Today I had a chance to check out the 2007 MCS. I didn't drive just took a look around and sat inside.

Exterior: It took several glances around to actually find the car. Actually walked by it From the outside it does look bigger. Sitting next to an 06 it actually looked higher, but I think it will sit lower once the car has been PDI'd. The hood looks a little too big (too rounded). The 2006's hood actually has better lines to it. From the rear it doesnt look that different. The dual exhaust looks real nice, the dual tips are much larger than the 06 and looks just right.

Interior: This car had the cloth seats and they looked really good. The fabric was actually nice and would be something I would consider, although I really like my English leather. The seats are very supportive, however the adjustment for the seat back seemed hard to get too even though its in the same position as the 06. This particular car had the brushed trim but the shift **** was chrome and wood not
sure maybe just a mistake, which can easliy be fixed with a Whalen
It actually has more leg room as previously mentioned but since I am not 6 foot plus this has never been an issue.

The interior lighting feature is actually cool allowing you to choose the color ala Mustang and actually has ambient lighting on the B pillars.
The one thing I wanted to see in person before making any comments is the center stack. Soon as I saw the pix I thought Mini lost thier mind.
In person it looks like a toy.....almost like it was put together with lego. It simply looks cheap. The 2006's center stack looks so much better not only by design but choice of materials.

Looking in the back you can see that the rear windows are in fact smaller and might be an issue for some when it comes to rear vision. The PDC might be a useful option.

Overall the build quality is nice but I thinks the flaws will be revealed as people start taking delivery. Now I just need to see how it drives. From what I've been told the biggest improvement for 2007 comes in the form of the MC w/auto.

To all getting the 07 congrats! to the rest of us.........excellent choice

 

Thanks for the "review".

I'm looking forward to checking out that 'center stack'. Might the deal-breaker. .

JohnG

 

Thanks for posting your impressions.

 

SF Bay area??? where did you see the car?

 

I posted impressions on my club forum, but far too lazy to copy paste here.. Mainly due to you all already knowing most the info.

Some highlights though are..

Speedo seems to empty.. I wish they added km/h to it as well.. just seems to blank due to the size

Center console seems empty too, but Auto AC will spice it up.. its really "simple"

The radio controls are freaking sweet.. I like the larger lcd.. and choosing stations is nice and easy.. the tuner **** isnt needed.. They actually kinda give you the option of selecting a different way.. Simliar to like 3 multiple choice questions to narrow it down.

Hood is fatter.. clear difference when you see it but only noticeable around other MINIs and you really look at it.

The boot is a bubble.. Sticks out more.. makes the car more roundish.

The exhaust is MASSIVE.. reminded me of the 328i's exhausts maybe a snad bigger. Nice improvement from R53.

Seats have nice strong side bolsters.. very comfortable.



Overall I liked the car.. I just think the center console makes the car kinda feel a bit empty inside sometimes due to it being so simple.

 

SF Bay area??? where did you see the car?

 

I also got to take a look at a 2007 Mini Cooper S this evening. Sparkling Silver with a black roof and stripes. Red lounge leather. Web-spoke wheels. I would say that I had a different impression of the car than the opinion described above.

First of all the combination of Sparkling Silver, black stripes, web-spokes, and red lounge leather is really stunning. Not only did I not have to look around to figure out which car was the 2007 Cooper S... I could practically see it around the corner with that assertive and elegant visual treatment.

The exterior of the car I thought looked better all the way around than I expected, and I especially liked the nose of the car. Though it frequently appears rather bulbous in photographs, I suspect this is often due to using a wide angle lens while standing close to the car. It is certainly more prominent than the r53 nose, and considerably less cute, but more than makes up for it with an increased sense of sportiness and even seems a little aggressive (the last adjective I'd use to describe the r53 front end).

While both cars are beautiful, in person I actually believe I favor the r56.

Inside I found the car an improvement over the r53 Cooper S. Compared to the 2006 car, the materials seem better, it seems to be a more substantial and luxurious interior. The center console is probably not going to win any awards but neither does it spoil the interior. The fact is, it remains well below your sightline when in a driving position, and the improved dash and speedometer make a much greater impression. (Yes, I even liked the speedometer in person, as ridiculous as it has looked in photographs to me all this time).

All in all I would say that, on introduction, I was pleased in almost every way with the r56 Cooper S. I find that I am pretty hard to please, too, so that was a very nice surprise. I can't wait to take one for a test drive soon.

 

Did you notice the additional space in the footwells that the R56 console provides?

 

I agree and keep coming back to this wonderful picture that was posted on MINI2:

http://www.mini2.com/images/laser100..._4936_1600.jpg

As much as I love the nose of the R53, I like the nose of the R56 better ...I like the aggressiveness. In fact, I prefer the R56 all the way around ...which is no small feat given all of the changes and how sweet the R53 is. Of course, this is all from pictures for me. I look forward to seeing one and having my expectations met ...or exceeded ...that would be nice.

dean.

 

That is a great photo - one I've not seen before. I share your feelings. I love the R53, but when I look at them together there is no doubt that I prefer the R56.

 

Yeah, great pic. It kind of looks like father and son to me.

 

Great pic! I prefer the R56 as well. The only part of the R56 I dont care for are the larger side mirrors.

I have to say though, that is an older mcs in the pic. The '05+ with the new headlights and tweaked grill looks considerably better imo..

 

I'm trying to grasp the difference between the older R53 and the newer. The trim around the grill is different, but the shape the same? The headlights - the red one has xenons, the blue halogen - otherwise what changed in the lights? The bumper fascia looks the same?

 

The Cooper S didnt change as much, the Cooper got a whole different front end..bumper and all. The blue one does not have halogens..that's what the old xenons looked like. Only the '05-'06 had the cool looking projector headlights.

But I think the new headlights made a MASSIVE improvement. Also, in that picture of the two blue cars, the R56 is a dead on front view, and the R53 is at a bit of an angle which favors the R56.

In the pic of the red R53 I posted, the car looks much more agressive than the blue, don't you think? Mostly because of the angles. They can make a big difference.

 

My first time seeing that picture of the r53 and r56.
The r53 looks outdated to me in the picture, but it's because of the slat grill, slap the aero on there and it's right back up to date IMO.
I'll say I like that shot of the r56, but it sure does look alot bigger and taller and that part of it is not to my liking. What Rossi says about the hood is my biggest gripe, It just doesn't look right to me. Hopefully someone will bring em to AMVIV so I can realy check em out.

Meantime Brutus, my r53 rules ALL!!!

James

 

Any idea if the car on the left in that photo has suspension modifications? Is the waistline of the car actually that much higher? If those are unmodded cars, the entire front of the car is substantially higher, not just a bulgy nose. I actually like the R56 a lot less. Guaranteed the next generation will be even bigger, and the next generation even bigger until it's the size of a Golf.

 

Yes - you are closet to the car in that photo, and with more of a wide angle view. Seeing them together in person is much more informative, and looking at two MCs with the similar grills takes away one more distraction from the comparison. I saw them together at the Phila auto show in just that way, although it was the convertible and coupe.

 

There is some slight parallax(?) distortion in that picture. If you take a straight edge, like another window frame, over various horizontal lines of it you can see it. The R56 tilts to the left and right depending where you place the straight edge. That said, you can also see that both cars are the same height. The R56 just looks higher and it is placed just a tad higher in the picture.

 

ride height on the r53 looks stock judging from the gap between the arch and top of the front tire. Still have to see one in the metal, but I have a feeling that our next MCS will be either a R50 or R53 or the Moke when it comes out....check out page 96 in Motor Trend's March edition, if a change was needed THATs the one im talking bout!!

 

Are the 2 Minis in the pic not actually parked side by side? If they are then the R56 roof line is clearly higher & the R56 sit's higher off the ground. You can say the angles are different right to left but I don't see how height can be distorted at all unless one mini is parked on higher ground

 

This would be better if the angles were the same.

 

Very cool. Thanks for that !

dean.

 

I'm finding it hard to look at any comparison pictures these days after the flurry of generous and well-intentioned submissions after the Paris Auto Show. The more one analyzed the more confusing it got. Nope...I'm waiting to see one in the flesh for now. I must confess: 1) I'm already impressed and pleased by R56 and 2) I'm only looking at Coopers which is what I'll be getting within the year.

 

They are parked side by side and that is part of the problem. The camera is not in front of either. You didn't use your straight edge, did you! The eye will fool you. The R56 grows from left to right and the R53s tires and roof are lower than the R56. The centered camera position, which may be a few inches off center, makes a big difference when you start to make size and proportion judgements.

I do agree the front end and beltline of the R56 is taller. The straightedge really helps to show where and how much.

 

Send me the specs -- height/width and I'll fix (the best I can) the animated gif in my earlier post showing the R53 morfing into the R56 pictures.
I made both license plates the same size since that seemed like it would the only point of reference that should be identical on both models.