I know this was a later availability but no one has the MCS auto on the lots in California. Is no one buying auto S. Since they are newer than the manuals, any ideas on build issues with the auto transmission.

 

They have some in Scottsdale. Come on over!

 

They have an auto lightning blue MCS at Mini of Universal City. I wasn't even aware that they were available yet!

 

Irvine MINI has one.

 

Long Beach had one a month ago.

 

I hadn't heard that before that the automatics were "newer" than the manuals. So you mean that when the first batch of R56s came out they were manual, and if you looked on Mini's Website, the Automatic transmission was listed as "Coming Soon - Available on [future date]"?

Wow, I guess with the MCS, I would think that most buyers would want a stick for the "control factor" or whatever reason people say they prefer sticks to automatics. That's really interesting that automatics came out later.

Off topic, but I always find it funny when people say they don't know how to drive "stick". When people question me on the wisdom of buying a stick especially given the following factors:

1) DC is all stop and go traffic all the time
2) I'm a computer consultant, so I'm constantly on the go
3) I'm also constantly on the phone when I'm in the car (this is my mom's favorite reason for questioning my buying a stick), although I use a hands-free set, I am constantly looking up phone numbers or contacts and such.

So I've started telling people that "I can't drive automatic, I never learned".

 

I test drove two MCSa in Monrovia MINI about 3 weeks ago.. A CR/B and a LB/W.

I also ordered one.

 

Got Mine. SWEET!!

 

I should have one by May 17th, but who's counting

 

That's funny, because when I wanted to test drive an MCS 6-spd, I couldn't becasue all of the ones on the lot were sold. I had to drive an MCSa becasue that was all they had (unsold).

 

So you had trouble finding an automatic? With Coopers it was the opposite, you couldn't find a standard!! That's right, the entire lot of Coopers for a long time were all automatics. Why?...I would think both cars are using the same boxes...it makes one wonder what the strategy was (if there was one) in this whole thing. No matter...the situation seems to be ironing itself out as we speak.

 

I believe they began building the automatic MCS during week 10. My MA told me I got the first automatic S at their dealership.

 

Yes, week 10 was the first build for the 2007 MSC automatics. I know because that's what I ordered. Mine had to go to Oxnard VDC on the boat, and I just took delivery April 24. It's an incredible drive!

 

I have an appointment this Thursday at my dealership to go in and build my MCSa. They don't have any on the lot either and I was told aren't expecting any until later this month. I test drove a MCSa '06 but wanted to compare the supercharge vs. turbo. My MA said the reason for not having any autos is because the demand is so high they are having a hard time keeping up with the production of the motors.

 

Ordered mine yesterday 05/05/07, now the wait begins

 

You'd better get the Bluetooth option on yours, that's for sure. You don't have to look at anything once you put names in your car's phonebook (you have to do this one by one yourself).

 

We orded our MC at Irvine Mini last Friday. They had about 15 or more Mini's on the lot and every single one was an automatic. We wanted a manual but we had to test-drive an automatic instead. I actually liked the feel of driving with the CVT but the $1,400 and worse gas mileage were enough for me to order the manual.

 

Most places do have the MC in auto but not the MCS. Also the new minis (R56) don't have the CVT.

 

Every single car on the lot, MC and MCS, '07 and older, was an automatic. And they had several '07 S's.

Didn't know about the CVT. Why's the automatic so darned expensive then? It still was very smooth acceleration compared to automatics I'm used to (most recently a Toyota Yaris, so that's not saying much).

 

I think people who buy Coopers aren't car enthusiasts or aren't hardcores drivers, maybe this is the reason why coopers are automatic and Vise Versa for people buying the Cooper S....

 

No that can't be it....it's something business related, I'm sure. The enthusiast lines aren't that clearly drawn.

 

careful - you may be opening up a can of angry worms!

 

We ordered an MCS, because wife (who will mostly drive the car), can't drive stick and I don't have the patience to teach her. We almost bought an MC with auto, which for her would have been fine. Then when I went to the dealer the had JUST got their first MCS auto in stock, I drove that and said screw it, we're getting the S. It is one of the best autos I've driven. The auto on the MC was just OK. If I am going to drive it, I want the power. Had it been my car, it would have been 6spd, S, Sports suspension, LSD and that's about it. For her? Full luxury. Only option we didn't get was the Nav system.

 

I ordered MCSa....