meant dodge.

 

As for production figures, it is not important how many more cars they will built, the question is , how
many of them will come to the USA ??
We need to remember that old Mini sold ove 5 million cars, so it is worldwide the second best selling car
after VW, so anywhere in this wolrd Mini have a market share, Minis did not come to USA since 1967,
but this did not mean that the car did not have loyal customers and a very good sales all over the world.
So MINI-USA needs to ask or order more cars for the USA, if they do not do that, the prices will keep
going up, specially the "S"
It is very simple economic teory, DEMAND VS OFFER like it is right now, but if it change to
OFFER VS DEMAND then the prices will go down.
Try to look at the main Mini web page, the one from headquarters and pay attention to how many
countries it have distribution to Minis, the made your own opinion
:smile:

 

>> :smile:

 

Some of you folks have waaayyy to much time on your hands.

 

Whoa! you're right.

I have become a little obsessed.

Just repeating to myself, step away from the computer, take a deep breath. It's a car.

Thanks for the break.

tmg robyn

 

>>>> :smile:

WELL STATED! I will NOT pay for crap I do not need or want on my car just to be the first one on the block to own one.

 

I bought my Mini in May and paid about 2K over MSRP. Would I have liked to pay less, you bet. However, here was my thinking. First, I needed to get a car at the time. The "S" in MSRP means suggested. It's not etched in stone. I've bought cars for under MSRP and no one questioned that. So this time I was the bug, not the windshield. Anyway, I got excellent financing (5 years) so the extra money, spread over time is about $33 per month during the finance period. However, my insurance is less then on the last car and my gas mileage is way better and the fun quotient for this car is sky high. I did not wait for the car. I found a dealer that had the exact color, options etc that I wanted. No addons were forced on me, I just paid a "market adjustment" extra over MSRP. Surely the dealer could have made up the money with marked up unneeded and unwanted extras like LoJack, 18" wheels, paint "protection" and other BS. I also simply looked at the choices out there such as a GTI for basically the same price or a Mustang for 3k more. Forgetting the MSRP I think 22k for this car is a fair price. I think BMW understated the MSRP for (unfair) marketing reasons. With this car, MSRP has to be just part of the bigger picture. Besides BMW always does this with their new models. They did it with the X5, Z3 etc.Its easier now with fewer dealers and limited worldwide distribution.

 

Funny, I just stumbled upon this old post. Over 3 years later, and there are still markups, and there are still waiting lists... =)

 

And there are also dealers with cars on the lot selling below MSRP and no waiting list to order!

Hank Aaron MINI outside Atlanta indicated to me that I could pick a car off the lot for a few hundred below MSRP the other day. . .

 

Interesting comments as general comments.

Out of curiousity, do you think VW owners (and VW has been around far longer than MINI) might be saying the same thing about MINIs? Nah ... that can't be right

Also, while at the dealer today, I read a rant in ROUNDEL where some BMW owner blasted MINI owners calling them wannabes and there is NO BMW quality in MINIs at all. Its just "stamped" on the back of parts because they own the company. I wonder what BMW owners think?

I only bring this up because I, literally, just got finished reading that rant in a ROUNDEL in the waiting room maybe two hours ago.

Just curious because there are always two sides to a story

 

I hope you can wait for a date that you can lease a mini,Z3, Miata, or Beetle for $199.00/month.
I never see that happen on a Z3, Miata, or Beetle. I wonder where are you come from?! You mean US currency?

Also my car is fun, not because of the numbers in my neighberhood, it is because of the car itself.

 

You got what you paid.. There is different between the build quality of a BMW and a Mini. But the overall quality of my Mini is above average amoung all cars in the market.

 

Glad you're OK with paying $2,000 over retail. I got a $350 discount on my MC when I ordered it in August of 03. It took me a long time to accept getting such a small discount as being OK.

 

The head honcho of MINI marketing wants to 2x sales...

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102989

I think we may still see waiting lists and markup.

MINI enjoys a inventory of 8 days, too... this is almost unheard of... GM is suffering 75-90 days (model/marque dependant).

They're still pretty hot, which, I suppose, means good things for the value of our cars (God forbid we sell them! )