Why did they make the '07's headlights stay attached to the car instead of going up with the rest of the bonnet? I really liked the idea of them staying on the bonnet!!

I didn't even realize it until I was just going through ebay and one of the 2 '07s hoods were up and low and behold the headlights were not!

 

Because they will last longer, stay aimed better, and are safer mounted to the body. They have no functional value in being attached to the hood, unless you plan on helping aliens land.

 

There are probably numerous reasons why MINI did this from an engineering perspective; to meet the new safety guidelines and to accommodate the differences in bumper and ride height. But I suspect the main reason was cost. I've heard (read) that the repair/replacement costs for the headlight assemblies in the R53 model were extremely expensive.

 

It's so you can poke your head thru the hole and make funny faces at your friends -

It makes the bonnet much lighter, and it reduces the number of incidents of damaged headlamps due to overzealous closing of the bonnet. Or so I've been told..

 

It is a very creative solution to cut the cost, IMO. I haven't seen other cars with big headlight holes in the hood. I was rather amazed at the previous design as most people just slam shut the hood, and the shock/vibration couldn't be good on the bulbs or any electronic device.

 

huh ... never thought of it that way. I bet the people that make the eye decals are a little upset ... LOL

 

Can't wait to stick my head through the headlight hole!!

 

Calender photo opportunity what?? ... LOL

 

I think its cool personally.

Also makes great sense engineering-wise. I would think having a hood with the large light assembly in them would be very heavy. Could also pose an extra risk if the hood dropped on someone looking in the engine compartment (though I do know that MINI's have hydraulic hood support/lift).

 

The primary reason is the turn signal/hazard flashers are now integrated into the headlight assembly. If the flashers are engaged and you have the hood up, the flashers cant be seen.

IIRC, the '07 headlight assemblies (xenon) are considerably more expensive than previous years. As for damage potential, if your car gets hit near the headlights, the headlight will get damaged, be it an '07 or earlier.

 

That makes a lot of sense to me.