No I meant it in the same way you did, but I think the smiley may have screwed up the diction. I meant fun, quirky stuff.

 

Oh, okay

 

LynnEl,

I just noticed that you joined NAM in February 2007 and you have almost 2500 posts!!!

When do you have time to drive your MINI????

 

When I'm not at work! Plus, I just got my MINI a few weeks ago.

 

They made the same mistake of giving me a computer at my job.

 

What I'd like to see on the '08 cabrio: the big speedo placed higher up on the console. It's higher now on the '07 tintops, so my guess is that this one will come to fruition.

 

I am very interested in possibly getting a gen two cabrio ... many JCW, maybe not, maybe MINI (no S). Before I would consider it I would like to see:

1. Rear view visibility vastly improved
2. A REAL white color (or not, yellow is cool)
3. A redesigned center stack
4. A proven track record of reliability in the R56 vastly improved over the first generation cars

I hope MINI comes through

 

WOW. Chows in a cabrio!?!

I'd love to see that.

That's a pretty good list, too. Though I gotta say, I am suffering precisely 0% because of the rear visibility. Just takes some adjustments. But no suffering. I don't even notice it anymore - because I ALWAYS back into parking spaces and I use my twin multivex mirrors the right way. For me it's a non-issue. Though YMMV. I actually like the hoops/headrests back there. Makes the go-kart look...

Oh - and I like my center stack... with my MiniFini cupholders...

White roof would rock.

And (while I have had no issues) more reliability is a good thing.

 

The R50/53 had a midlife facelift in 2004. So it's possible that the R56 will have a midlife facelift in 2009-- about the time that R57 cabrios will be available.

I'm hoping that MINI will learn from the "mistakes" in both the current cabrios as well as the R56s, and make the new R57 cabrio an even better car.

In case you haven't seen it, there a brief article about the R57 in a recent Motoringfile:
http://motoringfile.com/2007/05/14/2...rtible-update/

 

In the UK, MINI announced that an exclusive "White Silver" color will be available later this year for the current Sidewalk edition cabrio. It could look good if it's a metallic white. Maybe it might be carried over to the R57.

 

That's another name for sparkling silver - an R56 color.

 

Gabe, the UK website implied differently. When the Sidewalk was announced, the website said it would be available in Pepper White, Astro Black, British Racing Green, and Sparkling Silver. Then in the next paragraph it said "Exclusive to MINI Sidewalk, White Silver will be available later in the year." Since colors are not usually introduced mid-year, people on MINI2 think White Silver would not appear until September, and that it is to help R52 sales during its final year.

Unfortunately when the Sidewalk actually started shipping, the website was updated and those statements are no longer online. Here's the thread on MINI2 that discusses White Silver: http://www.mini2.com/forum/mini-conv...nvertible.html.

 

According to someone at MINI I spoke last winter, the 'white silver' should have been named sparkling silver in the first press release. Since that point I believe MINI has changed the nomenclature and refers to it as sparkling silver.

 

That's disappointing. The name White Silver certainly sounded intriguing.

 

I agree!

 

Yes, cabrio Last summer one of the local MINI club members let my wife drive his cabrio and she loved it. She has wanted a convertible ever since. She also insists that it be a "small" car and the obvious choice is the MINI. I've always said we were interested in getting a cabrio

This is supposed to be for her. The other car she is interested in is the new Smart Car that also comes in Cabrio version starting in Spring, 2008. I want HIGH mileage and both the MC or Smart car will provide that (thats why I am considering the MC version vice MCS). However, if I can get 40 MPG or so, I'll probably end up taking it to commute ... which will irritate her. Smart car might not work for her because no place to put all the stuff she buys

Reliability is a very big issue and the very reason I sold my MCS ... I just got fed up living at the dealership and since it will be her daily driver, reliability is a very real issue to me. I am hoping that in the next few years, the R56 establishes a track record of good reliability. I know the first year cars are not a good idea and see a few threads with transmission issues already but I'm inclined to write that off as the cost of owning a first year car.

Here is to hoping BMW gets it right

So time will tell ... I have no idea what will come of it but we shall see

 

In the latest issue of MC2, there is an article about a classic Mini. It mentions that the license plate flips down when the tailgate is opened, so that the tailgate can be used open to transport big stuff. Any pick-up owner would think that should have been a no-brainer. How about doing that and increasing its loading capacity from the present 75# to about 150-200#.

 

If you're talking about the load capacity of the tailgate when lowered, it's already 175#.

I think the flip-down license plate would be a neat idea, and it wouldn't be too hard to retrofit to existing cars. You would just need to fabricate a license plate frame with a piano hinge at the top and a latch or magnet at the bottom to keep it secure against the boot when the tailgate is closed.

 

DOH! You're right, what was I thinking . We are already halfway there - all we need is the license plate thing. Anybody tried to drive with the tailgate open? No doubt the alarms are CEASELESS . Of course, that might be something that can be disabled at the dealer.

 

I tried to drive away from a gas station once without realizing that my tailgate was down. A good samaritan saved me. I didn't notice any kind of alarm going off just a silent light that came on.

 

Yep - I'll do ya one better - I picked up my brother-in-law to drive to meet our wives at their parents a few hours away. At his house, I stayed in the car, he opened the boot, put something in, and closed it. Then got in the car and off we went.

We took a route that took us around some agressive twisties for the first few miles. Then got on the highway. Top down and stereo cranked the whole time.

Someone blew their horn at me when I passed them, but I didn't think much about it.

A while later, someone pulled alongside, rolled down their window, and yelled "YOUR TRUNK'S OPEN!!!"

Oh boy, lessee, my camera is (or was) in there, along with a bunch of other stuff... And it's been about 40 miles since my brother in law "thought" he closed the tailgate (which takes some finesse sometimes...)

So we pull off - luckily everything was packed in there so tight NOTHING had fallen out... lucky....lucky... lucky...

 

We've all forgotten about interior lighting!

A number of us have been addressing the inadequate cabrio interior lighting, especially in the rear where it is pitch black whenever the roof is up. We've come up with mods for rear footwell and rear reading lights. Both would be valuable in the new cabrio, along with a rear dome light. The front dome could also use a brighter fixture.

Not specific to the cabrio, all MINIs also benefit from better boot lighting.

 

^ Actually, I believe several already commented on that and the need for additional lighting in back -- for example Post #23

 

Doh! I see that even I had already mentioned it . Well, the thread has branched out in so many directions that it isn't bad to bump this particular topic.

 

Post 23, post 23, hmmm.... who was the jeenious who posted that?

Oh yeah...