I have the Brushed Alum, it's ok but I wanted the piano black. What I don't like about it is the texture of the brushed aluminum. It feels like chalkboard to your fingernails.

 

Hey GJHSU,

I thought it would be cool if someone mentioned this to me so here I am. I was Googling pictures of R56's a few months ago and found the shots you posted on Flicker. I started at the shot of your car in the parking lot and I thought the background looked familiar, like Austin. (I lived there for 19 years.) I started looking through your other shots and saw that it was Austin! Since I'm still a little home sick and you're sporting the car I can't wait to have, it made my day to see a R56 in Austin! And a CLEAN R56 as well!

And, as you can tell in the picture, I'm naming mine, "Austin".

Thanks for posting your pictures!

Also, how badly did the Mazdaspeed and 335 pull on you both from the line and a punch??? I wan't to know if I have hope if I see one on the road.

 

 

o noes! Another flickr stalker!

Thanks for the compliments. I'm originally from Dallas, so when I moved to Austin for school (and now sticking around after school, because, well, it's just a much better place to be), it was a bit of a shock in culture.

Both the MS3 and 335i are so ridiculously quick in comparison to the MINI, it's not even funny.... though I do get a good 10mpg better gas mileage than them, so nyaaaaaa


For thread relevance:

 

You can see a picture or two in my gallery of the brushed alloy. It is indeed metal, and quite nice. The individual parts are pretty heavy, and the finish seems resistant to just about anything.

 

So is the general consensus that the brushed aluminum is a better choice than piano black due to the lack of smudging and scratching?

I can't see touching the dash that much and I assume keeping a microfiber cloth somewhere to wipe it down won't be tough..

 

There is no general concensus because it's a purely subjective item. Some people like a contrast in the dash (such as myself), and others like the gloss of the piano black.

Now, PRACTICALLY, the aluminum may be better/easier to take care of, but that in no way implicates it as a 'better' option. Get what you want for the looks, not its ease of care

 

I really don't think you could wipe the brushed aluminum with anything soft. It would eat up the material and permanently deposit it on the textured aluminum. It's actually quite rough to the touch. It looks great, and won't get prints on it, but it feels weird.

 

Thanks all. I'll have to decide when I see them in person.

 

I wish there was a kit available for the R53 to convert to real aluminum! I have thought about having my dash removed and used as a pattern for a custom made alloy dash, but so far the cost estimates have been astronomical.

 

Does anyone else have an issue with wear like 3DogDepot??? Sounds like that's a real issue. I guess the question is, "Is it an issue just with the alloy?" I thought that the ovals are all of the same quality and material.

Thoughts?

 

You probably already know this but just to be clear, it's not the metal alloy that's not wearing well, it's the smooth gray plastic (matte finish) door rings. The other ovals (i.e., Fluid Silver, Piano Black) have a shiny finish on them even though they are all plastic, which, in hindsight, would seem to serve as a protective layer against normal wear. I'm thinking that because the ones that come with the Brushed Alloy do not, this may be the reason the paint wears off so easily.

 

UPDATE: After replacing the second upper door trim piece yesterday (under warranty), we decided to have both sides protected with a clear film 3M product (the same stuff used as a "clear bra" on the front of cars). The total cost was $40 ($20/side) for just the shorter upper part of the ovals and it turned out great! It actually makes it look just like "Fluid Silver" in those areas and you can barely detect the line/edge where the material stops. We were a little concerned that it might not look right since the rest of the oval is a non-shiny matte finish but it's not bad at all, and we prefer having the protection in that area (given our recent experience). The material is very strong and resists scratches from seatbelts, keys, rings, etc. I think this idea would work well on any of the optional trim surfaces (i.e., Piano Black, etc.) to protect them from scratches/premature wear. We would have had the entire oval done the same way but the cost seemed excessive for what it is, roughly an additional $280 ($140/side) for a total on both front doors of $320. We can always go back and add it later, if needed.

FWIW, the cost of ordering replacement trim pieces in a different finish (i.e., Fluid Silver, etc.) is outrageous; $125/side for just the shorter upper part of the oval, with complete replacement of the entire oval costing far more than the original option itself ($250).

Here are a few "before" and "after" shots of how it looks. Keep in mind that we chose angles/shots that best showed the contrast between glossy and matte surface to give an accurate idea of the contrast. In reality, the difference is not as dramatic. For us, at least, problem solved. HTH.

 

Just ordered my MCS today...and I chose the brushed alloy as well. Great to hear that it is as pretty as what the dealer described. The photo on the Mini site wasn't very confidence inspiring. Thanks for the good info all!

 

Thanks for the pics. I got a nasty scuff/scratch on my driver's trim, and decided I had an excuse to upgrade to brushed alloy.

 

Cool! I think what I like best is that it doesn't show fingerprints.

 

+1

 

Yup, I've seen his in person... looks awesome!

 

thanks guys for helping me decide on the alloy. got it today ($200 from Morristownmini) as well as rubber floor mats. the interior looks less cheap now. rubber and alloy go well together. i'm not sure how i unclipped the passenger side trim off without breaking anything. didn't bother looking up directions. i removed the two screws on the inside and somehow snapped it off. it was scary.

anyway, i'm going to post my original trim pieces on the marketplace unless anyone is inclined to wrap em in vinyl or paint em. the scratches and scuffs are very superficial.

 

So did you do alloy just on the 2 dash pieces? What did you originally have?

 

just the 2 dash pieces. originally bone stock trim.