My wife and I are going to test drive a Mini Cooper Sport next Monday. We are both very interested in this car, however, there is a potential problem that we've recently discovered that I would like to share with you. I have been told by a couple of people at MiniUSA that the Headlights on a Mini Cooper Sport are made of glass. This worries both my wife and I as we know that rocks can be thrown up by other vehicles on the highways and could easily break the headlights as we've had many rocks thrown up and cracked our windshield on our other cars. I wanted to know if this is just regular glass or some type of glass that is not breakable. I just cannot imagine making a car with headlights made of glass. I know the Mini is very popular here and I just wanted to know if any of you could tell me about the type of glass used in the headlight lens. Thank you for any comments.

 

Hmmmm

I've an 02-S and an 07-S

AKA - a GEN1 and a GEN2

My headlight lens' are plastic. Now the bulbs (I do not have HID in either) are glass - the small glass bulbs typical in today's halogen lights.

Foglights might have glass lens. GEN1 driving lights didn't (I installed several sets)

My 02 S is on windshield #3 from rocks but the headlights are fine ... a few dings and pits but no cracks

 

My 08S with HID has plastic as well. I did get them covered in clear bra just in case and boy was I happy when a stone hit it. No damage to the plastic lens at all.

 

yeah... ive taken my 2008 mcs apart doing the joey mod and it felt like plastic to me...

i did also have a slight scratch/dent from prob a rock on the highway... the way it made its mark def made me think it was just a plastic cover...

 

08 mcs xenon lights and the lens is plastic

 

08 convertible, 1st generation MINI. Plastic headlight lens. I know because I cracked it.

 

All you have to do is tap on the lens with your fingers and you can tell they're plastic.

 

You can always do a protective clear bra over your front bonnet as well as protective headlamp covers. Companies such as 3M or Lamini-x make custom-cut thick softer vinyl films to cushion impacts.
Here in Phoenix, there is constant construction and road debris; I'm very glad I have a clear bra and film, regardless of glass or plastic lenses.

 

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+1

 

If you're worried about headlights, don't just get regular 8 mil paint protection film. We don't have anything over the MINI lights (not a lot of problems with flying debris here) but I have 40 mil Xpel film (about 10 sheets of paper thick) over the headlights of my other car which I take on the track and it gets pelted with track marbles.

http://www.xpel.com/

I think somebody makes a film for windshields (VentureShield?), but it is very tricky to install cleanly. It's probably not worth it.

 

That's what headlights were always made of on every car for years and years. It was not until sometime in the 90's that headlights were made of plastic.

 

I re-read your question and i think i finally understand where the glass part comes in. I've got EDM projectors on my wrx. The headlight itself is clear hard plastic, but there is a small 2" lens inside that is made of glass. The same goes for the mini. The headlight case and front clear structure is plastic. The only glass is a small 2" lens that surrounds the bulb. So your fine.

 

no need to cover the headlights, but consider covering the fogs-- they seem to crack and break easily from road debris, at least from what Ive read on this forum.

 

so far after 5500miles I have 1 big impact on the headlight 0 on the fog light. had the headlight not been covered with clear bra it might have damaged it. it's cheap insurance so I did both.

 

The focusing lens inside the housing is made of glass , but the outer shield lens is clear plastic, per DOT standards.

 

Its made of that plastic type of glass

 

Exactly!

Is this going to be the deciding factor when buying a new car?

 

I've put these on my 2007 MCS:

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...on-system.html

 

First of all, thanks for all the helpful replies. We feel better now about the headlights. We are still going in Monday to test drive the vehicle.

 

It is a fun vehicle, but you won't be finding glass headlights on vehicles these days. However, we have a 1996 Mercedes-Benz C280 in the family with solid glass headlamp lens and after 110,000 miles, they look like they just came out of the factory.

I don't know if they are super-durable or what, but that ride has had its share of peltings, including a few windshields replacements.

 

freakin kids don't even remember glass sealed beams...sheesh!