I am kind of regretting it now, but I know I think I made the right decision. I had 31,962 miles on the 2006, and yes the warantee goes till 50 grand, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I will get another mini cooper S this year and will get it in dark grey. I saw one with dark grey and it looked very similiar to the royal metallic grey that I had.

 

My '05 S has 40K miles (3 years old) but I plan to keep it until at least 130K miles. I bought the MINI extended scheduled service contract that pays for all my maintenance for 6 years or 100K miles. Love the car. While the Clubman rocks, there is something very, vey special about the R53...

 

yeah I know what you mean..my 2006 will always be very special! but now it's off to the clubman..I will be purchasing another cooper S later this year..no doubt about it

 

well I went into the dealer today to talk about ordering another mini cooper S in a couple of months. It will be my 3rd mini purchase in less than 2 years! I am deciding on british racing green this time around. My other cooper S. which as you all know by now I sold, only to miss it even more which is my reason in ordering another one. Only issue is, is that there is no more royal metallic grey or any grey for that matter for the cooper S anymore, just dark silver or another shade of silver. My clubbie is dark silver, so that leaves that color out, so that's where the british green comes in. I like that better than the blue, yellow or red that owners usually get. There was a fire burgundy that I liked, but they said its only available in the regular mini cooper, not the S...I might just wind up ordering silver again if Grey is not available by the time I order a new one....sometimes new colors come in all the time...

 

Nightfire red/silver is gorgeous but not available in the S models. How about Astro Black? In recent years I have warmed up to BRG. Not long ago I saw a 2006 Cooper BRG with silver roof. That was drop dead gorgeous! Too bad you can't get a silver roof anymore in the regular hardtops, only the Clubman.

 

I really want the royal metallic grey, the one that was on my 2006 (below)..that color was great and Its really a mystery as to why they dont have that color available anymore..very frustrating!

 

Bridgehorse, if I were you, I would hold off ordering a new MINI until more information is released about the upcoming 2009's. Remember that 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of MINI and there are strong rumors of special 50th anniversary factory editions. This could mean some cool equipment choices and colors not yet available today. You already have a 2008, wait for the '09s and see what MINI will have coming down the pipeline. I worked as a MINI MA briefly back in 2006 and fondly remember some of the '06 colors... Solar Red (Cooper only), Space Blue and Royal Grey. To me Hot Chocolate is a much darker version of Royal Grey when viewed directly under the sun. Heed my advice.

 

Pardon me harping on this (Or rather keep on adding salt to an open wound), but if you loved your Royal Grey MCS so much, you should not have getting rid of it. Unfortunately MINI can not be trusted with colors and they have a nasty tendency to kill of beautiful paintwork colors. Remember Velvet Red Metallic (Cooper only) back in '02 and '03? We almost got one, but decided to get Pepper White/black instead (This was our very first MINI, back in '02). We loved Pepper White but did regret not getting Velvet Red as MINI killed it after the '03 model year, never to comeback. Ditto for Indy Blue metallic and Silk Green Metallic, colors that will never go back to the assembly line.

 

ClubmanS ... don't take it the wrong way but I always see you post this way ... but do you think the SUBMIT button creates a paragraph break?

 

Clubman S, thanks alot for the advise, I do appreciate it. I think I might just wait for the 2009's as i WAS NOT AWARE that 2009 is the 50th anniversary..great news..

Also, I explained why I got rid of the old car on my 1st post here. I really did love the car alot, but I just had to make a decision like this at the time. But, I will get it back when i order a new one. I hope that the 2009's have grey colors..

 

It is my specially configured and messed up Firefox browser...

 

I know Bridgehorse, I am a Royal pain in the *** when it comes to MINI owners that show no loyalty to their R53 MINIs...hehe. J/K! I am looking forward to 2009, albeit, I have no immediate plans to sell my 2005 S unless MINI comes up with some ultra dynamite 50th anniversary factory car. I am planning on attending MINI UNITED 2009 in the UK next year. I think this is a trip every MINIphile should do in their lifetime!