Let's Speculate... US == Different seat? or US == Euro Seat??
 

So there has been a mixed message lately. According to motoringfile.com which is THE authority on all things mini, we will be getting a different seat than the Europeans. However.. there are a few things that MAY point to us getting the Euro seat:

-The minis at the detroit auto show have the euro seats, and they have the US spec side-markers
-The press pics on miniusa have the euro seats
-The pics in most of the configurator (on the botton small pics with options) have the euro seats.

If some of our cars are being built now shouldn't they have had at least some mention of different seats in an official statement from miniusa? I mean at this point I am somewhat disappointed of the lack of information on this topic. There seems to be mixed messages coming out of miniusa.

Motoring file is usually right so I fully expect different seats than europe. I just hope they aren't the same seat that the R53 gets.

I'm very intereseted in this answer as well.
Seems that seating is such a MAJOR part of a drivers experience- I'm surprised this is still a question.
When I ordered mine I was told they were different than the UK seats but I have not seen one pic or description of the seats yet.
It does seem odd that (if) the autos being presented at the auto show(s) as the models one can purchase have the UK style seats then how can they be different to the ones we'll be getting.
Is there any reason the interior seats are being intentionally held secret? Everything else is pretty much well documented -- no official surprises. MINI are you listening? --- PSSSST what are the seats?

Egad, not the R53 seats please!

Why is there a difference anyway?

English have BUMS we have BUTTS

What exactly are the "US spec side-markers"? Are they the orange/amber reflector things?

If they are...I wonder if it's a requirement that they be that color...on a red/black MC/MCS, it'd be MUCH cooler to have red reflectors. Same goes for any MC/MCS with white trim.

:lol::lol::lol::lol: :thumbsup:

That's right - the curving reflector on the wheel arch. This is a requirement unique to the US. Some manufacturers design them into their headlight assemblies, and others tack on something for the us market. Mini cleverly integrated this and I'm glad they carried forward that unique treatment in the R56.

Side impact airbags. Not required in Europe (or Canada), but they are required in some of the states, so all cars for the North American market are shipped with them.

If I were MINI. I too would use the better looking Euro version English Leather at the auto show or in press releases.

I remenber reading they were changing the seats... but that was to do with the weight sensor on the bottom seat face. Initial speculation was that it would omit the center "cog piece" on the front lip of the cloth/leather seats (pictured in Detroit).

On the lounge leather seats, however, it has made for a flat leather seating surface and a stiched/textured area near the front lip (rater than the other way around in Eupore-sorry, I can't think of a better way to descibe this).

Maybe the US spec changes only effected the lower seating face on the clot/leather seats as well and the front lip remains the same?

It would be odd to have the other DOT required items present in Detroit, but have Euro-only seats in the car. My guess is what you are seeing in Detroit is what we are getting in the US.

I could be wrong, but all the Euro R56 pics I've seen seem to include the 'passenger airbag off' light. I presume this is also controlled by a weight sensor in other countries as well.... or do they just have to turn it off with a switch or key??

In the UK, I think there is a key hole on the driver side to turn off the airbag??

I think your correct (saw pics somewhere)... except it's on the passenger side with the left hand drive cars.

Yep, you can turn off the airbag on UK cars manually.

Just to clarify - all the cars at the show with the "Lounge" or English Leather seating have the US version of the bottom seat cushion. All the cars with the leather/cloth combination have the same bottom seat design that is being sold elsewhere in the world.

The reason that there is a difference at all is due to the US regulation of airbag sensors in the bottom seat cushions.

Gabe, regarding the clarification - is the US version of the seat different for cloth, leatherette, and leather/cloth than the rest of the world? If so, kind of dumb for MINI to be showing seats in a US car show that won't be on the car here. Thanks for any additional insights.

Well I'm not really sure to be honest. We were told that all the seats would have the US bottom cushion design that the R50/R53 had due to the sensors. But obviously a few at the show do not. This could simply be a timing issue with production of these show cars or a sign that not all seats will have a different bottom cushion. We'll hopefully figure that out soon (officially).

I'm completely confused now! YIKES
Are any of the cars at the Show the US seats?

If so, or if not, does ANYONE have a picture of what our (US) cars will be getting? It still seems impossible that there is not one photo of either the standard or the sport seats -- the material on them is a seperate concern -- the structure (from my understanding) comes in only two versions -- the Sport seats and the Standard seats. I expect the seats to be an important part of my motoring experience and it would be nice to know (visually - not theoreticaly) what to expect.
So much has been made of the exterior changes -- and it seems to me very little, if anything, has been even seen of the US seats. Is it just me or is this kinda unusual -

ICK.....the ONE thing that gets the most complaints by far with the current generation of car doesn't get addressed. That is quite disappointing

Argh.. I really hope the cloth leather doesn't have the R50/53 seat bottom design. That would suck. It was one of the only things I kinda didn't like about the R50/53.

What are the problems with the current seats?

Aren't there cars in port already here?
Someone must know what seats are in them.

Active Head Restraints
 

I'm surprised that the R56 seats don't include active head restraints (AHR) since:

• Mini is marketed as a premium brand.
• Mini has thoughtfully incorporated virtually every other safety technology.
• Mini is primarily sold in major metropolitan markets where roads are congested.
• Many people today are driving distracted due to simultaneous cell phone use.
• The Mini Cooper lacks a significant trunk or cargo area to absorb rear-end impacts. Thus, more collision force is likely to be transmitted into the passenger compartment.
• The IIHS has placed significant emphasis on AHR in their "Top Safety Pick" award evaluation program. It is not possible to earn their top rating without it.
• Even less expensive vehicles such as the Hyundai Sonata have side curtains, electronic stability control, and AHR as standard equipment.

Pain in the Neck
IIHS Crash Test Results

Is there any chance that Mini will add AHR as a 2007 mid-year improvement?

The seat bottom just seemed to flat. Not really that supportive. I didn't immediately feel comfy sitting on it. I would definitely order recaros if they were available at this time.