I got word from my MA today that there will not be any S automatics for test driving until late april. I knew WE could not order them until March but i had hoped that we could test them so that we could place an order based on reality and not just paper...

Here's to hoping that the cooper automatic fulfills all my desire for power! (it should not be too difficult seeing as how I am coming out of a 71HP hybrid!)

maybe the '08 is not too far off!

 

Sigh...

So by that, you mean no Auto orders will be fulfilled until late April? Or just that dealers won't get any test ones in, but orders for them will be filled? (Admittedly, that would be strange.)

I'd double check that. I haven't seen or heard anything about that anywhere else, and I just had my order confirmed by my MA over the weekend. Send an email to Webmaster@askMINIUSA.COM and see what they say.

For what it's worth, Mini2 has a lot of testimonials about the auto transmission, and they all rave about it. I think, when it arrives, it will be worth the wait. (Please, Manual Trans *****, take a deep breath and let the snarky comment die away, k?)

 

My MA said late april for the arrival to the west coast dealerships for the auto tranny.
This seems to correspond with a March build (?)

You're right. This isnt really NEW information. I am just a little down because i had hoped that even though you could not order one until march, that maybe they would have sent them to the dealers early so people could drive them.

 

But automatic tranny is available now for the MCS Convertible.

 

MCS convertible has a different engine and is NOT the R56

 

Oh... West Coast.

that's a little different.

I'll be happy again. Thanks for the info though!

 

YUP ...

MCS Auto builds start Week 10. Once they're built, they take a train ride from the factory to Southampton where they're loaded on a ship. By ship it takes on the average 9 days to New York, 14 days to Charleston, 21 days to Port Hueneme. Off-loading for a stay at the VPC and then shipment to the dealer.

My 2002 MCS took almost 5 weeks to get to the dealer after it was built ...

05/28 - Released for distirbution
05/29 - Waiting for train
05/30 - In Southampton, loaded on Tricolor
06/25 - In Post Hueneme, discharged from Tricolor
06/26 - At VPC
06/27 - Released to carrier
06/29 - Arrived at dealer

As you can see there were no delays in its journey (ie. it didn't get bumped from a ship or held up at the VPC).

 

When I ordered my MCS auto this past Sunday my MA gave me no indication of a later than normal build date. (Though... my MA did seem a little "green", as I knew more about the car than she did ). I still haven't received any communications, email or otherwise, stating that my car won't have a build date until March. I think asking the dealer directly would be a good first step before jumping to conclusions.

 

I think a lot of people here know more about the car than the average MA.

 

What's different in this Auto tranny compared to the R53 Auto tranny?

 

i believe it it is non CVT? am i right guys>?

 

Yup, it's a normal auto rather than a CVT

 

Same in the UK at launch. I spent an hour on launch day taking one of their sales guys thre the new car as he didn't have a clue

 

I checked the configurator last night and, lo and behold, the item description for the auto trans had a post script saying the auto for the S model will not be available for production until March '07. I emailed my MA with this news and am waiting for word back from her confirming this.

 

Auto for S has always been March production, and the manual Cooper is supposed to be delayed also.

 

Yes, the manual Cooper has also been set for March production for quite some time.

 

It's East Coast also. When we palced a deposit the other day our MA said that the auto transmissions will not arrive until April. He didn't know when in April, but April for sure. He said it was for the Cooper and Cooper S. He also said something about satelite radio might not be available until June. But that it could be installed afterwards at the dealership.

 

Hi Working.

Well, I've always expected not to see the car until April. If it's not being produced until March, given a 3 week transit time (at the least) plus prep time at the dealership, there's no question about that. The builds start in 3/07 but the deliveries will be 6-8 weeks after.

Satellite radio is, sadly, indefinitely delayed according to my dealer also. He told me "summer" and that the lifetime package would not be available as a dealer install, only as a factory. Not the best news.

 

Wait, wait, wait.

If the Auto is not around until April delivery for the MC, and the 6-speed is not available on the MC until March production (https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=85990) then that would mean all MC models would be unavailable in the US until April at the earliest, and only MCS 6-speeds would be available in the US before then.

 

Dwdyer,

The auto will be available in the Cooper first, and the manual S, both at US Launch.

The manual Cooper and the auto S follow starting Week 10 production. Those should start getting here mid-April.

 

That's what I thought...I think the MA that reported autos were delayed for MCS and MC until April was perhaps mistaken.