My dad's currently living in England and he asked what I wanted him to bring me back next month when he comes to visit. Aside from the obvious (tea biscuits, tea biscuits, and more tea biscuits) I was thinking what would be really sly would be some authentic UK MINI stuff.

I'd like to be a bit more helpful than "Something from the nearest MINI dealer.", so does anyone know of anything cool that you could only get from MINI UK?

Haven't seen this at any US dealers, and it would be easy to bring back!!

As a side topic,
I happened to notice an R56 gauge package that I hadn't seen yet, Oil temp and voltage

Oh man, if only...

That looks kind of cool (and useful). I'm assuming that it'd go in the footwell where that odd net pocket currently hangs out feeling sad, lonely, unused and generally neglected (at least in my car).


I finally found that but it says it's only for pre-11/06 builds, so this is an R50/R53 item? That's too bad. Hopefully they come out w/ one for the R56.

A MINI 1st Aid Kit & a Safety Delta, mandatory kit in the UK nice add-ons to a US spec motor car...

Might be kinda tough to fit the JCW seats in his carry-on luggage! I do Like the umbrella, would buy that if I saw it here. Funny thing about the US, it seems people here would rather just get wet, than to carry one. After many years of living in Japan, i've learned to always have one in the car!

And don't forget this classy safety vest:

that gauge set, looks pretty sweet. and they're vdo ones, not autometer. i wouldn't mind having it, tho i'd want the boost gauge

the umbrella holder is kinda neat but useless here in socal. isn't there also a fire extinguisher kit?

I think that umbrella could also be mounted on the rear hatch where the warning triangle we didn't get is supposed to go. I'd get one to find out if they weren't nearly $100.

so you'd have to open the boot, close the umbrella, put it in it's holder, close the hatch, and run into the car while it's raining?

Actually, yes, that's exactly what I would do. I'm not going to get rained on under the rear hatch, so the only bit of wet would be on me while I close the hatch and run around to the front.

What would you do instead, open the door, try and climb inside while folding the umbrella and having it drip all over you and your front seats, only to try and store it in the holder all wet and dripping on your front carpet? I'd rather have the wet mess in the back myself.

And the holder thing costs like $50 and I don't think it includes the umbrella!

it's raining right now where im at and i opened my boot to get something and i most certainly DID get wet.

in reply to not getting the seats wet, you must have some really dry rain if you dont think they're gonna get wet with or without dealing with an umbrella.

whatever, im not trying to argue with you, i just thought it was quirky that you would put the umbrella in the boot.

I assumed that lonely footwell net was for an umbrella, so put one in there as soon as I got my MCS. Actually, I moved it from my Acura, where it had lived for many years.

I wouldn't mind the umbrella holder as it is kinda neat and possibly functional, but personally I'm one of those Americans who doesn't mind getting wet if I don't have to deal with an umbrella. So if I got it the umbrella would stay in the holder all the time.

Maybe he could just get the seat covers! Then he could fold them up and fit them in his luggage. Just a little more work to install them.

Around here, it's an ice scraper holder.

I have the parcel shelf on my R53 MINI, which is a FANTASTIC place to store a small fold up umbrella. I don't know if the parcel shelf exists for the R56 (haven't been in one...maybe there's a shelf already there?).

I'm actually waiting for MINI to introduce a chrono-pack equivalent set of auxiliary guages in the US for the R56 before I consider getting a MINI to replace my 2006 MCSa. I also don't understand why they don't have the regenerative braking and auto engine shut off in neutral for US cars like they do in the EU. I assume that's coming as well?

I heard the parcel shelf was on the outs, but I don't know if it's available outside of the US. And I too would love some extra gauges.

I admit to being a bit relieved that we didn't get the auto shutoff/regenerative braking features this year in the US. I was honestly a bit wary about being a guinea pig for a feature that could turn off my engine at will. The R56 gets pretty great gas mileage as it is, so I'm content to let the rest of the world beta test those features for awhile until they get all of the various kinks worked out.

Haven't seen this at any US dealers, and it would be easy to bring back!!

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I have this umbrella and I love it!! It opens very easily with the push of a button. I bought it this summer at MINI United, but you can take the part number to your local dealer and they can most likely order it for you free of charge. Well that's what they do here in Canada. I do admit that it's a little tricky to get the umbrella in and out of it's little holder. As the holder is screwed into the passenger footwell. Install is easy, just 2 minutes and a simple screw driver. Cool looking umbrella though

Oh yes it does include the umbrella.. Which is a very nice one too with a single button to press to open which is great when you have your hands full and you're getting out of your MINI into the pouring rain. And the holder is leather